LR3 Reliability, Towing Capability

[wahoo]

I have been looking very closey at the LR3 HSE. I have never owned a Landrover, I really like the vehicle and am seriously thinking about purchasing it. I have two primary concerns:

1. Reliability
There are known concerns with reliability of past Landrover vehicles. Any data out there pointing to the reliability getting better?

2. Towing capacity
I was surprised to read the maximum towing capacity is 1,650 pounds. I think this will meet my towing needs but it seems low. Is Landrover just being conservative or is there a reason the maximum towing capacity is so low?

 

[roverman]

That's for a trailer without brakes, which is always very low. Add brakes and it's 7700 lbs., quite impressive.
In my opinion the jury is out on reliability, only time will tell. Mine is rock solid at 15000 miles. I've had 4 range rovers (2 classics, 2 P38's) before this one and they all are - early on. But they all started breaking at (of course) the end of the warranty period. Truthfully, I don't think I'll keep one out of warranty again. It's just too annoying.
It is the best vehicle for the money that you can lease though. I love it's size, capabilities, and character.
Good luck,
Roverman

 

[wahoo]

thanks, appreciate it

 

[FrankT]

I have a 2006 LR3 V6 and at 7500 miles it has been totally trouble free. I also tow a 1500LBS trailer/load (motorcycles) and the truck tows this with no sweat at all. Towing on the interstate at 70mph my mileage computer will show 20mpg which is actually about 19mpg.

Frank

 

[AlpharettaRK]

The only catch on towing capacity is for a 7700lb trailer a max tongue weight of 550lbs (as specified by Land Rover) is a little light. Most folks design their trailer/loading with 10% tongue weight in mind. Also, the owner's manual specifically says DO NOT use a weight distributing hitch, which I have always done with my F-150. As I learned from wise folks on this board the trailer wiring harness is under the dash right where it ought to be (my dealer learned from me on that one!) and is a snap to use. All that being said, it tows my race car trailer (a little over 7,000 pounds) really well, better than my F-150. The 6-speed transmission helps. I invested $100 in a trailer tongue scale so I could move the car back to get the tongue weight right.
Cheers
Randy

 

[SKLau]

Randy, to my disappointment, I noticed the statement about WDH on the LR3 owner's manual too. But do you know why WDH cannot be used on LR3? I am pulling a 23' camper with my LR3 and would like to have the capability of using a WDH. I have been asking this question to a number of people, including my dealer, and don't think I have got a satisfactory answer yet. Furthermore, I have heard some LR3 owners who took it on their own to use WDH and reported good performance. Warranty, however, could be an issue here though.

 

[AlpharettaRK]

Interesting timing, as I just got back from a short trip using the WDH, no issues. I decided to try it as I prefer my car centered on the trailer and not all the way to the back. Maybe they are concerned about stress on the hitch, or improper use of the WDH causing overloading of the air suspension. I think it trailers better using the WDH and unless somebody has a compelling reason to the contrary I will probably keep using it. And to be certain that I never overloaded it I made sure to tesion the springs on the hitch before taking the weight off of the jack every time.

 

[SKLau]

Good to hear that. Which WDH that you are using, an Equal-i-zer or a Reese Dual Cam? What are the length and weight of the trailer? Did you feel any improvement on sway control? I have also heard about people postulate that the incompatability with the automatic leveling air suspension system is the reason for not recommending the use of a WDH on LR3. However, Land Rover is not the only truck that has such a system. There are many other US and foreign made trucks that also have the auto leveling air suspension system but all allow the use of WDH systems. So how is LR3 different from those trucks? Can anyone provide a compelling technical explanation?

 

[AlpharettaRK]

I use a Reese "Heavy duty round bar hitch" rated for 750lbs tongue weight, and a Reese electric brake controller, though if I were to buy another it would t be the "Prodigy" controller, they are much less abrupt on release. The trailer is 20ft long overall and weighs about 7,000lbs fully loaded. I don't use sway control as I have never had an issue with it. I think that's because relative to its weight it doesn't have much side profile, like a camper would have. What I did notice was everything bounced less when going over raises or dips when using the WDH.

http://www.reese-hitches.com/heavy_duty_round_bar_wd.htm

 

[FloridaLr3]

I towed a 6500lbs camper intiallialy with the WDH, but eventaully took it off. The vehicle rides much smoother without. With the WDH I felt like the vehicle was confused. The suspend seemed to always be adjusting. This is especally noticable when you go over rolling hills. The WDH does cut down on sway.