Either they haven't updated all of the material or I am missing something or they are really missing something!
I do think you are missing something. Most of the specs you quoted are improvements, actually, but you're treating them wrong. But the spec that is a downgrade I do think may be a documentation issue - I know you're very sensitive to these, I think a documentation issue also caused you to buy a new vehicle in the first place!
Trailer with brakes. 6,614 lbs
This is a downgrade, but also happens to be 3000 kg. I suspect this may be a documentation issue for different markets. It could also be a limitation of the ******* style tow ball that was illustrated earlier - it's the only style of tow ball I've seen on non-commercial vehicles in Europe, for instance. They don't seem to use hitch receivers like we do here. I don't see how it's rated even 3000 kg, however.
- "Unrestricted" Trailer Tongue Weight. 331 lbs. (That's what it says.)
- "Restricted" Trailer Tongue Weidht. 550 lbs. They have the following note associated with "restricted": For every pound above 331 lbs (150 kg) added to the trailer tongue weight, the same weight must be removed from the vehicle's payload.
This is an upgrade over most vehicles. NORMALLY you ALWAYS need to subtract ALL the trailer tongue weight from the payload. This is weight the vehicle is carrying. For some reason they are giving you a BONUS increase in load capacity of 331 lbs when towing, which must be due to some electronics/suspension wizardry, not sure how, but it's a nice add-on.
That's for the restricted vs. unrestricted. Now, if it's the 550lbs you're complaining about, I thought you believe that was for the previous LR4 anyway, so the spec would just be the same. Since it's 250kg, I still think it may be a limitation of the non-NA spec models, probably those ******* hitches, and if the hitch receiver is labeled 770lbs I would be comfortable with that.
And then there is this statement: "The trailer's tongue weight must be at least a minimum of 4% of the trailer's gross weight."
4%? At least here in the US the recommended practice is 10-12%.
For boat trailers, not travel trailers, I usually see 7-10% as the recommended practice. I've seen some brake controllers say 5% is ok with their functionality. But that's the point - lower is BETTER. It means the vehicle has sufficient stability control and braking systems to handle a trailer that is less stable. Tongue weight adds traction to the rear tires, necessary for some vehicles, and also means the center of gravity (Cg) of the trailer is farther forward, more between the trailer tires and the tow vehicle tires. This is more stable. As the Cg moves back toward the trailer tires the trailer can oscillate faster, and is less stable. If you have a crappy tow vehicle you may need to increase the tongue weight up past 15% to make it stable and less prone to sway. But with their electronic gizmos, LR is telling you that it's possible to drop the tongue weight all the way down to 4% and still remain in control. It's a MINIMUM. And an improvement over most vehicles. That said, I still would not recommend towing with the tongue weight that low, if possible I'd adjust the trailer to increase it.
Well if the specs Dan highlighted are accurate, the LR5 is eliminated as a tow vehicle. My 19' Keystone is at or over those LR5 specs.
Is your trailer really over 6614 lbs? Or the tongue weight over 550? Either sound like a lot for a 19' trailer, but I'm used to boats.