Towing with a freelander

[kfrew]

Hi, does anyone tow their trailer with a landrover freelander? Could i tow a 16hh middle weight mare with this? All the other 4x4 seem to expensive.

 

[Dizzykizzy]

Don't do it, nowhere near up to the necessary curb weight and it is dangerous. Sorry.

 

[Louby]

I would tow a small pony if I had too but not a horse Im afraid. They just arent up to the job.

 

[Tinypony]

If you search there are already several threads about this, all explaining that this really isn't a good idea and not safe.

 

[Dogstar]

NOO don't do it! They are rubbish and probably illegal for that weight. Buy an old Daihatsu Fourtrak 2.8TDI -mine (P reg) is brilliant; pulls two chunky hunters in an IW 510 up steep hills!

 

[sea_view]

Would you believe I saw a Freelander towing a Equi trek - yes you heard correct an equitrek with a horse in it at a recent event!!!!

 

[Befney3]

No! I fancied a Freelander but was advised against it by many people so I got an old Discovery. It's ace & feels like it would happily tow the whole yard not just my horse.

 

[Flight]

I have a nissan navara pick up truck, they not overly expensive and mine tows fantastically. They can tow about 3ton i think and it happily pulls my trailer with 2 16.2s in up some fairly steep hills. A friend used freelander to take horse to vets and said it really struggled to get there.

 

[Piccy]

As I have posted before I have a Freelander and a Discovery and would NEVER tow with the Freelander is it just not up to the job....

 

[Muddywellies]

Well I am going to say the complete opposite - sorry everyone. I have a 2 litre XEDi and I can tow up to 2t with it. I have an older (wooden) IW 505 and it weighs 905 kg. My horse is 15.2hh middleweight, and is between 480kg and 500 kg. Even with 2 people, a saddle, grooming kit and a few other bits and bobs, I am still within the 2t limit.
Admittedly, they are not a 'serious' towing vehicle, but for pottering around locally, with no big hills, no motorways (I would not take it on the motorway) it is absolutely fine.
It is a diesel though, not a flimsy gutless 1.8 petrol, and has a very good engine.
In my opinion and experience, you will be absolutely fine if you are not doing any serious towing, and not carrying anything too heavy. Just get a lightweight trailer and obsessively maintain your engine as the older Freelanders can be incredibly troublesome. I believe the recent ones are exellent though.

 

[Tinkerbee]

QR

Freelanders can't tow, and you will be laughed at my proper land rover owners

 

[Caritas]

I tow my 16.2hands warmblood gelding with a 2ltr landrover freelander td4. It tows fine and is legal, I looked it all up b4 buying it. Very economical for everyday use also!!

 

[pennyh]

i've been towing one horse with a freelander in an ifor 505 for the past 5 years with no problems & i live at the top of a big hill which we have to get up every time we come home

(Not sure it would have enough beef for 2 big horses though)

& for the record my freelander has not had ANY mechanical problems or ever let me down in any way

the early freelanders had a bad rep for engine problems but i think too many people berate them on this basis & without ever having experienced one or checked out the technical data

 

[AnnaJ]

I've got a Freelander and I've towed Athena, TB 16.2hh no problem. I love my 'Pig Truck' as my OH calls it

 

[Liesel]

Hubby already owned a Freelander before we got a 505. Only just managed to pull the 505 with a 14.2hh onboard up hills. Hubby wasnt happy so we changed to a LWB Pajero which pulled it effortlessly. Since then we have changed to a 510 and 16hh warmblood. It pulls the trailer and its load so well you sometimes forget you have it on the back. Its a great towing vehicle.

 

[smirnoff_ice07]

We tow a 14.2 in a lightwieght trailer with ours, it manages fine and is a really nice vehicle. I counted 4 or 5 freelanders at an ODE last week all towing ifors or equitreks, tbh I wouldn't want to pull 2 horses or anyhing much bigger than Storm with one, but a couple of people from hunting tow 2 big horses in an Ifor510 with theirs and they wouldn't be doing it if they thought they were risking their horses.