best car/4x4 for towing 1600kg max? (fuel)

D

deoni

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 August 2012
Messages
162
Visit site
I have a trailer already and in total everything will be around 1600kg for horses and trailer. I was planning to get a 4x4 but after the 4x4 thread I looked at some estates which can tow a lot, but are they any good? I do a lot of miles to work/horse so looking for something good on fuel. :)
 
Cars/estates can be used safely enough for trailer towing but consider carefully what types of terrain it needs to cope with

Assuming you have a B+E licence?
 
ROG said:
Cars/estates can be used safely enough for trailer towing but consider carefully what types of terrain it needs to cope with

Assuming you have a B+E licence?
Click to expand...

I dont, but saw your post on what i can carry without and have a light 700kgish trailer and 2 ponies are under 500kg so can carry one just! With the aim to take my test and carry 1600kg in total :)
 
deoni said:
I have a trailer already and in total everything will be around 1600kg for horses and trailer. I was planning to get a 4x4 but after the 4x4 thread I looked at some estates which can tow a lot, but are they any good? I do a lot of miles to work/horse so looking for something good on fuel. :)
Click to expand...
I certainly wouldn't want to tow a horse trailer with a car, whatever its engine capacity and the loaded weight of the trailer. You need one of the bigger 4x4, Defender, Discovery types and not the lighter 4x4s such as Freelanders, Rave 4s, etc.

Go to a dealer who specialises in towing vehicles for horse boxes. Explain exactly what you are going to tow and listen to his advice. A dealer worth his salt will not let you buy an unsuitable vehicle from him.

Remember that what applies to a caravan doesn't necessarily apply in practice to a loaded horse trailer, the law not withstanding. The contents of a caravan stay still (if it is properly loaded) but a horse moves around.

You may be able to find consumer articles on-line as several magazines have run tests on 4x4s. IIRC H&H have done them.
 
deoni said:
Well, not good on fuel I mean better on fuel :p
Click to expand...
A "frequent flyer" tow-er on our yard who travels all over the country to show and buy and sell her family's Welshie's has a Discovery which is converted to LPG. She has told me that this is much cheaper to run than the equivalent running on diesel.
 
But a estate or smaller 4x4 with a lightweight trailer and a pony is the same ratio as a large 4x4, large trailer and two horses
 
widget said:
But a estate or smaller 4x4 with a lightweight trailer and a pony is the same ratio as a large 4x4, large trailer and two horses
Click to expand...
Exactly ... and as ROG said depends on terrain as to practicality of a two wheel drive, a big car with a low center of gravity is posibly safer and more stable than a lightweight 4x4 but you are going to have issues on muddy fields ...
 
perfect11s said:
Exactly ... and as ROG said depends on terrain as to practicality of a two wheel drive, a big car with a low center of gravity is posibly safer and more stable than a lightweight 4x4 but you are going to have issues on muddy fields ...
Click to expand...

I used a mercedes c180 to tow one horse, the only show i went to where i parked on grass i drove off without much of a problem whilst all the lorries were towed out with a tractor.
 
deoni said:
I dont, but saw your post on what i can carry without and have a light 700kgish trailer and 2 ponies are under 500kg so can carry one just! With the aim to take my test and carry 1600kg in total :)
Click to expand...
It is not the actual weight that matters but the plated MAM/GVW weights

Add vehicle GVW to plated trailer MAM and if not more than 3500 kgs then ok

If trailer plated MAM is not more than vehicle kerbweight then ok
 
Lizzie66 said:
Found this website which is ace. Key in the weight you want to be able to tow and it will come up with a list of vehicles that are legal for that weight.

It recommends that you allow at 200-300kg above your planned towing weight to allow for tack, water etc.

http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/towing_vehicles.htm
Click to expand...
Oh here we go again!!! No it isnt Ace its BS !!!! and Wrong starts of by saying a law says trailer and load
should not weigh more than 85% of the tow cars kerb weight!!! which is *****.. if it was true no one would be able to tow two cobs with anything... the rules are do not exceed the manufactures maximum recomended weights, tow capacity , train weight or trailer max gross weight , and your licence catagery ...simple realy ..
 
Last edited:
perfect11s said:
Oh here we go again!!! No it isnt Ace its BS !!!! and Wrong starts of by saying a law says trailer and load
should not weigh more than 85% of the tow cars kerb weight!!! which is *****.. if it was true no one would be able to tow two cobs with anything... the rules are do not exceed the manufactures maximum recomended weights, tow capacity , train weight or trailer max gross weight , and your licence catagery ...simple realy ..
Click to expand...

Your first line is hilarious :p:D

Honestly though, is anyone ever going to grasp the correct rules of towing?!

