Can you tow a trailer with a 'normal' car?

[ QUOTE ]
It's all very well people saying years ago everyone towed with estate cars but estate cars were built differently in the past & were much heavier.

[/ QUOTE ]

Erm yes but trailers were also a hell of a lot heavier!!!!!
 
The old Rice farmers rear loads were not that heavy and the roads were less busy, far fewer Motorway miles as no Motorways builts, few dual carriageways or 40 tonne Eurolorries passing you at speed. And a heavier trailer is more stable.
The Old Volvo 245 estates, and simlar types were very heavy powerful cars, no need for fuel economy as petrol was four gallons for a pound! So roughly a shilling a litre , = 5 p per litre.
 
[ QUOTE ]
LOL Cobby I wasnt talking about quite that far back!!!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Trust me, that is not that far back...
crazy.gif
 
Having been in an accident in a BMW 3-series towing a trailer (trailer wagged - we jack knifed, it wasn't pretty) I would say be very very careful. Personally I wouldn't put my horse in a trailer now for love nor money - not even if it was being towed by a tank.
 
Back in the day when no one worried about towing weights, we used to tow our ancient two horse Rice trailer with our Ford Sierra
smirk.gif
When its clutch burnt out trying to tow uphill one day, we gave up and bought a 3.5 litre V10 Range Rover
grin.gif


Friends of ours towed two horses behind their Vauxhall Cavalier, and before that, a battered old Montego
crazy.gif


Seriously though, I wouldnt tow with a C4. Have a look at things like the Mitsubishi Outlander, and perhaps the Subaru Forester. I know people who tow with both of these, and they love them - they're 'little' big cars
smile.gif
 
The rules which were introduced a few years ago which basically mean you cannot tow more than a single trailer with nothing other than a 4 x 4 get my goat. I do believe it was introduced due to European harmonisation and the UK Government should have negotiated an opt out as the UK towing market is different from most of the Continent. The UK market is dominated by 2 horse trailers, such as Ifor Williams, whereas on the Continent, single horse trailers predominate. Many people in the UK, like me, tow a double horse trailer with only ever one horse in it.

Anyway, in answer to your question, it probably will tow it, ie it will move successfully. Unfortunatley it won't be legal. My Jeep Grand Cherokee was stolen recently and I towed with my Mercedes 2.3 litre E class diesel saloon and it was absolutely excellent. I didnt get stuck, even in the mud (I have good tyres) and it had loads of torque to accelerate uphill on the motorway. It towed so easily (my horse is a 16.2 warmblood in an IW 505). It got much better fuel economy than the Jeep (27mpg instead of 19) and didn't feel overpowered when towing like the Jeep, hence it was much easier to keep it at a stable towing rate and my horse got a smoother ride.

I hate my damned 4 x 4 so much I wish I could still tow with a saloon car. If I had a choice (ie if it were legal) I would choose the saloon car, so much nicer to drive and tow with. Previously I towed with a Mercedes S class 3.2 litre diesel and it was sublime. Since it had limited slip differential and Mercedes are rear wheel drive anyway, it was surprisingly excellent off road. Sadly this model would be just a tiny fraction under the legal towing rules despite being just about the largest and heaviest saloon car on the market, meaning you cannot really tow a double horse trailer with anythign other than a 4 x 4, despite the fact that you might not really need it. Maybe a Maybach would be legal, possibly also a larger Bentley.

Say what you like about although flippin' piddly little cars towing caravans being legal - I think the Governemnt should crack down on them as you see so many of them overturned in high winds.
 
i've personaly seen a car flipped over by a horse trailer (double trailer with one horse in). I drove past it on a duel carriageway (the firebrigade and police had just arrived)

The local newspaper reported the next day that both the occupants of the car and the horse had died.
so if you want to tow with a bog standard car go ahead, but bare in mind you will likely be over the legal limit, you will be driving without insurance, you will be putting yourself, your horse and other road users in danger!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top