suggestions on cars for towing BIG trailer and BIG horse :)

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Melbettson

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Hi everyone!!
I'm looking into buying an Ifor 511 for my big 17'2 ID mare, I was wondering what people would suggest for towing with ? I travel to and from Staffordshire down to Gloucester (Hartpury) for University and then will be to hunts etc. (Would want something that could accommodate pulling the weight of another horse as well as mine)

Would be grateful for any suggestions :)

thanks !

:)
 
Newer sorentos dont have a good towing capacity so be wary if you're looking at one, latest models only tow 2- 2.5t depending on type so likely below what an Ifor 511 would be with 2 decent sized horses loaded as the trailer alone is 1000kg ... Have been looking at trailer options myself and thought a sorento would work until I realised this!
 
Look at ROG's posts. There is a rough guide (based on the caravan clubs recommendations) not to go above 85% of the cars MMTB but as I had steep hills to contend with, I made sure my car was more than sufficient to tow. I bought a 3.7 jeep for Bateson (just under 1000 kg), average weight per horse around 600kg plus passengers, petrol and water. Tbh, I have never tried my car fully loaded (I.e 2 big horses) up a steep hill as paranoid it won't make it! And I can find nothing to help me work out the impact of a steep climb on the towing power. My jeep makes nothing of carting around 1 big horse and fully laden car.
 
I cart my 17hh ID in an Ifor Williams and tow with a discovery 4.
It's perfect, don't even know the trailer is there and plenty of capacity to take another big horse if needed x
 
I have a 17.1hh ID and I know he weighs over 800kg so I would expect you will be overweight in a IW trailer with a second horse whatever you tow with. If you really looking to have a second horse with you from my experience, you really have to careful re weights of horses and trailer that you are not towing illegally.

I had an equi-trek space trekka which could fit my ID and another more normal size horse 16.2 hh space wise but when the second horse started to mature more I had to move up to a 7.5 horsebox when after got both my boys weighed and their combined weight was over 1500kg.
 
I tow my equitrek star treka with a VW Touareg. I don't know I've got anything behind. They will tow up to 3.5t - not many vehicles that will.
 
We have 17.2+ IDs - the biggest has his own trailer as he won't travel with a partition (he fits but can't balance). So he has a Rice B60 (extra wide and 7'6 high) - the others go in a Rice Richardson B60 - the slightly younger version of the same trailer. My OH is a Rice fanatic and won't contemplate any other trailer - he has restored the Rice to original condition, with double planked Iroku floors etc etc

We tow with either a Landcruiser or a Landrover 130. Both can tow up to 3.5t and neither notice their loads (very steep hills and 2 horses gives them slight pause for thought!) The Landcruiser is fabulous because it's an automatic, which makes the ride smoother for the horses.

When you see the structural pressure our big lad puts on the Rice, I would never consider one of the modern lightweight trailers - they're just not man enough for the job, with a big horse. The 17.3 5 yr old weighed in recently at 766kg - if he decided to have a paddy in a IW or Bateson, there wouldn't be much trailer left.
 
I tow with a SWB shogun, will tow 3t and is much shorter than most towing 4x4's but only has 2 doors. Selectable drive so when not towing is in 2 wheel drive and gets reasonable mpg (around 30 day to day driving) and if you can get one newer after 2010 then it's only tax band k so £290 a year at the moment. If you dont mind a longer car the LWB I think tows 3.5t and has 4 doors, same engine as the SWB.
 
spacefaer said:
We have 17.2+ IDs - the biggest has his own trailer as he won't travel with a partition (he fits but can't balance). So he has a Rice B60 (extra wide and 7'6 high) - the others go in a Rice Richardson B60 - the slightly younger version of the same trailer. My OH is a Rice fanatic and won't contemplate any other trailer - he has restored the Rice to original condition, with double planked Iroku floors etc etc

We tow with either a Landcruiser or a Landrover 130. Both can tow up to 3.5t and neither notice their loads (very steep hills and 2 horses gives them slight pause for thought!) The Landcruiser is fabulous because it's an automatic, which makes the ride smoother for the horses.

When you see the structural pressure our big lad puts on the Rice, I would never consider one of the modern lightweight trailers - they're just not man enough for the job, with a big horse. The 17.3 5 yr old weighed in recently at 766kg - if he decided to have a paddy in a IW or Bateson, there wouldn't be much trailer left.
Click to expand...

IW 510 and 511 weigh 1000kg and aren't classed as lightweight trailers. Bateson and Cheval Liberte are.
 
Jeep. Mine has a 3.5 ton towing capabilities. Never find myself short of power. The 2.8 merc engine is fabulous.You get a lot of car for your money as a second hand vehicle.
 
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moomin1 - compared to a Rice, an IW is lightweight!

Don't like them, never have, never will and I wouldn't put our big lads in one. The Rice stand up to more abuse and since my OH is of a practical bent, he can rebuild one should it need improvement. You can't do that with an IW with all the plastic bits.
 
I have a IW 511 and a carriage treka ( which is a huge trailer ) I use a range rover v8 supercharged ( automatic ) and a defender 90 .
Both are great towing cars the RR has the edge for long journeys on main roads but the defender will pull you out of a really muddy hole .
 
spacefaer said:
moomin1 - compared to a Rice, an IW is lightweight!

