The Caravan Owners Club

[andyducati]

I am considering uprating the suspension on my 1992 Landrover Discovery V8. I understand that the 110 with HD suspension has a GVW of 3500kg. Is it possible to uprate the suspension on my discovery to take the GVW to 3501 kg as I want to legally tow my 650 KMFe. The tyres I have fitted to the car are capable of 1100kg load each and I have upraded the brakes already.
Has anyone done this or looked into the legal process involved
Cheers
Andy

[keith]

It's an interesting thought but I fear it wont be that easy. It is not GVW but MAW max allowed weight. Try contacting your local Ministry of Transport vehicle examiner DOE DOT. I think you will find that the vehicle needs replating into a different class. Basically up to 3,500 Kg covers private cars over that it is a commercial vehicle. How difficult it is to reclassify I dont know but suspect all kinds of tests and trials to comply with EEC regulations. Probably cheaper to buy one of the larger American Ford pickups that do have a MAW in excess of 3,500 Kg

[Hobbynut]

The GVW ( Gross Vehicle Weight) is the old term but the new term is MAM ( Maximum Authorised Mass ), which is unladen weight of vehicle plus maximum permitted load. They are in fact exactly the same thing but changed like many other things to suit our Friends ? in the EEC. Apparently there is a new Land Rover which has the option of coming with uprated suspension to give it a MAM of 3500kgs. I have spoken to Landrover to see if an approved uprated suspension kit is available to fit the old style range Rover but there answer to that was No.
An intersesting site to look at would be www.ntta.co.uk under the heading of Safe & Legal Towing.
Hope this helps
Chris Bennett
Hobbynut

[sdawson1]

I know the LR 130 has a quoted weight in excess of 3500kg.

Most Transits or other are only capable of 3500kg except the twin wheeled variants and a small number of single wheeled.

The LR Forward control and the Pinzgauer are both capable of towing greater than 3500kg but a bit basic.

If you do go American Truck route then again the 1500 vairiant are too small it would have to be the 2500/3500 or 3/4ton 1ton variants which are namely Ford F250/350 Dodge 2500/3500 Chevrolet 2500/3500 Nissan Frontier 250/350

[Doc]

I know the LR 130 has a quoted weight in excess of 3500kg.

Most Transits or other are only capable of 3500kg except the twin wheeled variants and a small number of single wheeled.

The LR Forward control and the Pinzgauer are both capable of towing greater than 3500kg but a bit basic.

If you do go American Truck route then again the 1500 vairiant are too small it would have to be the 2500/3500 or 3/4ton 1ton variants which are namely Ford F250/350 Dodge 2500/3500 Chevrolet 2500/3500 Nissan Frontier 250/350

It may be just a slip in the wording, but it's not what the vehicle can 'tow', but what the vehicle, itself, can be loaded to i.e. MAM (or GVW). It is the latter capability that should exceed 3500kgs, for towing a 2.5m wide 'van.

It does not have to be loaded to over 3500kgs; it just has to have the capability.

[sdawson1]

agreed