Help! Transport decision...3.5t box or 4x4 & Trailer??!!

bonbeau

bonbeau

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2009
Messages
147
Visit site
Hi,

I got a freelander back in December...thinking 'its a landrover, it has a tow bar, it will be fine for towing and it looks nicer than the others imo'!
Anyway after some research and looking into it further I have realised it's not good enough for towing (this doesn't need to turn into another freelander hate thread lol!)

So now I'm trying to decide what route to go down, I only have limited funds, most of my capital for what to get next is what I sell the freelander for, so far I think my options are either-
A 3.5t Horsebox, must be able to fit 1 large horse + a cheap runaround car to get me to the yard/work. (I am only able to drive up to 3.5t)
OR I get another car suitable for towing (doesn't have to be a 4x4) and a trailer, I have been offered a Ifor but it would only leave me with about £1500 for the car so I know my choices are limited!

Any help greatly appreciated, a lot of my friends aren't horsey and my husband is bored to tears of hearing me go on about this!! I just want to get sorted so I can start taking my horses out asap!
 
Last edited:
If you've only got around £1500 spare for a car after buying a trailer then presumably your lack of ready cash would make your choice of 3.5 tonners severely limited, especially if you then need to buy a "cheap" runaround.

Looks like you're going to be needing to buy a cheap towing car, rather than a 4X4.
 
Dee O'Dorant said:
If you've only got around £1500 spare for a car after buying a trailer then presumably your lack of ready cash would make your choice of 3.5 tonners severely limited, especially if you then need to buy a "cheap" runaround.

Looks like you're going to be needing to buy a cheap towing car, rather than a 4X4.
Click to expand...

I have seen a few 3.5's but they have been selling very quickly! I went to view one last night but they were asking a bit too much for it so waiting to see if it sells if not I will make an offer. I know my choices are limited but unfortunately I don't have thousands and thousands of pounds to spend at the moment.
Any towing car, I'm not fussy but obviously it just needs to have the power to tow...unlike my freelander!
 
cheapest way is 3.5 and cheap small runaround as fuel is so expensive cheaper to run a small car alongside a box than run your 4x4 full time
 
Definately do the 3.5t and cheap run around i made this decision last year after completing my trailer test, buying disco and bateson trailer the cost of fuel was enormouse... i had a very limited budget for my wagon similiar to you and i managed to find one. takes my 16.3 mare and is super cheap on fuel £20 last me the whole month and we go out most weekends.

to help your money go a bit further look at the ldv vans people avoid these as they think they swap too much but, tbh i havent found this, and for the slight sway you do get, you get an awful lot more for your money if you can deal with taking the tighter corners slightly slower.

i havent looked back since i got rid of my 4x4 and love my wagon bertha, great for if your out on your own aswell :)
 
Generally if you can only drive 3.5t then you can't tow a trailer unless you are very careful with the various weights.....unless the 3.5t restriction is not cause you have a post 97 licence? If you do any kind of mileage in your car then lorry and small car will probably work out cheaper due to the fuel cost of running a big car all the time.
 
ROG said:
Do you have a B+E licence or only B ?
Click to expand...

I am doing my trailer test soon so won't have a problem with the license, but obviously I still can't drive a lorry more than 3.5t and the tests for that seem to work out very expensive, and I would only be taking out 1 horse at a time so I don't need anything bigger than a 3.5t.
 
wildcard said:
Definately do the 3.5t and cheap run around i made this decision last year after completing my trailer test, buying disco and bateson trailer the cost of fuel was enormouse... i had a very limited budget for my wagon similiar to you and i managed to find one. takes my 16.3 mare and is super cheap on fuel £20 last me the whole month and we go out most weekends.

to help your money go a bit further look at the ldv vans people avoid these as they think they swap too much but, tbh i havent found this, and for the slight sway you do get, you get an awful lot more for your money if you can deal with taking the tighter corners slightly slower.

i havent looked back since i got rid of my 4x4 and love my wagon bertha, great for if your out on your own aswell :)
Click to expand...

Thanks wildcard, there does seem to be some out there but they also seem to sell very quickly!!
 
bonbeau said:
I am doing my trailer test soon so won't have a problem with the license, but obviously I still can't drive a lorry more than 3.5t and the tests for that seem to work out very expensive, and I would only be taking out 1 horse at a time so I don't need anything bigger than a 3.5t.
Click to expand...

Then its not just a case of the freelander not being up to the job (in your view) but as they have a GVW of 2550 then the maximum plated MAM of a trailer that can be used with it on a B licence is only 950 kgs !!

Towing any trailer over 950 kgs MAM (the max weight it can be when fully loaded) is illegal with just a B licence - hope you were not exceeding that!!
 
ROG said:
Then its not just a case of the freelander not being up to the job (in your view) but as they have a GVW of 2550 then the maximum plated MAM of a trailer that can be used with it on a B licence is only 950 kgs !!

Towing any trailer over 950 kgs MAM (the max weight it can be when fully loaded) is illegal with just a B licence - hope you were not exceeding that!!
Click to expand...

I haven't been towing with it at all! I looked into all the weights etc (albeit after I got it-had other recommendations before I got it which I shouldn't have listened too) so it's not just in my view that it's not up to the job I'm going by what I have found out on here and other sources of information.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top