Cheval Liberte Trailers

F

FunkyFilly28

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 November 2008
Messages
464
Visit site
I am thinking of getting the a single cheval liberte trailer to take my boy to local shows as hiring out the yard lorry is expenisive and not always available. Does anyone have one? If so, what's it like to tow. I have to get a single as anything bigger is too heavy for my Ford Focus Estate to tow. Here is a link to the trailer if you'd like to have a look... http://www.cheval-liberte.co.uk/products_trailers_1000_series.htm
Thanks!
smile.gif

P.S. Any general comments on what you think of the trailer both good and bad appreciated!
 
Ive got a 2003, and I love it- very good to tow, the only prob is it dosen't have back doors so I have tarpolin up to stop any water getting in when its not in use.
 
I'm quite prepared to get shot down in flames - but I'm not a fan of single trailers. Even horses that load well can be put off by such a narrow trailer (appreciate that it's wider than the space in a double trailer, but the horse's perception of space is greater in a double. They are also less stable than a double trailer. Not convinced I'd want to tow with a Focus Estate either - sorry, Iknow how hard it is when you want your own transport (I used to do extra teaching, exercise horses and take my life in my hands taking school horses for a 'jolly' to earn the loan of an elderly land rover and trailer to transport my cob about!!!), but better to avoid an expensive mistake.
 
ironhorse: I appreciate your concerns, but my horse is great at loading and I have checked that the engine of my ford focus estate can happily tow the trailer plus horse and contents. I realise that a single trailer may not be as stable, but I will not travel to competitions in bad weather. Thanks for your comment though.
 
Its not just the engine of the car, its how heavy it is. That car is not heavy enough to tow a trailer.
A lady at my old livery yard tried to tow a trailer with a VW polo estate. She went up a kurb and the trailer flipped over pulling the car with it, luckily horse and driver were ok.
You need a really heavy estate that is built to tow like a Volvo or a proper 4x4, even SUV's arent heavy enough.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm quite prepared to get shot down in flames - but I'm not a fan of single trailers. Even horses that load well can be put off by such a narrow trailer (appreciate that it's wider than the space in a double trailer, but the horse's perception of space is greater in a double. They are also less stable than a double trailer. Not convinced I'd want to tow with a Focus Estate either - sorry, Iknow how hard it is when you want your own transport (I used to do extra teaching, exercise horses and take my life in my hands taking school horses for a 'jolly' to earn the loan of an elderly land rover and trailer to transport my cob about!!!), but better to avoid an expensive mistake.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm really sorry but I do agree with this completely. And its not just weather or not your engine is capable of towing the weight, there are lots of other factors to consider about towing vehicles.

But I think the Cheval Liberte trailers are very good. A friend take her horse to Germany a couple of times a year (madness!!) and says they all have these as they have a different way of being loaded (with weight) so are suposidly (sp) more stable on the motor way to other makes.
 
Thanks for all your concerns on my vehicle not being big enough/heavy enough to tow. But I have researched into it and it is a fairly heavy car especially with all my family, tack etc. inside. I was looking more for comments on the trailer rather than my towing vehicle. Thanks anyway.
 
Personally do not like them, are not finished to a high standard compared to other makes of trailers.
 
i have a 2003 and am so pleased with it, finished very well and is excellent to tow. i used to have a single iw trailer and had no problems with towing it or horse loading.

the CL are so light so ur car will have no trouble towing it, good luck
 
I bought a brand new single Cheval Liberte trailer last year. It is brilliant and tows with the family car as it weighs 500kg unladen. It feels light and spacious inside and our horse loves it. It gives a stable ride and tows very well. Highly recommended.
 
I just noticed someone else had commented on the stability factor. I think from a physics point of view the low level of gravity adds to the stability as the load is carried near the ground. Some horseboxes are less stable as they trransport the horse high off the ground.
 
I like these trailers
smile.gif
. I wasn't sure at first due to having a thing for the old wooden ones (showing my age lol), but from what I've heard the CL ones are very good. We're now looking at the three horse or four horse ones, as the Disco will happily tow the lot even fully loaded
smile.gif
 
I really rate the CL trailers, but really would offer a (probably unwanted) word of caution about towing with a Ford Focus estate. No matter how it looks on paper, it isn't up to the job. It may be able to cope with a dead weight, but a horse is a dynamic load, and you will also be adding weight with tack, feed, water, people etc. It is of course up to you, and plenty of people do tow with small lightweight cars. Plenty of them come to grief too. It is all about weight, not just engine capacity.
 
We love our mare and foal CL trailer. Very stable and we have towed it with a Skoda Octavia, didn't know it was on the back with a chunky ID in it (yes we were within legal towing limits)! The mare and foal trailer is wider and higher then the IW HB401. Yes it's not as solid construction on it's top half as the IW but that's to keep the weight down. As someone else said the weight is all in the chassis area so sticks to the road better. It's very much horses for courses but I for one am very pleased with ours and now we have a big 4WD vehicle I still want to keep the CL trailer.
 
I have a 2003 XL and LOVE it. It is so sturdy, stable, beautiful to tow. It feels really stable even on busy dual carriageways with lorries over taking (I'm a bit of a snail when towing). Mine is finished beautifully, and I really would recommend it to anyone. I know less about the single trailers. My friend has the 1.5 horse trailer (mare and foal I think) and travels her one horse in it very well. He won't travel in any other trailer.

