Well, she towed like a champ!

[Lyon]

I towed a 5'x10' u-haul trailer for about 260 miles, mostly on the freeway. I was driving between 65 and 70mph most of the time. I could definitely tell that I was towing something but the truck had no problem accelerating or braking. I don't know how much the thing weighed when it was all loaded but there were some pretty heavy boxes in there. I averaged 16.52mpg for the day (which involved about 20 miles of in town driving w/o the trailer).

 

[drzjoint]

well of course it is rated for 6k pounds you had no more than 2500lbs
I was supprised since i was worried about the shorter wheelbase it tows my 21ft moomba fine 3500lbs

 

[IanNewlin]

I'm glad you posted these shots. I'm new to Land Rover, and just got a 06 lr3. I'm trying to figure out what the best way to get a hitch installed is?

Is this the factory hitch in the pictures? I can't tell from the picture very well but it looks like it drops down from the bumper so if it isn't installed it won't affect the departure angle?

Also, does the air suspension seem to correct for the trailer load at all?

 

[Lyon]

Yes, it's the factory hitch and it slides up into a hole in the bumper. I think that the theory is that, even installed it won't change the departure angle all that much. I seems like a pretty decent setup to me. I bought a draw bar and a ball from u-haul. Yes, the air suspension made sure that the truck rode at normal height the whole time, just like if you had the back loaded down with people and gear.

 

[roverman]

LOL, I always thought the theory was to make something chunky and fancy enough that they could charge $450 for it. I really wish they had just put a nice ol' receiver right where the tow hook is. Not only does the current setup look just plain silly, so silly if I had one I'd never drive around with it in place, but it's annoying as hell to me to have to pay that much for a hunk of metal - and lock of course.
And while I don't have one, it sure looks like it kills the angle of departure.
Sorry, had to share pretty much my only gripe with this great truck.

 

[IanNewlin]

I agree that seems like a lot for a hitch, but if it fits in and folds up better than an aftermarket then it might be worthwhile. I probably won't worry about a load balancing hitch if the airbags will help out keeping things level.

 

[toddjb122]

Lyon, thanks for posting the pictures. Did the LR3 have any lights on the display to signal that it knew it was towing something?

Curious if this extra tonque weight is an unhealthy drain on the rear air suspention (operating at a higher pressure for a long time, I guess) or is this all part of the design constraints. Anyone know? I guess the trailer is supposed to be balance to keep the tongue weight low thus it isn't an issue. I can see there being times though when it pushes down the rear a good bit (gear sliding, stopping, loading, etc.)

I think the hitch receiver was only $275, but it has been a while since I bought it. Okay, not that this is a cheap price, but it is a far cry from $450 and I think you could even get it cheaper than I did online.

I don't mind the design, I think it is kind of clever. What I do mind is that there is no place in the vehicle to store this heavy hunk of steel and the hitch you'll put into it. So, I end up driving around with the ball on all the time even though I very rarely use it. I just like to have it on for those times I'm asked to move a trailer (and not doing so may mean we don't get to take a boat out or something). It will occasionally dig into the pavement when I'm backing out of a driveway with a steep curb.

It looks like the wiring is not factory in that photo, but everything else is fine. I have a plug that receives all my wires. Haevn't looked at it so long that I don't know where it is, but I don't have to take off the tow point cover to get to the wires.

 

[IanNewlin]

I don't think it causes that much extra wear when the rear is aired up to a more firm setting. My dad had a truck that he added airbags on to and he aired it up manually, he put many thousands of miles on with them aired up like that and never had any trouble. It would only be a problem if the onboard compressor is working over time constantly making adjustments all the time, but the airbags are designed to handle it I think.

 

[Lyon]

Todd,

The wiring is what the dealer installed when I bought the truck. As for a signal on the dash, there is a light that looks like a trailer that blinks on the dash (in the little hole on the bottom right of the dash) when you put on a the blinker or the flashers. It doesn't do anything when you brake. Other than that there's almost no indication that you're towing anything. Honestly I kept getting surprised when I looked into the rear-view and saw the huge "u-haul" sign.

 

[roverman]

Todd, where did you get yours? I see it on roverparts.com for $450 + $120 for the wiring harness. Yuk... I suppose I can find one on Ebay if need be.