Landrover Safety Issue

[Astw]

I wanted to share my story to help warn others who may be towing with a Landrover. This is a very long story so I'm going to keep it brief. We started our several month journey with a 6 month old Landrover LR4 (2012) and we are towing a 19' Airstream International Travel trailer.

The LR4 is rated for towing 7700 lbs with a tongue weight 500. Our trailer is 4,500 lbs with a tongue weight of 500 lbs. The dealer where we purchased the airstream has had several clients tow with a Landrover. He said we needed a Reece weight distribution hitch and we would be fine. He wouldn't sell a trailer without a weight distribution hitch as it is needed for safe traveling.

After 3 weeks on the road the hitched fell off the truck (for those not familiar with Landrover hitch system, they engineered a metal wedge that slides into a unit attached to the frame and held on by 2 extending pins) Luckily, the chains caught the airstream before an accident happened. This issue occurred several more times before arriving at a Landrover dealer.

The Landrover dealer dealt with UK HQ directly since they have not seen this before. Basically, they told me replacing the hitch system is not covered under warrantee and actually voids the warrantee since Landrover can't tow using a weight distribution hitch as it interrupts the suspension and causes the hitch pin to wear a large hole in the unit attached to the frame which causes the hitch to fall off the vehicle. So basically, the truck can't tow trailers, RV trailers, boats, etc using this type if hitch.

The crazy part of the story is I couldn't find any mention of this in the owners manual and when I made several request to Landrover, they sent me a different version of the manual then what came with my truck.

This is why I'm hoping people read my story and really research Landrover products if they plan on towing because there is a huge safety disconnect between Landrover and the RV/towing industry.

I'm now safely driving a Ford 150 and loving it.

Wayne

[Bruce B]

Nice choice on a replacement vehicle!
love mine.....
Bruce

[Andrew T]

Hi Wayne

I share your concern with the cast iron plug in receiver with any trailer. There is an aftermarket Class 3 receiver rated for weight distribution for the LR4. It works even better if you tie the receiver tube into the mounting plate location for the LR hitch.

Conventional weight distribution can be configured to work with the Air Suspension but most people will have a hard time finding a shop that can really dial it in. If you are buying a LR and and Airstream might as well go the little extra for a Hensley which will work with the Air Ride without any problems at all.

In Europe they do not have weight distribution hitches so they have no understanding of them.

Andrew T

[random 17]

That's too bad. I'm surprised it happened with a 19 ft trailer. That would be a pretty nice setup otherwise.

I've noticed the Range Rover hitch looks different. Do you know if they've had similar issues with the Range Rover?

[Andrew T]

We have done a few Range Rovers but we changed the hitches on them all I can't remember exactly what they were like before we started.

Other than the hitch it is a very good tow vehicle. Just for the price of one you can get one of the diesel SUV's that are far more popular.

[jdalrymple]

I really don't want to turn this into a bashing thread, but we have owned two Land Rover products. I have found them to be absolutely the worst vehicles I have ever owned, a list that includes a 1988 Ford F-150 that Ford took back under “Lemon Laws”.
They are a nice looking ride, but are total junk.

[Astw]

I don't know about range rovers tow issues but if you head down that path have the Landrover dealer show you in writing that it can handle a wd hitch. Don't rely on the AS dealer as they aren't aware of this issue. I did send a message to AS HQ asking them to make all the dealers aware. They said they were researching the issue. Hope this is helpful

[mefly2]

Incredible; thank you for the heads up.

[ROBERT CROSS]

...hasn't the British SAE recently acknowledged that oil is a liquid and electricity is not.

Certainly glad the adventure wasn't more serious.

Bob

[Andrew T]

In fairness to Land Rover, their older vehicles certianly had their share of problems but the current ones are as good a quaility as any other vehicle.

As for the hitch, I have seem plenty fall off of domestic pick ups so they are not the only ones who do not understand weight distribution.

Andrew T