Towing with a Freelander - advice/experiences

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canteron

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Advice needed, and please don't just sat "don't do it" that would just be annoying!!

Girl I know has freelander and just passed trailer test so determined to get out and about. Am pretty sure that she could only ever legally take one horse, so if you allow 500/600kg for that (?) what would be good options of trailer. It will have to be 2nd hand as not much money.

Towing with a freelander scares me, but as I can't stop them getting a trailer would like to point in best direction.
 
Robinson's Requisite 1.5 horse trailer might be an option. I can understand that she's excited to get out and about but really my advice would be don't do it.
 
again another one who says dont do it!!!!!

I had one before I knew better and they are just not designed for it. Mine went though two clutches and a gearbox (should have known I was pushing it too far!) and also its the only car in which I've had a really bad snake experience with. This was all with a superlightweight trailer and one horse. They are jsut not heavy enough or designed to take the strain.

Ive now got a mitsubishi pajero which could tow a house down. and touch wood, its been the most reliable car ive ever had (it just has a bit of a drink problem!)

seriously, its just not worth it. saftey wise and money wise (due to the design of freelanders the clutches are very difficult to replace and ended up costing me a grand a time!)
 
I remember when I nearly bought a lighter weight 4x4 instead of my Trooper, I said to my farmer "oh but it can tow xx kg" (can't remember now) and he said "yeah, maybe but do you think it could STOP xx kg if it had to"
 
Skint_Santa said:
I remember when I nearly bought a lighter weight 4x4 instead of my Trooper, I said to my farmer "oh but it can tow xx kg" (can't remember now) and he said "yeah, maybe but do you think it could STOP xx kg if it had to"
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^^^^^^ Exactly its not what they can pull it's what they can stop!!
 
Sorry as above really, another 'dont do it'
May be ok with a pony but realistically, once shes added all kit, water, passengers, trailer, horse, even a pony would be pushing it. Also if funds are limited, she may be looking at the older Rice??? which are heavy.
IW505 are 950kg ish, add the horse and kit and she will be over the limit or pull the guts out of her car.
 
my mum tows with her freelander all the time, only one horse at a time or the two ponies, all within legal limits and it is fine, doesnt bother at all havent had any bother with it, however we are looking for a bigger car once the snow is away, but theres a lady at my yard that tows with a freelander all year for hunting and competing hers is the 3 door freelander dont know if the engine is smaller though, but she seems to like it aswell, tbh it depends how confident you feel as well, as long as you can stop your fine
 
martlin said:
A vehicles towing capacity is not what it can pull, it is what it can tow safely. So, if the towing capacity is 2000kg, it can pull, and stop a 2t load.
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martlin. You would think so, but a simple calculation (f+ma) tells us that a trailer that equals or outweighs the towing vehicle is going to have a severe effect on that towing vehicle. People may scoff at the caravan club 80% limit but there is some simple maths behind it. The kerbside weight of a Freelander is 1525...that really limits what it can safely tow, never mind the permitted tow weight of 2T
 
Louby said:
Sorry as above really, another 'dont do it'
May be ok with a pony but realistically, once shes added all kit, water, passengers, trailer, horse, even a pony would be pushing it. Also if funds are limited, she may be looking at the older Rice??? which are heavy.
IW505 are 950kg ish, add the horse and kit and she will be over the limit or pull the guts out of her car.
Click to expand...

Actually some passengers and kit in the boot would be a good thing from the point of view of the weight:weight ratio. Whether I would wish to regard passengers as ballast is quite different
 
That's all very true, the watcher, I'm not for a minute suggesting that towing with Freelander is a good idea:) The truth, however, lies somewhere in the middle - Discovery has towing capacity of 3.5t, but it's kerbweight is 2.5t(or a bit less).
 
"Usually a manufacturer will quote a tow weight which is far greater than the mass of the vehicle. Generally this is based on the total train weight (car + caravan) which can be started on a 12% gradient.
Where this weight (or any other e.g. nose weight) is given as lower by the manufacturer the user ignores it at his peril. Insurance could well be void after an accident - worse, the illegal combination could cause the accident if the towing vehicle is unable to handle it" ( quoted from net)
 
JenTaz said:
my mum tows with her freelander all the time, only one horse at a time or the two ponies, all within legal limits and it is fine, doesnt bother at all havent had any bother with it, however we are looking for a bigger car once the snow is away, but theres a lady at my yard that tows with a freelander all year for hunting and competing hers is the 3 door freelander dont know if the engine is smaller though, but she seems to like it aswell, tbh it depends how confident you feel as well, as long as you can stop your fine
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I suspect most people tow with that approach, right up until the day that they discover that in fact they can't stop
 
Just a quick question is it an older shape freelander or the new shape? The towing capacity is different.

I do tow with an older freelander a bayhill trailer & one horse light weight TB but not heavier WB. To be honest I am not completely happy towing with it you can forget reversing it just does not have the power to reverse on anything but very flat smooth ground & I would not go on a moterway or any busy roads I stick to country roads & only go within 10miles of home & travel at low speeds so that I can definatley stop.

I also keep my trips limited to once a month max otherwise I would burn out the clutch. I do not think it makes much difference as to which trailer they are all quite similar just don't go for a really old heavy trailer. I personally wouldn't go for a really lightweight trailer as I like to think the horse has got a decent trailer around them. An ifor is probably the best bet.
 
