Afternoon all, long time lurker here.

Have had caravans for around 20 years and sold the last one about 4 months ago to buy a motorhome-big mistake! Also sold my tug for the last 12 years-my Range Rover 4.6HSE (broke down twice in 12 years-bloody immobiliser problem-cheapest car I've had to maintain).

Going to buy another caravan and obviously another Range Rover.

Not a fan of diesels - never had one apart from the camper van-and am put off (rightly or wrongly) by the complexity of modern ones. Also my annual mileage is low-I think I did 40000 miles in my Range Rover in 12 years. I have a 1983 Opel Senator and a 1980 Vauxhall Royale for running around in.


Will be looking to buy a Supercharged 4.2 as reliability seems a little better mechanically (electrically??) than the 5 litre.


I would assume that they make a very good towcar.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated especially from fellow tuggers!


Regards

Steve

Anyone towed with one

have only towed boat trailers with mine and obviously it's like nothing is there.

what was the story with the MH?
no wheels to tour in once arrived at a site?

No wheels was one issue-the other issue is that it is "not fit for purpose" (ongoing!).


Steve

Timely question Steve as I was interested in finding this out. Considering a FFRR for the future and it would be nice to have the fallback of towing a horse trailer or a cattle trailer as a fallback. So will read responses with interest

If you can afford the running costs, get it.

Here's how it will go...

First day of ownership, you'll find out that if you floor it from a stand-still, you'll find you can spin all 4 wheels (especially if the road is a little damp). You'll say something like 'Wow!' and never do it again.

Second day of owning it, you'll probably find out it can do 0-60 in under 8 seconds easy and makes a beautiful sound whilst doing it. You'll say something like 'Wow!', and do it a lot. You'll also find the gearbox and instant throttle response are superb, especially when caning it through the lanes.

First day of towing, you'll find that the caravan has little effect on the car - you'll find you can actually overtake things on the motorway with great ease and in very little time. You'll find you can do all manoeuvring without touching the throttle, even reversing onto a pitch up an incline with a 1.6 tonne caravan on the back. You'll probably say something like 'Wow!' and be very impressed and think it's the best car you've ever owned (which is true).

However, the first time you tow your caravan up a long incline on the motorway and go to overtake something, you'll probably find you get the 'reduced engine performance' warning and end up doing 20 miles per hour. You'll pull over onto the hard shoulder, switch the engine off for a minute or two, start it up again and all will be normal. You'll manage the rest of your towing trip taking it easy on the throttle and having no problems. You'll be concerned and confused.

This is because your supercharger pump was wired up in reverse by Land Rover when it was built. You'll need to order a new supercharger pump, check and correct the wiring and then fit the new pump*. You'll never have the problem again and live happily ever after (with the best car in the world).

You can get the new pump from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BHKX9PA

Hope that helps!

*You may get lucky and get one where the SC pump work has been done - in which case you'll have no problems, but this is how it went with us

I haven't done any long distance towing with mine yet (a 5.0 S/C), but it very easily moves my ~3t boat rig around the yacht club with no issues, and as said above, you wouldn't even know you were towing something. I used to use a 110 TD5 Defender, which didn't exactly struggle, but this is just completely effortless.

I assume the fuel consumption on a long tow would be a bit embarrassing though!

Worth looking at the 5.0 S/C as well f you're still hunting. I debated and looked at both the 4.2 and 5.0, and decided the 5.0 really is the much more modern car overall, and given it's my main car, decided to go for that. The key potential issue different to the 4.2 appears to be the timing chain/guides, otherwise I haven't seen much about other significant faults to worry about. Not quite had mine a year yet, but no issues so far!

I tow a 23 FT Single Axle Tintent and have towed it with both the 4.4 V8 and now a 3.6TDV8.
Got to say both are excellent Towcars but the 3.6 is the better in my opinion.
Doesn't change gear half as much as the 4.4 which i used to use the Manual Mode on as i always it never seemed to be in the correct gear at the right time.
The TDV8 just sits in drive and and i let it sort itself out.
Will take hills with only the slightest push on the Load Pedal where as the 4.4 you had to work it a bit harder to get the same results.

Done a 500 Mile round trip to Devon and a 350 Mile round trip to Norfolk in the last 8 Weeks and the Car was faultless on both occasions.

Obviously the difference in Fuel consumption is also a big added bonus

Jon G

I assume that was a petrol 4.4?

I tow a 2 tonnes caravan with a 4.4 TDV8 and it is effortless and a real pleasure, we do about 6000 miles a year towing and have had this car for 7 years.

Towed with a 4.4 petrol before that and various other petrol V8s, 4.00, 3.5.

Never tried a supercharged but try a 4.4 TDV8 before you decide.

