towing help

[trollism]

hey guys my name is dave i am after information about towing with a 2.5L 4 cylinder turbo diesel 130 defender i have a patrol that i compete with (dont hold that against me) total weight including trailer would be aprox 3 ton and im looking at getting a 130 to tow it to comps and use as a daily driver / work car.
my question is what have you guys towed, how well do they do it, or would this not be a good option
my uncle has owned one since new its done over 600000ks with very minimal dramas and mostly dirt road driving he thinks its up to the task but lives too far away to test it out.
any help would be much appreciated thanks

[uninformed]

it will do it.... BUT

taking off at the lights and on hills will require a little revs vs clutch release... once moving they are fairly happy but no rocket ship.

on really steep sections and general low speed manovuering you can use low range... dont worry it wont wind up unless you lock the center diff.

if the trailer is well set up it should tow very stable with a 130.

turning circle may be your biggest drama.

2 mods i would do for towing are:

1- 3 inch mandrel bent high flow exhaust.
2- fit the biggest intercooler you can.

Serg

[Matt N]

I have a '96 300Tdi 130 and bought it for just this job. It's not the ideal tow rig for that amount of weight. I'm towing about 2800kg.

Yep, for towing 3000kg it will be SLOW. Especially when you come to hills. (Even without a trailer the Landy is quite slow around town.) When towing and taking off at the lights or stop/give way signs that are on a bit of an incline I need low range to get moving. The manual is not the best application for this, an auto would be much more desirable.

When on the move I also find myself shifting between 4th and 5th gears quite alot. Really needs 4 and a half.

I like the Landy for it's character and it gets good economy for a large, boxy vehicle. Outback touring at around 90Kph it can get about 10 litres per 100, towing the trailer is about 14 litres per 100.

But really it's not the ideal vehicle for this sort of job. With more power I'd be much happier.

When in the USA I towed with a 6.0 turbo diesel F350, now that was pure joy, could hardly tell there was a trailer behind you.

[Mark2]

I have to agree that the 130 is going to be underpowered towing 3t.
For occasional use you could put up with it, but not as a tow rig for that sort of weight.

Presuming you're competing with a GQ, I'd go for a turboed TD42 GQ wagon. Can pick them up for less than 10k now, cheaper than a 130 and the drivetrain will be a lot less stressed. Add an intercooler and a good pyro gauge and you'll still have money left over. Plus all the benefits of parts interchangability with the comp vehicle and you will already know how to fix it.....

[trollism]

Thanks for the feedback everyone
how do they go with overheating when worked hard and has anyone looked at Exhauts gas temp,just the mention of the need for a big intercooler has me wondering

[Bush65]

Thanks for the feedback everyone
how do they go with overheating when worked hard and has anyone looked at Exhauts gas temp,just the mention of the need for a big intercooler has me wondering

I have experience with the 300Tdi, but not in a 130.

I don't think engine overheating will be a problem, unless the cooling system needs attention (radiator needs rodding out etc.).

However, these engines are easily damaged if coolant is lost (partially because the water pump is very high, and because of relatively low thermal mass compared to heavy duty diesels). The aluminium head is what suffers - loss of bolt tension after an episode of severe overheating leads to head gasket failure.

So adding a low coolant alarm is highly recommended.

A bigger intercooler, will be beneficial (is recommended) if you increase the boost pressure and fuel (both relatively easy). But you do need a pyrometer to measure EGT if you play with the fuel (especially for a tow vehicle).

However I would strongly recommend a cooler for the manual gearbox (some models have these).

AFAIK, autos were never a option in Land Rover Defenders (only disco and rangie). A disco auto could be fitted, and these can be upgraded for what you want.

I can't disagree with anything in the previous replies.

A chipped TD5 130, with intercooler upgrade, will have a lot more power and torque than obtainable from a 300Tdi.

[ISUZUROVER]

I used to know someone in the brisbane LR club who had a 130 on 35s with stock gearing. He used to tow a 30' caravan with no problems.

If you want an Auto, I know someone who fit a disco (tdi) auto to a 110 300Tdi. Wasn't a big job, and held up fine.