4 Wheel Drive & Caravan Electrics

Ours in normall driving conditions is front wheel drive with the weight where needed,  but will go into 4 wheel drive if it senses a need,  but can also be manually locked in 4 wheel drive  

I note that the 2 wheel drive version has a lower limit on the hook

I would have more than a few worries if I was driving about in a vehicle that I thought was going to tear its chassis apart because it was towing using one drive axle instead of two.

Perhaps with all the electronics now actually controling a vehicle now-a-days it is something other than the drive configuration that is changed when 4WD is selected? Fuel pressure, turbo boot points and pressure, throttle response spring to mind.

My Discovery 1 would drift magnificently in in its permanent four wheel drive, much to the consternation of drivers of hot hatches who could not keep up. It would also do spin turns in snow and ice.  Sadly, the electronics in the Discovery 4 block such fun.

Hard to do a j turn with an electronic handbrake

Ours in normall driving conditions is front wheel drive with the weight where needed,  ....

Unless your towing, where the additional weight is on the other end 

I use two wheel drive when solo and four wheel drive when towing. The manual says always use four wheel drive when towing. It's a 2007 model Mitsubishi Shogun Elegance.

Before becoming a vicar I spent 30 years in the motor industry and this is a bit of a hobby-horse for me so please skip it if you've read similar from me before. 4x4 only needs to be engaged in slippery conditions, otherwise you're simply using more fuel and wearing more tyres. The larger tugs like Discos and Shoguns have a central diff as well as one on each axle.  Some of the "part-time" systems don't have this and there can be a chance of "wind-up" but it mostly just wears the tyres. Don't be fooled by the "part-time" title by the way, it's all still revolving down there whether you're driving the second axle or dragging it along. Short answer - stay in 2-wheel drive unless absolutely necessary!

In the wet, particularly in hilly, winding areas I often switch on the automatic 4 wheel drive on the X-Trail when towing.

The handbook for my X-trail recommends the "auto " setting for towing, that's somewhere between 4 wheel drive and intelligent two wheel .

The handbook for my X-trail recommends the "auto " setting for towing, that's somewhere between 4 wheel drive and intelligent two wheel .

Certainly there are times when it makes a difference. As I say there are times that I do use it when towing. I engaged it prior to leaving the Lucksall Caravan Site (AS) as it was a steep slope up to the edge of carriageway and the road cambers down from there. Don't want any wheelspin emerging onto a fast road with less than perfect visibility

I should add that it's advisable to turn back to 2 wheel drive before going on the motorway. I forgot recently and got the warning light telling me that the drive oil was getting too hot.