My first boat - buying tomorrow fingers crossed (advice pls)

[paradave]

I love my Landrovers and have a Discovery 2 and also a Discovery 3. They are very good tow vehicles and once you sus some of the issues out are not as bad as many will try to have you believe. Plenty available in your price range

Disagree. Compared to German equivalents they are poor relations. This isn’t just my own ‘real world‘ experience by the way (disco4 vs Q7) but also ‘real world‘ experiences from two friends who deal in them. Unreliable things.

 

[Nito]

From your list I would not look past the Toyota Landcruiser, had an Amazon VX 4.2 turbo diesel as a company car and put 113k miles on it, great tow car too, limited to 3.5 tonnes in the UK/EU but can tow up to 6 tonnes in Aus if you fit the optional air brake kit for the trailer.

Agree, ours has done 236k now, awesome vehicle!!

 

[KevinV]

Agree, ours has done 236k now, awesome vehicle!!

"Give me a fixed point and a Landcruiser and I'll move the fixed point"
Our series 80 (owned from new, and known affectionately as "the tank", or when in 7-seater mode "the sunshine fun bus" ) is on a mere 229k miles

 

[Alicatt]

"Give me a fixed point and a Landcruiser and I'll move the fixed point"
Our series 80 (owned from new, and known affectionately as "the tank", or when in 7-seater mode "the sunshine fun bus" ) is on a mere 229k miles

It was an 80 series I had from new, one modification I made was putting in the manual select for the centre diff, the wiring is there behind the dashboard for the switch, I used mine off road a lot both for work and pleasure, most weekends you would find me somewhere on top of the Pennines
The car only ever let me down once and that was when the garage fitted the wiring for the trailer socket and cut the original cables letting in water which then caused a short circuit in the rain. With the mileage I did servicing was every 2nd week, 4.5k oil service and 9k main service, that was a bit of a pain.
Middle row of seats were removed and a desk with CCTV monitor and recording equipment installed, an 8m pneumatic mast fitted to the back of the vehicle with a pan and tilt camera fitted. I also had a 2.5kVA genset that could be attached to the rear tow bar and a sinewave UPS in the back of the car to power the equipment which worked either 12V dc or 240V ac

 

[TonyBerkshire]

Never had a problem towing with the Landy, I use mine to tow plant and machinery for my son when he is too busy.
Eldest and middle sons both have Landys too, eldest lad has a 110 Defender and middle son has a Disco 3 and both are great at towing. Youngest son just borrows my Range Rover Sport
All our landys can tow up to 3.5 tonnes braked, 750kg unbraked.

Sounds EPIC....

From your list I would not look past the Toyota Landcruiser, had an Amazon VX 4.2 turbo diesel as a company car and put 113k miles on it, great tow car too, limited to 3.5 tonnes in the UK/EU but can tow up to 6 tonnes in Aus if you fit the optional air brake kit for the trailer.

So a Toyota Landcruiser you would say is the best SUV for spec / performance? What's the difference between that and the Amazon model?

I love my Landrovers and have a Discovery 2 and also a Discovery 3. They are very good tow vehicles and once you sus some of the issues out are not as bad as many will try to have you believe. Plenty available in your price range

What are some of the issues that are common? So would some of the other SUVs be more reliable... cost effective to fix when things do go wrong?

Disagree. Compared to German equivalents they are poor relations. This isn’t just my own ‘real world‘ experience by the way (disco4 vs Q7) but also ‘real world‘ experiences from two friends who deal in them. Unreliable things.

So is the Audi Q7 your preference. My wife only likes that one from my list as she deems it looks "prettier" . Want something BIG and can do the job... and not break apart.

Agree, ours has done 236k now, awesome vehicle!!

? 236k woah

"Give me a fixed point and a Landcruiser and I'll move the fixed point"
Our series 80 (owned from new, and known affectionately as "the tank", or when in 7-seater mode "the sunshine fun bus" ) is on a mere 229k miles

Getting some good feedback on this Landcruiser... pretty reliable?

 

[TonyBerkshire]

All,

Woah that's some high mileage on some of your vehicles ? Here is me thinking 75k to 100k is high?

As only using it for when we go out boating so only wanted to spend say £10k ideally... or £15k max

1) Never bought a second hand car but what is the max mileage I should be looking for and how old a car is still reliable?
2) Could someone remind me how heavy my boat and trailer is? Guessing some SUVs can't handle towing well? The Mitsubishi?
3) Do I need a diesel or petrol? (Is there a preference when towing?)
4) Manual or Auto (guessing latter makes using slipways easier?)
5) I am guessing cash is the best option?... not financed / leased a car before but can anyone advise on the pros and cons? For example, I could use this £15k car allowance toward our property investments and then pay monthly for the car but assuming they don't work out well?

