Tow car

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CharlotteK

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Hi, i am sure this has ben asked before but I am really after come advise. I am looking to purchase a tow car so me and my boy can finally get mobile! I need something that I can use everyday for work as well as tow and don't have an unlimited budget. I am thinking Nissan x Trail. I will only ever be towing 1 15 hand in a 505. Is this car up to the job - on paper it looks perfect but i just wondered if anyone could add some much apprectaied words of wisdom or previous experiences.

Thank you muchly
 
Yep, I drive Nissan X-trail and I love it. It is well up to the job, I used to tow 2 horses in a Cheval Liberte - 2 ton without any trouble at all. It is decent on fuel consumption and drives well, easy to park etc etc.
 
thank you - just what i wanted to hear!! Off to test drive tomorrow. What model are you in? Is there anything that I need to look out for?
 
I have 03 reg sport it's 2.2 or 2.4 diesel, I'm rubbish at that:)
It's got 115K miles on the clock and I had it from new, it's faultless, but getting a bit donkeyish nowadays... Only thing I would say - get a tow bar fitted in non nissan garage, go to like horsebox specialist or something.
 
Thanks - good advice! Been recomended a company called GT Towing to tow bars etc and would really rather get a car that did not have one fitted.

Lets hope the test drive goes well and they have somrthing decent in my budget of bout £7K - do you think that's achievable?
 
Yep, I drive a Nissan X Trail TDI Sport, that's the 2.2 litre diesel. Love it to bits and will pull 2 tonne. Make sure you get the transmission option with 2 wheel/4 wheel drive but with 'on demand' four wheel drive. This means in the auto setting it will drive in two wheel drive but kick into four wheel if the front two start to spin out. Don't bother with the petrol option and make sure it has a turbo engine as at 2.2.litres would be rubbish without a turbo.

In the towing magzines the only critisism was that it did not track out when towing as well as some of the bigger beasts - Landcruiser etc.

This sounds really blokey doesn't it? Sorry!
 
I also have a 2.2 litre diesel TDI Sport X-Trail. I think it's perfect - really compact (relative - for a 4x4) for the times you're not dragging round the trailer but has loads of grunt for when it needs to work!

I pull 2 big 16hh+ horses in mine (but I do have a Bateson trailer which comes in much lighter than the Ifors). X-Trail doesn't even notice if I'm only pulling the one horse..

Can't fault it.. Though to echo the others - ONLY consider the diesel models as the petrol ones won't be able to tow (something to do with torque - the dealer did tell me... but I've forgotten the exact reason!)

Good luck!
 
Check your weights. There's an EU law that basically says that your car must be capable of towing the max gross weight of the trailer. It doesn't matter if you never intend towing that much weight actually in the trailer.
 
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Thanks - good advice! Been recomended a company called GT Towing to tow bars etc and would really rather get a car that did not have one fitted.

Lets hope the test drive goes well and they have somrthing decent in my budget of bout £7K - do you think that's achievable?

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You would probably buy mine for half that budget
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But seriously, I'm sure you will manage as they are not expensive to start with, £7K should buy you something without hay embedded everywhere
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Yes, Nick's point is absolutely correct. Can't remember what it is but basically if you want to tow a 505 even if only ever taking one horse, you need a reasonably sized 4x4 to do it with. Legally. If you get a single trailer, and IW do one, another one is the Richardson Supreme Rosette, you can tow with a reasonably sized saloon car.
 
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