Help - towing trailer with an estate car!

[tobiano1984]

My eventual aim is to buy a big 4x4 and trailer, hopefully in the next year or so. However in the meantime, my dad has handed me down his Audi estate, and I wondered what the story was there with towing a trailer...

My parents have towed ponies with it before, whether or not this was legal I don't know! The car is a 54 plate A4 estate, 1.9 TDI. They've pulled an Ifor Williams (505?) trailer with one pony or cob in it. I don't think it would be great for hardcore towing up hills, but was fine for local shows.

So - is it legal to tow with it? I've confused myself with all the numbers online! I think this car has a towing capacity of 1600kg from what I can make out. I've got the use of an Ifor Williams trailer, and when I get my own will probably be one of those. I'd only want to tow either a 14hh pony or a 14.3hh light cob with it.

Also - I will need to do my B+E test as I don't have a trailer licence. So my other question is, can I use the above to tow legally without a licence? From what I could see you can tow up to 3500kg total weight, but no idea how much the car weighs.

I think I've confused myself even more. HELP!

 

[ROG]

http://www.autoevolution.com/engine/audi-a4-avant-2001-19-tdi-130-hp.html - is it that one in the link?

If it is then the GVW is 2000 kgs

The plated MAM of the HB505 is 2340 kgs

That is a total MAM of 4340 kgs which is above the 3500 limit for B licence towing

Had the HB505 been down plated via contact with IW to 1500 then it would be legal for B towing

The HB505 is 905 empty so at 1500 MAM that would leave 595 for the trailer load/horse

That Audi has a towing capacity of 1900


Many tow with such estate cars on hard surfaces ok

 

[tobiano1984]

http://www.autoevolution.com/engine/audi-a4-avant-2001-19-tdi-130-hp.html - is it that one in the link?

If it is then the GVW is 2000 kgs

The plated MAM of the HB505 is 2340 kgs

That is a total MAM of 4340 kgs which is above the 3500 limit for B licence towing

Had the HB505 been down plated via contact with IW to 1500 then it would be legal for B towing

The HB505 is 905 empty so at 1500 MAM that would leave 595 for the trailer load/horse

That Audi has a towing capacity of 1900


Many tow with such estate cars on hard surfaces ok

Yes that's the car - OK thanks a lot, that's good to know!