Trailer hitch for X308?

I was reading the manuals for the car I just purchased and noted that the vehicle is rated for nearly 4000 pounds towing. With a light weight trailer, I could tow my E-type. Anybody seen an official Jaguar trailer hitch?

4000? That’s in medium SUV range!

I’d be concerned about cooling, both engine and transmission.

Eric, Love you babe…YOU WILL BLOW UP THE TRANSMISSION within 50 miles.
Remember you have traction control and abs in a 308…towing would not be fun.
Got to admit though…you’ve got spunk.
gtjoey1314

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I think this may be a case of, just because one can, does not mean one should!

This, coming from a guy who put a hitch on his 1.6 liter Hyundai, and towed a 500-pound windmill a 1000 miles…:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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Yeah there was a jaguar detachable towbar.

Have a quick look on ebay. x300 would also fit.

In the fuse box is a yellow connector, with 2 loops of wire.
The electrics can be connected here, without any expensive or bulky bypass relays.

Wait a second! Youz guys said the Mercedes transmission is tough as nails…

I’m not sure what Joey is on. And why ABS and TC is a worry for towing!

XJR’s have an engine oil cooler.

I had a friend try exactly what eric wanted to do…
It was a series 2 2+2 etype to be trailered by his xj8.
Its TOO much weight when you add the open trailer at 600 to 800 lbs and the car at 2,600 and decide
NOT TO TAKE OFF TRACTION CONTROL OR OVERDRIVE GEAR . It will get ugly, real ugly and hit those brakes at 70 mph, after 5 stops, you will be in for warped rotors if not worse. Oh and I think he blew out a cat as well from the pressure climbing a hill.
The ABS will fight the car stopping as there is NO break bias internal in the car for a trailer.
BUT what do I know…its a luxury saloon, with NO intention of trailering 4,000 plus pounds.
But like I said before…If you like, put in your air ride, put in the stick shift, add the tow bar and enjoy!
GTJOEY1314

If you are trailering a car then I would fully expect the trailer to have over ride brakes?

I just the brake distribution could get confused.

If you have Brembos the brakes should be fine

Have a 96 300 6cyl with the 4 speed, my jag guy in Tarpon Springs has commented the trans is bulletproof. With a heavy load I might keep it in third and go easier, have had guys I know puked the tranny’s on pickups leaving them in overdrive for the tow

Basically, Joey is saying HE KNEW AN IDIOT ONCE WHO RUINED HIS CAR.

I he’d driven sensibly and used the J Gate Jaguar provided, with a sane trailer-braked load, he have been fine. Drive in lower case, not NUT CASE. You might frighten the ABS and TC.

The 96 is a different beast
Most had No TrAction control
Remember you also have an independent rear with half shafts
If you combine all that and no brake bias
Your looking for trouble with that weight behind you
Does anyone have a Cummings turbo or f350 duallie or a Chevy 3500 with an independent rear
Again do what you like…but
Just saying
Gtjoey13-4

yeah its a good tip, not to be in top year when towing. (most of the time)

If Jaguar officially indicates the X308 XJR can tow in the owner’s manual, then I wouldn’t be too concerned. The Mercedes automatic in the XJR is stronger than anything else Jaguar ever put into their cars prior to the X308.

It seems to me that towing with sedans is much more common in the UK (and perhaps Europe generally) than North America. I don’t think (at least until recently) people on that side of the Atlantic automatically run out and buy a pickup truck or SUV when they get something that needs to be towed.

Jaguar World had a number of columns on a fellow who used his X-type to tow his caravan all over the place to campgrounds in Europe. That’s an X-type, people, not a XJR.

Now I’m not sure I would tow items near the max weight (4,000lbs?) for long distances regularly, because of the aforementioned tongue weight issues. Without self-leveling rear suspension, the rear end might hang down much too low for my comfort on a journey of signficant distance. I might chance it to take something across town, but not across country, unless I had testimonial information from people who have been successful otherwise.

Dave

Jaguar’s own UK accessory catalogue listed a tow bar and various towing-related accessories like extended door mirrors to see past a wide caravan. It also had roof bars, which I happen to have on my X300 at the moment to collect a bulky load, although they are usually for carrying bicycles or a roof box with beach stuff or skis.

almost bought a tow hitch but it was a fancy type where the bar is hidden behind/under the bumper and when you wanted to tow you clipped in a forged towing ball with a long curved neck that reached under to the invisible bar. I almost bought one for towing my racebike bug I needed a tow hitch where the ball was bolted onto a standard bar, because that allowed me to fit a bracket for a trials or motocross bike carrier. I still have it if anyone wants one. It’s in the garage loft behind the bright red Series 2 E-Type tow hitch. DON’T TELL JOEY I HAVE AN E-TYPE TOW HITCH…

Yes, the comments do make sense now Dave.

Americans do use SUV’s for towing. (the weight makes sense), mind you they also use SUV’s to pick up groceries from the local store.

Guys the car is a 308!
Put your spectacles on
The ride height, torsionbar height, safety chains , brake bias, weight , length of trailer,
Brakes , traction control, height of the car towing and yes suspension and supercharger on the xjr all make a huge difference in safety towing
Again tow away …
Love
Gtjoeyxo

I’m going to make it real easy for all of you…
Go to you tube
Type in
Towing a trailer can be dangerous with to much weight.
It has toy model cars and real cars and made by a company called U K
So all of you can understand it😀
Watch it and respond back…