Towing a single Ifor 403 trailer with an ordinary car.

[Stella1101]

Hi. I know there are loads of towing questions but just looking for some advice. Currently have a single Ifor 403, lightweight trailer ( 770kg) to tow our 16.1 thoroughbred mare ( 590kg max, probably a lot lighter ) We’ve got a very old Hilux which is up to the job but not sure how much longer it’ll carry on. I don’t really want another diesel work horse. We’re looking at changing our family car for something that could tick all the boxes. Very attached to my hybrids given the mileage we do in them. Appreciate they’re not known for being work horses though! I’m looking at a RAV4 4x4. The bloke who does our trailer service says it’ll tow our trailer and horse no problem. Towing capacity is 1650kg. Horse, trailer and extras will be 1300/1400 kg max. We live in an area that’s flat , no hills for miles!

Would it be cutting it fine? I’m not sure I trust a hybrid to tow a horse trailer !

 

[PeterNatt]

To be legal you need to check the following:

Car Vehicle Identification Number VIN Plate – To be found in door frame or bonnet will provide the below details
Gross Weight (GVW)
This is what the fully loaded vehicle must not exceed in weight
Gross Train Weight (GTW)
This is what the loaded vehicle plus the loaded trailer must not exceed in weight
GTW - GVW is the maximun weight of the trailer including contents

Trailer VIN Plate - To be found on the A Frame of the trailer
Gross Trailer Weight
This is the weight that the fully loaded trailer should not exceed
Nose Weight
The maximum downward force on the towball, and can cause snaking if too high or low.
Horse trailers are purpose built to have the correct nose weight with a horse, but if you are carrying hay or shavings be aware that this may effect the nose weight.
Weight on each axle
Unladen Weight
Unladen Weight is often unlisted so check online. This is the weight of the trailer as manufactured with nothing in it
As an example a new ifor Williams HB506 has an unladen weight of 920 kg. Gross Weight 2,600 kg.

Two 500kg horses weigh 1000Kg plus the trailers weight of 920kg = a total laden weight of 1920 Kg

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Maximum Authorised Mass MAM)

GVW or MAM and if greater than 3,500kg then you can’t tow it on your normal driving licence.

Gross Train Weight (GTW)

A trailer over 750kg needs to be braked.

Trailers must be no longer than 7 metres in length and 2.55 metres wide. If wider than your car then you need extended wing mirrors.











Important

Ideally you want the trailers weight to be no more than 85% of the towing vehicles weight to reduce the risk of snaking.

 

[TheHairyOne]

Not sure I would. I have a 403 and started towing with a freelander (due to the old weight limits). I never enjoyed it very much.

I now tow with a VW Tiguan and its a different beast (despite being able to pull the same amount on paper).

Thats not a super powerful towing car and its not just hills you have to worry about but wind and other vehicles. If the vehicle is really heavy then maybe...

Problem is you cant test drive them doing the job you want them for!

 

[vmac66]

I tow my 403 with a Kia Sorrento. Horse weighs about 500kg. Sorrento is great for towing, not sure I'd like to use anything much lighter though.

 

[Annagain]

To be legal you need to check the following:

Car Vehicle Identification Number VIN Plate – To be found in door frame or bonnet will provide the below details
Gross Weight (GVW)
This is what the fully loaded vehicle must not exceed in weight
Gross Train Weight (GTW)
This is what the loaded vehicle plus the loaded trailer must not exceed in weight
GTW - GVW is the maximun weight of the trailer including contents

Trailer VIN Plate - To be found on the A Frame of the trailer
Gross Trailer Weight
This is the weight that the fully loaded trailer should not exceed
Nose Weight
The maximum downward force on the towball, and can cause snaking if too high or low.
Horse trailers are purpose built to have the correct nose weight with a horse, but if you are carrying hay or shavings be aware that this may effect the nose weight.
Weight on each axle
Unladen Weight
Unladen Weight is often unlisted so check online. This is the weight of the trailer as manufactured with nothing in it
As an example a new ifor Williams HB506 has an unladen weight of 920 kg. Gross Weight 2,600 kg.

Two 500kg horses weigh 1000Kg plus the trailers weight of 920kg = a total laden weight of 1920 Kg

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Maximum Authorised Mass MAM)

GVW or MAM and if greater than 3,500kg then you can’t tow it on your normal driving licence.

Gross Train Weight (GTW)

A trailer over 750kg needs to be braked.

Trailers must be no longer than 7 metres in length and 2.55 metres wide. If wider than your car then you need extended wing mirrors.











