Towing 1 horse in double trailer with Audi a3

ROG said:
Its easily possible to tow on your current B licence with one horse weighing 500 kgs

The Audi probably has a GVW of say 1900 kgs which leaves 1600 for the max MAM of a trailer
It also has a 1700 towing capacity

As an example an IFOR HB 401 or 403 has a MAM of 1600 and an empty weight of max 800 so it can be loaded with 800 kgs which leaves 300 spare in your case
Click to expand...

...
 
As long as you've checked that your particular model can physically tow the trailer + animal, and the weight of those does not exceed that of your vehicle, and the two added together (plus driver, water, equipment etc.) does not exceed 3.5t, then yes you can. I tow all over the country all the time with an 'ordinary' 2 wheel drive estate car and have done for the last 2yrs without a single issue.
 
The trailer not being more than kerbweight was revoked on 19/01/2013

For B licence towing potential legal max weights are used (GVW & MAM) not actual weights

Your Audi has a GVW of 1870 and a towing capacity of 1800
The trailer will be 950 empty and have a MAM of 2340
The horse is 500

1870 + 2340 = 4210 which is over the 3500 B licence towing limit

The max MAM for a trailer for your car is 1630

You could contact IFOR WILLIAMS and have them down plate the trailer to 1600 for little or no cost

With the trailer plated at 1600 MAM you would then have a B licence total of 3470 and a load/horse potential of 650

No B+E needed for that

That s the legal bit ok but as to how it actual handles ... I have no idea but many tow on hard ground perfectly safely with such set ups
 
ROG said:
Not if he down plates the trailer to 1600
Click to expand...

seems as i was replying to carrots&mints original post i think you will find my answer to be correct.... if i was replying to your post and the trailer was down-plated then you would be ok with the response you have given to me ROG.
 
natmac84 said:
seems as i was replying to carrots&mints original post i think you will find my answer to be correct.... if i was replying to your post and the trailer was down-plated then you would be ok with the response you have given to me ROG.
Click to expand...

Crossed wires - LOL
 
I think this is all you need to know. The manufacturers of the Audi say it is not suitable for towing. That's all you need to know, surely.
fairyclare said:
No, I had an A3 and whilst flicking through the owners manual looking for something totally unrelated to towing I came across a note in bold writing saying the A3 is not suitable for towing. I would never have used mine for towing anyway as I have a horsebox.

I guess technically you *could* tow with it but I think the note from the manufacture would indicate it was not a wise idea.
Also, I would think that with the horse weighing 500kg and the trailer weighting at least 1000kg, plus you, fuel, equipment etc you would be very very close to your weight limit and I would think actually over weight.

But, it is entirely up to you - its your horse and your safety…...
Click to expand...
 
DanceswithCows said:
I tow all over the country all the time with an 'ordinary' 2 wheel drive estate car and have done for the last 2yrs without a single issue.
Click to expand...
So have I (towing cars I have used include a 1958 Wolseley 1500, a Rover 2.2 TC, a Rover 2600, two Montego estates and a Peugeot 406 diesel estate.). Mostly, as long as I was sensible, towing with a car was fine as long as I stayed within its limitations.

OP is apparently ignoring all advice that the Audi A3, whilst legally capable of doing the job, is for whatever reason not suitable.

Even on a short run, if you are towing with an unstable set up, circumstances can conspire to produce a situation in which you may get into a horrible, uncontrollable event in which the tail is wagging the dog. Are you really prepared to risk that happening?
 
amymay said:
Interestingly opinions are extremely valid - because most will come from those with relevant towing experience. If you think the car's manuel indicates you can tow the weights you are quoting, fine. But remember these are static weights and take no account of a large moving animal.

So if you have no regard for your own safety or that of your horse - fine, use the audi for towing. However if you'd like to be safe then consider a vehicle designed for the job.
Click to expand...

As mentioned i previously towed my horse with a car and single trailer never had a problem i have also towed larger trailers with a big jeep, i cant say i found one easier or safer than the other.

My friend had her horse towed by a very large van with very large towing capacity and after 10 mins on the road the trailer snaked and flipped and her horse was killed, there was no particular event that caused it, she was driving behind and saw it all happen. If there is proof that a larger towing capacity makes it safer than just being within capability then i would be very interested to see it.
 
Can anyone provide any proof as to why you do not think towing with a car is safe? It seems to be a lot of personal opinion and stigma attached to towing with a car. I tow a single trailer with a car and feel totally safe and secure and would never put my horse at risk if I did not feel entirely safe to do so!
 
KarlyHT said:
Can anyone provide any proof as to why you do not think towing with a car is safe? It seems to be a lot of personal opinion and stigma attached to towing with a car. I tow a single trailer with a car and feel totally safe and secure and would never put my horse at risk if I did not feel entirely safe to do so!
Click to expand...

