Disco for trailing

[Jeff Pike]

Advice please. Trailing a 7.0 mtr RIB. Current car limited to 1500kg max and with boat/trailer/kit/fuel I'm on the limit with a petrol/part time 4x4. Need something that can tow the weight comfortably & I can feel more confident with when launching.

Looking to buy a 2nd hand diesel disco. To all you guys with one:

1. What do I need to look out for when buying?

2. Reliability issues -what goes wrong with them? Heard a lot about niggly problems/build quality/dodgy electrics. What experience of you had with them? Am I asking for trouble & would I be better off with something else ? Landcruiser?

3. Looking at high spec (like my creature comforts) - more prone to problems?

4. Do you compomise ability by going auto?

Lot to ask I know but any info would be useful.

Cheers. Jeff

[codprawn]

Look here

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13543

and here at the one I just bought.

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13276

[Alice]

Watch out for all of them unless it's a Disco 3. The rest are made from the BL parts bin.

[randski]

Originally Posted by Alice

Watch out for all of them unless it's a Disco 3. The rest are made from the BL parts bin.

Totally agree unless Disco 3 go for Landcruiser

[BogMonster]

If you want a nice simple easy to fix vehicle for a reasonable price get a good second hand Discovery Tdi, one of the late ones for preference (they stopped making the Tdi in mid 1998), nice and stable for towing. Any serious problems will most likely long since have been fixed. Autos are good in one way for towing as they are smooth, but I think they are a little short of puff with the Tdi engine (and the Td5 for that matter) others disagree and you can always uprate it with a bigger intercooler and fuel pump tweaks anyway, not that expensive. The higher spec ES ones aren't really much more complicated its mostly just leather, fancy wireless, twin sunroofs, that sort of thing.

Later ones 1999-2004 with the Td5 engine are also good, I run a 2002 4.0 V8 auto (same vehicle except with the V8) which is wonderful to tow with but a little hard on the juice ... I love it though. The later ones are more reliable on the whole and the roadholding is certainly considerably better.

Discovery 3s are too new to think about IMHO, too much electricity to go wrong and I wouldn't consider one for at least another year. I'm not even sure if I will consider one then -- I'll reserve judgement until I see what else goes wrong!! There's nothing wrong with many of the Japanese 4x4s, I just don't like them because most of them were designed by somebody with a bag over their head. A Landcruiser Colorado (Prado) would be a good alternative but I don't know much about what to look for on those.

Regardless of what you buy, if possible get one without a towing hitch, because if it has towed all its life the transmission may be a bit tired by now. Basically they are mechanically sound if properly maintained but the single most important bit of advice I can give is to find somebody who knows Discoverys from top to bottom and get them to come and look at anything you are buying and test drive it. A lousy driver who has no mechanical sympathy can do a lot of damage to a Land Rover transmission over time with rough gearchanges etc.

If you want to find the Land Rover equivalent of RIBnet go and look on www.lr4x4.com it is an excellent forum (though I could be biased as I am one of the moderators...) lots of friendly people and a staggering amount of collective knowledge about anything with a green oval on it

[TJ101]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

If you want to find the Land Rover equivalent of RIBnet go and look on www.lr4x4.com it is an excellent forum (though I could be biased as I am one of the moderators...) lots of friendly people and a staggering amount of collective knowledge about anything with a green oval on it

here here, could not agree more,,re LR4x4.com

Talking about a D3. friend has one,spent more time at the stealers,that he has driving it !! Always smells of Diesel fumes. has a problem with the preheater, with fumes coming into the car, They have had 9 times now, and enough is enough !! Now so bad, his other half had the car 30 miles from home,when it played up,Left it where it was,and came home in a taxi !!!

Back on subject, All down to budget, Valve for money, Go for a series 2 Discovery TD5 ES auto £10-£13k aprox

[osprey__viper]

I use a 2003 TD5 ES auto. It's great for towing the boat and just as at home off road. The ES spec has leather, climate control, ace, etc, hdc, rear air suspension and the list goes on. I have a landrover tow bar with adjustable drop plate and ball / pin hitch.

That said I had the use of a Disco3 TDV6 HSE last week and it was awsome. Didnt tow anything but the grunt from that v6 made my TD5 look very weak indeed We gave it a good off road test and the terrain response system was out of this world. But at £40k it was a little out of my league for the moment.

Which ever you choose you wont be dissapointed.

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by osprey__viper

That said I had the use of a Disco3 TDV6 HSE last week and it was awsome. Didnt tow anything but the grunt from that v6 made my TD5 look very weak indeed We gave it a good off road test and the terrain response system was out of this world.

