Golf as a towcar?

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Splashy pony

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A VW Golf is the Caravan Club tow car or the year. Anyone use one to tow a horse trailer? My VW Polo certainly isn't up to the job but I am happier pottering around in it than I was when I had a 4x4 fuel guzzler. Perhaps a Golf could be a compromise. I was considering a little Bateson Derby and only have a 14.2 Connie so they should be under 1200kg.
 
There are certainly some Golfs with a towing capacity of over 2200Kg - or a whole tonne more than you think you'll need. :)

We used to tow two ponies with a Golf - but that was back in 1975.
 
jemima*askin said:
There are certainly some Golfs with a towing capacity of over 2200Kg - or a whole tonne more than you think you'll need. :)

We used to tow two ponies with a Golf - but that was back in 1975.
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Oooops -ignore the above! It helps if the idiot posting can remember the difference between lbs and Kgs. You can clear your weight limits by about half a tonne, not a whole tonne :)
 
Take a look at the towing capacities in that link because you can certainly tow a horse in a trailer with one of those
 
ROG sorry to be questioning you but are you seriously expecting (according to the link) that a 1.4 Golf will tow a max of 1700kg - will it seriously have the grunt to tow that much. I've just showed my oh and his comment was 'put these words into a well know phrase - cloud living you're cuckoo in land - I would love to have the mpg of this vehicle against to 20mpg of my jeep
 
Clannad48 said:
ROG sorry to be questioning you but are you seriously expecting (according to the link) that a 1.4 Golf will tow a max of 1700kg - will it seriously have the grunt to tow that much. I've just showed my oh and his comment was 'put these words into a well know phrase - cloud living you're cuckoo in land - I would love to have the mpg of this vehicle against to 20mpg of my jeep
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Yes it will pull it - the test requirements for towing are the same for every vehicle

Each vehicle will feel different due to its design
 
Ok. I have checked the specs for my VW POLO. It's a 1.6D and the guide suggests it can pull 1200kg. That a braked trailer up to 12%. In other words a lightweight trailer with a decent horse in it. Really? REALLY?
 
No expert, but surely, not just what it can tow. What can it stop? Does this make a difference. Truly interested? What about "Tail wagging the dog". Not trying to cause trouble. New to towing so really wanting to learn.
 
I had a clio SX before my current car. It was the best of the clio's and had a really good engine and could tow a braked weight of 1200kg. With my trailer being 750kg, theoretically it could've towed that and a small pony (my boys too heavy but just using this as an example). So yes, it could've towed a trailer and a pony but I would never dream of it . The car was not designed for towing, I doubt it could handle a trailer with a moving animal in it l and not to mention it would bu**er the whole mechanics of the car if you done it on a regular basis! (Hell, driving it on a country road seemed to knacker it!)

IMO, despite towing weights on these small cars, you want something that's 'beefy' so to speak and designed for the job. If you don't tow much or have a pony /light horse then an estate or the like it probably you're best bet but you would be restricted to where you went.
 
I'm always intrigued by these threads that people don't think twice about a Landrover or other 4X4 weighing in at 2.5 tonnes and designed to tow 3.5 tonnes yet feel that a car weighing in at 1600Kg and rated for towing 1200Kg wouldn't be able to cope. In the first case you are asking the vehicle to cope with braking and accelerating it's own weight plus an extra 140%, in the second case you're asking the vehicle to cope with an additional 75%.
 
On the whole caravan towing thing .... it just doesnt look safe. You need to distribute the weight... seen loads of set ups with car down at the back and caravan down at the front..sorry to sound old fashioned but i just feel safer with the pick up. Golf makes a nice second car for going to weddings and funerals and cruising round with shades on.
 
I seriously wouldn't recommend towing with a car like that. It may be able to 'on paper' but I think IRL it would be very different. I have an 11 plate Landrover Freelander 2 as a normal car - I wouldn't even tow a trailer with that let alone a VW polo!!! And I only have a very lightweight 15.3hh WB.
 
montanna said:
I seriously wouldn't recommend towing with a car like that. It may be able to 'on paper' but I think IRL it would be very different. I have an 11 plate Landrover Freelander 2 as a normal car - I wouldn't even tow a trailer with that let alone a VW polo!!! And I only have a very lightweight 15.3hh WB.
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plenty of folk do use the freelander 2 to tow though....? (that i've seen anyway).
 
I saw loads of people towing with estate cars and trailers that hold two horses at a show recently, and I thought that was risky - nevermind a golf :/
 
A couple of weeks ago I was at a show where they were towing all vehicles on to the ground, next to us in the queue was what I'd describe as a medium family car, can't recall the make but something like a focus, with a trailer on the back. Anyway, a guy with a relatively old range rover who was initially behind in the queue pushed through, wound down the window and shouted at the other car 'if you had a proper towing car then their wouldn't be all this '*******ing' waiting'. Despite being told not to he then drove on to the field and quickly got stuck, it was proper deep mud, tractor only kind of thing. The organisers were cursing him because he was right in the way, tractor came over to tow him out but once connected and strain taken up the tow eye and part of the range rover pulled right off, it was an absolute rust bucket under the surface! I know which vehicle I'd prefer to of used for towing.

