Member Since: 01 Dec 2017
Location: Wales
Posts: 20
How damaging is towing?
As I've mentioned on here before, I'm hoping to buy a D4. I have no particular need to tow anything. When looking at cars should I:
A. See towing as detrimental and avoid those with tow bars because of the extra wear and tear the car will have endured,
Or
B. See towing as irrelevant and treat those with tow bars as having an extra feature for potential future use with no adverse effects on the rest of the car?
Thanks for any advice.
21st Feb 2018 5:36 pm
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4399
It's really difficult to tell. If a Disco has been used to tow a 5' x 3' trailer to the dump with grass cutting in, it's very unlikely to have done any damage. However, if it's been used to tow a 3.5tonne digger on a trailer, on and off of building sites it may be a different story.
Don't forget, Discos can have removable towbars, and many owners will sell the towbar separately to the car, then you won't tell that it had had a towbar on anyway!
You need to be more aware of the condition of the car and how it drives, rather than whether it has a towbar or not. Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
Discovery 2 4.0 ES 2001- Gone
Discovery 1 300Tdi ES '95 - Gone
Range Rover Classic '79 - Gone
21st Feb 2018 5:47 pm
L319
Member Since: 14 Dec 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 2080
Driven correctly, towing should not be a major issue, but towing say a 3500kg trailer all the time must, by its very nature ,put extra loading on the vehicle . I would look more to its condition rather than if it has a tow hitch .
21st Feb 2018 5:58 pm
Erea
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Munster
Posts: 1509
Discoverys are designed to tow large loads. I think avoiding a vehicle that has towed a lot is more for advice cars and small SUVs rather than large 4X4s. The overall condition of the car would be a better indicator.
21st Feb 2018 6:04 pm
armalites
Member Since: 17 Aug 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 1918
It's a vehicle that's been designed to tow, sure there will extra loading due to the tugging on the rear end but the reality is a properly loaded/maintained trailer won't put much more load on the vehicle than a couple of adults sat in the 3rd row seats.
I think it's one of those things from years gone by like people not buying a car with 100k miles on it. I would see a decent quality fixed tow bar as a benefit as I would only be fitting one anyway. It's also one of those vehicles where a high percentage will a tow bar compared to other vehicles.
I also suspect you are far more likely to have problems with a vehicle that's been doing 30miles a week than one that's been towing a trailer.
It's also wrong to assume a vehicle that has never towed will have no suspension issues.IID PRO
MSV Extreme
Nanocom One
Last edited by armalites on 21st Feb 2018 7:04 pm. Edited 1 time in total
Wouldn’t worry to much depending on mileage, but if I had the slightest hint that it had been towing something more than a garden trailer I would seriously consider a gearbox flush especially if the mileage was coming up to 40k.
You can of course have a towbar fitted and only used as a bike rack.
21st Feb 2018 6:22 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26699
It’s pretty much irrelevant. He car has to be bought on condition.
How do you know that Disco your looking at hasn’t been thrashed to within a moment of its life? Yet the seller claims it’s never towed!
The highest mileage D3 in the world (probably) has spent most of its life towing a large car transporter trailer, so no I would not avoid a D3 that has towed. I would avoid one that was obviously neglected.
21st Feb 2018 6:26 pm
enforcer
Member Since: 01 Dec 2017
Location: Wales
Posts: 20
Thanks everyone. I'll pretty much forget about it then, and go by the normal criteria of condition etc.
21st Feb 2018 7:10 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
As said above I would go on condition of the car AND the owner, if they look like a builder type guy then ist going to have had a hard life no matter what they say
The car may be designed for towing but remember the auto boxes start sulking around 100k, add in being asked to do twice the work they normally do with the extra weight and they may get ill sooner rather than later.
21st Feb 2018 7:16 pm
enforcer
Member Since: 01 Dec 2017
Location: Wales
Posts: 20
I'll keep that in mind, though I expect I'll end up buying through a dealer/trader and so may never see the previous owner. I'll always ask what they can tell me about them, but there's no guarantee they'll know or tell the truth.
With respect to the gearbox, will the flush mentioned above deal with the problems you refer to, or are you talking about approaching the end of the working life?
21st Feb 2018 7:23 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Sadly I cant answer that as auto boxes have been a lottery since the dawn of time, land rovers being no exception.
On the other hand anythimg you can do to extend their working lives cant hurt.
21st Feb 2018 7:37 pm
Brian_DL13
Member Since: 25 Aug 2013
Location: Teesdale
Posts: 1418
Just make sure there's an FSH. As far as gearbox is concerned, broadly speaking go by the way it performs. If over 60k and it has been changed / flushed that's a sign of a caring owner
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21st Feb 2018 9:24 pm
enforcer
Member Since: 01 Dec 2017
Location: Wales
Posts: 20
About what?
21st Feb 2018 10:06 pm
ginjeremy
Member Since: 09 Jan 2011
Location: west yorkshire
Posts: 160
[quote="lynalldiscovery"]As said above I would go on condition of the car AND the owner, if they look like a builder type guy then ist going to have had a hard life no matter what they say
The car may be designed for towing but remember the auto boxes start sulking around 100k, add in being asked to do twice the work they normally do with the extra weight and they may get ill sooner rather than later.[/quot
A sweeping statement of a builder type guy I am one of those bulder types you speak of but I hate mess and look after my vehicles with care. No styrene cups sloshing about on my dash and I constantly get asked when am I selling my Transit. I'm sure HairyDan would vouch for my vehicles. Perhaps I'm the exceptionto the norm.
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dont know what to say
I am one of those bulder types you speak of but I hate mess and look after my vehicles with care. No styrene cups sloshing about on my dash and I constantly get asked when am I selling my Transit. I'm sure HairyDan would vouch for my vehicles. Perhaps I'm the exceptionto the norm. 