6) Done a quick AutoTrader analysis as below and this is what £15k can get me... not many Nissans for sale?... guessing Range Rovers are the fancy version of the Discovery as none for sale?

 

[madabouttheboat]

All,

Woah that's some high mileage on some of your vehicles ? Here is me thinking 75k to 100k is high?

As only using it for when we go out boating so only wanted to spend say £10k ideally... or £15k max

1) Never bought a second hand car but what is the max mileage I should be looking for and how old a car is still reliable?
2) Could someone remind me how heavy my boat and trailer is? Guessing some SUVs can't handle towing well? The Mitsubishi?
3) Do I need a diesel or petrol? (Is there a preference when towing?)
4) Manual or Auto (guessing latter makes using slipways easier?)
5) I am guessing cash is the best option?... not financed / leased a car before but can anyone advise on the pros and cons? For example, I could use this £15k car allowance toward our property investments and then pay monthly for the car but assuming they don't work out well?

6) Done a quick AutoTrader analysis as below and this is what £15k can get me... not many Nissans for sale?... guessing Range Rovers are the fancy version of the Discovery as none for sale?

View attachment 132444

I have been missing for much of this thread, but if you are looking for a tow car for the Searay 180in the early posts, do you really need to go for one of these big SUV with tow weights up to 3,500kg? The boat in question is on a single axle trailer, so suspect it comes in at around 1500kg all up. Plenty of mid-sized SUV style vehicles have 4wd and are capable of towing 2000kg or a bit more. They are smaller, more economical, cheaper to buy and easier to sell. What's not to like?

 

[KevinV]

Getting some good feedback on this Landcruiser... pretty reliable?

Have a look around any war zone - which vehicles are still running? Landcruisers, Hiluxes, and Mercedes W123s

 

[TonyBerkshire]

I have been missing for much of this thread, but if you are looking for a tow car for the Searay 180in the early posts, do you really need to go for one of these big SUV with tow weights up to 3,500kg? The boat in question is on a single axle trailer, so suspect it comes in at around 1500kg all up. Plenty of mid-sized SUV style vehicles have 4wd and are capable of towing 2000kg or a bit more. They are smaller, more economical, cheaper to buy and easier to sell. What's not to like?

Hi there and got some great feedback and learnt so much from this thread / site. Are there any other makes / models you would recommend? I filtered AutoTrader for Automatic, 7 seats, AWD, <=£15k, excl. Cat S/C/D/N and did not get many options ? Total of 540 cars for sale!.. that's the breakdown below

EDIT: Also, called up one today and they advised it doesn't come with a tow bar?

 

[TonyBerkshire]

Have a look around any war zone - which vehicles are still running? Landcruisers, Hiluxes, and Mercedes W123s

You have a point there!

 

[Seastoke]

You have a point there!

Are you going to war or boating.

 

[madabouttheboat]

Hi there and got some great feedback and learnt so much from this thread / site. Are there any other makes / models you would recommend? I filtered AutoTrader for Automatic, 7 seats, AWD, <=£15k, excl. Cat S/C/D/N and did not get many options ? Total of 540 cars for sale!.. that's the breakdown below

EDIT: Also, called up one today and they advised it doesn't come with a tow bar?

View attachment 132449

TBH I missed the requirement for 7 seats. That is a bit of a limiting factor as i'm not aware of any mid sized SUVs with 7 seat options. The sort of car I was thinking of was Ford Kuga, Honda CRV, Nissan Qashqai etc etc. In the right spec and with the right engine these can have towing capacity of up to 2200kg, more than enough for a circa 1500kg boat package.

 

[mil1194]

Another to consider is the Mercedes GLS. I’ve actually just sold moms and it did us proud for a couple of years. There are available with three locking diffs and all that proper stuff.

 

[Bigplumbs]

All,

Woah that's some high mileage on some of your vehicles ? Here is me thinking 75k to 100k is high?

As only using it for when we go out boating so only wanted to spend say £10k ideally... or £15k max

1) Never bought a second hand car but what is the max mileage I should be looking for and how old a car is still reliable?
2) Could someone remind me how heavy my boat and trailer is? Guessing some SUVs can't handle towing well? The Mitsubishi?
3) Do I need a diesel or petrol? (Is there a preference when towing?)
4) Manual or Auto (guessing latter makes using slipways easier?)
5) I am guessing cash is the best option?... not financed / leased a car before but can anyone advise on the pros and cons? For example, I could use this £15k car allowance toward our property investments and then pay monthly for the car but assuming they don't work out well?

