Land Rover Defender Towing a 12 Tonne Truck. 

NICE. I once towed a 6 tonne trailer up a fairly steep hill in my old sires 3.

on my local beach I saw a Vaxhall fontera stuck in the sea his friends turned up with to vitaras and they tried to pull the out of the sea and sand with no joy I went down to the beach hooked up my defender and I pulled all three 4X4 out of the sand and sea I was amazed at the pulling power of my car left the beach with a huge smile on my face I have to admit

I chained my 200tdi defender up to my volvo artic loaded with bricks and I made it move across the yard. The lorry was at about 42 tons and it did take a bit to make her move but she did move. The yard was also flat as I dont think it would have had a chance on only a slight slope.

You make some good points - parts support and cost of ownership is key to most customers.

@TheDrOli The core engineering design is from the 1970s so there are going to issues (as there were with all cars from that, or earlier, eras.) Its simple mechanicals and construction are a big part of its appeal to people ... it will be interesting to see when LR come to design a new Defender how many people will complain about it being too sophisticated!

@richu27 the 2.5 litre Td5 engine was replaced in all Defenders in 2007 by a 2.4 litre 4 cyl. It is the 2.4 litre engine that is fitted to the Defender in this video. In 2011 another new diesel engine started to be fitted - a 2.2 litre 4cyl (the same performance as the 2.4 but with better emissions).

always on point

@buickboy92 it is the anti stall software in the diesel engine's engine management system...when it senses the revs dropping (at idle) it squirts a bit more fuel in.

@TheDrOli Oh I agree to an extent.. but theres still so many of them still on the road.. something like 60 odd % (off the top of my head) of all LR ever built.. So they are doing something right. I love driving LR too. My best one was an old airportable S3 I was charged with while serving in Germany. As the recce rover I took it some places.. including Iraq & Kuwait during the first bout of fisticuffs in that region. I have currently got my eye on a nice lil Hardtop 90 for sale down the road.

How cool is that!

An old party trick, but anti stall is very useful

THE POWER OF THE DEFENDER WOW!!!

Can't believe it managed on red granite chips!

good points but lets hope they change for the better my fingers are crossed!

@kokkinos7377 do you think perhaps tyres and/or difflock had something to do with it ? or perhaps it was the driver . . . because my old 72 series3 88" landy pulled a jeep grand cherokee out of a rather large sinkhole in sand/mud without breaking a sweat :)

Yea, that really is a pity. Good for you that you still drive a Land Rover

that is awesome, I love anti stall.....

@s1914 It depends on how much grip there is under the tyres. Too much and it will stall. I little less, like on gravel, and the wheels will scrub until the fuel runs out.

@Timberpants Ok. Thanks for that info. Diesels are not famous in my region and the dealer is not sure about the specs. I was wondering about the 2.2litre TD4 engine. Could you tell me how is the acceleration and top speed? The speedometer shows 200KM/Hr.

@richu27 I have not driven the new engine yet but top speed increases from 82mph (132kph) to 90 mph (145kph) with the new 2.2 litre engine.

@Timberpants Thanks. :)

very impressive Land Rover are the best!!

@buickboy92 the last year model you can import into the US is 1997, but its only for the V8 model as this was specifically designed to meet US standards. you can thank your government for the reason defenders are no longer sold in the US! *but in 2013 they will be completely redesigning the defender as then it will no longer be able to be sold in Europe or the UK.

The technology maybe 1970 but chaises can be tweaked to remove know mud traps, they can be galvanised (like aftermarket chaise e.t.c.).

Can the new ones still tow 3.5 tonne and what insurance group are the new ones in???

@samsungsix ...no - truck's handbrake was not on.

I've tested the new 2.2 litre 4 cyclinder turbocharged engine. Whilst it ain't the most powerful engine ever, it has plenty of torque, and smooth torque I might add. Further, the first gear has more pulling power now (feels less sluggish off the bat), whilst the additional sixth gear makes it relatively nice and quiet down a highway...

How is the TD4 engine in a Defender? In my region we don't get TD5.

@buickboy92 Yep!

yes! yes! yes! defender bravo!

Anti Stall comes into its own with a manual gearbox. Range Rover is only auto box (with a manual mode called Command Shift) and so does not need it. Will it pull as well as a Defender - YES!

@Timberpants , i have 10 years experience being a towie and i have towed so many broken down new and old land rovers i have lost count lust how many i have done. . i have towed all models and i would never own one. i would rather use a small truck.

it took 100,000 km to wear in my defender, its done 650,000 km most of witch in some of the most remote places on earth and i haven't replaced any of the major parts. + it's got twice the towing capacity of a hilux....

in the UK it is affectionatly called "the chelsea tractor". I had a 300Tdi and it was a true offroader, but on the road it was a dog!

@kokkinos7377 That sounds odd to me ...please check out the film I mention below. Do a RU-vid search for 'Defender stuck in sand' - it is 2:21 long and loaded by hhezza

Credit where its due. Well done land rover

Is the handbrake on?

i can smell the clutch from here!

@buickboy92 Sorry but it is not. Only on the 2.4litre diesel introduced c.2006.

i dunno why, but i lol'd alot when they started clapping

TD5 comparison?

That is totally amazing! . I'd get one ..but theyre sooo uncomfortable!!!

is this tech on the range

@14th20thKRHkickass NO, IT IS CORRECT !!! in 2013 the safety design requirements are changing in the UK and Europe and the current defender will need massive modifications to meet those standards and TATA (who now own Land Rover) have said that in 2013 a completely new designed defender will be launched. the scary thing is there is a strong chance they might borrow a platform from another land rover model to make it more profitable which could mean a defender with independent suspension?

