Tow cars - Tested and Reviewed for Towing

C

cp1980

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Every year the Caravan Club organise scientific testing and reviewing of cars suitable for towing.

They study a wide range of cars - 4x4s, MPVs, estates and saloons and hatches (the latter categories useful for pony mums and others who may just want to pull only a single equine in a lightweight trailer).

Criteria are assessed scienficially, using data loggers for measuring towing stability (v. important for horse trailering), performing specific manouvers and using proper proving ground roads, including steep gradients. And experience caravanners and motoring journalists all contribute towards scoring.

This years winner was the.... Discovery (no suprises).

However, there are winners for various weight catagories and reviews for all vehicles tested in the past few years (click on link and then "Tested Towcars" - one or two other vehicles may suprise you.)

Vehicles are assessed in catagories relating to caravan lobby recommended towing weights i.e. within the vehicles own specific legal towing limit and the caravan rule of thumb that states no car should tow more than 85% of its own empty/kerb weight (not that relevant for and land cruiser pulling a double horse trailer, but maybe for non-4x4 cars with one horse).

Here is a link to their website on this:

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/practi...ard-winning-choices/towcar-of-the-year-awards


There are reviews of cars entered by manufacturers this year and for the last several years and it covers more than 4x4s (useful for those of you who can't spare £40k for a new fancy Disco to tow your daughter's 11hh exmoor!).

Wouldn't it be great if H&H do a similar annual review of 4x4s, estates and other suitable horse trailer tow cars?
 
Yes agree totally! If you're a girly like me and know sweet FA about cars then the whole thing is a minefield and totally terrifying.

I'm going through the whole decision process at the mo of whether to go for a little 3.5 lorry (if so, what); OR go for single trailer and towing vehicle and it would be so easy to make the wrong decision.

I'd not thought to go on the Caravan Club website: we used to be CC members and also had a small "location" site here on the farm a few years ago: then they got all fussy about entrances etc - it was when Foot & Mouth was happening in 2001 (not a good time to be going around farms & hassling farmers, last thing we needed then), so we came off their list.
 
Maybe I read wrong??? A VW Golf won tow cart of the year :eek: I have one and love it but never ever imagined it towing a caravan!!
 
Louby said:
Maybe I read wrong??? A VW Golf won tow cart of the year :eek: I have one and love it but never ever imagined it towing a caravan!!
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Car makers are under pressure to produce more environmental cars AND technology and specification is always improving, so:

-Medium cars are getting bigger/big cars getting smaller to meet market demands (a Golf weighs only 100 kg less than a Freelander)
-Engines are getting more powerful (yet economical)
-Suspension systems are now controled by computers so able to respond to forces well (very stable for towing, according to review)

I guess if you are towing a single horse trailer (700 kgs) and a pony (400 kgs) that weights a total of 1100kg, then a Golf that weighs more than this (1300 kg) with an engine powerful enough to do a hill start with a 1500 kg trailer (the european standard measurements is 12% gradient hill start for towing limits) seems reasonable for most people who can't justiy the cost of Disco.

Take my word, as a qualified mechanical engineer with experience in the auto industry: Cars will have to get smaller, but they will get cleverer and horse trailers will, one day, weigh very little but have computer controlled suspension to take care of every sway and stamp.
 
My Izusu trooper wasn't included in the review :-( but I can assure you all that it is da bomb for towing! :D
 
Thanks C - usefull link. Would definetly be handy for someone to do this for towing horse trailers, as am I right in thinking that towing a caravan is quite different and has a different weight distibution for the tow vehcile to deal with.
 
lizziebell said:
Thanks C - usefull link. Would definetly be handy for someone to do this for towing horse trailers, as am I right in thinking that towing a caravan is quite different and has a different weight distibution for the tow vehcile to deal with.
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Both caravans and horse trailers are large trailers. So both are heavy and both will have problems with aerodynamics.

The principle difference is that a horse trailer will carry an animal that moves around.

I suppose the reviews and data from the caravan trailer tests can provide useful general advice that is partly-appicable to horse trailers. Some cars were found to be more stable than others, some cars were able to pull away on a steep incline better than others - all useful metrics regardless of the type of trailer.

But yes, a specific horse trailer test would be slightly different.

And as regulations move against larger 4x4s, horse owners will need to look to smaller vehicles that are up to the task, so the more information about towing ability and safety the better, IMO.
 
Good thing I just bought a Nottingham-spec (tinted windows, chrome, etc.) Disco last month then. I had a towing lesson last Friday having never towed before I towed my brand new Ifor HB506 home from the dealers the week before. I am now competent to tow !
 
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