Land Rover is showing its latest innovations in towing technology, alongside its current range of vehicles, including the award winning Discovery 4, at The Boat and Caravan Show. The show is at the NEC in Birmingham until February 28. The latest towing innovations from Land Rover make towing a trailer, caravan or horse box safer and simpler. Trailair by Land Rover, which can be fitted to both new and used vehicles, is a unique system that monitors tyre pressures and aids hitching. The technology works through tyre pressure monitoring valves which can be fitted to both the tyres on the vehicle and the trailer. The valve pressures and temperature readings are displayed through a screen which is incorporated into a, newly-fitted, rear view mirror. The smart technology then triggers an alarm should the valves detect any decrease in pressure or increase in temperature. According to a detailed study made by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in 2008, a 0.6 bar tyre under-inflation can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 6% and reduce tyre life by
40%. In addition, tyre under-inflation has significant adverse effects on vehicle stability and braking distance. The system also offers the driver an easier way of hitching by mounting a rear camera to the vehicle. This enables the driver to manoeuvre the vehicle more accurately by offering a view of the hitching equipment and trailer tow ball. Available from August 2010, the Land Rover Trailair system will cost in the region of £650 excluding fitting. Demonstrations are being held on the Land Rover stand at The Boat and Caravan Show. Visitors to the Land Rover stand can also see the 2010 model year range of vehicles including the Range Rover, Freelander 2, Defender and Range Rover Sport and will be able to see a live demonstration of Land Rover's patented 'Tow Assist' technology on the Discovery 4. The Tow Assist function helps perform accurate towing manoeuvres. The wide field of views on the Discovery's side cameras give a clear view of the reversing trailer. The images are electronically manipulated to provide an undistorted view, with guide lines overlaid on the rear camera image to illustrate both the vehicle and trailer?s trajectory. Specific characteristics such as type of trailer, number of axles and width guides can be fed into the system to enhance the system outputs. The Discovery 4 also features another clever towing aid known as 'Trailer Stability Assist'. This technology detects trailer oscillations by monitoring key vehicle behaviours such as uninvited steering movements and slight vehicle swing in response to trailer behaviour. In these circumstances, the system can initiate engine torque reduction and braking interventions to bring the towing back under control. For more information on any of the Land Rover range or to locate your nearest Land Rover dealership log onto- posted
14 years ago
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Land Rover debuted its latest towing innovations at the Boat and Caravan Show at the NEC
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For more information on the Land Rover Trailair system visit
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or click here for Trailair