Ian

Seconded to the question was the 4.4 you refer to a petrol?

I towed my race car last weekend with a 4.4 TDV8 and truly was like there was nothing on the back - even towing I got nearly 30mpg and by golly there was so much in reserve.

Just got an L405 TDV8 so waiting to see what that is like by comparison.

Don’t discount a diesel 4.4 TDV8 until you have driven one - they are awesome! 2016 (L405) Autobiography in Black with Ivory - for ULEZ
2014 (L405) VSE in Black with Ivory
2011 (L322) VSE in Black with Ivory
2005 (3.2 V6) Porsche Cayenne in Black with Savanna
1999 (P38) VSE in Burgundy (?) with Sand

Yeah sorry meant to say 4.4 Petrol, BMW Engine on a 54 Plate.

No experience of the 322 SCs, but the 405 5.0SC tows fine ( a trailer rather than caravan in my case). But the 4.4TDV8 is better for towing, the extra weight as against the weight of the trailer is helpful, as of course the great torque and drive characteristics of the diesel. The 5.0SC is nicer for driving without the trailer, and the fuel cost is not THAT much greater, once higher cost of diesel, and if relevant AdBlue, taken into account, and of course AdBlue diesels have smaller tanks so the range advantage is less. If I were doing a lot of towing of heavy loads I'd choose 4.4TDV8, otherwise petrol. Maybe see what happens at the Budget re diesel duty too. Only Range Rovers since 1988

Many thanks for the replies gents!

With my mileage a diesel is out-Will have a look at the 4.2 and 5.0 over the next few months and report back!

Kind regrds

Steve

I've towed with both Steve - car trailer or plant trailer, usually just over 2 ton total never more than 3. Both 4.2 and 5.0 are incredibly capable and relaxed for towing. The 5.0 has more power so if you want to change speed the 5 is instant compared to nearly instant for the 4.2 - but having said that I think the 4.2 was an easier drive being less sensitive to the throttle.. All the oil burner fans go on about torque - which is obviously useful the heavier the load - but there's more than enough with an SC to charge up steep hills at whatever speed you want - it just costs more fuel. Driving at "normal" speeds - no traffic light GPs and cruise control set to 66 - I got about 15 or 16 in the 4.2 and 16 or 17 in the 5.0 while towing. But any amount of "playing" will see those numbers tumble.

I've found both cars sensitive to getting nose weight right. With just a trailer it really is as others have said that you don't know its there...but with over 2 tons I am always aware and unless I get the load sweet spot just right there's a bit of bucking on the tow ball. They're miles better than the 4.4 BMW engined car, and even that was better than the 5.4 supercharged F150 pickup I had before that... Mike - MPx

2017 5.0 V8 Supercharged SVAutobigraphy Dynamic SVO Palette Grey (2021-...)
2012 5.0 V8 Supercharged Autoboigraphy Orkney Grey (2017-2021)
2007 4.2 V8 Supercharged Vogue SE Tonga Green (2012-2017)
2002 4.4 V8 Vogue Bonnatti Grey (2008-2012)

Thanks Mike-very informative.

Regards

Steve

stu1 wrote:

If you can afford the running costs, get it.

Here's how it will go...

First day of ownership, you'll find out that if you floor it from a stand-still, you'll find you can spin all 4 wheels (especially if the road is a little damp). You'll say something like 'Wow!' and never do it again.

Second day of owning it, you'll probably find out it can do 0-60 in under 8 seconds easy and makes a beautiful sound whilst doing it. You'll say something like 'Wow!', and do it a lot. You'll also find the gearbox and instant throttle response are superb, especially when caning it through the lanes.

First day of towing, you'll find that the caravan has little effect on the car - you'll find you can actually overtake things on the motorway with great ease and in very little time. You'll find you can do all manoeuvring without touching the throttle, even reversing onto a pitch up an incline with a 1.6 tonne caravan on the back. You'll probably say something like 'Wow!' and be very impressed and think it's the best car you've ever owned (which is true).

However, the first time you tow your caravan up a long incline on the motorway and go to overtake something, you'll probably find you get the 'reduced engine performance' warning and end up doing 20 miles per hour. You'll pull over onto the hard shoulder, switch the engine off for a minute or two, start it up again and all will be normal. You'll manage the rest of your towing trip taking it easy on the throttle and having no problems. You'll be concerned and confused.

This is because your supercharger pump was wired up in reverse by Land Rover when it was built. You'll need to order a new supercharger pump, check and correct the wiring and then fit the new pump*. You'll never have the problem again and live happily ever after (with the best car in the world).

You can get the new pump from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BHKX9PA

Hope that helps!

*You may get lucky and get one where the SC pump work has been done - in which case you'll have no problems, but this is how it went with us