I think your Focus estate may be up to the job, regardless of what other people say. I can't think off the top of my head what its kerbweight is, but it's more than a Peugeot 307 I think, and I know that is capable of towing my trailer loaded with one horse (just!!), which is heavier than the single trailers. It might knacker your engine though! (and avoid high winds/steep hills)
 
Ok, many of you are concerned that my Ford Focus is not upto the job of towing a single Cheval Liberte trailer. So, my car's kerbweight is 1295KG so its maximum towing capacity is 1200KG. The Cheval Liberte single trailer has an unladen weight of 655kg plus my horse of approximately 500 kg horse. This means we are under the weight and with the tack, my mum, dad,me and little sister will also be in the car will increase the weight of the car (we are all quite well built!) and the towing capacity slightly. So we should be comfortably under. My dad's licencse even allows him to drive tanks. The horse's welfare always comes first and we are only travelling to the odd show a couple of times a month perhaps and not in bad weather conditions. I hope this clears up the issue and thanks for your comments and concerns!
 
Until you put that info I thought your car would be up to the job but now I'm not so sure. You're not supposed to tow more than 85% of your car's kerbweight (it's a guideline according to the Caravan Club, but most people use it as a rule), which for you would be 1,100kg. The passengers and tack and equipment in your car are actually classed as part of your tow weight (odd I know!) so you have to add them into your tow weight.

So:
Trailer: 655
Horsey: 500
Equipment: 25 (say)
Passengers: 150 (say 3 passengers of 50kg each)
TOTAL: 1,380kg - which is actually over the kerbweight, rather than being only 85% of it.

Please double-check your figures and my understanding, as I'm probably going wrong somewhere, but would hate for you to make a mistake.
 
Plus, as I said, a horse is not a stable load. But if people want to be in a situation where the trailer pushes the car downhill, or flips the car over, there is nothing you can do to stop them. Hey ho.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Until you put that info I thought your car would be up to the job but now I'm not so sure. You're not supposed to tow more than 85% of your car's kerbweight (it's a guideline according to the Caravan Club, but most people use it as a rule), which for you would be 1,100kg. The passengers and tack and equipment in your car are actually classed as part of your tow weight (odd I know!) so you have to add them into your tow weight.

So:
Trailer: 655
Horsey: 500
Equipment: 25 (say)
Passengers: 150 (say 3 passengers of 50kg each)
TOTAL: 1,380kg - which is actually over the kerbweight, rather than being only 85% of it.

Please double-check your figures and my understanding, as I'm probably going wrong somewhere, but would hate for you to make a mistake.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont forget hay and water. It is completely unrealistic to tow with that car.
 
I thought with a braked trailer the 85% didn't apply to towing horse trailers rather than caravans?

I've got a CL 2003XL too, no issues with the finish and the Pullman suspension means it tows really well. We have a neurotic TB who goes in it with minimum fuss, she absolutely WILL NOT go in an Ifor Williams!
 
I understand that it applies to all towed vehicles. Certainly when I was trying to figure out what vehicle I would need that was the figure that the people in the know were quoting to me. Caravan Club info

Just had a look at that site, and it sounds like the more weight you put in the car the better, which is contrary to what I was told before (but makes a lot more sense)! I'm now officially confused
confused.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Until you put that info I thought your car would be up to the job but now I'm not so sure. You're not supposed to tow more than 85% of your car's kerbweight (it's a guideline according to the Caravan Club, but most people use it as a rule), which for you would be 1,100kg. The passengers and tack and equipment in your car are actually classed as part of your tow weight (odd I know!) so you have to add them into your tow weight.

So:
Trailer: 655
Horsey: 500
Equipment: 25 (say)
Passengers: 150 (say 3 passengers of 50kg each)
TOTAL: 1,380kg - which is actually over the kerbweight, rather than being only 85% of it.

Please double-check your figures and my understanding, as I'm probably going wrong somewhere, but would hate for you to make a mistake.

[/ QUOTE ]

You add the people in the car's weight and equipment onto the weight of the car (not what it is towing) plus we are all over 50kg so this will may the cars kerbweight heavy thus allowing it to tow more. Even if this is not added on then the car is still capable of towing the trailer. Yes I realise that horses do move but trust me, we are not doing anything dangerous to put the horse at risk and I thank you once again for your concerns and for totalling up weights but I only wanted views on the trailer not what was towing it.
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
The Cheval Liberte single trailer has an unladen weight of 655kg plus my horse of approximately 500 kg horse. This means we are under the weight and with the tack, my mum, dad,me and little sister will also be in the car will increase the weight of the car (we are all quite well built!) and the towing capacity slightly.

[/ QUOTE ]

As far as I am aware, kerb weight is calculated using two passengers. Any other passengers, and equipment in the car, are counted against the tow weight. You can't add extra passengers on to the kerb weight, that is not how it works. the 1200 kg is the maximum amount that legally you can tow, they will NOT take into account the extra weight in the car. Basically, with the extra passengers and equipment, you will be dangerously overweight and illegal, voiding any insurance you have. Please do not tow with this set up. Consider buying a cheaper and older 4x4 and just using it to tow with.

I'm sorry if this is not what you want to hear, but we only have the safety of your family and horse in mind.

Isabelle
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top