A towing question

J

Jesstickle

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So every time anyone posts about towing a box with their estate loads of people jump on them and say 'never, ever,ever' 'so unsafe' etc. Even when the poster says they have a lightweight box and tows one horse and checks their weights.

Why? If you work on the rule that you shouldn't pull more than 85% kerb weight of your car then a disco can tow 1827 odd kg. There is no way an ifor 510 plus two horses is under two tonnes so why aren't you all screaming about anyone ever towing two horses?

Even the meatiest land cruiser only tows 2120kg if we use the 85% rule. That still isn't two big horses plus tack and water??
 
O yeah, I'm aware of that Mike. I know that what you can tow is down to what you can legally tow and that 85% is just a safety recommendation. I just wondered why people aren't ok with an estate and lightweight box with one horse but they're fine with Disco, massive box and two huge horses. Or possibly Disco, two horses and a pony if they have a treble trailer?

I was hoping someone could explain it to me as I think it is all just a problem of perception frankly and I'm sicking of hearing that I shouldn't use my estate with no good reason given as to why.
 
*sighs*

Ah Jess, don't you know towing with an estate is as idiotic, dangerous and cruel as putting more than 10 stone on a 16hh TB or leaving your native ponio out overnight in summer with no rug on?

Like you we've done the calculations, considered the physics and the law and have towed a single horse trailer perfectly happily behind an Skoda Octavia estate. Some of the bigger heavier estates have towing capacities near that of a Shogun or a Disco but you'll still get people rolling their eyes at you if you put a trailer behind them.
 
The only thing it comes down to is the risk of snaking .Which can happen to any vehicle and trailer. softer more rolling suspension and a towhitch at the wrong height all contribute as does the tyre type and pressure. If your estate is permited to pull the weight ,no problems. If your car and trailer are correctly set up and well maintained no problems.
 
Someone had better phone the RSPCA on me then as I plan to not only ride, but back, my TB at over 10 stone. She's clearly going to die ( assuming she doesn't expire in surgery on this hock and her pedal bones stay in her feet from this lammi attack lol)

I know it's an odd thing to think about but I was just riding along today thinking about it and I just couldn't make sense of why people always say it so I thought I'd ask.

Plenty of estates are even 4WD so really what is the big difference.

ETA Mike, you're always one of the reasonable people when these threads happen. I have noticed :)
 
Ah, the joys of the towing debates :D

'Tis why I stick with the Disco - heavy enough and and powerful enough all round to cope with the three horse trailer, the sixteen horses I've managed to cram in, the forty-three sets of tack (well, y'never know just what you might need!), the four foals (they were cute), and my wardrobe (yes, literally my wardrobe, why should only the clothes get an outing I say?!).

*crawls back behind parapet, donning tin hat and flak jacket along the way*
 
MrsMozart said:
Ah, the joys of the towing debates :D

'Tis why I stick with the Disco - heavy enough and and powerful enough all round to cope with the three horse trailer, the sixteen horses I've managed to cram in, the forty-three sets of tack (well, y'never know just what you might need!), the four foals (they were cute), and my wardrobe (yes, literally my wardrobe, why should only the clothes get an outing I say?!).

*crawls back behind parapet, donning tin hat and flak jacket along the way*
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What!!! you leave the "Emelda Marcos" shoe collection behind:eek::eek:
 
No of course she doesn't, I tow the shoe collection for her in a single horse 410 - behind my Smart Pulse:) Left shoes only of course, my daughter takes the right ones in her matching Smart/410 rig:)
 
you two are not taking my thread seriously. humph. :D :D love the image of you all in convoy carrying MrsM's shoes and wardrobe.
 
As far as I am aware, it is not illegal to tow a trailer with any vehicle. The issue is liability if you have an accident, and the vehicle turns out to be under-specced for the towing weight.

I go by the manufacturer's specification for safety reasons. Also, if you have over-loaded the towing vehicle, you can have some mighty uncomfortable times on poor road conditions - and how often does that describe the typical entrance/exit/access road to our many wonderful and glamourous showing venues:)

The day I bought my trailer and was driving home I saw an awful accident where a Range Rover was towing an over-loaded horse trailer - 1 horse died and 1 horse injured. The problem there was when braking, the weight of the trailer was such, relative to the towing vehicle, that it went right over the top, jacknifed and tipped over.
But suit yourself, its your risk, and you may never have problems.
 
Mike007 said:
What!!! you leave the "Emelda Marcos" shoe collection behind:eek::eek:
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jemima_too said:
No of course she doesn't, I tow the shoe collection for her in a single horse 410 - behind my Smart Pulse:) Left shoes only of course, my daughter takes the right ones in her matching Smart/410 rig:)
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jesstickle said:
you two are not taking my thread seriously. humph. :D :D love the image of you all in convoy carrying MrsM's shoes and wardrobe.
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Well, what else is a gal to do?!
g100.gif
 
What else is a girl to do eh?

Go shopping for hats! My elder daughter has finally decided to learn to drive so can you not go too mad as apparently her first car is going to be 70K's worth of her OH's Porsche and I don't suppose too many hats will fit in when she's at the head of the convoy.
 
jemima_too said:
What else is a girl to do eh?

Go shopping for hats! My elder daughter has finally decided to learn to drive so can you not go too mad as apparently her first car is going to be 70K's worth of her OH's Porsche and I don't suppose too many hats will fit in when she's at the head of the convoy.
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Lucky little b-b-b-blighter!
 
tallyho! said:
Lucky little b-b-b-blighter!
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Stupid little blighter! If he's that rich he can afford the Porsche then she should get him to buy her, say, an elderly VW Polo for her to bash and crash before he lets her loose on the Porsche. Why risk the chance of serious alimony over a few scrapes and dents?
 
jemima_too said:
Stupid little blighter! If he's that rich he can afford the Porsche then she should get him to buy her, say, an elderly VW Polo for her to bash and crash before he lets her loose on the Porsche. Why risk the chance of serious alimony over a few scrapes and dents?
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But they're in luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve an' he'll do anything for her

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D 'n' I have just traded scraping each others cars. The fact that we're still speaking is obviously a sign of our eternal bond :cool::rolleyes::D
 
MrsMozart said:
But they're in luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve an' he'll do anything for her

f025.gif


D 'n' I have just traded scraping each others cars. The fact that we're still speaking is obviously a sign of our eternal bond :cool::rolleyes::D
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LOL again!!!

If he'll do anything for her, why not swap the porsche for a Range Rover Sport????? Sod it, why not an Oakley!!!!
 
I've got an F reg lwb landy. (saw "awwww") It tows ONE horse and one horse only. Can't take a groom & tack - that has to go in my convoy.

Back to OP... If I could afford an estate, I'd swap it tomorrow!!! Loads of people tow with estates and as for jacknifing... brake SLOOOOWWWWLLYYYY... infact, don't even think about doing more then 40mph :D:D:D:D
 
I love our beaten up old estate. She is a ledge and I wouldn't swap her for the world. She may die and then she'll have to be replaced but until then she is a part of the furniture :)

Even though she does drink petrol ( a 3L 24v V6 petrol is NOT an economical car to run!!!)

Although I could be tempted if OH wafted a Porsche under my nose!!
 
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