Towing 3.5ton

[jasondegraaf]

Hi am towing a 3.5ton boat with vx 80 series it does not handle so well with such a load it has new shocks etc etc but I want to know if there is a super heavy duty tow kit or up grade available can I rate it higher then 3.5 ton??/

[Parts-King]

I think you are already overloading this vehicle by about 1 Tonne!

I would refer to your handbook for towing capacity, but I think you need a lorry for what you are doing not a car, I'm sure the 80# Landcruisers had a braked trailer capacity of 2500kg With the weight you are towing there is a danger of pulling the towbar away from the car. Your towbar should also have a label with the maximum towing weight on it. No amount of firmer springs/shocks will help you if the vehicle is overloaded, you are likely to do yourself (or other raod user) some damage if you cant stop the thing in an emergency

Kingo

[Teknys]

80 series in europe can tow 3500Kg dont know about Aus.

Problem is probably tow ball verticle load has exceeded max of 150Kg - can you lift front of trailer by hand.

Exceeding 150Kg cause imbalance, which rear suspension cannot control. Rear suspension bushes cannot deal with excessive side loadings.

[JabbaTheHutt]

80 series in europe can tow 3500Kg dont know about Aus.

Problem is probably tow ball verticle load has exceeded max of 150Kg - can you lift front of trailer by hand.

Exceeding 150Kg cause imbalance, which rear suspension cannot control. Rear suspension bushes cannot deal with excessive side loadings.

Incorrect ... not sure where you get the 3500kg from - the braked limit for an 80 is 2500kg, the nose limit is 130kg, sure you may be able to tow up to 3.5 tonne in Europe but that doesn't mean the car can - you can not exceed the GTW of the vehicle even in Europe legally, actually the trailer should not exceed the weight of the vehicle EVER and 3500kg does by a long way.

The 90 series and above are rated for 2800kg - still not enough.

A well designed twin set up should be pretty well balanced but the wheels on that trailer look a long way back - it depends where the boats centre of gravity is.

PS are you certain the boat is 3.5 tons?

[jasondegraaf]

this is allowed to tow 3500kg in new zealand and it does with no problem brakes etc are all fine load is balenced I just want to get it to handle better

[JabbaTheHutt]

this is allowed to tow 3500kg in new zealand and it does with no problem brakes etc are all fine load is balenced I just want to get it to handle better

Handle in what way? 3.5 tons is a lot of inertia for anything to overcome, a sports car it will never be and allowed it maybe but not even toyota recommend it, however ....

You say it is balanced but I think you need to look at the weight on the towbar itself 'the noseweight', if anything is going to make it handle badly having too much or too little noseweight will - and the wheels on your rig look a long way back - if the engines of your boat aren't over those wheels or slightly behind then you may be too heavy on the tow bar. I have had similar problems with horse boxes - some tow great - others are horrid. I always aim for around 100kg MAX, I prefer 70 to 80, anything over 100 and the handling goes to hell in a handbag - especially in the wet.

Do you have any heavy tanks up front - water / fuel etc??

Their used to be air assist baloons available that you installed inside the coil springs and could inflate / deflate as needed but I don't know if you can still get them - they weren't vehicle specific - we used them on a LWB Land Rover ...

[jasondegraaf]

yes have thought about air bags will look in to them some more. I know it is a big ask to tow but it is all rated to do so. I would like to make the handling better even when not towing. I think it should go around corners better then it does. may be bushes of something, but it feels loose in the back when going around corners when boat is on it feels even more loose. I think I have a little more then 100kg nose weight will try to adjust that

[Teknys]

Have you thought about the tyres, these can cause a problem. Do you have a good road tyre or off road. Off road tyres give a lot of movement on the tread blocks which can be confused with suspension bushes being soft.

[sandgroper]

I think it should go around corners better then it does. may be bushes of something, but it feels loose in the back when going around corners when boat is on it feels even more loose.

Loose in the back? What does that mean?

It sounds like your trailer load is not very well balanced. Either too much or too little load on the tow hitch. Im pretty sure there are suspension upgrades available in oz . Try Dobinsons ,I know they do upgrades for other landcruiser models.

3.5t is legal for these downunda but I would only do it for short distances on flat roads

[jasondegraaf]

cheers all it has quite cheap tyres on so that would not help I moved weight back on trailer 150mm made a big diffrence put heavest springs in I could find helped as well so its much better now may still look at air bags, I tow it every were up steep hills down steep hills its no problem for breaking and there is plenty of power going up hills next time tyres are due I will put better ones on.

[radiotwo]

this is allowed to tow 3500kg in new zealand and it does with no problem brakes etc are all fine load is balenced I just want to get it to handle better

Handle in what way? 3.5 tons is a lot of inertia for anything to overcome, a sports car it will never be and allowed it maybe but not even toyota recommend it, however ....

You say it is balanced but I think you need to look at the weight on the towbar itself 'the noseweight', if anything is going to make it handle badly having too much or too little noseweight will - and the wheels on your rig look a long way back - if the engines of your boat aren't over those wheels or slightly behind then you may be too heavy on the tow bar. I have had similar problems with horse boxes - some tow great - others are horrid. I always aim for around 100kg MAX, I prefer 70 to 80, anything over 100 and the handling goes to hell in a handbag - especially in the wet.

Do you have any heavy tanks up front - water / fuel etc??

Their used to be air assist baloons available that you installed inside the coil springs and could inflate / deflate as needed but I don't know if you can still get them - they weren't vehicle specific - we used them on a LWB Land Rover ...

Hi Jabbathe hutt

Sorry to hi-jack the post, but which "Holingworth"

As I am in Simmondley!

Radiotwo

[JabbaTheHutt]

Hi Jabbathe hutt

Sorry to hi-jack the post, but which "Holingworth"

As I am in Simmondley!

Radiotwo

Just around the corner then .....

[Ruperts Trooper]

Incorrect ... not sure where you get the 3500kg from - the braked limit for an 80 is 2500kg, the nose limit is 130kg, sure you may be able to tow up to 3.5 tonne in Europe but that doesn't mean the car can - you can not exceed the GTW of the vehicle even in Europe legally, actually the trailer should not exceed the weight of the vehicle EVER and 3500kg does by a long way.

There's no such thing as a 100% rule.

It's perfectly legal to tow in excess of the vehicle's kerbweight providing the GTW isn't exceeded and the driver's licence permits it. Even in strict Germany, vehicles which don't meet Tempo100 are allowed to exceed 100% kerbweight but speed limited to 80kph (50mph).

The original Range-Rover had a towing limit of 4000kg despite a MAM under 3500kg and kerbweight around 2000kg.

There are of course recommendations advising not to tow more than 100% but they are just that, recommendations.