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I now have an 03 freelander 2.0 Diesel BMW engine and have to say it is a fantastic tow car for my Bailey Pageant,stear clear of early petrol models,the head gasket always goes we had one and it did twice!!! but this one we have had for 1year now and its been a dream,nice and stable good torque,and hasnt let us down *yet* ive always had Disco's as i towed horses and swore id never have a Freelander,but i find the Hippo (freelander) a good towing car for the van and also as a general usuage vehicle,and its been a god send in the bad snow we have had.

If you do buy one though shop around there are plenty about take your time.I know some people love em some people hate em i really like mine.

Donna

Quote: Originally posted by mattlad on 01/2/2010

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Tread very carefully if you are planning to buy a Freelander.

You'll probably get better advice / pick up more information on some of the Land Rover forums.

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We initially looked at one for towing, but I felt it was a bit short wheelbase and might not be as stable as I'd like. I think the towing weight was low too (?), but I'd check with the Land Rover site I think.

Bear in mind that a horsebox is a lot shorter than a caravan and might exert less leverage, especially a short, twin axle horsebox.

I wouldnt tow two horses with it ive towed one horse,two horses come in at over two tonnes and move about and you can feel them behind you in most towing vehicles.I cannot fault it for towing my van though,Im happy with my Hippo but i suppose in any make of car there is always going to be a few lemons,go on to the landyzone as suggested im a member there and they are really helpful

here is a Hippo (freelander) weight guide this may help

http://www.cuddles.abelgratis.net/landrover.htm

Think you will find that your freeloader weighs in at something like 1450 to 1560 kgs

So lets be honest its not really suitable for tugging big heavy twin axle caravans !

Quote: Originally posted by mattlad on 01/2/2010

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Tread very carefully if you are planning to buy a Freelander.

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I agree.

We have had our 02 TD4 since new, and to be honest it has served us well and was a good tow car.  However in 2008 and 2009 we have spent huge bills on things like fuel pumps, electrical faults etc.  Our Freelander broke down last November with a burning smell from the engine and still to this day it's sat on the drive un-fixable.  LR top technician (on £100 an hour reading error codes from diagnostics!!) insist there is nothing wrong despite the burning smell and the dash lights coming on when the engine is started. so we have been left with the problem no one can fix.

Be wary about what you buy - a landrover out of warranty could leave you with empty holes in your pockets, you're probably buying someone elses problem.

If you check out the "freelander electrical faults" threads on several of the LR forums you will see loads!!