Lightweight trailers?

Jingleballs

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 May 2008
Messages
3,353
Visit site
I wonder if anyone could give me some suggestions of lightweight trailers?

I know the 505 is approximately 900kg so combined with my horse I'd be towing around 1500kg which the car I'm looking at can cope with however I am looking to find out if there are any lighter models available so that I have more options when I do eventually start trailer shopping!

Thanks

K
 

FigJam

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2005
Messages
5,716
Location
West Lothian, Scotland
teamhopalong.blogspot.com
I have an Ifor Williams HB401 (mare & foal) trailer, unladen weight 770kg and tows like a dream. Gives the horse extra space as they get 1.5 partition width compared to 505, my mare refused to load into a Bateson Ascot but drags me on the 401!

They are hard to come across 2nd hand, but definitely worth the wait if you're looking to minimise your weight for towing.
 

Kenzo

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 February 2008
Messages
13,929
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
Bahill Sportsman, (not the old model) very light and hard wearing, although you cant buy them new, they stopped making them many years ago, but if your after a second hand trailer, then I'd certainly recommend one. I sold mine beginning of this year...very regretfully might I add.
frown.gif
 

Nookster

Member
Joined
11 September 2008
Messages
24
Visit site
I thought the weight to take into consideration is what the trailer can hold as a maximum? Not what its unladen weight and the horses weight calculates to when deciding on a car.

So unladen and horse = 1500kg and the car can tow that is what your looking at.

I was lead to believe its what the trailer max is in comparison to what the car can tow?

So a brand new ifor 505 unladen is 920kg. But its maximum is 2600kg so the car you need to match up to to be legal has to be able to tow is the 2600kg weight not the 920kg. There was a thread that Bluewicked did on this not sure if you have seen. The car has to be able to tow the trailers fully laden weight even if you have it fully laden or not. Another legal loop hole sadly
 

FigJam

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2005
Messages
5,716
Location
West Lothian, Scotland
teamhopalong.blogspot.com
This seems to be a bit of a grey area and no one on here who mentions this has shown an official website where this is stated. From what I understand of it, it is an EU directive and not a UK law.

Of course, I have no idea who stringently a traffic cop or VOSA would enforce it, but surely if it were enforced, we'd hear far more about it and at least someone on here would know of someone who had been fined for breaking it?

I doubt that more than 50% of the horse trailer/car combinations out on the roads mathc up with car's stated towing capacity > trailer MAM, however most of these are very likely safe combinations as will only tow one horse at a time and the actual weight is well within the car's capability. Those who tow two horses will have the beefier heavy 4x4s with higher capacity nearer to their trailer's MAM.
 

Madasmaz

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 April 2007
Messages
442
Location
in cuckoo land
Visit site
I had a look at Cheval box that a lday came to our yard in. She loved it as her horse never loaded in an IFOR but just hops in the Cheval...its what I dream of, especially as the purchase price of towing vehicles is plummeting through the floor...damn the credit crunch
 

Theresa_F

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 August 2005
Messages
5,577
Location
London - Essex side
Visit site
If you want to tow only one horse - up to 16 hands then the Bateson Derby with the partition out is 580 k - I use this with my car and my cob so am under 1100 k.

Will take two 14.2s with the partition in, or maybe two 15 hand fine types but Chancer is a chunky type and now prefers the partition out as it was a bit tight with it in for him.

Nice trailer and so light you can easily move it round by hand.
 

Roasted Chestnuts

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 July 2008
Messages
8,370
Location
Scotland
Visit site
Weight of a 505 empty according to ifors website is 905kgs. Maximum weight is 2340kgs as is plated on MY 505.

You only have to take into consideration the max weight of the trailer when calculating what you can tow with and this is set against the MAX BRAKED weight that your car can tow.

Kerb weights are only a guideline and are generally 85% of the max braked towing weight of a car/4x4. And these are for caravans essentially.

So a car/4x4 with a 2000kg max braked towing weight could essentially pull a 905kg trailer plus 500kg horse and have tack etc in the trailer as well if the max weight of the trailer was plated at 2000kgs which your dealer/manufacturer can for a bout 100 quid.

My car pulls another 500kgs on top of that as a max braked towing weight so i could essentially have two 500kg horses plus my 505 and still be within the weight stated and be legal as the 2500kg is above the max weight of the trailer ie 2340kg
laugh.gif


Nikki xxxx
 

Chex

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 October 2006
Messages
4,023
Location
Scotland
Visit site
My Bateson Derby44 weighs 610kg, definitely one of the lightest double trailers out there. Its not huge though, and is rear unload.
 

Roasted Chestnuts

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 July 2008
Messages
8,370
Location
Scotland
Visit site
That link is usful and basically proves what I was saying.

My uncle has driven HGVs and articulated lorries for years and took me through this step by step.

If the gross towing/train weight is 2500kgs then this is the max towing weight of the vehicle providing it is braked. Horse trailers are braked (or should be) if you towing less than 2000kgs with a car with a max capacity of 2500kgs then you will be more than within the weight.

So pulling casper in a 505 with a car that can pull 2250/2500kgs then you will only be essentially towing 1405kgs which is well within the limits of that car. This would even be within the limits if a car that can tow 2000kgs.

Nikki xxxxx
laugh.gif
 
Top