Not particularly related but I'm afraid I did find it funny as the guy was such an idiot
 
gembear said:
plenty of folk do use the freelander 2 to tow though....? (that i've seen anyway).
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Yup, what's really common round by me is to pull 2 x 16.2hh's in an equi-trek with all the trimmings with a freelander 2! I love our freelander, it's a lovely car and fantastic to drive but not for towing horses (towing caravans and empty trailers is very different IMO). They aren't built for it.

I don't care what it says on paper, if you towed a horse trailer with a Freelander and then again with a Discovery, you wouldn't want to tow with the Freelander again. Much less a blinking VW polo. Madness.
 
montanna said:
Yup, what's really common round by me is to pull 2 x 16.2hh's in an equi-trek with all the trimmings with a freelander 2! I love our freelander, it's a lovely car and fantastic to drive but not for towing horses (towing caravans and empty trailers is very different IMO). They aren't built for it.

I don't care what it says on paper, if you towed a horse trailer with a Freelander and then again with a Discovery, you wouldn't want to tow with the Freelander again. Much less a blinking VW polo. Madness.
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So what is the best for towing out of the land rovers? I say this because I was considering a freelancer 2 for a 14.3.

My other option was a Kia sorento (older) which can tow 3000kg braked but I never seen many of them with a trailer :S
 
gembear said:
So what is the best for towing out of the land rovers? I say this because I was considering a freelancer 2 for a 14.3.

My other option was a Kia sorento (older) which can tow 3000kg braked but I never seen many of them with a trailer :S
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Don't get me wrong, it's probably very much legal and for towing just a 14.1 on flat ground with a F2, you would probably be well away. However, they just aren't in the same league as a Disco or similar IMO. It depends what your requirements are I guess.

I don't know much about a Kia Sorento... I have seen a few of them towing but have never driven one and don't know anything about them TBF. You would be best off test driving a few with a trailer if you can get your mitts on them?? x
 
I've used a new 62 plate freelander to tow my 14hh pony in a 750kg trailer. They're fine for this. What they're not fine for is the big Ifor trailer and two large horses! Which I've seen done.

I've also shared with a friend , years ago before towing weights were a 'big' thing as such, and that was with a freelander, an Ifor 511 and one 14hh pony and one 13hh pony. It worked pretty well. Whether it was within its weights or not , I don't know.
 
What makes using a saloon or estate with a 1600 towing capacity any more or less safe when towing a horse trailer or a basic box trailer when both actual weights are the same?

Before answering remember that all types of vehicles have gone through exactly the same testing regime before being approved for that towing weight

They may FEEL different but that's not the issue
 
Many years ago we used to tow a light weight trailer with a ford Granada. My horse was an Arab cross Connie but built like an Arab so light weight too. We had no problems at all towing the trailer but had great problems going down hill. The trailer used to start snaking behind us and the car would follow. Even though the trailer was braked. It was very scary and dangerous. Changed to a land rover and never had the problem again.
 
jemima*askin said:
I'm always intrigued by these threads that people don't think twice about a Landrover or other 4X4 weighing in at 2.5 tonnes and designed to tow 3.5 tonnes yet feel that a car weighing in at 1600Kg and rated for towing 1200Kg wouldn't be able to cope. In the first case you are asking the vehicle to cope with braking and accelerating it's own weight plus an extra 140%, in the second case you're asking the vehicle to cope with an additional 75%.
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I get your point but this isn't about towing 3.5t, you would be much safer using a tow car weighing 2.5t with a bigger engine to tow 1200kg than you would using the car that weighs 1600kg to tow 1200kg.. With the former combination, you are asking the car to tow less than 50% of it's weight.
I should imagine most cases of a big 4x4 is towing it's maximum weight of 3.5t do not involve a living creature in the trailer (mostly towing other vehicles, equipment etc).
I for one would not tow my trailer containing my precious horse using a golf/focus or such like. Just because it is legal on paper does not make it safe IMO.
 
AandK said:
I get your point but this isn't about towing 3.5t, you would be much safer using a tow car weighing 2.5t with a bigger engine to tow 1200kg than you would using the car that weighs 1600kg to tow 1200kg.. With the former combination, you are asking the car to tow less than 50% of it's weight.
I should imagine most cases of a big 4x4 is towing it's maximum weight of 3.5t do not involve a living creature in the trailer (mostly towing other vehicles, equipment etc).
I for one would not tow my trailer containing my precious horse using a golf/focus or such like. Just because it is legal on paper does not make it safe IMO.
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So, take a look at various makes and models of horse trailer

By the time you've got two horses in one of these: http://www.iwt.co.uk/products/eventa/ev?tab=spec

or your four ponies in one of these: http://www.iwt.co.uk/products/horsebox/hb510xl?tab=spec

you're at 3.5 tonnes.

Or two horses in this: http://www.equi-trek.com/uk/horse-trailers/show-treka-l/info will take you close to it's 3 tonne limit.

Two horses and your camping gear in this: http://www.equi-trek.com/uk/horse-trailers/star-treka/info would see it up to three tonnes.

Granted this one: http://www.equi-trek.com/uk/horse-trailers/space-treka-m/info is only 2.5 tonnes - but you'd fairly easily get it to its max. capacity.

Sure they'll be towed by big 4x4s - but they'll all be just as heavily laden as that little Golf is with its little trailer on.


Of course it's more sensible to tow a smaller trailer with the bigger car but if you want to carry more horses or have some living you've got to put up with a lot of weight behind your big heavy car.
 
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