Member Since: 06 Dec 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1130
Your sway will be directly related to tow ball weight - it needs to be increased but you are limited by your ridiculously low ball weight of 150kg - so on about 5% on the ball which really is on the margins of being too light given the trailer weight of 3t.
Here in Aust, even with the same vehicle we have 350kg ball weight so can load up to a better ball weight of 10% of the trailer weight - the best is probably about 8%. All our trailers here are up around the 3t mark and we do not have too many problems.
Given your 3t and only 150kg ball weight, all I can suggest is that you load up to that amount and drive very cautiously and there is not much else you can do.
Garry
24th Jun 2021 1:35 pm
lukeob
Member Since: 02 Aug 2016
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 87
Thanks all for the insights - some useful learnings there! Will confirm the nose weight and am getting rear arms looked at too.
Aside from recent wobbling, towing is a doddle. Automatic, cruise control on motorway and dual carriageway. Doubt any of those luxuries in a lorry. Not to mention the F-S-F-S you'd have to mutter every time you go down a narrow street with cars parked on it!
Cheers Luke
D4 MY13 HSE Lux
24th Jun 2021 4:34 pm
JackNorris
Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1879
Reading the thread you say it’s rated to 150kg
Apologies if ive missed it - but have you weighed it empty and with a load at the nose to see the actual weight ?MY2023 Discovery 5 R-Dynamic 3.0
MY2020 Discovery 5 Landmark 3.0 - SOLD
MY2005 Discovery 3 V8 4.4 HSE - SOLD
MY2019 Discovery 5 SE 3.0 - LR Replaced !
MY2005 Discovery 3 S 2.7 - SOLD
MY2016 Discovery 4 Graphite - SOLD
MY2015 Discovery 4 SE Tech - SOLD
24th Jun 2021 8:57 pm
James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Riyadh, KSA
Posts: 3079
I made the same point Jack, I think the hitch rating and the actual noseweight have been confused. I strongly suggest OP measures actual laden noseweight and aim for 100kg or so.D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
25th Jun 2021 7:11 am
garrycol
Member Since: 06 Dec 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1130
100kg nose/ball weight for a 3t trailer is just too light and will cause sway. Ideally should be up just over 200kg but the specifications for UK cars is only 150kg and assuming the towbar can take that, then 150kg is the max you can legally go to.
25th Jun 2021 11:00 am
JackNorris
Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1879
Yes our nose weights are a lot lower than yours.
Majority of caravans regardless of size are all 100kg!MY2023 Discovery 5 R-Dynamic 3.0
MY2020 Discovery 5 Landmark 3.0 - SOLD
MY2005 Discovery 3 V8 4.4 HSE - SOLD
MY2019 Discovery 5 SE 3.0 - LR Replaced !
MY2005 Discovery 3 S 2.7 - SOLD
MY2016 Discovery 4 Graphite - SOLD
MY2015 Discovery 4 SE Tech - SOLD
25th Jun 2021 9:21 pm
garrycol
Member Since: 06 Dec 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1130
"Majority of caravans regardless of size are all 100kg"
Hence why when towing 3t there is a sway issue!
26th Jun 2021 1:15 am
robpenrose
Member Since: 12 Jan 2016
Location: Surrey / SW London
Posts: 2138
Why is the uk nose weight set much lower when the LR fixed tow bar has a 350kg limit?
Current: D4 HSE
Previous: BMW Z4M Coupe
Previous: Land Rover Defender 90 CSW Td5
Previous: Land Rover Discovery Td5 ES
26th Jun 2021 6:32 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8230
It isn’t everyone that tows with a Disco It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
so ... what would it mean if you exceed the 100kg limit ? is that the max the UK fittings are spec'd for and the Aussie ones are better ? (Is the Aussie one the 2" square receiver on the car ?)
or is it a legal thing and set to lowest common denominator, so the limit of weight you can hang off the back of a Ford Ka ?
