How Fast do you Tow your Trailer?

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Orangehorse

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With another sad report of a trailer accident on the motorway, I wonder what everyone considers a suitable speed?

I don't mind going on the southbound M5/M50 but I won't take my trailer on the M42/M5/M6 area around Birmingham because of the heavy traffic and the speeds. My last towing vehicle was pretty slow, and my trailer is so old it wasn't designed for motorway travel, although it is pretty stable the suspension isn't great.

I have a new towing vehicle now, and I plan to replace my trailer, really so I CAN go on the motorway and feel a bit safer. I also intend to purchase a caravan stabiliser.

Trailers accidents seem to be more common, I suppose more people are travelling with horses on the motorway. You have to keep up with the traffic, going too slow is dangerous too as other vehicles don't realise how slow you are and then have to slow down suddenly.

So what is the correct speed?
 
The reason that there are these accidents is that many people tow with unsuitable vehicles. The towing vehicle should have a long wheelbase and be very heavy that way the trailer can not unbalance it.
Also many trailers are not serviced regularly or have the correct towing tyres on them. Correct tyres need a pressure of about 80 p.s.i. (pounds per square inch).
Towing at 50 m.ph. on a motorway may be o.k. if using a suitable towing vehicle and trailer provided the road is empty in front of you, there are no side winds and no large vehicles overtaking you but with anything else you are asking for an accident.
The other disadvantage of a trailer is if you have to brake suddenly the trailer will try to overtake the towing vehicle causing an accident.
 
With the disco i used to tow around 45 mph on motorways.
Now with the Landcruiser, i find that i do tow faster, but do not feel comfortable going any quicker than 55mph. On any inclines i will let it go faster, but on flat or declines i slow it all down a bit.
I do see people going faster, in fact someone overtook me at the weekend, i was going 55, and he left me standing so to speak, his top doors were closed, so hopefully he had nothing on board!
 
I tow with a Landcruiser and an Ifor 505 that is regularly serviced and has the tyre pressure checked if not every outing, at least monthly.

I don't tend to go faster than 50mph on the motorway, mainly because I don't want to have to brake sharpish. It takes noticeably longer to stop in the Landcruiser, as opposed to an ordinary car and that is without a trailer and horse on the back. I haven't had to brake hard fully loaded and long may it stay that way!!

I am very aware of the traffic around me and try and keep my stopping distances plus some.
 
I don't have a towing license so my Dad tows for me but we'll only go in the motorway with the pony in the trailer as she's safe and he won't go over 55mph. With the horse on board we always use motorway alternatives as she isn't a good traveller.
 
I'm really too scared to tow my trailer on a motorway, I have an Isuzu Trooper and a heavy old Rice Beaufort double and the Suzu tows it with no trouble but there are some things about motorways which I don't feel happy about

1. Slip roads - I am scared to get up any speed to join the motorway in case it doesn't work out and I am scared to be in the way of others who wish to join the motorway. I don't think I'd change lanes

2. I am scared of cross winds

3. I am scared of big lorries over taking

4. I am scared of having to brake suddenly


I have done it once just between 2 junctions, I stayed in the slow lane, put my hazards on and went at about 45-50mph, I figured the hazards would warn the vehicles behind me that I was going slowly.
 
I won't go over 50, and have a heavy discovery for an Ifor 510 (generally with two horses in). As someone said, a lot of 4x4s aren't heavy enough for a horse trailer.

I had a trailer go into a snake and do a 180 degree spin with me on a motorway years ago (thankfully not a horse trailer). It happened because I was going too fast. When it happens it is pretty sudden, and extremely frightening. I wouldn't ever go fast with a trailer again. Better to take longer getting there than have that happen.
 