@bossadave that strikes me as a not too well considered comment. I agree with you that if you want to travel 600 miles in one day at 90mph you would not want to try to do it in a Defender...but if you want to tow an animal trailer through fields on a welsh hill side...or ford a river ...or ............

@kokkinos7377 i know what you meen this icon of a 4x4 with a van engine doesnt seem like much but im sure the engine in this model is better than you think

yep Defender is not the greatest for a highway trip (particularly if you are over 6' tall). But since the '07 model with new engine and 6 gears it's not bad. But you pick your tool to do the job needed ...for some things I'd consider nothing but a Defender.

its a good concept, but 3.5t can be towed up a hill, 12t...i'd like to see it done. secondly, the car is in loose gravel which easily lets the wheels slip. try pulling 12t on tarmac, and the results will be expensive. i know this is more targeted as a 4wd only thing, for work in boggy conditions and on hills, but when do you get the chance to tow a 12t truck in boggy sand on a beach?

I drive an '08 Defender 130, the true workhorse. This puma engine is by far the best engine on a Defender. It is more reliable and has more torque. If you had a td5 on a 130 you would so need a remap, it lacks of torque. Not the case of the puma.

The thing is, a lot of the parts you get in a Land Rover Defender, regardless of where you purchase it, comes with a lot of European made parts. In the case of Toyotas, they outsource their parts making to different regions in the world. Thus, a Hilux purchased in say England may not have the same parts as a Hilux bought in Brazil, for example...

Mainly true but I do not fully agree. On ice, or down a hill, it would be easy for most vehicles. On gravel, and without 'anti stall' technology, I do not think that 'ANY vehicle with low gear' (as you say) could archive this demonstration.

@buickboy92 I don't know much about that side of things...also not sure RU-vid is the right place to get that sort of advice. I'd try a US fans forum if I was you. Good luck!

@bossadave y do u say that, ppl buythem because they like them, and they are a beast off road. they are reliable to. majority land rover's ever made are still on the road today.

Well, it is key for those who buy Defenders for something else than play, around 99% of owners. Defenders were and are engineered for work rather than play. Rich countries with people that buy Defenders for play should get ripped off, and not those who actually use the machine for what it is, NEED it and have built its name. thats the reason why they sell lousy 25k units a year. Many people like me, own Defenders because only they can get the job done, and get thrown insulting bills.

I have a right to defend and could not know what that Asher is imprecionante whole strength lies in its trasmicion.

@techdavey1000 my dad has a range rover classic and nothing like what you said has ever gone wrong with it

Go a step better and drop the Defer engine and drivetrain into a 109 Series III for added simplicity and style ;)

Who said dihatsus are the best towing vehicles?

The people at Brands Hatch 4x4 kept the Defender over the Freelander, when Land Rover offered them New for old, The Defender was so much better

that might be the case in some places, but not here. Brand new Land Cruisers are sold every day and are all over the rural areas. My Defender always looks like an alien when I go to the country. Its so much better that that Land Cruiser, but costs 20k more, and parts are twice as much! So people rather buy LC. No wonder Land Rover has been bankrupt twice.

and so what

is that a fact well if so how come our Toyota hilux h2's always get stuck and have no fewer mechanical and electrical faults than our defender's? and what is it that pulls the Toyota's out the mud ooh its the land rover's that's why me and the other mechanic use them because there better in almost every way apart from driver comfort that's wat a hilux is for people who pretend to go offroad.

Land rover is king cars range rover

my chevy 66 does the same, and it is a 2 wd.

I found out how to get Defenders (including diesel models that get x2 the fuel economy) available in America!!! Step 1: Register to vote. Step 2: Vote for Ron Paul who would then deregulate the market, thereby getting rid of regulation requirements on airbags. Step 3: Once he deregulated the markets, go on down to your local Land Rover dealership and say, "I'd like to buy a Defender please."

FYI !!!! That is NOT TOWING, That is PULLING!!!!!

any vehicle with a low gear can pull a truck. It's not like they are lifting 12000 pounds, pulling is much easier.

I think the only reason Toyota parts are so cheap in the 3th world is that for every 10 Toyotas driving around, one or two are standing somewhere in villages or garages for parts. As you know, there are far less Land Rovers that are dumped because the majority of all the Land Rovers ever made is still driving around.

I would like to see a yuppie X5 do that...or not

that truck is sure not good for the environment

aaahh any suv can tow on a plain ground......

A hilux will tow a defender backwards all day and still be getting worn in when defenders worn out

The driverless anti-stall system is essential, because nobody in their right mind should ever drive or buy a defender. They are god awful useless.

this is very odd. If I do this, and I break a diff and went to the dealers they would void my warranty for being such an animal, because it is well known that you should not tow more than 3.5 tons. So if I do this, and then show the video will they give me warranty? probably not. They should not do these dumb videos and instead invest more on increasing reliability and trying to not make the LR parts so incredibly expensive in 3rd world countries.

it is just so stupid, why are Defenders and their parts so expensive in the 3rd world, where they are really really needed? and why are they so cheap in developed countries? A clutch in the uk is 100quit, its 800usd in the 3rd world. That is why toyota is all over the place. LR should be smarter, damn right a Defender is way better than a Land Cruiser but people buy the LC because they are so much cheaper to repair. idiots. lets hope with tata things change. those guys know how to run a business