Don't get me wrong the D3 and especially the TDV6 engine is great when it is all working.

Therein lies my reservation.....

All I will say is that the days of buying a diesel engine for simplicity and longevity are a distant and receding memory. Still got my 300Tdi 90 though

[codprawn]

Disco 3 great on road but lack of proper chassis and no beam axles are drawbacks offroad!!! Yes electronic trickery makes up for a lot but the Disco2 and the Defenders have all three!!!

[BOG RAT]

I work with landrovers all day, have done for years, towing loads up & down the country, & into europe.
Take my advise mate we've tried 'em all, DONT buy a disco, they are all absolute crap at towing, only hair dressers use 'em.

We tow with with 110 defenders NOT the TD5 (crap engine) get a TDI every time, getting harder to find now, these landys will pull all day - every day, but if you really want the best towing 4x4 ever, in my opinion get a LAND CRUISER, I use one of these (as I'm the boss) it's the only thing that can out - pull a 110 tdi landy when used in anger.

We had three new discos on a weeks trial, all three drivers bought them back after only one day, & got back into their ol' landys.

Weve tried every 4x4 on the market & this is our results...

[Alice]

Originally Posted by BOG RAT

I work with landrovers all day, have done for years, towing loads up & down the country, & into europe.
Take my advise mate we've tried 'em all, DONT buy a disco, they are all absolute crap at towing, only hair dressers use 'em.

We tow with with 110 defenders NOT the TD5 (crap engine) get a TDI every time, getting harder to find now, these landys will pull all day - every day, but if you really want the best towing 4x4 ever, in my opinion get a LAND CRUISER, I use one of these (as I'm the boss) it's the only thing that can out - pull a 110 tdi landy when used in anger.

We had three new discos on a weeks trial, all three drivers bought them back after only one day, & got back into their ol' landys.

Weve tried every 4x4 on the market & this is our results...

Some sense at last! Beats me why you guy's big 'em up. Is it 'coz you own them?

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Alice

Some sense at last! Beats me why you guy's big 'em up. Is it 'coz you own them?

I am on my third Discovery and as it happens also my third Defender. All have been used for towing except the first Discovery. Not to mention the fact that my part of the company I work for has eight others, and in the last 10 years I guess I have driven several hundred. Oh and there's the three on our farm nearly forgot about those...

Bog Rat is right in one respect in that the 110 is better than a Discovery, longer wheelbase and stiffer rear suspension means it is bound to be. A 130 is better than a 110 too, for the same reason. But it depends on what you want - when I get my RIB next week I will be using my 90 for towing it, it isn't as stable as a Discovery because of the shorter wheelbase but it's far more manoeuvrable and for me that is the important thing. And while a 110 is better for towing, unless your main business is towing (which if you are just a RIB owner wanting to shift his/her boat is probably not the case) the Discovery makes a much better everyday vehicle for most people, not to mention being a lot cheaper and with a much better selection of used vehicles that haven't been used for "towing loads up & down the country, & into europe" all their life

Agree on one thing though: Tdi beats Td5 hands down. Fortunately (at the moment) we can still get Tdi engined Defenders in this part of the world so that's what mine is

I haven't driven a Land Cruiser but I can imagine the 4.2TD engine must be about the best there is for effortless towing. It still looks like it was designed by somebody with a bag over their head though


Stephen (not a hairdresser )

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Disco 3 great on road but lack of proper chassis and no beam axles are drawbacks offroad!!! Yes electronic trickery makes up for a lot but the Disco2 and the Defenders have all three!!!

I have driven my D3 up hills with no problems that both a 90 & Disco 2 had to have several goes at!
A D3 will go places a D2 cannot!
It dose have a proper shassy & the air suspension dose the job of the beam axle as one side is pushed up the other will drop & in extended height mode it beats the ground clearance of the D2 & 90/110!

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

I have driven my D3 up hills with no problems that both a 90 & Disco 2 had to have several goes at!
A D3 will go places a D2 cannot!
It dose have a proper shassy & the air suspension dose the job of the beam axle as one side is pushed up the other will drop & in extended height mode it beats the ground clearance of the D2 & 90/110!

Not wishing to start a fight and this isn't really the forum for this particular discussion but.....

The logistics would present a problem but if you could bring your D3 here I'd take you for a couple of hours drive in proper off road conditions following my 90 and see if you came back with the same opinion. Or if you came back at all

Every time I see the "Terrain Response ensures Discovery 3 will go places a Defender will struggle" argument it cracks me up....