I have a disco and a 505 and i never travel faster than 50mph max, usually 45mph to be honest, it's just not worth the risk! I just make sure i give myself plenty of time
Kate x
 
I am Mrs SLOW! When my precious boy/s are on board I do about 15 in town, and I really creep very slowly around bends, and I do about 30 in a 50 zone, and 40 on a motorway :D

My other half drove the trailer back alone recently, the last time he dropped me and my horse off at the vets, and I heard reports that he drove it back at 80 down the motorway (there was no horse on board) but I was so angry, and I made him get the trailer checked before I put my boy in again.
 
i drive 55mph max on the duel carriage way etc - occasioanly i've hit 60mph down hill etc but i quickly go back down - 55 is my happy speed :)

oh - and ditto re: unsuitable towing vehicles - i pay stupid amounts of money every week in fuel to get to and from work (£50 to be precise) just so that i have a decent heavy weight truck with a 3.2T tow limit to tow my one horse in a trailer at weekends - i'd rather pay a fuel premium through the week and keep HRH safe though ;)

i often see estates towing 510's - makes me :mad:
 
Too right Posie Honey, I am the same. I do have the respect of my colleagues though because I can park my big Trooper in even the most restricting space in our multi storey carpark.

Does anyone know if those stablisers help make towing a horse trailer safer or is it just a gimmick?
 
skint1 said:
Too right Posie Honey, I am the same. I do have the respect of my colleagues though because I can park my big Trooper in even the most restricting space in our multi storey carpark.
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i work on a farm - and have a big driveway - and buy everything online (allergic to towns :p) so i'm afraid i'm pretty useless in car parks :o but its another darn good reason to never go to a town :D:D
 
Assuming it is dry, not windy and the road ahead is clear, then I tow 50 - 55.

If the traffic is heavy, road wet etc then I go down to 40 - 45. If very windy, I don't go out with the trailer as my trailer is a little Bateson, so very light

This is on the motorway, on other roads, I tow according to the road conditions and speed limit, and try to ensure that I never have to be in a position where I need to slam on the brakes or turn suddenly.
 
skint1 said:
Too right Posie Honey, I am the same. I do have the respect of my colleagues though because I can park my big Trooper in even the most restricting space in our multi storey carpark.
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I can't get my Nissan Terrano in a lot of multi stories - its got roof rails so its too tall. I can just get it into the NCP in Cheltenham but me and OH always duck lol, and the radio stick thingy scrapes the beams (its only a few inches taller than the roof rails) so we daren't risk getting stuck :D
 
I have a friend who competes in endurance and they go all over the country to competitions. They use a stabiliser and say it makes a lot of difference.

There was a thread on here some time ago that discussed stabilisers and they were considered a "good thing." The strange thing is that they are pretty universal with caravan enthusiasts, when you are only pulling a lump of metal, yet not often used by people towing horses. A heavy duty one for a trailer is around £100 I think.

Thanks for the answers to my OP. My old towing vehicle was comfortable at 40 and could do 45 on a good road, which was OK for normal roads, but just felt too slow for a motorway, but I feel a bit reassured by your replies.
 
56mph on motorways so i dont get overtaken by Artics! I do slow down if I see a coach coming up to overtake as they suck you in as they go past. i have a LWB tow vehicle and an IW505 and it seems quite a stable combination. on the few occasions i've towed it empty i'll happily do 60mph.
 
Living right by the M4, we do pop down it quite often with the trailer, it's quicker and easier and more comfy for the pony than trying to drive through the middle of Reading (all the traffic lights stop start can't be fun for the pony, no matter how careful you are). However the maximum speed you can do is about 50, which suits me fine. You can't go faster - too much traffic on our bit :p
 
skint1 said:
They are certainly no gimmick

I have one, cost £100. It totally alters the feel of the trailer behind your car. It does not move 1 inch!! It's like the trailer is solidly fixed to your car. No wiggle at all.

I would NEVER DREAM of towing anywhere except 30 mph roads without it.

