Hitch Weigh w Range Rover Sport

[KBYH2O]

Hi Everyone! Can I tow new 27’ Flying cloud with my Range Rover Sport? The tow weight is 7600. The Flying Cloud wet weight is 7100.

[Dennis C]

You’ll need more information, as maximum tow rating is only one piece of the puzzle. You’ll need to pay specific attention to maximum payload rating and maximum hitch/tongue weight limits.

I’m speculating because I haven’t seen your specific numbers, but my initial answer to your question is that it’s not a good combination. The 27 footer is heavy and will likely exceed several key limits on the Range Rover.

[tbrowne]

Your post piqued my interest, so I looked the specs for the Range Rover Sport and copied the towing specs - shown below. Specs list the maximum coupling point (nose weight) as 330 lbs. I think that pretty much eliminates the Rover Sport as being able to safely tow the Airstream. The 27 footer will have a tongue weight of at least 800 lbs loaded.

[propchef]

Originally Posted by tbrowne

Your post piqued my interest, so I looked the specs for the Range Rover Sport and copied the towing specs - shown below. Specs list the maximum coupling point (nose weight) as 330 lbs. I think that pretty much eliminates the Rover Sport as being able to safely tow the Airstream. The 27 footer will have a tongue weight of at least 800 lbs loaded.

That may be a limitation of the receiver and OP would have to check that sticker. RR brags about their towing abilities and to tout a 7700 lb capacity with a 330 lb tongue limit seems off. RR are designed and built abroad where towing specs are different and they use a gooseneck.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

More or less, a 23' of smaller is commonly considered to work pretty well with a typical SUV and a normal set of passengers plus gear. Past that many move over to a 150/1500 sized pickup truck or something similar ( possibly a van with good ratings). Once you get to 27' and beyond, folks start to talk about 250 / 2500 pickups.

We run a F350 on our 30' Classic. The F250 simply was to close to the edge for our typical loading. It took us a couple of years to fully face up to that fact. You can spend a lot of time in a "this just has to work" process.

It's never about any one number. You have to get them all in spec. Even if they all are technically "ok" your towing experience can be awful. Things like heading to the CAT scales at the start of each trip would be prudent if you decide to live "right on the edge".

This applies to normal vehicles with normal ( = stock ) bits and pieces. You can hotrod just about any sort of vehicle. A pro is a good thing to head over to if this isn't something you do a lot of. There are a number of gotchas that can come up. Just what impact any sort of mods have on warranties and the like is a topic of much debate.

Best answer to your question: not a good idea.

Bob

[NO NOIZE]

I have a 27 footer, the real world tongue weight is 1100 to 1200 pounds. A 3/4 ton pickup is really the best option. Others will testify that it can be done with just about anything. But as stated earlier, it is just not a good idea.

[JL_FC2020]

Hi,
I ran into the same issue with my 2018 LR Discovery HSE Diesel. Tow weight specs we're within waiting but the tongue weight of the 28tbFC was too high. Bought a Ford Expedition Max since I was unwilling to go to a smaller Airstream Trailer.
Best,
John

[mefly2]

Our 25 Eddie Bauer taxes the cargo capacity of our Expedition. Tongue weight measures just over 1,000 lbs and that is without water. Add for cargo in the trailer, plus dogs, plus driver and passenger ... well, you can see where the cargo capacity of the tow vehicle needs to be ...

[mwodzinski]

I tow my 23FB with my Range Rover (RR) HSE TD6 without any problems. I did have to use an Equalizer Weight Distribution (WD) hitch to prevent trailer sway; otherwise, the Land Rover anti-sway program would be triggered at the onset of trailer sway. Basically my RR would suddenly automatically apply the brakes. I have had no trailer sway when using my WD hitch. Also, when stuck in a traffic jam with stop & go traffic, my RR goes into “limp mode”. Stopping for 15 minutes typically fixes the problem. Also note that I can get up to 28 mpg with my diesel RR when pulling my AS.

As others have noted, while a Range Rover (HSE OR Sport) have been used to pull 27’ European spec Airstreams (AS) with no problems, a US spec 27’ AS has significantly higher hitch weight. Also consider a fully loaded AS with supplies, propane and water.

When I posted my issues in the past, others have claimed that they have pulled a 30’ AS without issue. As others have pointed out there are other issues to consider. Rather than go into hitch weight, gross vehicle weight and other weight related issues, I think it is best to look at the big picture. The RR has air suspension and “medium duty” axles compared to a large American pickup truck (1/2 or 3/4 ton). Also the RR does not have a brake controller; although, one can be fitted (the RR wiring supports a Ford F150 wiring harness with minor changes) - probably due to a previous ownership of Land Rover by Ford.

Finally, also consider that an AS is an “engineered” vehicle. The weight distribution of the trailer was designed to support specific performance characteristics. While the hitch load can be lowered by using aluminum or composite propane tanks as well as lithium batteries, the trailer does needs to be “front heavy” to maintain proper tracking. You do not want the “tail wagging the dog”. It’s important to keep the tow vehicle weight in the proper proportion to the trailer weight. While it may be possible to get away with a light tow vehicle under the best conditions, it can be quite a handful under the worst conditions (i.e., heavy rain and wind).

Bottom line, a Range Rover is a great tow vehicle for pulling as 23’ or smaller AS. It may be unsuitable for larger AS trailers under adverse conditions.

- Mike

[KBYH2O]

Thank you for the good information.

[Peter C]

Ignoring the tongue weight issue, our friends used to tow their 28ft non AS trailer with their RR for a number of years. They loaded their trailer down with a lot of gear so I think it would be compatible in weight to a 27fb. Other than gas mileage and the fact that they were beating the crap out of their rover it worked.