One for Rog I think? - towing question

Bobbly

Bobbly

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I have to buy a tow vehicle of my own now. :( I have a Wessex triple Olympian trailer which the web site says weighs 1150kg unladen and the plate on the trailer says gross weight 2600kg. I have a full old licence (can tow). What capacity of vehicle do I need to be looking for? Assuming it's got to be a Landy or Disco or something big and bulky that I don't really want. Any suggestions please?
 
If you have the full old licence (pre 97) then things are much easier. The vehicles max towing limit must match or exceed the wight you are towing, not the max weight of the trailer. So assuming your trailer only weighed 2200kg with your horses in it then it would be legal towing with a car that had a towing limit of 2200kg. Note I said legal, not ideal.
I personally prefer to tow with a car that has a towing limit 200 - 300kg in excess of the wight being towed. Less strain on the car and a little in reserve if things get a bit pear shaped.
 
Bobbly said:
I have to buy a tow vehicle of my own now. :( I have a Wessex triple Olympian trailer which the web site says weighs 1150kg unladen and the plate on the trailer says gross weight 2600kg. I have a full old licence (can tow). What capacity of vehicle do I need to be looking for? Assuming it's got to be a Landy or Disco or something big and bulky that I don't really want. Any suggestions please?
Click to expand...

I agree with PaddyMonty that I also like to tow with a few hundred kilos as excess for "just in case" and peace of mind I'm not up to my limits, and I have to say just in my experience I wouldn't tow with anything less than something big and bulky (with preferably 4WD) but that's personal choice! What weight of horses are you going to be towing at any given time? If trailer is 1150kg and for example if you're taking 2 horses each weighing 500kg, i personally wouldn't want a car who's towing capacity was any less than 2500kg.
 
Bobbly said:
I have to buy a tow vehicle of my own now. :( I have a Wessex triple Olympian trailer which the web site says weighs 1150kg unladen and the plate on the trailer says gross weight 2600kg. I have a full old licence (can tow). What capacity of vehicle do I need to be looking for? Assuming it's got to be a Landy or Disco or something big and bulky that I don't really want. Any suggestions please?
Click to expand...
1150 empty + how much weight goes in it?
 
Please consider something big & bulky ! :)
I have a land rover defender as my 1st tow vehicle ...it barely feels like its working towing my id x tb mare honestly it is so reassuring & confidence giving plus with the 4wd I'm not worried about eventing season

I would recommend defender to anyone !! Love them a bit too much !
 
Bobbly said:
I have to buy a tow vehicle of my own now. :( I have a Wessex triple Olympian trailer which the web site says weighs 1150kg unladen and the plate on the trailer says gross weight 2600kg. I have a full old licence (can tow). What capacity of vehicle do I need to be looking for? Assuming it's got to be a Landy or Disco or something big and bulky that I don't really want. Any suggestions please?
Click to expand...

Wow thats a hefty trailer. I have a 1.9L Vauxhall Vectra Elite and tow an old Rice/Richardson which weighs 650KG and a horse that weighs 670KG and I have just over 300KG to spare for me and tack!

But you will need a 4 x 4 for certain. Think you will be looking at a 2.5L Discovery or similar, Land Rovers are expensive as they really hold their value.
 
Thanks, horses likely to weigh no more than 600 and 500kg at their very very fattest heftiest! WBxID/TB 16.1 max and 14.2 connie.

Was currently using rebuilt Defender 90 2.5ltr 300tdi but that will be going along with it's owner soon.
 
applecart14 said:
Wow thats a hefty trailer. I have a 1.9L Vauxhall Vectra Elite and tow an old Rice/Richardson which weighs 650KG and a horse that weighs 670KG and I have just over 300KG to spare for me and tack!

But you will need a 4 x 4 for certain. Think you will be looking at a 2.5L Discovery or similar, Land Rovers are expensive as they really hold their value.
Click to expand...

Why would you need any weight spare for yourself? Presumably you would be traveling in the car, not the trailer?
 
Bobbly said:
Because overall you become part of the total laden weight :)
Click to expand...

Not quite correct ..

There are certain max limits

GTW = max limit for the lot (car, trailer, horses people etc etc)
GVW = max limit for the car
MAM = max limit for the trailer
Towing capacity = max weight that can be towed
 
ROG said:
Not quite correct ..

There are certain max limits

GTW = max limit for the lot (car, trailer, horses people etc etc)
GVW = max limit for the car
MAM = max limit for the trailer
Towing capacity = max weight that can be towed
Click to expand...

Way back in 1996 when we were looking at buying our first trailer for my 600KG WB we were really confused with the new rules and regs and the towing weights. We rang the police for assistance and spoke to an officer in the traffic division. He told me to get a concrete slab and stick it in the boot of my towing vehicle (Ford Sierra Saphire) which would sort out the laden weight/nose weight. I rang the Dept of Transport and thy couldn't advise me either! Trying to work out what you could tow and with what was a total nightmare and it seems that we haven't made much progress over teh years. I even took said horse and rode him to the local weighbridge and went back the following week and weighed my trailer and car!! In the end we opted for a secondhand (year old) Rice Richardson which I've kept since for the simple reason I refuse to buy a 4x4 and tow with a saloon car instead. My current car is a Vauxhall Vectra, previous cars were Peugeot 406 TDX and a Sierra Sapphire.

Why can it not be made any easier I wonder? Why doesn't someone devise a crib sheet with various cars and what trailers they can tow. Make life a lot easier!
 
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