Cars to pull boxes??

cokelly

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 July 2008
Messages
330
Location
London
Visit site
What cars can pull a box with 2 cobs inside?? We've gotta skoda octavia estate and a toyota avensis...dad says neither of them have the power! We're replacing the toyota soon- tryna persuade dad to buy a jeep of some sort but not sure he's willing...any 'cars' you can suggest?

ta XD
 
Not a chance

I tow one horse with a volvo v70 and that is with a modern trailer with hydraulic brakes.

Beg dad to get the jeep!
 
Not really....i towed my lad on his own with a nissan primera estate 2.0l...yes it towed him fine...he was 17hh,in a reasonably lightweight trailer
smile.gif
...however doubt the braking would have been adequate
frown.gif

Any car can tow...it is the braking you have to worry about
frown.gif
 
I only towed him 3 miles with the primera...have since bought a disco just to make sure my boy is safe
smile.gif
 
No.
You would have to look at some of the bigger 4x4's in order to be safe and legal with 2 cobs in!
look for something with a maxiumum towing limit of 3.5 tones otherwise you dont have a hope.

We have a mercedes ML270, it tows beautifully so you idealy want something along the lines of that, the landrover or something similar.
It is not just about power. The car has to be built correctly to pull that weight. If you pull more then the car is capable of you will stretch the chassis and put far to much pressure on the car which can lead to horrific accidents. The car also has to be heavy enough. with 2 cobs in the back i wouldnt dream of towing a horse trailer with a car the weighed much less then 2 tons.
Also if you tow more then the manufacturers limit then you are uninsured and therfore breaking the law!
 
Would probably be illegal, what you are towing must not exceed 85% of the weight of the car you are towing with. One horse/2 ponies would be ok, but two cobs would be too heavy. You need a 4x4 really, if you towed with these cars you would soon be needing a new clutch.
 
hmm kk- what about one cob do you think? Ive only got the one but was thinking of my mates ponies but meh- could a car pull one cob or would it still be too heavy? bearing in my Buster weighs in around 500kg on the weigh tape!

Thanks for all the replys so far btw! Know I needa persuade my dear father to splash out now :P
 
[ QUOTE ]
Would probably be illegal, what you are towing must not exceed 85% of the weight of the car you are towing with.


[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry, but that is not true, it's not a law.
In order to be 'legal' what you tow must not exceed the manufacturers recommended max towing weight.
 
The recommendation that the load being towed should not exceed 85% of the car's weight is for very good safety reasons. A small car may well be able to move a trailer with two cobs in, and trundling along a level, dry road you may think everything is just fine - but at some point you may be coming down a hill, in the rain and wind, and find that laden trailer is too heavy for the car to keep it straight. That's an example, it can take something as little as touching the brakes on a bend, being overtaken by a lorry, a gust of wind catching it, a horse leaning... any livestock makes the load inherently unstable, and ordinary cars just aren't built to cope. Don't ask a salesman if it "can tow" - it probably can, but it may not be able to stop in a straight line if the load is too much.

Only a big 4x4 is really suitable, ideally a turbo diesel. Automatics need a decent transmission cooler to protect the gearbox, and an underpowered manual will wreck clutch after clutch.

The old Jeep Cherokee had such a wide back door it could not be opened enough to get to the boot when a trailer was hitched up - check things like this. The Discovery is ok, it doesn't open fully but you can get saddles, dog or whatever in and out with the trailer on.

Have a look at this website,

http://www.cuddles.abelgratis.net/kerbweights.htm

it gives the 85% weight which is much more important than the weight the manufacturer says the car can pull - they are not allowing for it being a live load which will shift, lean, sit back, snatch at hay, nip its companion, possibly stamp or kick, or otherwise lose its balance.

A standard front unload trailer will weigh about 900kg, add the weight of the horse(s), possibly rugged or tacked up, the weight of a water container... please don't take unnecessary risks, for the sake of your car's occupants, your horses, and everyone on the road around you.
 
Point your dad towards a kia sorento. They are smart looking, the xs version has cruise & tinted windows & aircon etc, and they are the modern 4x4 shape. they give quite a refine ride, they are economical (for a 4x4) and easily capable of towing your horse. and you'll get a good one second hand without spending silly money.

Good luck.
 
I don't think the issue is whether the car can tow it, it's whether the car would be able to stop quickly, with all that weight behind it, and you also need to check with your insurance to see if you would be covered.
 
Top