Advice required on what to tow a trailer with

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Muffin61

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10 August 2007
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North East Surrey
www.surrey-sounds.co.uk
Can anyone advise on a suitable car for towing a trailer and two 16h horses? I’m not too keen on driving a 4x4 utility type car and wonder if there are some standard saloon/ estate cars that are up to the job?

Failing that any recommendations for 4x4 vehicles would also be appreciated, for example any views on the Mitsubishi Shogun?

Many thanks.
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Unfortunately, the answer is probably not! I have two 16h horses and their combined weight along with the trailer is just under 2 tonnes. You would need a car to be at least 2.5 tonnes to tow that weight safely and that tends to rule out saloon/estate cars, even the heavier ones like the Volvo. PLus, even if you can find a car that is up to weight, they are unlikely to have more than a 2.5 litre engine which means towing 2 tonnes put an enormous strain on it. You'd probably end up having to spend a lot replacing stuff that just wears out.

I have a relatively elderly Jeep Cherokee which does the job well but I hear good things about the Japanese cars, like Isuzu and Nissan. I didn't wnat a Land Rover because they tend to blow their gaskets which is a big job to replace. If you're towing two horses, I highly recommend getting extra back wheel shock absorbers and reinforcing the tow bar as this reduces the wear and tear on the car.
 
Three of us on our yard tow with nissan terrano.I have the 2.8 turbo diesel .It pulls well with two horses in it .I have a tb 16 2 weighs 520 and my daughter has a cob 14.2 that weighs 480.The other women on the yard tow with two horses all the time too.I have two friends in the car trade who recommend the engine on the terrano they say it is built to last .
 
i recently bought a grand jeep cherokee and its fab to tow with. my trailer is a lightweight one and ive towed a 16hh IDxTB and a 13.3hh chunky monkey and wouldnt even have known the trailer was there.
 
I used to tow with a Ford Mondeo 2.0l petrol. The most I ever towed was 2 15HH horses in a Very Large Pegasus horse trailer. Power wasn't the problem but not the most pleasurable of experiences. I have since towed with rangerovers and defenders and would NEVER tow with a car again not even one horse. I believe the horse gets a much better ride with a sturdy vehicle doing the job. Also stopping in an emergency is much safer.

Also don't even try getting in/out of a field (which is being used as a car park) at some shows!
 
If you have a look on the WhatCar? website you can read up on just about every car ever built and in the specification/ technical summary most of them have the recommended towing limits by the manufacturers and also the curb weight (some of the trailer manufacturers websites state that for safety your towed weight shouldn't exceed 85% of the curb weight of the car).
I suspect you will almost certainly need a 4x4 for towing a trailer with 2 horses in though as it will be around 2 tonnes.
 
You are going to need a heavy duty long wheel base 4 x 4 to tow 2 16 hand horses.

My advice would be a Long Wheel Base Land Rover, Range Rover or the Mitsibishi Shogun.
 
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