Personally I wouldn't do it, mainly because when my Dad was working for Land Rover, he did a lot of the testing on the Freelander when it first came out and he said it was described as a SUV for hairdressers, not a work horse like its Ranger Rover counter parts.
 
There are far more factors that affect a cars ability to tow safely. The two main ones so often over looked are wheelbase and distance between centre of rear axle and tow hitch. The longer the wheel base the more stable the car will be. The shorter the distance betwee axle and hitch the more stable (less prone to snaking) the car will be.
After that you get in to track, tyre contact area etc.
The max towing figure quoted for a car is when towing a braked trailer. Question is, could the car stop the load if the trailers brakes failed. lets be honest, most of the horse trailers on the road have less than perfectly maintained brakes.

Having towed a huge variety of loads with numerous different cars I can honestly say I would rather tow with an Audi A4 coupe than a freelander.
If you look at the tow limits and the wheelbase / hitch distance the audi wins hands down.
 
the watcher said:
martlin. You would think so, but a simple calculation (f+ma) tells us that a trailer that equals or outweighs the towing vehicle is going to have a severe effect on that towing vehicle. People may scoff at the caravan club 80% limit but there is some simple maths behind it. The kerbside weight of a Freelander is 1525...that really limits what it can safely tow, never mind the permitted tow weight of 2T
Click to expand...
Sadly this is rubbish as the trailer has its own brakes and yes 80% is fine for the beardy caravan club types with their boxes of air, but not very practical for horse trailer towing as few 4x4s are more than 2000kg anyway explain a 4ton lorry tractor unit towing 38 tons:D
 
I had a freelander and towed 1x 450kg horse in an Ifor 505 and it actually towed wonderfully. I wouldnt put anything huge in and certainly not 2 or you'll be overloaded.

It will tow 1800kg, an Ifor 505 is about 950 (without looking it up) plus my 450kg horse =1400kg plus me and the junk.

HOWEVER Freelanders (imo) have lots of faults and end up costing due to repairs! I wouldnt buy another. I now have a Nissan Navara pickup, which (imo) is the monkeys doodahs!!! I love it and it is versatile for collecting hay etc. You'll get a cheap secondhand one. BUT if this is a main vehicle, it isnt the best on fuel!

Oh for a 4x4 that does 90 to the gallon and costs 5k new:D
 
Honestly why not do it????

I towed one horse, my 500kg welsh D x TB, with one for years in an Ifor 505 hunter, no bother didnt even know the trailer was there half the time.

An empty 505 weighs 905kgs (according to ifor site and my plate) a 500/600kg horse would be what 1500kgs max and a diesel freelander has an 1800kg towing limit.

Honestly I dont get where this attitude that you need a stinking great big monster to tow one horse comes from, I have been doing it for years and I have YET to have an accident. My dad is cautious and has been towing and driving horse lorries for years and he has no qualms in using the free lander, its a great car!!

Nikki xxx :)
 
perfect11s said:
Sadly this is rubbish as the trailer has its own brakes and yes 80% is fine for the beardy caravan club types with their boxes of air, but not very practical for horse trailer towing as few 4x4s are more than 2000kg anyway explain a 4ton lorry tractor unit towing 38 tons:D
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I think good hydraulic brakes feature in the lorry example.

I am not beardy, and I hate caravans with a passion but I bought a Mitsubishi L200 LWB to be certain that I could safely tow just about anything. The kerbside weight is 1890 but I can load the towing vehicle up to 2935 to improve towing ratios which would in theory still leave me 2.5T towed before I got the maximum train weight. Which is as it should be.

If I wiped out box of air on the back of my car I wouldn't worry too much. My horses are a different thing altogether.
 
I have a Freelander and when we got it (before I said anything about it) the guy selling it said thay are designed for towing horse trailers. We tow my 14.2HH 500kg (some times 500+kg in summer) and it is brill, the car is 2T itself and towed the farmers tractor when I got it stuck!!!!! I love it to bit's and it does what I want it to, with the price limit on tax etc I wanted.

Agree with what Nikki said.
 
"I am not beardy, and I hate caravans with a passion "


Please dont be mean to us Beardy's:D I have a box of air too and they are a lot worse to tow than a horse box, but as you say not anywhere near as precious when the boy is on board:)
 
JunoXV said:
There are far more factors that affect a cars ability to tow safely. The two main ones so often over looked are wheelbase and distance between centre of rear axle and tow hitch. The longer the wheel base the more stable the car will be. The shorter the distance betwee axle and hitch the more stable (less prone to snaking) the car will be.
After that you get in to track, tyre contact area etc.
The max towing figure quoted for a car is when towing a braked trailer. Question is, could the car stop the load if the trailers brakes failed. lets be honest, most of the horse trailers on the road have less than perfectly maintained brakes.

Having towed a huge variety of loads with numerous different cars I can honestly say I would rather tow with an Audi A4 coupe than a freelander.
If you look at the tow limits and the wheelbase / hitch distance the audi wins hands down.
Click to expand...
yes good points.. however the best way is to have the hitch point above and slightly infront of the back axle andhave the tow vehicle carrying some of the trailer weight......
come on equitrek hurry up with your gooseneck mini artic trailer ....
 
I've had an old style TD4 (auto) and it towed two small ponies in an IW505 very well. then I have the new style Freelander TD4 and that also towed very well (better than the old style) with either two 13.2hh or a 16hh and a 13.2hh. I can't comment on petrol engine ones or manual ones. Never had a moment's worry in either of mine though. I now have a Discovery as into bigger horses and that is excellent but is obviously a different kind of beast.
 
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