Because in the Audi A3 manual they advise not towing with the car. That's all I would need to know.
 
It certainly doesn't say that anywhere in my manual and the fact that you can have a factory fitted tow bar would indicate different and that they give you full towing weights and also advise over the phone. Not trying to be difficult, just trying to understand people's opinions.

I would agree that towing in a 1.6 litre petrol car would be very silly but my car has more power, torque and weight than a lot of standard 4wd lower end utility vehicles.
 
I have had a 2 litre A3 diesel and while they are great cars I would def not tow anything more than a little trailer to take rubbish to the dump in. I would not tow with any car and the reason being is the car may technically be capable ie; the towed braked weight is enough on paper but your car needs to be heavy enough to keep the trailer and horse safe and stable if the wind catches it, if the horse moves, if it starts snaking or if you have to brake suddenly. Dont say "oh i dont brake suddenly" as everyone has to once in a while due to other road users. Also a friend towed a snake highland in a small trailer with a mondeo estate which on paper towed 1.8 or 2 tonnes. It did tow it o.k but after 6 months it started driving odd and she had it looked at and the weight of the trailer and pony although well within limit had distorted the chassis of the car.
 
Carrots&Mints said:
http://carleasingmadesimple.com/bus...i/a3-diesel-sportback_2/57277/technical-data/ it's this car and the trailer is a 505 I think. It just means if I can use the trailer we already have. I don't have loads of money for a new wagon and because I'm moving to a yard where there's no transport I need something untill I can afford transport to get my horse out and about, the local show is literally 7 miles down the road so wouldn't ever be driving for hours on end.
Click to expand...
legally you can tow with it, and if you're only intending 7 miles every now and again (I'm assuming it's not every week?) why do you need to tow immediately? If it was an emergency to the vets in perfect conditions, I can understand, but for a local show that is that close, is there no way you could hack it? 8 miles at a decent trot takes mine an hour, I hack 45 minutes to our local show and find it's a good warm up and takes a bit longer on the way back as use it as a really long cool down! Could you not just hire a box for those days - I'd imagine if you're at a livery yard others would chip in to go with you! I've managed fine for the last 5 years after selling my trailer, and hire a box if somethings important, I often go out with a friend as well as her horse won't load onto her horsebox without mine for some unknown reason! Competing is not the be all and end all in my opinion, and if it is for you then maybe invest in something a bit bigger, otherwise as soon as it rains a little you may find yourself being towed out of the slightest bit of mud, as my friend did with her scenic, a single pony trailer and a very fit 12.2hh pony in the back. It was a lot of hassle for her, and her pony (my old pony) is a very relaxed traveller and practically loads himself, he kicked the back ramp and bent the pins as he was getting so stressed when they were trying to get her out for an hour...
 
Anna* said:
Which? have a guide to towing. They say that the A3 is only suitable for lighter loads. Why risk it?
http://www.which.co.uk/cars/choosing-a-car/buying-a-car/tow-car-buying-tips/
Click to expand...

7. What cars are best for towing lighter loads?

If you only have a small trailer or caravan to tow, you really don’t need a huge 4x4. Even medium-sized hatchbacks – like the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf – can do the job. The current Audi A3, for example, has maximum towing weights of up to 690kg / 1,800kg (unbraked/braked).

That says the Audi is ok for 1800 kgs
 
ROG said:
Vehicles not suitable for towing do not have a towing capacity or a GTW on their weight plate
Click to expand...
ROG, you are the absolute guru on here, but I beg to differ.

Some vehicles are just not cut out for safe towing. We recently bought a 60 plate 1.2L petrol Clio, deliberately choosing the most gutless engine, as the car is for our teenage lads to learn to drive on.

The handbook states that this underpowered 1080 kg car can tow a 1200 kg braked trailer! Technically we could put a tow bar on and tow my Ifor 510 with a few bales of shavings in! To do so would be madness. I've no idea where they pluck these towing capacities from.
 
I have an audi a4 a d have been told that because it is highly geared it is not best suited for towing (this was in relation to a caravan). Luckily my OH has a Mitsubishi L200. I really would not feel happy towing one of mine with the A4. If its legal and you feel confident enough to do it then there's no reason you shouldn't but towing really takes it out of the car, I know it easily halves the mpg of the pick up.
 
The other thing to consider and I believe may be a cause of snaking of a trailer is the set of the towbar? Given that horses need stability I would suggest that the height of a towbar on a smaller vehicle like an A3 would be too low to offer such stability? Audi's in general tend to be fairly low slung (or at least I find them so trying to get out!) The nose of the trailer would sit at a downward pull taking weight off of the rear tyres. Am I right in thinking that the towbar should take no more than 150kgs of pressure?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top