Just about to buy my first Disco and need to know if anybody can shed any light on a tail that caravan towing and self leveling suspensions have lead to Discos being turned on their roofs? I have seen pictures of them but I want to get to the bottom of the problem that says when a towing bracket is fitted it has to include a device to cut off the self leveling suspension else the Disco will fight with a rolling and pitching caravan. Does anybody know anything?
Dor1s
New Member
Hi
Sorry if this reply a bit delayed but anyway
My first TD5 was a '99 model with the Land Rover tow bar fitted.
I hooked up our 5.8m twin axle caravan and off we went, got to 40mph
and the caravan was all over the road, with the Disco swinging along with it ! Not a pleasant journey.
Investigation showed the tow ball to be too high and the caravan was running nose up, hence the instability.
I replaced the tow bar with a witter unit, where the towball was about 2" lower and everything was OK.
When I replaced the car in '01 again with a Land rover towbar only this time the ball has three height positions. It came fitted on the middle position, this again caused the caravan to ride nose up, so I moved to the lower position, and it now rides nose down with out any problems.
To check the ride height hook the caravan/trailer onto the car the rear end will lower like all cars, then sit in the car, CLOSE the doors and start the engine, watch the rear end raise through the rear view mirror. Leave the engine running then check the ride height.
Rgds
Derek
Sorry if this reply a bit delayed but anyway
My first TD5 was a '99 model with the Land Rover tow bar fitted.
I hooked up our 5.8m twin axle caravan and off we went, got to 40mph
and the caravan was all over the road, with the Disco swinging along with it ! Not a pleasant journey.
Investigation showed the tow ball to be too high and the caravan was running nose up, hence the instability.
I replaced the tow bar with a witter unit, where the towball was about 2" lower and everything was OK.
When I replaced the car in '01 again with a Land rover towbar only this time the ball has three height positions. It came fitted on the middle position, this again caused the caravan to ride nose up, so I moved to the lower position, and it now rides nose down with out any problems.
To check the ride height hook the caravan/trailer onto the car the rear end will lower like all cars, then sit in the car, CLOSE the doors and start the engine, watch the rear end raise through the rear view mirror. Leave the engine running then check the ride height.
Rgds
Derek
Simons, Dor1s is right about the towball height.
The towball on a self lever should be on the lower setting. The distance between the ground and the centre of the towball should be 518mm. I have a 02 Disco with self levelling, I use a ALKO stabiliser with the correct height towball and I tow a 1650kg twin wheel caravan with no sway what so ever.
See ya
The towball on a self lever should be on the lower setting. The distance between the ground and the centre of the towball should be 518mm. I have a 02 Disco with self levelling, I use a ALKO stabiliser with the correct height towball and I tow a 1650kg twin wheel caravan with no sway what so ever.
See ya