6) Done a quick AutoTrader analysis as below and this is what £15k can get me... not many Nissans for sale?... guessing Range Rovers are the fancy version of the Discovery as none for sale?

View attachment 132444

Never bought a Second hand car....................... I have never bought a new one and never intend to.

Many old 4 wheel Drives will do well over 200K miles. You want an old one when messing around with boats I think. It is not a fashion parade

Here was my first one. Quite an old girl but very reliable and pulled like a train. Land Rover Discovery 2 cost me £3,500. Money well spent

 

[TonyBerkshire]

Never bought a Second hand car....................... I have never bought a new one and never intend to.

Many old 4 wheel Drives will do well over 200K miles. You want an old one when messing around with boats I think. It is not a fashion parade

Here was my first one. Quite an old girl but very reliable and pulled like a train. Land Rover Discovery 2 cost me £3,500. Money well spent

View attachment 132457

I've had company cars most of my 19 year career and only my current car (the American V8) I bought new and imported over.... Agree and I wouldn't buy another car new though.

True about the fashion parade... apart from balancing with keeping the wife happy (she doesn't like square shaped cars)... I'm function over fashion though.

That's sounds good for £3.5k.

Disco 4 is now is on the cards but keep seeing a lot of negative reviews?

 

[madabouttheboat]

I've had company cars most of my 19 year career and only my current car (the American V8) I bought new and imported over.... Agree and I wouldn't buy another car new though.

True about the fashion parade... apart from balancing with keeping the wife happy (she doesn't like square shaped cars)... I'm function over fashion though.

That's sounds good for £3.5k.

Disco 4 is now is on the cards but keep seeing a lot of negative reviews?

cheap Land Rover products are a real gamble. They are complex vehicles and as they age there is a lot of stuff to go wrong. Fixing this stuff is often not cheap. I know, I have a RR L322 on the drive awaiting a list of fixes to get it back in the road. In truth it will cost me more than it’s worth to get it through the next mot and 12 months.

 

[Alicatt]

So a Toyota Landcruiser you would say is the best SUV for spec / performance? What's the difference between that and the Amazon model?



What are some of the issues that are common? So would some of the other SUVs be more reliable... cost effective to fix when things do go wrong?



So is the Audi Q7 your preference. My wife only likes that one from my list as she deems it looks "prettier" . Want something BIG and can do the job... and not break apart.



? 236k woah



Getting some good feedback on this Landcruiser... pretty reliable?

The Toyota Landcruiser came in two models when I had mine, the Colorado and the Amazon, the Colorado was the smaller version with 5 seats and a smaller engine, the Amazon was the bigger one with 7 seats and a larger range of engines and options, it's the one that when the Aussies say " If you want to go somewhere then a Landrover will get you there, but if you want to come back too then you need a Landcruiser"

Mine was from 1998, I left the company in 2000 and had to hand back the Landcruiser, boy it was a heart breaking day that, my ex boss gave it to his younger brother to tow his rally car and he ran it for many years after. It was a FJ80 4.2TD or an 80 series as they were also known, superseded in late 1999. early 2000 by the FJ100 or 100 series, differences were that the 80 series had beam axles while the 100 series had independent suspension all round, 100 series could not have a front diff lock as the crown wheel on the front diff was not made to take one, the wheels were 5 stud on the 100 and 6 stud on the 80 series. The weaker front end on the 100 series let Toyota to bring in a 105 model for the Aussie outback which had the beam axles and front, middle and rear diff locks for the really tough conditions they were used in.

For the 100 series they beefed up the 4.2 diesel engine with a bigger turbo and intercooler giving it about 176bhp, there were also other internal modifications done to the engine and some of the later 80 series got all those mods too, made a big difference to the drivability, mine had those modifications, and after driving a friend's earlier model you could really feel the difference. Off road with decent tyres the Amazon was only hampered by it's long wheelbase, with the diff locks and no fancy driving aids to help it did make you learn how to drive it properly.

My FJ80 returned low 30ish mpg, tyres lasted around 30k miles and the Dunlop Grand Trek that were original fitment were a death trap in the wet, scary bad in the wet, 40mph on the motorway and fighting it to keep it from swapping ends bad. Service intervals are short, 4.5k for an intermediate/ oil service, 9k for the full service, rear brake disks lasted just over 30k miles, front a bit more. Useful gadgets on it were the hand throttle and with the optional manual switch for the centre diff lock you could put it in low range and still be able to manoeuvre around without winding up the transmission. Great all round visibility, loads better than Landrovers which always feel as if you are looking through a letterbox.