For the sake of £100, I really can't understand why people risk their pride and joy by towing without one. Most people don't even blink on spending that in their local tack shop.
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I am going against the grain to say I PREFER towing on motorways!! I hate twisty lanes and stop/start traffic on back roads. I have a Trooper and tow at 50 -55mph, before that I had a Fourtrack and did around the same speed - I often do 60 - 70 mile trips and just prefer a Mway if one is available.
 
I won't go on motorways or dual carriageways with mine. It's an elderly Land Rover I tow with and its just not happy above 50mph, I like to have something in reserve just in case I have to accelerate out of trouble... We find it much nicer chugging along on the A roads instead...

That said, on all other roads, I will go as fast as I feel it is safe to go - generally that's a maximum of 45mph and I like to leave a good gap between me and whatever is in front, I'd rather not use my brakes any more than I absolutely have to... I like to go round corners pretty slow too.

I get very frustrated sometimes at how slow horse lorries go... I feel like Cruella de Ville in comparison to the speeds the ones round here seem to like to drive at (30mph tops some of them on a wide straight A road :( )
 
I do alot of motorway driving, but only one junction..lol and I do 50mph to 55mph at a push - Around normal roads pretty slow to be honest and duel carriageways I tend to do about 40plus mph.

Yes, I do get very worried about lorries over taking and the wind and obviously would never go out in a seriously windy day.

I tow with a kia sorento and an ifor 505.

I have actually been googling stabilsers and have found snakemaster from towsure, which I am (or if I find another one!!) definitely going to get.
 
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I am totally going to get a stabliser now, will have to on my xmas wish list. Horse is lame so not going anywhere anyway...
 
We tow with both a "2002" Disco and a "59"BMW x5 and the trailer is a Richardson.

Most of the time I tow 2 horses and travel many thousands of miles each year towing all over the country (Do Endurance)

I prefer to travel on either A roads or Motorways. I normally drive at 55 mph. Both cars tow very well and do not feel as if the trailer is hitched up so is always tempted to go faster.

My cars and trailer are serviced on a regular basis.

The trick about lorries and coaches passing you is to slow down slightly and move away from the overtaking truck.
 
skint1 said:
I am totally going to get a stabliser now, will have to on my xmas wish list. Horse is lame so not going anywhere anyway...
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I used to have a trailer and never considered a stabiliser, infact I dont think I knew they existed. Fast forward a few years :D We bought a caravan and I wouldnt go on the motorway without buying a stabiliser :o:o We got a Bulldog 200q off ebay for £20 and it makes a massive difference.
I cant believe I towed a horse trailer without one!!!
 
I often tow around the midlands motorways at 50mph. I only compete at weekends and the m'way are not normally too busy. I always aim to have a huge gap in front in case of needing to brake suddenly. As said above, it's a much smoother journey for the horse than down the country lanes. I won't tow though if v windy. People usually get into to trouble because of using an unsuitable vehicle or going too fast!
 
In my old car - a defender - I would go at 50, 55 at a push on a totally flat or uphill section. I haven't towed on the motorway with my new discovery yet but imagine it will be the same. Towing across the avonmouth and Severn bridges in a gale force 12 wind was interesting. I was doing about 35 max. Never been so relieved to get him as I was after that journey! Severn bridge wasn't too bad as I was heading straight into it then but the Avonmouth had a horrible crosswind. Stuck myself in the middle lane and used a lorry to shelter me. Luckily he was going slowly as well.
 
Those who tow on a motorway at anything below 55 in good conditions "because I don't want to have to brake sharply" are causing a more dangerous situation by doing so. This is because they will be causing HGV's to overtake them and this creates further congestion and associated buffeting from the HGV whilst being overtaken. My Godmother was prosecuted for driving too slow on the motorway, and for good reason , it's flippin dangerous.
A motorway is typically a smooth road and it is for everyone to only go on it if you have a tow vehicule / trailer combination which is in good health. As previously stated a heavy tow vehicule is the key to good towing.
45 mph in good conditions is not acceptable.
 
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