 | Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > Towing with a 90 TDCi |
 
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| Rallymental Member Since: 17 Aug 2015 Location: The Garden of England Posts: 468   
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Try this http://www.towcar.info/select_type.php The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.
Solihull, 1948 - "If we paint the chassis, it will last for years" Solihull, 2015 - "If we paint the chassis............................. |
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16th Apr 2017 9:24pm |
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| Rallymental Member Since: 17 Aug 2015 Location: The Garden of England Posts: 468
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I'd say you could pretty much pull anything you like, however you have to consider whether you are allowed to tow what you want, in other words what's on your driving licence?
Most caravan problems are loading related The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Solihull, 1948 - "If we paint the chassis, it will last for years" Solihull, 2015 - "If we paint the chassis............................. |
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16th Apr 2017 9:27pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2658 
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All Defenders will tow up to 3,500kgs on a standard braked trailer which will encompass most of the caravans you will be able to find. Good nose weight limit too, and a 90 having a very short rear overhang reduces the propensity for the tail to wag the dog, as it were.
Don't worry about the 85% 'Caravan Club' rule, that is more for estate cars and the like. A Defender is a proper tow vehicle and is designed for it, as such it will cope with pulling up to its rated limit and beyond. For a 90 this could be around twice it's unladen weight. There has been some discussion in the past about the harsher suspension of a Defender damaging caravan chassis' over time, however I can't speak from experience regarding this. There are damping units available which claim to go some way to resolving this issue. |
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16th Apr 2017 9:33pm |
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| rockster57 Member Since: 15 Nov 2014 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 937 
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Many thanks for all the helpful contributions. I feel much better informed and confident. Cheers everyone. 👍
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17th Apr 2017 7:03am |
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| YOLO110 Member Since: 14 Feb 2015 Location: Perth Oz and Stansted UK Posts: 1645 
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I have towed my 1,200 kg braked camper trailer over 5,000 miles in my 90... don't even notice it is there really!
Of course you take the usual sensible towing precautions... drive more defensively etc etc, but it tows it beautifully. Not an issue at all.   YOLO... You Only Live Once... |
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17th Apr 2017 12:16pm |
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| pj2106 Member Since: 20 Dec 2012 Location: Huntingdon AKA The Shire Posts: 1500 
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I tow a twinaxle 8.2m and single axle 7.9m with my 90 no probs very stable and capable 2008 110 2.4 XS Utility (Hagrid)
2002 90 TD5 Hardtop (Sully) Sold 1998 300TDi D1 (Billy) Sold |
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17th Apr 2017 1:06pm |
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| meeerrrk Member Since: 12 Feb 2017 Location: Surrey Posts: 548 
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Before I towed with the defender people said to me "you won't even notice the trailer is on there" which I always thought a daft statement.
However now having towed with the defender a few times it really is like that. Ok steep hills and moving off from standstill you notice it but cruising down the motorway etc it's brilliant. Lucky my trailer has LeD marker lights or i'd be worried it wasn't there at night 
This is a ~1200kg trailer and load on a mapped 90 TDCI. My 90 Project : http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic52774.html |
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17th Apr 2017 1:23pm |
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| gilarion Member Since: 05 Dec 2013 Location: Wales Posts: 5111  
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I have towed caravans for over thirty years with a Land Rover, from a Series 2 short wheels base to a 90 a Defender and a TDCi all of them 90’s.
All I can say is as a tow vehicle they are a dream, after all one of their design criteria was to be a towing vehicle. The adage about a tail wagging the dog should never happen with a Defender, they take inclines towing a caravan in their stride, the only downside is they are so good at towing that sometimes you forget you have a caravan attached. 
Just make sure you have a good set of tow mirrors, my recommendation along with most others on this forum is to invest in a pair of Milenco Aero’s with extended arms, the latest ones have a much improved clamp that holds the mirror like a vice. For those who like Welsh Mountains and narrow boats have a look at my videos and photos at.. http://www.youtube.com/user/conwy1 |
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17th Apr 2017 1:29pm |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831 
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All I can ad is that you may find that the caravan is wider than the 90.
I would find a local caravan towing course. Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to  us off.
Richard |
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17th Apr 2017 7:09pm |
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| miker Member Since: 13 Sep 2015 Location: Surrey Posts: 1764 
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Depending on your age and when you passed your test, you may or may not have b+e entitlement on your license. Depending on this, and the weight of your 90/trailer, you may need to take another test to get the +e entitlement!
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17th Apr 2017 7:26pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
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We tow a caravan with a 90 fitted with a Dixon Bates shocklink. We will only tow a caravan with a shock link as we have destroyed a caravan towing system when not using a shock link.
Brendan |
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17th Apr 2017 7:32pm |
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| Rallymental Member Since: 17 Aug 2015 Location: The Garden of England Posts: 468
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Brendan,
Do you think there is any chance it was coincidental? A long time back we towed the same 'van for about 10 years with a Vauxhall Frontera with no ill effect The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Solihull, 1948 - "If we paint the chassis, it will last for years" Solihull, 2015 - "If we paint the chassis............................. |
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17th Apr 2017 7:44pm |
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| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
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No, I do not think it is coincidental. Modern caravans are being made lighter and lighter.
Caravan had only done about 5,000 road miles and had been serviced 3 months beforehand. We know a caravan mechanic/engineer and he says the same thing about 4x4s. He also complains about caravans and their tyres. Plenty of tread on them but either a flat spot or aged related cracking. How many times have you heard of an A road/motorway being blocked by a caravan overturned or with a blown out tyre? He services our trailers and was surprised when he recommended tyres to be replaced due to age related cracking and I said change them. Apparently normal response is that there is plenty of tread left! |
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17th Apr 2017 8:52pm |
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| nosnibod Member Since: 15 Aug 2007 Location: West Midlands Posts: 370 
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Our first caravan was effectively destroyed - the sides and front panel parted company with the wooden floor. That caravan was second hand and we towed it with a J**p Grand Cherokee for a couple of years until I saw the Light.
We had that van for seven years and I noticed interior fixings near the front coming loose but didn't notice the real damage until we traded it in - the dealer noticed and demonstrated just how much damage there was. That was quite a surprise... We lost over £2000 on the trade-in because of the damage. Before we picked up our second van I bought a Shocklink direct from Dixon Bate - effectively a £400 insurance policy. Our second caravan lasted seven years of fairly extensive use with no damage whatsoever, despite the 110 having fairly stiff springs (no anti-roll bar due to a larger main fuel tank). When we traded that van in last year I checked it over extensively for damage or loose fixings and found nothing. Our new caravan is of the latest wood-free construction - supposedly very much stronger than before and it is much better constructed than the previous two. One thing I did note; our second and latest caravans have massively deep and robust chassis rails compared to the first. It was very noticeable how much higher off the ground the floor was on the second van - due to the stronger chassis. I did an experiment with our new 110, Gracie, and did her first towing trip without the Shocklink - the difference between the old 110 and the new one was very noticeable - much smoother due to the different suspension setup. However I could see no downside to the shocklink so I refitted it (I can imagine Brendan nodding in an approving manner). One of the main advantages on a day-to-day basis is that the handle of the alko tow hitch can be opened without fouling the spare wheel - the Shocklink moves the towball back a few inches. Dave Green Goddess - 1998 Defender 110 300tdi |
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18th Apr 2017 5:20am |
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