Sprayer 1
Member
- Location
- Tarporley, Cheshire.
Few too many miles for me but have heard of them doing 200k
-
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Disco 2 replacement- are Range Rovers a good buy for towing?
- Thread starter Red Fred
- Start date
is that an euphemism
davidroberts30
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
JLTate
Member
I absolutely love them. A lot of car for the money
I haven’t been in anything that’s as comfy / powerful. Most of the people that comment on reliability haven’t owned one and are purely going of third hand news.
The 07 onwards are the ones to go for rather than the older td6’s which gearbox’s are prone to failing on. Obviously depending on budget.
I had a 59 plate 3.6 tdv8 which needed a torque converter & EGR valves. It’s currently for sale! 3.6 tdv8 around 25mpg.
Find a good specialist garage and costs are reasonable - never going to be cheap but no way what people say.
Common faults:
Tailgates rust
Cills rust
Turbos generally go at around 130k - body of job.
Torque converters on the 3.6tdv8’s are common
EGR valves common
Air bags generally last till 100k (£250 a corner to replace)
I could say more. But it’s nearly 11pm and getting frowned upon.
I haven’t been in anything that’s as comfy / powerful. Most of the people that comment on reliability haven’t owned one and are purely going of third hand news.
The 07 onwards are the ones to go for rather than the older td6’s which gearbox’s are prone to failing on. Obviously depending on budget.
I had a 59 plate 3.6 tdv8 which needed a torque converter & EGR valves. It’s currently for sale! 3.6 tdv8 around 25mpg.
Find a good specialist garage and costs are reasonable - never going to be cheap but no way what people say.
Common faults:
Tailgates rust
Cills rust
Turbos generally go at around 130k - body of job.
Torque converters on the 3.6tdv8’s are common
EGR valves common
Air bags generally last till 100k (£250 a corner to replace)
I could say more. But it’s nearly 11pm and getting frowned upon.
deleted user 837354
Member
Toyota or Merc. There, a classical head vs heart decision. The later Mercs are a thing of beauty, doesn't have the badge appeal I know but you can cry about that whilst you are cosseted in the interior and enjoying the swish tranny and munter of an engine in the front. Coming from a Disco 2 a Merc is gonna feel like the starship enterprise!
Here you are look: SOLD!
Here you are look: SOLD!
I ran a Merc ML420 with air suspension, low range and locking diffs. It was by far the best tow car I've ever experienced until a very kind person drove into it. Loads of power, very stable and on mud. Unfortunately it was impossible to find another with the air suspension and low range / locking diffs. Obviously this depends what you're towing but I regularly run 180-200kg nose weights so air suspension is definitely needed.
Eventually I gave up looking and bought a 2007 RR Sport TDV8. Reliability wise this has been perfect so far (apart from minor niggles like the parking sensors and the bluetooth hands free not always working correctly) but mechanically has been perfect. It's not as stable towing at high speed and the electrics are a world apart from the ML. I have managed 34.6mpg on a run (without the trailer) and an average of 25-26. It's not bad but having had the ML you can notice the difference.
The hidden gem is the GL420. This has the air suspension, low range and locking diffs as standard, as long as you don't mind a car the size of a bus.
Eventually I gave up looking and bought a 2007 RR Sport TDV8. Reliability wise this has been perfect so far (apart from minor niggles like the parking sensors and the bluetooth hands free not always working correctly) but mechanically has been perfect. It's not as stable towing at high speed and the electrics are a world apart from the ML. I have managed 34.6mpg on a run (without the trailer) and an average of 25-26. It's not bad but having had the ML you can notice the difference.
The hidden gem is the GL420. This has the air suspension, low range and locking diffs as standard, as long as you don't mind a car the size of a bus.
Paddington
Member
- Location
- Soggy Shropshire
In the same boat, here, the D2 is costing a fortune in repairs at the moment. I would buy a RR tomorrow if they weren't made by LR.
Red Fred
Member
- Location
- Hants/Dorset border
Thanks very much for all the replies, it is a bit of a perennial problem finding a farm towing truck, especially with normal Land Rovers making such silly money. I have had a look at some of the models suggested and will start searching in earnest.
Another D2 could be a short term answer, but they are all getting long in the tooth now
Another D2 could be a short term answer, but they are all getting long in the tooth now
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
Doesn't that affect the engines performance, if that bit isn't working?
Very very little difference if any , Just meant to swirl the Air at low RPM.
Normally when the motor fails the flap defaults to its normal position which is open unless its broke or blocked. It'll put the EML and go into Limp aswell when it fails.
If in the default position failed or working , Unplug it use the resistor and alls well. ECU thinks its plugged in and working.
Very Popular and used amongst various vehicles with the same Merc Engine.
Theres another mod aswell known as the Elephant Hose Mod... where all the shites vented to atmosphere instead of back into the Engine.
Rowland
Member
- Location
- Northeast England
Disco 4 would be my choice
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
- Location
- East Essexshire
I was looking at Nissan Cabstars before I got my Ranger. The twin wheel versions tow 3.5t, and there's a few round here I know that seem to be immortal, they've been abused beyond belief, but still keep going. My thinking was that half the time I tow a trailer, I wouldn't have to because the load bed is huge on them.
I was actually very close to getting an Isuzu version (They're a lot cheaper 2nd hand) when I got offered the truck at the right price, and several times now I've been glad of the 4wd.
I was actually very close to getting an Isuzu version (They're a lot cheaper 2nd hand) when I got offered the truck at the right price, and several times now I've been glad of the 4wd.
- Location
- East Essexshire
No, just rear wheel drive, but the higher rated ones have twin wheels on the back axle. Many years ago I had a twin wheel Transit van, which was a great farm vehicle.
I ended up buying a Ford Ranger, and I'm glad I did because it's pretty good off road.
if I just wanted to tow and transport stuff on the road, I think I'd go for the Nissan.
nails
Member
- Location
- East Dorset
My old Disco td5 has finally given up the ghost with terminal chassis rot and I was wondering about the perennial problem of what to replace it with as a towing vehicle for getting the cattle to market in the Ifor. It has to have the 3.5T towing ability but I don't want/can't afford anything too modern which seems to rule out most trucks. I wondered about finding a yummy mummy school run Range Rover as you appear to get a fair bit for your money, or are Disco 3s a viable alternitive- My Land Rover contacts all seem to say they are money pits. Any ideas welcome!
If you want an affordable 3.5 ton towing capacity try Independent Isuzu in Lincolnshire i think. They rebuild old Troopers and Bighorns putting an uprated old 3.1 engine in place of the troublesome 3 litre.