Fuel tank on mine was 125 litres and I have driven it from Kempton Park Race Course to John O' Groats without stopping, was almost on fumes though, range was over 700 miles, Toyota did make an extended range version with bigger fuel tanks, I used the space where the extra tanks went to put the battery packs and control gear for the CCTV system fitted to mine.
There was also an engine driven winch option that came off the PTO on the transfer box, but a lot of people opted to use the steering pump to drive a hydraulic winch. In the UK versions you got a cut down cold pack fitted as standard with dual batteries and split charging, when starting the engine the batteries were put into series and they delivered 24V to the starter, the full cold pack also offered 110V/240V block heaters to stop the engine freezing in the winter in extreme climates.

They were built tough and they were very comfortable to drive, I drove overnight from Wick to Haverford West, did a job there, then drove to Ipswich, boy was I knackered after that one, slept the afternoon away and did my job there in the evening... and that's how you manage to put 113k miles on one in a year.

 

[Bigplumbs]

cheap Land Rover products are a real gamble. They are complex vehicles and as they age there is a lot of stuff to go wrong. Fixing this stuff is often not cheap. I know, I have a RR L322 on the drive awaiting a list of fixes to get it back in the road. In truth it will cost me more than it’s worth to get it through the next mot and 12 months.

Thats why you should go for the Discovery 2

 

[TonyBerkshire]

The Toyota Landcruiser came in two models when I had mine, the Colorado and the Amazon, the Colorado was the smaller version with 5 seats and a smaller engine, the Amazon was the bigger one with 7 seats and a larger range of engines and options, it's the one that when the Aussies say " If you want to go somewhere then a Landrover will get you there, but if you want to come back too then you need a Landcruiser"

Mine was from 1998, I left the company in 2000 and had to hand back the Landcruiser, boy it was a heart breaking day that, my ex boss gave it to his younger brother to tow his rally car and he ran it for many years after. It was a FJ80 4.2TD or an 80 series as they were also known, superseded in late 1999. early 2000 by the FJ100 or 100 series, differences were that the 80 series had beam axles while the 100 series had independent suspension all round, 100 series could not have a front diff lock as the crown wheel on the front diff was not made to take one, the wheels were 5 stud on the 100 and 6 stud on the 80 series. The weaker front end on the 100 series let Toyota to bring in a 105 model for the Aussie outback which had the beam axles and front, middle and rear diff locks for the really tough conditions they were used in.

For the 100 series they beefed up the 4.2 diesel engine with a bigger turbo and intercooler giving it about 176bhp, there were also other internal modifications done to the engine and some of the later 80 series got all those mods too, made a big difference to the drivability, mine had those modifications, and after driving a friend's earlier model you could really feel the difference. Off road with decent tyres the Amazon was only hampered by it's long wheelbase, with the diff locks and no fancy driving aids to help it did make you learn how to drive it properly.

My FJ80 returned low 30ish mpg, tyres lasted around 30k miles and the Dunlop Grand Trek that were original fitment were a death trap in the wet, scary bad in the wet, 40mph on the motorway and fighting it to keep it from swapping ends bad. Service intervals are short, 4.5k for an intermediate/ oil service, 9k for the full service, rear brake disks lasted just over 30k miles, front a bit more. Useful gadgets on it were the hand throttle and with the optional manual switch for the centre diff lock you could put it in low range and still be able to manoeuvre around without winding up the transmission. Great all round visibility, loads better than Landrovers which always feel as if you are looking through a letterbox.

Fuel tank on mine was 125 litres and I have driven it from Kempton Park Race Course to John O' Groats without stopping, was almost on fumes though, range was over 700 miles, Toyota did make an extended range version with bigger fuel tanks, I used the space where the extra tanks went to put the battery packs and control gear for the CCTV system fitted to mine.
There was also an engine driven winch option that came off the PTO on the transfer box, but a lot of people opted to use the steering pump to drive a hydraulic winch. In the UK versions you got a cut down cold pack fitted as standard with dual batteries and split charging, when starting the engine the batteries were put into series and they delivered 24V to the starter, the full cold pack also offered 110V/240V block heaters to stop the engine freezing in the winter in extreme climates.

They were built tough and they were very comfortable to drive, I drove overnight from Wick to Haverford West, did a job there, then drove to Ipswich, boy was I knackered after that one, slept the afternoon away and did my job there in the evening... and that's how you manage to put 113k miles on one in a year.

Thanks and great info share

For £15k I can only get these 5 cars below... are they too old 2004 to 2006? .. and only one is at a showroom and all else are private which I was trying to avoid.

ps: Im surprised at the first one only 54k miles?

 

[TonyBerkshire]

Thats why you should go for the Discovery 2

Is the Discovery 2 built better than the Discovery 4?