To whoever said you need discos, etc to tow and don't use freelanders, ravs etc - BS as well! My 14hh has been towed in a lightweight trailer for the last two years by a rav4 which managed hunky dorey through fields, mud and motorways. Prior to the when I shared travelling, woman had a freelander with Ifor and my 14hh, and a 13hh which managed fine too. I now have a freelander to tow and it will be up to the job and more.

Oh and I also know someone that successfully tows a single trailer with a VW Passat.
 
This is interesting, as I have a Freelander and will be looking at getting a lightweight single horse trailer soon. All the posts I have read on here say how dangerous lightweight 4x4's are for towing with, but from looking at some of the replies on here, it doesn't seem like a problem???
 
Cripes, if everyone had to have a disco/range rover/fourtrak etc to tow a trailer with a PONY in it, I am pretty sure there would be a lot more ponyless children in the UK.

I tow one large horse (600kg+) in an ifor 505 (about 1000kg) with a freelander 2 and its fab. Not bad at all on fuel or insurance either.

I'd say you have plenty of choice!
 
CobsGalore said:
This is interesting, as I have a Freelander and will be looking at getting a lightweight single horse trailer soon. All the posts I have read on here say how dangerous lightweight 4x4's are for towing with, but from looking at some of the replies on here, it doesn't seem like a problem???
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be a problem. Our freelander has a towing max of 2000kg and I'd say a single Ifor is about 750kg if memory serves me. I have an old lightweight double trailer but have taken partition out so it weighs around the 800kg mark. May be an option as singles are like gold dust and quite pricey new.
 
holeymoley said:
Shouldn't be a problem. Our freelander has a towing max of 2000kg and I'd say a single Ifor is about 750kg if memory serves me. I have an old lightweight double trailer but have taken partition out so it weighs around the 800kg mark. May be an option as singles are like gold dust and quite pricey new.
Click to expand...

Yes I have been looking at lightweight doubles too.

ROG - can you please remind me of the rules for B licenses? Is it true that you can tow without having a B+E?
 
My 1990's IW505 Deluxe weighs 840kgs (as stated on the original IW documentation), probably even a bit less since it's original heavy wooden floor were replaced with ally by the previous owner so there are lightweight doubles are out there. I think for our next car, we'd be looking at a Freelander too as I only will ever be able to afford one horse and stick to lightweight TB's.
 
widget said:
But a estate or smaller 4x4 with a lightweight trailer and a pony is the same ratio as a large 4x4, large trailer and two horses
Click to expand...

I think this is worth repeating ;)

OP there are 4x4s out there that do what I would call an acceptable mileage so don't rule them all out.

I have a Hyundai Terracan which is a decent sized truck (tows two big horses easily) and I get 32mpg on a decent run. Scary numbers. BUT when I was looking I was thinking about just towing one and things like the X-trail will get you the same mileage (day to day, not towing) as my small petrol car :eek: ie over 40 mpg if driven carefully.

I have also towed with my Ford Grenada estate (with a Cosworth engine) and actually it was a nice set up. Really stable. It wouldn't have pulled me out of deep mud but around our dead flat fen roads it wasn't a bad option. that said, it did about 18mpg so hardly relevant :o
 
CobsGalore said:
Yes I have been looking at lightweight doubles too.

ROG - can you please remind me of the rules for B licenses? Is it true that you can tow without having a B+E?
Click to expand...

You can tow on a B only licence

Put simply the B licence towing rules are .....

The vehicle GVW added to the trailer plated MAM must not exceed 3500 kgs
The trailer plated MAM must not be more than vehicle kerbweight
 
perfect11s said:
Oh here we go again!!! No it isnt Ace its BS !!!! and Wrong starts of by saying a law says trailer and load
should not weigh more than 85% of the tow cars kerb weight!!! which is *****.. if it was true no one would be able to tow two cobs with anything... the rules are do not exceed the manufactures maximum recomended weights, tow capacity , train weight or trailer max gross weight , and your licence catagery ...simple realy ..
Click to expand...

What an insufferably rude and patronising person you are.

The reason for posting the link was that the OP wanted to know what vehicles could be used to tow a particular weight, with this website you can key in the weight you wish to tow and it will come up with a list of vehicles that are legal to tow that weight. Therefore for the OP purpose this website would give them the information they wanted.

There would have been politer ways of pointing out that some aspects of this website may be incorrect !

However the recommended towing limit is 85% of the tow cars kerb weight and must not exceed the MAM, and the combined total of the ladened vehicle and trailer must not exceed the GTW. Obviously you must tow within your Driving Licence's limits.
 
Lizzie66 said:
However the recommended towing limit is 85% of the tow cars kerb weight and must not exceed the MAM, and the combined total of the ladened vehicle and trailer must not exceed the GTW. Obviously you must tow within your Driving Licence's limits.
Click to expand...

I believe this is only the case for caravans.

Edited- I mean the 85% part!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top