26th Jun 2021 7:29 am
Farmer Chalk
Member Since: 06 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4195
lukeob wrote:
Thanks all for the insights - some useful learnings there! Will confirm the nose weight and am getting rear arms looked at too.
Aside from recent wobbling, towing is a doddle. Automatic, cruise control on motorway and dual carriageway. Doubt any of those luxuries in a lorry. Not to mention the F-S-F-S you'd have to mutter every time you go down a narrow street with cars parked on it!
Cheers
Trust me you do not know how true that is! Lockdown has been a disaster for us….all the city dwellers driving out into the country and abandoning their cars wherever they see fit without any consideration for farmers, fire engines or horse boxes…
26th Jun 2021 7:32 am
JackNorris
Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1879
Hardware wrote:
so ... what would it mean if you exceed the 100kg limit ? is that the max the UK fittings are spec'd for and the Aussie ones are better ? (Is the Aussie one the 2" square receiver on the car ?)
or is it a legal thing and set to lowest common denominator, so the limit of weight you can hang off the back of a Ford Ka ?
Nope, some cars will be as low as 70kg. These days too a RRs hybrid is around 100kg lower than a RRS
The 100kg on a caravan is the alko chassis/hitch limit. If your car is max 70kg then you are even lower.
I can’t remember off the top of my head what the ifor trailers are but they are a lot Higher typicallyMY2023 Discovery 5 R-Dynamic 3.0
MY2020 Discovery 5 Landmark 3.0 - SOLD
MY2005 Discovery 3 V8 4.4 HSE - SOLD
MY2019 Discovery 5 SE 3.0 - LR Replaced !
MY2005 Discovery 3 S 2.7 - SOLD
MY2016 Discovery 4 Graphite - SOLD
MY2015 Discovery 4 SE Tech - SOLD
26th Jun 2021 8:12 am
garrycol
Member Since: 06 Dec 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1130
robpenrose wrote:
Why is the uk nose weight set much lower when the LR fixed tow bar has a 350kg limit?
The UK vehicle limit is 150kg so even if you have a rated 350kg tow bar the limit remains at 150kg. The limit is the lowest rated component in the system.
26th Jun 2021 9:39 am
Alphamale
Member Since: 28 May 2014
Location: Belfast
Posts: 497
I'm sorry, but I've been following this thread and keep reading people saying the legal max towing weight here in the UK is 100Kg. I don't think that is right.
Max nose weight is dependant on the car and its hitch type on the one hand, (could be anything from a measly 50Kg for something like a mini perhaps, up to 250Kg in the case of a discovery 4, as per owners handbook) which ever is the lesser, car or hitch. And the Max nose weight recommended by the trailer/caravan manufacturer on the other again what ever is the lower car, hitch or trailer/caravan and of course there's the train weight limits for car / trailer combination.
Assuming that your gross trailer weight is 3500Kg and its nose weight limit was high enough you could have the nose weight on your Discovery at 7% of the trailer weight i.e. 250Kg of course the hitch needs to be rated to the same. So detachable tow hook is out. The Discover hand book states:
Max permissible towing weights
Trailer with overrun brakes 3500Kg
Nose weight- detachable tow ball 150Kg (330Lb)
Nose weight - multi height drop plate tow ball 250Kg (551Lb)
There is no legal weight limit, the recommendation is 5 - 7% of trailer weight.
Last edited by Alphamale on 30th Jun 2021 9:24 am. Edited 1 time in total
hmmm ... as I happened to have my 2011 handbook in front of me ( checking oils spec for diffs ), had a look at nose weight ratings. (page 69)
100kg ( 330 lbs )
350 kg (770 lb) Australia only.
As someone who doesn't tow ( but is still on a paper 1979 licence so can ! ) I'm finding it all very concussing edit: It says "recommended" so afaik, you can do the 330kg "Oz" weight if you choose.
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