ROG - help please!! Towing advice needed

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SirDuke

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Hi

I recently bought an Audi Q3 2.0 TDI Quattro as I really liked the car. The salesman asked if I wanted a towbar fitted and I said yes in case I ever want to tow my horse. Then the idea started to take hold and I have been looking at trailers.

My horse is rather large at 16.3hh and probably weights 650kg, maybe even 700. I was looking at the lighter trailers e.g. Bateson, Cheval Liberte etc but then I read somewhere about the nose weight only being 80kg on a Q3 and that you shouldn't tow in anything that isn't a full blown meaty 4x4....I did speak to the mechanic (non-Audi) who is fitting my towbar and he thought I would be fine if I had a double axle trailer and said that the car was capable of pulling 2.5T (obviously not legally) but now I'm concerned.

With my horse and trailer I would be at about 1550kg fully laden weight and the Q3 is legally able to tow 1800kg. We would never tow two horses.

My question is, would this be safe given the nose weight and kerb weight etc or am I being an idiot even contemplating it? I've never towed before but am 25 so would be taking lessons and the b+e test anyway.

Has anyone else towed with a Q3 and been OK or is it only meant for lightweight caravans?

Thanks in advance from a worrier!
 
The manufacturer of the vehicle has designed the vehicle to tow a certain amount and that has been tested for safety

Towing 1600 with a vehicle rated to tow 1800 should present no problems at all on hard surfaces

If the car GVW + the trailer plated MAM adds up to more than 3500kg it will be under B+E licence rules
 
Hello Sir Duke,

I have been reading your post with much interest as I have an Audi Q3 Quattro S line, and I wondered how you go ton with the towing? My horse is smaller than yours at 15'3 and 500 ish KGS.

Be interested to hear how you are doing witht he Q3 & Trailer?

Thanks
 
SirDuke, I'm not sure why you are getting concerned about nose weight. The recommended nose weight (downward force applied to towbar) for towing generally is around that figure. Twin axle trailers spread the load and the axles are positioned to provide an appropriate nose weight. Nose weight and total weight are very different things. As ROG says, you can get a gauge that measures nose weight but I've never seen anyone with a horse trailer use one. Nose weight becomes a concern with single axle caravans where people load all the stuff to far forward or back resulting in an unacceptable nose weight. This is not possible with a horse trailer unless you have a very odd (rhino) shaped horse.
 
PaddyMonty said:
SirDuke, I'm not sure why you are getting concerned about nose weight. The recommended nose weight (downward force applied to towbar) for towing generally is around that figure. Twin axle trailers spread the load and the axles are positioned to provide an appropriate nose weight. Nose weight and total weight are very different things. As ROG says, you can get a gauge that measures nose weight but I've never seen anyone with a horse trailer use one. Nose weight becomes a concern with single axle caravans where people load all the stuff to far forward or back resulting in an unacceptable nose weight. This is not possible with a horse trailer unless you have a very odd (rhino) shaped horse.
Click to expand...

It is very possible for nose weight to be an issue even with twin axles but usually easily sorted by altering tow ball height
 
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