There are a handful of situations in which fancy electronics will make it look better but in the real world it's a different story.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

I have driven my D3 up hills with no problems that both a 90 & Disco 2 had to have several goes at!
A D3 will go places a D2 cannot!
It dose have a proper shassy & the air suspension dose the job of the beam axle as one side is pushed up the other will drop & in extended height mode it beats the ground clearance of the D2 & 90/110!

WHAT???

Tyres make a major difference for a start. Traction control IS brilliant but then the Disco2 and new Defenders have them as well.

The Disco3 is a major advance ON the road and it performs exceptionally well offroad BUT why do you think the extreme rock crawlers STILL use beam axles? Yes the air suspension does act a bit like a beam but the articulation is still crap compared to something like an old Rangie.

As to ground clearance I am 6' tall with fairly long legs - I can get my knee under the sill of my 110 that is standard and on normal size tyres - can you do that on a Disco3???

One of the mags tested a Disco 2 and 3 on identical tyres - the Disco 2 came out better offroad overall.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by BOG RAT

I work with landrovers all day, have done for years, towing loads up & down the country, & into europe.
Take my advise mate we've tried 'em all, DONT buy a disco, they are all absolute crap at towing, only hair dressers use 'em.

We tow with with 110 defenders NOT the TD5 (crap engine) get a TDI every time, getting harder to find now, these landys will pull all day - every day, but if you really want the best towing 4x4 ever, in my opinion get a LAND CRUISER, I use one of these (as I'm the boss) it's the only thing that can out - pull a 110 tdi landy when used in anger.

We had three new discos on a weeks trial, all three drivers bought them back after only one day, & got back into their ol' landys.

Weve tried every 4x4 on the market & this is our results...

Well the Disco has the same engine - same gearbox - same axles - same shockers - same steering. Yes the rear suspension on a 110 is heavier duty but the TD5 auto Disco 2 with air suspension towed very well. The TD5 doesn't seem to suit manual transmission - maybe that's why you don't like em?

As I said earlier bloke in Swansea does 80,000 miles a year in a TD5 110 towing all over Europe no probs at all - he's just bought another one!!!

Offroading the tdi engine is better I agree but TD5 more oomph on motorway.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

I haven't driven a Land Cruiser but I can imagine the 4.2TD engine must be about the best there is for effortless towing. It still looks like it was designed by somebody with a bag over their head though


Stephen (not a hairdresser )

Yes the 4.2 is a great engine and on road it will outpull a tdi or a td5 BUT the fuel consumption isn't that good - in fact it isn't that much better than a petrol. Offroad - well my mate with an Amazon VX went white when he saw Gap Road and he grounded out within the first 10 feet on Sarn Helen.

That being the case a RR with a V8 has to be the ultimate tow vehicle.

Or a 110 with a V8 - mine returns 16mpg - 18mpg on a run.

As someone else said get a V8 with LPG and you get diesel running costs with all that smooth power!!!

[FreeTrader]

I've always towed with Land Rovers - my oldest was a series 2 (1961), and I'm about to buy my second discovery. In my view, all have been unbeatable.

Personally, I really value an auto box on a narrow steep slipway when lots of people are watching. On the other hand I used to drive my Series 3 in up to the axles (had a nightmare of a trailer, don't ask).

What you can't knock with LR's is their offroad ability, and with the Disco you really do get 5 cars in one, some compromise, but there's nothing like it. And it still makes me smile to drive something vaguely associated with Great Britain.

[Jeff Pike]

[QUOTE=BogMonster] There's nothing wrong with many of the Japanese 4x4s, I just don't like them because most of them were designed by somebody with a bag over their head.

Agree - our Honda is great - no trouble or creaks but utterly faceless. Reliable but no character - could never use it as my main car - would die of boredom. I can see where Alice & Bog Rat are coming from with the Landcruiser though. Looked at the new 3.0 ltr diesel. I know it would do the job (without breaking down) but its just not me.

Think it has to be a Disco. Sounds like a late Series 2 TD5 auto with a high spec might do the job. If it turns out to be short on puff I can always tinker with it a bit. But I'm not buying for speed - the other car handles that. I'm after better towing/launching ability with some creature comforts. Thanks for all the comments - a great help. All I've got to do now is find one!

[Mark Halliday]

Jeff

What sort of budget are you on?
If money is no object then a D3 V8HSE is more comfortable than my sitting room. And cheaper at £45k +.

Both Codders and I have recently picked up low milage 7-8 y.o. ES D1s for around 6k which equates to a lot of car for your money. Shame his is a central heating oil burner though.

Avoid early (pre TDi) D1s 'cos the rear floor is probably falling out. There are however exceptions, like the one Jimbo has just got.