EdF Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I've got a 2002 90 TD5 with a tow plate on the back with 5 rows of holes, the top two rows being using for securing bolts. I've just bought a horse trailer and the bottom position for the towball is too high, the front of the Landy is somewhat elevated, so I need to drop the towball legally. Can this be done? I've seen the plain drop plates and the Witter & Towsure adjustable add-on sliding plates, but none are type approved for vehicles made after 1998. Do I really have to buy a new approved towbar? I'll be towing up to 2.2 tonnes so I have to be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Neale Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I've got a 2002 90 TD5 with a tow plate on the back with 5 rows of holes, the top two rows being using for securing bolts. I've just bought a horse trailer and the bottom position for the towball is too high, the front of the Landy is somewhat elevated, so I need to drop the towball legally. Can this be done? I've seen the plain drop plates and the Witter & Towsure adjustable add-on sliding plates, but none are type approved for vehicles made after 1998. Do I really have to buy a new approved towbar? I'll be towing up to 2.2 tonnes so I have to be safe. What about the Dixon-Bate adjustable? Is that not type approved ? It's the one I'd go for. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgnas Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 I don't know how Landrover get away with selling the standard towbar. It is far too high for any non-commercial application! Get the full Dixon-Bate kit, a bit of a plough if you offroad, worth it to get the hitch height right for all your trailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzie1989 Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Dixon Bate all the way... good quality type approved equipment that is made for the purpose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Broadbent Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I use a Dixon Bate on my 90 for towing all manner of car transporters and classic cars - highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdF Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 Dixon Bate all the way... good quality type approved equipment that is made for the purpose! Doh, didn't think about them, enquiry sent off, many thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzie1989 Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 No problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiFonics Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I am planning to get one of these for my 110 Since I lifted the 110 I havent tried a trailer on the back but my quad trailer was nearly scuffing the ground before the 2" lift. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgnas Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 It is probably cheaper to buy the whole Defender kit like here I'm fairly certain that is the longest adjustable section they do anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Apart from the companies selling it, why exactly should anyone worry about type approval? Does it get checked at the MOT? Would the police spot it somehow and stop you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 insurance purposes? if an accident happened and your towbar could be shown to be at fault and not type approved (as is now required for cars made before a certain date*) then I suspec they would be very quick to not pay out... * as someone mentioned this was for Cars only, and a defender is arguably a commercial... Just playing devils advocate... Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madcowz Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Mine has the step attached which is great for getting in and out of the rear but it is attached in such a way that you can't get the height adjustment pins out to change the height. As I found out last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 you could bolt the step on to the upper 2 unused holes of the slider & then the pin would be removable & step would alter with tow hitch height. or just take the step off & fit the correct Defender rear step, which doesn't get in the way. like mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Just playing devils advocate... I can see why it exists, to stop people tying towballs to the back of their car with M6 bolts onto a plastic bumper. But for a LR, if you're using something that has worked fine for everyone else for the years before type-approval I really can't see why anyone would give a monkeys, it's unlikely to suddenly fall off after a certain model year or be unfit for purpose. For that matter, anyone ever had their licence to tow checked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdF Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 I can see why it exists, to stop people tying towballs to the back of their car with M6 bolts onto a plastic bumper. But for a LR, if you're using something that has worked fine for everyone else for the years before type-approval I really can't see why anyone would give a monkeys, it's unlikely to suddenly fall off after a certain model year or be unfit for purpose.For that matter, anyone ever had their licence to tow checked? I wouldn't give plod or the insurance company any reason to play up... How's this for nonsense. We bought the trailer at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh - when we left home we didn't anticipate buying, just looking.. Paid for the trailer and had to leave it until the following day to collect it as it was too late to travel. In the meantime we went to a Halfords and of course discovered that I couldn't get a rear number plate for the trailer made without the V5 for the Landy. I never thought it would be a problem to get a trailer