Land Rover Defender 110 Tows Truck Carrying A Massive Crane (Video)
The Land Rover Defender needs no preface in India. It has already found places in the garages of A-list celebrities and high-profile businessmen This full-size SUV is very capable. It is rugged yet stylish and can go anywhere. We have seen people taking their Defenders to tricky terrains. However, a trait often overlooked by many is its towing capacity. A video that’s surfaced online shows just how torquey the Defender is, as it is seen towing a fully loaded trailer truck.
As the video opens, we see a Land Rover Defender 110 finished in a shade of Green pulling a trailer truck. Soon, we get to see that the trailer is loaded. It is carrying a huge crane. The SUV and the payload are both seen moving slowly. The Defender almost struggles to tow the extremely heavy load, but somehow does the job.
The video has got netizens surprised and even shocked. The Defender 110 weighs 2.3 tons. It is here, towing a load that which is much heavier. The trailer truck alone will weigh over 15 tons. The crane on top of it will add more tens of tons.
The total weight will clearly be much more than the Defender’s own weight. The Land Rover SUV has a rated towing capacity of around 3.8 tons. It is surprising that despite this, the SUV managed to tug the super-heavy payload. The video even shows the SUV pulling it on a slight ascent!.
Stretching it this far can be dangerous to the Defender’s internals. It could have potentially caused damages to the SUV’s engine, transmission, suspension and even tyres. But here, the case seems to be different. Watch carefully and you’ll see that the truck has its engine running.
It was perhaps struggling to climb uphill with the super-heavy cargo, when the Defender showed up with help. In this case, it is unlikely that the SUV would take any major damages, as it would get assistance from the truck’s behemoth engine in getting the payload out of the tricky situation. The Defender did a wonderful job in assisting the trailer truck and its cargo.
This isn’t the first time that we see vehicles towing loads that weigh much more than their own kerb weights. Previously, A Tata Hexa had showcased its impressive towing abilities by pulling a Boeing 737-300, a widely used commercial airliner.
The plane has an empty weight of around 33 tons. A video shared online shows the SUV, powered by a 2.2-litre VARICOR diesel engine, pulling the aircraft over a considerable distance. The Varicor 400 engine could make 154 hp and 400 Nm of torque- much less than the V8-powered Defender’s 625 Nm torque. The Varicor engine used to deliver the peak torque at low rpms, and this proved significant it performing well in the towing exercise.
In another incident, a Land Rover Discovery Sport had towed three luxury train carriages, along a railway track. Each of these weighed over 100 tonnes. This took place in northern Switzerland. The SUV has a rated maximum towing capacity of 2.5 tonnes.
In a more recent incident, a Tata Curvv coupe SUV powered by the 1.2-litre Hyperion TGDi petrol engine, pulled a Boeing 737 operated by Air India, over a distance of 110.24 meters.The vehicle had also impressed us by pulling three Tata trucks in a row.
SUVs towing heavier vehicles and machinery always attract attention and are interesting to watch. It is however, important to pay attention to the recommended specifications and capabilities of these, while attempting such adventures. Overdoing or improper implementation can cause serious damage to the vehicles involved.