Don't like them, never have, never will and I wouldn't put our big lads in one. The Rice stand up to more abuse and since my OH is of a practical bent, he can rebuild one should it need improvement. You can't do that with an IW with all the plastic bits.
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Fair enough, each to their own. My IW 510 doesn't actually possess any plastic bits other than the light covers haha. Not sure what plastic bits you are on about really. Unless your OH can't replace a light cover maybe ;).

Personally I can't stick Rice trailers. I viewed a Richardson (made by Rice) and it was the most flimsy trailer I have ever seen. The most telling thing about your post is that you say you see pressure on your Rice trailer, so would never put your horses in an IW. I have a 700kg nervous traveller, and you can't spot ANY pressure on my trailer at all. It's a sturdy and steady as a rock. In all honesty too, if you are concerned that your horses would inflict so much damage to an IW then I would seriously consider doing some work with your horses to address their travelling issues.
 
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Ignore the 85% advice - that is for caravans only

Assuming your horse weighs 650 and another with it weighs 550 with a trailer weighing 1000 = a total weight of 2200 but I would aim for 2500

Use this = http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/towing_vehicles.htm
Put 2500 into the box marked - All vehicles capable of towing - then click search

This would need to be driven under B+E licence rules
 
ROG said:
Ignore the 85% advice - that is for caravans only

Assuming your horse weighs 650 and another with it weighs 550 with a trailer weighing 1000 = a total weight of 2200 but I would aim for 2500

Use this = http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/towing_vehicles.htm
Put 2500 into the box marked - All vehicles capable of towing - then click search

This would need to be driven under B+E licence rules
Click to expand...

I was using it as a guide and did say it was from the caravan club! Digging a little more deeply, am I right to be paranoid about towing up steep hills? I have searched and can't find any sort of rough rule of thumb whereby you can be sure your vehicle will make it up safely and without putting you close to the edge of the vehicles towing capacity.
 
You are best with a 4 wheel that can tow 3.5 T a long wheel base is better than a short wheel.
Shoguns, toyota landcruisers, landrover, i think a Kia also can tow that weight.
I have an old shogun that tows two large horses well. You need the power and stability when you get hills turns etc
 
AnyChance said:
You are best with a 4 wheel that can tow 3.5 T a long wheel base is better than a short wheel.
Shoguns, toyota landcruisers, landrover, i think a Kia also can tow that weight.
I have an old shogun that tows two large horses well. You need the power and stability when you get hills turns etc
Click to expand...

Why is long wheel base better than short? If both have the same towing capacity? I had assumed this but then do see cars towing caravans which are much longer. My jeep is a short wheel base 3.7 and I am thinking of moving to an equitrek with living. I had, however, assumed I would need to change the car and then again, couldn't find anything on the internet which supported me.
 
Luci07 said:
Why is long wheel base better than short? If both have the same towing capacity? I had assumed this but then do see cars towing caravans which are much longer. My jeep is a short wheel base 3.7 and I am thinking of moving to an equitrek with living. I had, however, assumed I would need to change the car and then again, couldn't find anything on the internet which supported me.
Click to expand...

Haha I had to have a Google as i learnt that info years ago...was relieved to find i wasnt making it up!!

http://caravanchronicles.com/understanding-the-dynamics-of-towing-pt-2/

'the*lateral*push/pull felt in a Short Wheel Base (SWB) vehicle will be more*noticeable*than a Long Wheel Base (LWB) vehicle. While it will be easier to ‘feel’ the deflection earlier in a short wheel base vehicle, the long wheelbase vehicle will be more stable.'
 
I do sometimes wonder how manufacturers set their max towing capacities - yes, they have a set criteria to follow so all are based on the same - but it often seems that many vehicles lose their GRUNT over a short time

Brand new vehicles should do what is says on the tin - if not then the manufacturer could leave themselves open to be sued
 
I was always told (in relation to Land Rovers) that SWB was better than LWB - more torque in the LWB but I didn't altogether understand it. Any offers to enlighten me?
 
AnyChance said:
You are best with a 4 wheel that can tow 3.5 T a long wheel base is better than a short wheel.
Shoguns, toyota landcruisers, landrover, i think a Kia also can tow that weight.
I have an old shogun that tows two large horses well. You need the power and stability when you get hills turns etc
Click to expand...

I'll go along with that as it makes sense for the physics involved

The longer and heavier the tow vehicle the more stable (no pun intended) the set up will be
 
AnyChance said:
Haha I had to have a Google as i learnt that info years ago...was relieved to find i wasnt making it up!!

http://caravanchronicles.com/understanding-the-dynamics-of-towing-pt-2/

'the*lateral*push/pull felt in a Short Wheel Base (SWB) vehicle will be more*noticeable*than a Long Wheel Base (LWB) vehicle. While it will be easier to ‘feel’ the deflection earlier in a short wheel base vehicle, the long wheelbase vehicle will be more stable.'
Click to expand...

There's certainly never instability towing with a LR90 .
For turning / reserving what you are used to using is always easiest if I drive the LR90 all the time then use the RR I can't reverse that and vice versa if I use both all the time I can reverse both.
 
I think the question needs to be asked if your trailer god forbid starts snaking with two large horses in what would you prefer to be in for the greatest stability? long or short wheel? To me its a long wheel with 3500kg towing capability
 
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