Member Since: 03 Aug 2014
Location: West Lothian
Posts: 5
Hi,
Just found this forum! This was my horse trailer, with 2 horses on board, that crashed when the factory fitted detachable towbar on my Discovery 3 detached. I am very keen to speak to anyone else with similar experiences and in particular I am very interested in the recall in Ireland.
I was fortunate that my horses survived and that no other cars were involved. The trailer ended up a short distance from a busy railway line,but it equally could have happened on the motorway with more tragic consequences. My towbar was fitted at the dealership when new and never removed.The brakeaway cable was fitted correctly to the ring on the car chassis but broke and did not pull on the trailer brake and the total towing weight that day was 2000kg. And no I was not speeding!!
The towbar is currently with Land Rover for analysis and the matter also with VOSA.
Please help me put some history of detachable towbar failures together so Land Rover and VOSA will be forced to take action.
Thank you.
Julie
Camilty Equestrian
Posted by Julie Buckle · 9 July
As some of you may now be aware we suffered a horrific horse trailer accident on the way home from competing yesterday. The towbar on the Landrover disconnected from the car and sent our Ifor Williams with our beloved horses inside careering past the car and along the road before swerving across onto the verge, upturning and ending up on its roof.
Donny was lying on the ground, half out the back with Jessie and the partition laying over him still in the trailer. As we were trying to calm the horses and phone the police, Jessie thrashed about trying to get to her feet, kicking and pressing the partition against Donny's trapped body. As I comforted Donny, Christine went into the trailer to help Jessie to her feet. With the weight of her off Donny, he managed to wriggle himself free and stand up. Katherine did a fantastic job calling the police, fire crews and vet. She then remained with Jessie to keep her calm. Once the vet arrived both horses were sedated and Donny was led to a waiting horsebox. Jessie was cut free by the firemen and walked out where the jockey door had been. Both horses were assessed but unbelievably had no serious injury and were transported home to be treated and bandaged by the vet.
A huge thank you to Vallerie Higgins for all her support and for Lesley Higgins for coming in our hour of need with her horsebox. Thanks also to the firecrews and police for their quick response, The passing drivers that stopped to offer assistance and Alison at Clyde Vet who patched up our horses. A HUGE hug to my amazing daughters, Christine and Katherine who remained calm and professional throughout and whose calmest was remarked on by the police and firecrews!
I would not wish this to happen to anyone and I am grateful that my horses will recover. It could have been so so much worse. It looks like my factory fitted detachable towbar came away although I will know for sure when I visit my trailer tomorrow as it had to be uplifted from the scene. If you have one on your car please check and read this link. It does not make for good reading! http://landroverhell.com/article/4193/tow-bar-on-the-discovery-3
3rd Aug 2014 2:02 am
nigel207
Member Since: 26 Mar 2009
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 1344
I'll stick my head over the parapet!
First of all, I'm sorry to hearof your horrible incident. But if that's the tow bar in question, then perhaps you should be looking at a clear lack of maintenance as a partial cause! When was the last time it was removed from the car? When was the last time it and the receiver was cleaned? When was the last time it saw any lubrication? I'd be very surprised if you got anywhere with either LR or VOSA with that. The clue is in the name - detachable.
If the breakaway cable snapped (as it should I hasten to add), but did not pull the brakes on, then surely the fault lies with the trailers braking system, not the car. When was the last time it was serviced and the brakes checked?
Sorry, but I say it how I see it.
3rd Aug 2014 10:54 am
Scarab
Member Since: 11 Jun 2011
Location: Hastings
Posts: 1283
That Towbar, if it is indeed the one involved, does look rather ill-maintained.
If VOSA were looking at a LGV with a 5th wheel maintained like that I'm pretty sure the operator would be loosing their license.
It's great, however, to hear that nobody was seriously injured and the horses ok - although a terrible experience for all.
I hope if the cause was because of a design flaw it will be exposed.
All the best,
Alex
3rd Aug 2014 11:14 am
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Hi Julie,
Sorry for your accident and clearly things like this should not happen and I do feel the design of the detachable tow bar should have had a secondary restraint mechanism. I also like to stress to all that the detachable tow bar is a machined part with a mechanism and it needs to be serviced like any part of its type.
