Now what do I do?!! Sodding Bloody Cars and Horseboxes!!!

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Sunny08

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I have a ford focus estate 1.9 TDI and was told when I brought it that it would tow a single horse box and horse. I am doing my trailer test next month. So now I have car, about to buy horsebox and have wonderful 4yr old horsey ready to get out and about and now I realise that my car can tow up to 1500kg when a single box is about 1600kg without horse!

Yes I should have reasearched more before I brought but was a little ignorant to it all and trusted the car selling place.

What do i do? We manage money wise but we are not exactly rich, I need a decent car which travels around the county alot for work without costing fortune on fuel! I also have a really wonderful little horse with bags of potential that I want to get out and about doing stuff.....
 
Whatever weight the trailer is, the Focus just isn't up to the job!! It might well pull it, but you're going to have trouble stopping it in an emergency and I don't think it's worth the risk to our horses!!

I've only ever towed with a decent 4x4 which is IMO the ONLY thing for the job.
 
The towing weight is based on what the trailer can weigh laden. So even if you single trailer is 800kg, it can maybe carry its own weight again??

I'd check with an IW dealer and Ford dealership as to kerb weights etc if I were you as I think you'd be OK on the weight. A friend of mine tows a horse in a trailer with a car similar to yours.
 
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single box is about 1600kg without horse!



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And who on earth told you that?!!!

An IWT 401 weighs 770kg. Still not sure about towing with the Focus though.......
 
I may have mistaken unladen wieght for MAM - starting to slowly understand it.
Regarding the 4X4 point yes I'd love to have one - but nfortunatly I can't afford two cars and can't afford to run an unnecessarily big vehicle as I have to work all around the county so need something good on the road. will tow about once a fortnight and really no more than about ten miles across country lanes.
 
I'm in the same boat as it were...I have a Golf 1.9TDI...I'm not happy about pulling a trailer with it so I am currently on the lookout for a second car 4x4....thanks to peeps on here I have narrowed the search down to a Land Rover 200/300TDI....theres plenty on e-bay for a grand or two , so perhaps you could keep your car AND have a 4x4?

Thats my plan anyway.
 
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Thanks poppymoo i think I am going to adopt your plan as well!

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I've sort of done it the other way round! Driven a thirsty 4X4 for 5yrs and was struggling to afford the diesel, plus it's getting old. So have just bought a small runaround car for work and just use the 4X4 for towing. My fuel bill has halved!
 
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