Cheval Liberte versus Requisite Trailers

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eahotson

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Looking at transport options.I have towed before and as I most likely will only be towing short distances most of the time a trailer makes a lot more sense financially than a horse box.Have a maximum 1130kgs towing allowance on our saloon car so a lightweight trailer is a must.Have a 14.2 welsh cob who is not overweight (unlike his mum he would like to say!).Requisite have a box of 600kgs and cheval liberte 655kgs.There is not a lot of information re size etc. on the requisite website and they are £400 dearer.Lot of technical information on cheval liberte, they look nicer,I suspect their single is bigger than the requisite, is just that 55kgs.
 
The only difference is price. They are the same trailer made by Cheval Liberte but with the Requisite branding. Only benefit of buying from Robinson is their credit deal if you aren't able to pay outright. If you have the cash go to a Cheval Liberte dealer and save yourself a few quid. With regards to the weights I'm not sure the booklet I got to look through was right as it has obviously been translated into English and some of the weights didn't quite add up.
 
You could go back and look at posts giving info on safe towing.

Firstly the law on towing does not just refer to the weight of your trailer & load. it refers to the gross weight of the trailer. for example. my IW505 weighs 1170kg, my 14.3hh horse weighs 500kg, but the the gross weight of the trailer per the manufacturers plate is 2350kg. this means i need a car which can tow 2350kg, not just 1670kg.

Now if my car could only tow 1670kg, I could have my trailer down rated by the manufacturer to indicate a gross weight of 1670kg, and be legal to tow, but that would restrict me to pemanently carrying a smaller load in that trailer. You also need to consider that you will require to carry hay/water/tack, and your weights need to allow for this.

Secondly your car may have manufacturers towing capacity of 1130kg, but it will have a light clutch, braking and suspension systems. Family cars are not designed for towing heavy weights and it will push the car to it's limits. Wear and tear will drastically increase and if anything fails, you could be putting your horse and yourself and other road users at risk. The manufacturer means that your car will be able to pull (as in physically move) that weight of trailer & stop it on the flat as long as car & trailer brakes are in perfect working order.

Also, the manufacturers guidance does not take into consideration a live and moving load. A light car will not have the bulk/muscle to stay in control should your horse move about too much and if the trailer starts swaying, you will end up with the 'tail wagging the dog' scenario.

I have seen a trailer jackknife, cross 3 lanes (two of oncoming traffic) and pull the car off the road backwards before the trailer turned over and actually overturned the car with it. This was a landrover defender towing machinery thank god, not a horsebox, but although it was within it's legal weight limits, it was just not heavy enough to take charge when one of the trailer tyres went flat.

Please don't do it by tweaking weight plates. Get a vehicle fit & safe for the purpose and a robust trailer that will protect your horse.

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Weused to tow caravans, quite large ones, so I have got some idea of the complexities of towing.Car in question is a mercedes benz and has a kerb weight of 1540 kgs and a towing limit of 1130kgs.Will look into the laws regarding plated weight of trailers though. Thanks!
 
i would not have one even if it was free!
i knew someone who bought a cheval liberte brand new and the quality was pretty bad, within a year or so the jockey door had bowed so 2 people had to lean on it to shut it, stickers peeled and generally looked pretty shabby in a short space of time. i also seem to remember the price was still quite high.

i would spend the money and buy an ifor williams as they are good quality and hold their value well.

smile.gif
 
I always thought these were the same trailer but having seen both Im not sure. Maybe Cheval Liberte use slightly better materials on theres. I wouldnt have a Requisite one, no way, I was shocked at how flimsy it was, the Cheval grew on me though. I wouldnt travel my big wally in one though, Id be too scared he'd come out of the side or sommat.
I did enquire about these a few years ago and the dealer said for a big horse you need the 2003xl as in his opinion the ramps on the smaller ones just werent robust enough and bend???
 
I have a Cheval Liberte single which I bought new last year. Love it. It is pulled by my husbands Vauxhall Vectra. Horse always loads straight away and it gives a nice stable ride.
 
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