It is up for debate has to how much effort LR went to to educate owners for the need to properly maintain these items and together with the noted single lock design does place LR under a question mark. I would have liked for dealers to be more proactive checking these things if installed at a service. The dealers for their part would point at the lack of a check item on the service schedule as published by LR. Others have commented that the MOT check should play a greater role especially given the risk to 3rd parties. Individual MOT stations will in turn point at VOSA who have a current fascination for the tow electrics over a mechanical check.
People will apply their own weighting to the responsibility shared between VOSA, dealers, Land Rover and the owners. The only certainty is that owners are responsible for the condition of their vehicles and I am sure you have reflected on the fact that the bar has degraded to the sorry state we see it in over many years left attached to the vehicle. The ineffective trailer brakes is a lesson to many others.
The bar design and failure mechanism does intrigue us so we would all be grateful for any other photos of the bar in the highest resolution possible. Of equal importance is the state of the vehicle socket including the hole that the lock engages in. A photo from the spare wheel recess side of the engagement point may help too.
Sharing any learning points will help other to avoid such an accident.
Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 03 Aug 2014
Location: West Lothian
Posts: 5
My car and trailer are regularly serviced,but I have never taken the towbar off the car since it was fitted. There are no maintenance instructions regarding this in the handbook and I very much doubt it was ever looked at whilst the car was in for a service. With the benefit of hindsight I should have. Or perhaps I should never have had the detachable fitted in the first place or perhaps if Land Rover had made public safety issues raised by others whose towbars had worked loose or fallen off I could have made an informed decision.
I am well aware that the brakeaway cable is designed to break - only once the trailer brakes have been applied.The trailer is fairly new and is maintained.
The issue here is to raise awareness . There is a safety issue here as why else would Land Rover now modify there literature to state the detachable is for "occasional" use or why Land Rover in Ireland "recalled" the detachable there.
3rd Aug 2014 1:37 pm
Fitzy73
Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
I am sure with hindsight so many things in life would be very different and perhaps in this case had the tow bar been maintained then this terrible accident might not have happened, but then shouldn't owners be told it requires maintenance and should be removed when not being used?
I know when I purchased my used D4 back in February it didn't have a tow bar, so I got the dealer to fit a detachable one for me, simply because I think it looks neater. Other than being given the two keys I was told nothing about the bar and given nothing about it. Whilst it isn't difficult to remove or fit I wasn't shown that either, nor at the point of ordering was I questioned about my towing use and yes I know it is detachable for a reason but I bet a lot of less informed owners leave theirs on permanently.
I have removed mine twice so far, once simply to see if I could take it off and once following a serious loss of patience when recovering my boat, but other than that I would probably never have thought to have taken it off again. It is only thanks to this forum that I will make sure I now look after, but I feel Land Rover should provide advice if maintenance is so important or that it shouldn't be left in place permanently.
Now going out to do a bit of maintenance and then will look for the holder that fits inside the rear boot trim.
3rd Aug 2014 2:13 pm
nigel207
Member Since: 26 Mar 2009
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 1344
So what is your reasoning for the brakes on the trailer not being applied? If the cable was attached to a fixed part of the car (as you suggest), then the fault is with the trailer and not the car, and is a totally separate issue to the tow bar dropping out.
As for the tow bar issue, I look forward to hearing the results.
Last edited by nigel207 on 3rd Aug 2014 7:01 pm. Edited 1 time in total
3rd Aug 2014 5:49 pm
Discoed
Member Since: 16 Jun 2010
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 1020
Fitzy73 wrote:
or that it shouldn't be left in place permanently.
Mine has worn to the point that it clonks and rattles side to side and back to front and I have never left mine attached between uses.
3rd Aug 2014 6:20 pm
Fitzy73
Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
Oh, so taking it off doesn't help either then.
Might as well go and put it back on now.
3rd Aug 2014 6:46 pm
Pelyma
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Patching, Sussex
Posts: 15496
I don't agree that the failure of the breakaway cable to apply the brakes necessarily means that was the fault. Could It could have been a kink or damaged area of the cable that failed prematurely that meant not enough pressure was exerted to apply the brakes? Presumably if the overrun brakes weren't working on the trailer it would have pushed the car, even one as big as a Disco, about an awful lot? If they weren't working then a 2t unbraked trailer could create enough force to damage the hitch.