numberplate, as it's not a problem here in Haggisland. Phoned W.Mids plod who advised trying to find a number plate maker who didn't want the V5 (in a strange area?) or making a temporary one - both against the law. Catch 22. He said it would be a hard-hearted plod who did me. Not about to risk it.. There was no getting around it. The trailer doesn't need a V5 of course, and the Landy was sitting outside Halfords.. In the end, as the trailer had the last owners plate on it, we just left it on.. Better a proper looking wrong one that a correct cardboard one. Today I walked into my local branch of 'Autosave' and walked out with a plate 5 minutes later, no paperwork needed. I suppose to comply with the law, I should have returned home for the V5, 1,000 miles and three days driving. Yeah, right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I don't know how Landrover get away with selling the standard towbar.It is far too high for any non-commercial application! Get the full Dixon-Bate kit, a bit of a plough if you offroad, worth it to get the hitch height right for all your trailers. Strange i've never had a problem. Edf - For the record i do hope you are not bolting the towball to the crossmember directly, thus it being too high as it should NEVER be mounted in this way, it needs to be below and have the braces going back to the chassis. Dixon bate is definately the way to go though for adjustable. Fridge - you'd have to be pretty unlucky to get busted for towing without proper licence, you can have 750kg unbraked, and upto 3.5T braked combined train weight as long as trailer doesnt exceed towing vehicle unladen weight, so essentially a 1.75T tow vehicle with 1.75T trailer with brakes on a standard car licence without the "+E" category - this means with a bit of careful workings you can tow a 90 with a 90....just! (or a d-lander in my case) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdF Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 Strange i've never had a problem.Edf - For the record i do hope you are not bolting the towball to the crossmember directly, thus it being too high as it should NEVER be mounted in this way, it needs to be below and have the braces going back to the chassis. Dixon bate is definately the way to go though for adjustable. Smo, I don't think you read my first question... If I was about to bolt the towball to the crossmember, why would I be looking to place the towball lower than my present standard Land Rover multi-hole tow plate?? Don't worry about it, I have days like that, too. In fact, every day....! Yes, the Dixon-Bate from Paddocks looks good, just hope it's low enough. Bit hard to judge from photos.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WESTENDER Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Smo if you tow a trailer outside your licence entitlement you invalidate both your driving licence and your insurance, meaning basicaly you have neither,great till it goes t*ts up, and in South Wales the police do frequently pull towing vehicles over for VOSA checks and wieghing so i wouldnt advise anyone to do it around this way VOSA and DVLA run roadside checks with a camera van, as you drive past it runs a check on the number plate, registered keeper, MOT, insurance, if something is wrong a police car is half a mile down the road, they are catching shedloads of drivers without any documentation or licences Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 as you drive past it runs a check on the number plate, registered keeper, MOT, insurance, if something is wrong a police car is half a mile down the road, they are catching shedloads of drivers without any documentation or licences I think those are a good idea - if you don't have tax, MOT, insurance or a licence you shouldn't be on the road and should expect to get pulled, perhaps if they catch a few hundred more uninsured drivers we can all pay lower premiums. Apparently they also catch a lot of people with those tax/MOT cameras who are committing other crimes or wanted by the police, beats sitting about doing people for going a few mph over the speed limit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Smoif you tow a trailer outside your licence entitlement you invalidate both your driving licence and your insurance, meaning basicaly you have neither,great till it goes t*ts up, and in South Wales the police do frequently pull towing vehicles over for VOSA checks and wieghing so i wouldnt advise anyone to do it around this way VOSA and DVLA run roadside checks with a camera van, as you drive past it runs a check on the number plate, registered keeper, MOT, insurance, if something is wrong a police car is half a mile down the road, they are catching shedloads of drivers without any documentation or licences Correct - but i dont, i was explaining what you can and cant do with a normal post '97 licence - which is a lot more than most people think, including towing car trailer legally. I also think those vans are good - but they wont get you pulled for being overweight on the towing (unless they pull you for no insurance/tax/mot etc.), that will only be done by VOSA and they need a weigh bridge to check and prosecute you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I found the stuff about towing larger trailers hard to believe so I looked here and it is true, you can tow a trailer heavier than 750kg with a rig with a total MAM of 3500Kg, which surprised me. A D90 though has a MAM of 2700kg IIRC and if you were towing most modern car trailers they have a MAM of ~2600kg or more meaning that the 3500kg MAM limit would have been breached, even if the actual weight of the rig were below 3500kg. 110 SWs get more complicated it seems... Was that clear? See the link... Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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