Important

Ideally you want the trailers weight to be no more than 85% of the towing vehicles weight to reduce the risk of snaking.

While there's a lot of info here, some of it is wrong (and most of it is superfluous as for example unbraked horseboxes or those longer than 7m don't exist).

The licensing laws have now changed and you can tow more than 3500kg (total weight of car's GVW and trailer's MAM) on a normal licence without doing a towing test.
The 85% rule applies only to caravans due to the fact that most are single axled and have a high centre of gravity. It doesn't apply to horsebox trailers which are built very differently.

Ultimately, as long as horse + trailer doesn't exceed your car's towing capacity you are legal to tow. With a combined weight of about 1350kg to tow, you'll have plenty of options. Towing performance is another matter and I suspect there will be similar vehicles with better towing capacities that will probably perform better - for example, lots of people here have said they're very happy with Tiguans for towing, most models have a capacity of 2200kg. Another option could be a 4x4 estate car - The Skoda Octavia Scout has a decent towing capacity (I think 2000kg) and gets very good reviews.

 

[holeymoley]

If your weights are all fine then check the horsepower of the car. That makes a big difference. It might have no guts at all.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

While there's a lot of info here, some of it is wrong (and most of it is superfluous as for example unbraked horseboxes or those longer than 7m don't exist).

The licensing laws have now changed and you can tow more than 3500kg (total weight of car's GVW and trailer's MAM) on a normal licence without doing a towing test.
The 85% rule applies only to caravans due to the fact that most are single axled and have a high centre of gravity. It doesn't apply to horsebox trailers which are built very differently.

Ultimately, as long as horse + trailer doesn't exceed your car's towing capacity you are legal to tow. With a combined weight of about 1350kg to tow, you'll have plenty of options. Towing performance is another matter and I suspect there will be similar vehicles with better towing capacities that will probably perform better - for example, lots of people here have said they're very happy with Tiguans for towing, most models have a capacity of 2200kg. Another option could be a 4x4 estate car - The Skoda Octavia Scout has a decent towing capacity (I think 2000kg) and gets very good reviews.

I tow one horse in an Ifor Williams with a 2L VW Passat Estate and it tows well. I wouldn’t tow 2 horses though and have yet to try and get on or off a very muddy show field!

 

[lannerch]

I tow my 403 with a Kia Sorrento. Horse weighs about 500kg. Sorrento is great for towing, not sure I'd like to use anything much lighter though.

My Kia sportage comfortably tows my 623kg horse in a 510 .

 

[Sossigpoker]

I wouldn't tow 1300kg with a car with towing capacity of just a few hundred kg more. It's not just towing you need to think about , it's also being able to stop safely !
I'd look for a car with 2000kg tow capacity as a minimum.

 

[BellaStar]

I would really appreciate views on my ‘situation’ please?

I have a 650k horse and looking at an i403.

My car is a seat Leon estate 1.5 has a breaked capacity of 1500. My questions are: could I safely tow my horse and trailer given its 100k under?

Count I then put my tack in the boot with just me driving in the car?

Super new to this! But desperate to start getting us out.

It’s a company car - that I can tow with - so can’t change the car sadly.

Any and all advice so very appreciated

 

[angel7]

Ballastar no, not a safe combination, the 1.5 will be underpowered to pull it and far too close to limit to stop it. Horse move about and you need weight, power and grunt to be safe in the tow vehicle. You need at least a 2L car with 1800kg tow weight and high brake horse ie over 150 ideally.

 

[YourValentine]

Sorry BellStar, Angel 7 is completely right, it wouldn't be safe.

 

[HopOnTrot]

The first hill you go down you’d likely find the trailer towing the car, a Leon is a small low powered car, not a towing vehicle.

 

[marmalade76]

To be legal you need to check the following:

Car Vehicle Identification Number VIN Plate – To be found in door frame or bonnet will provide the below details
Gross Weight (GVW)
This is what the fully loaded vehicle must not exceed in weight
Gross Train Weight (GTW)
This is what the loaded vehicle plus the loaded trailer must not exceed in weight
GTW - GVW is the maximun weight of the trailer including contents

Trailer VIN Plate - To be found on the A Frame of the trailer
Gross Trailer Weight
This is the weight that the fully loaded trailer should not exceed
Nose Weight
The maximum downward force on the towball, and can cause snaking if too high or low.
Horse trailers are purpose built to have the correct nose weight with a horse, but if you are carrying hay or shavings be aware that this may effect the nose weight.
Weight on each axle
Unladen Weight
Unladen Weight is often unlisted so check online. This is the weight of the trailer as manufactured with nothing in it
As an example a new ifor Williams HB506 has an unladen weight of 920 kg. Gross Weight 2,600 kg.