Whatever the cause I hope the horses get over the trauma of it quickly and glad to hear you and your family are ok DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
DS3 TDV6 HSE- Silver with Alpaca (new one) Gone
D4 HSE Lux - Montalcino Red Gone
Porsche Cayenne V8 Diesel S
4th Aug 2014 6:43 am
Farmer Chalk
Member Since: 07 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4156
I'm probably going to be shot down by everyone here but just because it's removable doesn't mean it has to be removed.. I also tow horses all the time and therefore to have to go through the faff of of fitting and refitting the tow bar every time you tow would be ridiculous.... In fact the only reason you'd remove it is to stop it getting nicked!
When I bought my D4 the only option offered when speccing the car was the tow pack with the removable ball. Therefore I'm on Julie's side.... Whilst I'm constantly checking the trailer before every use and it's condition I would hardly like to be climbing under the back of the car to check whether the dealer fitted tow ball is still correctly fitted.
Going with a conspiracy theory who knows it may have been an attempted theft of the towball which was the cause of the incident here. If someone had partly released the locking mechanism in order to have it away and due to its condition it wouldn't release properly (like so many on here have suffered) then with 2 tonnes of horse it's finally let go?..
I would also be interested to see if the breakaway cable actually didn't operate correctly... 2 tonnes of horses is not going to stop immediately and of course it would take some distance to stop even with the brakes applied. I've had to fit a couple of breakaway cables now and unless it's a genuine Ifor cable then you may have issues. I had to purchase one from Halfords recently as an emergency and the quality of it is truly appalling. It probably wouldn't pull the skin of a rice pudding... The cable certainly wasn't man enough and is half the thickness of the genuine item....
4th Aug 2014 7:23 am
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50936
Quote:
I would hardly like to be climbing under the back of the car to check whether the dealer fitted tow ball is still correctly fitted.
My my ....how threadbare your tyres must be ...wonder if your lights all work
I also tow two large horses and I have fixed tow bar.
As the fixed tow bar uses the same mechanism as the removable tow bar, albeit with the addition of two side locating arms bolted to the chassis, does this mean that I need to remove my tow bar from the socket and give it a clean and a lube? My car has been dealer maintained since I bought it and they have never looked at it as far as I know.
Julie, I was horrified when I saw details about your accident on FB? I'm so relieved that the outcome was not worse than it was.
Member Since: 07 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4156
DG wrote:
Quote:
I would hardly like to be climbing under the back of the car to check whether the dealer fitted tow ball is still correctly fitted.
My my ....how threadbare your tyres must be ...wonder if your lights all work
DG I'd be disappointed in you for not checking those items daily...
I've now got to get my overalls on now to check my tow hitch is still correctly located.... Now where's my spongulated sprocket shaft tester tool!
4th Aug 2014 8:54 am
nigel207
Member Since: 26 Mar 2009
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 1344
Pelyma wrote:
I don't agree that the failure of the breakaway cable to apply the brakes necessarily means that was the fault. Could It could have been a kink or damaged area of the cable that failed prematurely that meant not enough pressure was exerted to apply the brakes? Presumably if the overrun brakes weren't working on the trailer it would have pushed the car, even one as big as a Disco, about an awful lot? If they weren't working then a 2t unbraked trailer could create enough force to damage the hitch. :
Does that not boil down to the same thing? If the cable is damaged in any way (or not strong enough to operate the system), then it is faulty. It is a totally separate issue from the tow bar coming adrift for whatever reason that might be. In my former life I was a Forensic Collision Investigator, so I find this kind of thing is very interesting, and as most of us would be keen to find out what the results are. Sadly, I suspect that the original incident was unlikely to be thoroughly investigated, i.e. were the vehicles examined at the scene and at the recovery garage by suitably qualified examiners who would work in conjunction with VOSA and LR to determine the causes of the failure of the tow bar, and also why the trailer's brakes apparently failed to work properly - the OP said that the trailer's brakes hadn't worked. And no, the trailer wouldn't necessarily have pushed the car when the tow bar dropped out if the brakes hadn't worked.
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...wonder if your lights all work 