Two 500kg horses weigh 1000Kg plus the trailers weight of 920kg = a total laden weight of 1920 Kg

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Maximum Authorised Mass MAM)

GVW or MAM and if greater than 3,500kg then you can’t tow it on your normal driving licence.

Gross Train Weight (GTW)

A trailer over 750kg needs to be braked.

Trailers must be no longer than 7 metres in length and 2.55 metres wide. If wider than your car then you need extended wing mirrors.











Important

Ideally you want the trailers weight to be no more than 85% of the towing vehicles weight to reduce the risk of snaking.

Take no notice of this, it's the weight that you're actually towing that makes it legal or not, as long as what you are towing does not exceed the maximum towing capacity of your car, you are within the law.

The last paragraph is a recommendation for caravans which are completely different from horseboxes and stock boxes. For example the maximum towing capacity of a TD5 Disco is 3.5t, this is even marked on the factory fitted tow bar on my vehicle, the Disco itself weighs about 2.2t so it's towing capacity is more that a ton more than it's own weight, see, total b*llocks

 

[BellaStar]

Thank you so much for the responses.

My husband has a petrol auto Audi A4 estate is a 2.0 and 1500 breaktow also.

Do you think with the 2.0 we may be ok? Would be 1400 on 1500 breaker tow with an estate.

Thank you

 

[BellaStar]

I think the break on the Audi is 150 I am going to check tomorrow

 

[marmalade76]

You don't want anything smaller than a 2l, that's for sure. I don't know about auto v manual because I've never even driven an auto.

 

[angel7]

Depends on the age and model of your A4. You need to check the exact model in the book.Some have tow limit of 1900kg and 148 break horse power. Which you might be ok with for short distances on the flat, but its still a bit too close for comfort.

 

[HopOnTrot]

You might get away with an All Road and a small horse but an A4 isn’t a suitable vehicle for towing a horse either.

Have you towed before? Doing it with a dangerously underpowered vehicle would be terrifying, the horse would only need to fart and you’d be snaking all over the road.

 

[tb gal]

i tow with a kia sportage, i towed a cheval libtre mare and foal and a 437 kg fell pony. i have now bought an ifor willaims 506, stripped out the partiions to tow th same pony with double breastbas. This is well below 1900KG max which is the cars towing breaked capactity and less than 80% of the max. I was always taught biggest car and smallest trailer you can afford for safe driving. I dont every tow two.

 

[eahotson]

To be legal you need to check the following:

Car Vehicle Identification Number VIN Plate – To be found in door frame or bonnet will provide the below details
Gross Weight (GVW)
This is what the fully loaded vehicle must not exceed in weight
Gross Train Weight (GTW)
This is what the loaded vehicle plus the loaded trailer must not exceed in weight
GTW - GVW is the maximun weight of the trailer including contents

Trailer VIN Plate - To be found on the A Frame of the trailer
Gross Trailer Weight
This is the weight that the fully loaded trailer should not exceed
Nose Weight
The maximum downward force on the towball, and can cause snaking if too high or low.
Horse trailers are purpose built to have the correct nose weight with a horse, but if you are carrying hay or shavings be aware that this may effect the nose weight.
Weight on each axle
Unladen Weight
Unladen Weight is often unlisted so check online. This is the weight of the trailer as manufactured with nothing in it
As an example a new ifor Williams HB506 has an unladen weight of 920 kg. Gross Weight 2,600 kg.

Two 500kg horses weigh 1000Kg plus the trailers weight of 920kg = a total laden weight of 1920 Kg

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Maximum Authorised Mass MAM)

GVW or MAM and if greater than 3,500kg then you can’t tow it on your normal driving licence.

Gross Train Weight (GTW)

A trailer over 750kg needs to be braked.

Trailers must be no longer than 7 metres in length and 2.55 metres wide. If wider than your car then you need extended wing mirrors.











Important

Ideally you want the trailers weight to be no more than 85% of the towing vehicles weight to reduce the risk of snaking.

Very good advice.

 

[maya2008]

It’s worth mentioning the size of engine, when recommending a tow car. I’ve been idly looking at what to get next, and the same make/model can be produced with a variety of engine sizes. Too small an engine, and it won’t do the job, so one person can say that make/model is gutless (smaller engine) whereas another can love it (more powerful engine).