Towing with a non 4x4

[pixie]

Does anyone here tow their horses in a trailer using a vehicle that isn't a 4x4? If so, what, and are there any insurance issues?

The thing is, with this new 4x4 tax, I'm not sure people will stlll be able to afford to use theirs, but I would have though normal cars wouldn't be powerful enough or safe enough to pull a trailer. If there was an accident, could the insurers claim that the car wasn't suitable for the job and perhaps not pay out?

Just a thought anyways.

 

[vicster]

Have towed in renault Laguna once and i have to say it wasn't too good on the old clutch

 

[spooks]

i dont know about the ins and out of insurance but i used to tow an old rice double trailer with a 13.2hh chunky monkey (welsh section c ) with a 1.8 ford mondeo estate and it pulled it no problem whatsoever. im lucky enough to have a lorry now though even if it is 30 yr old!

 

[OWLIE185]

A car would not be heavy enough.

However a 6.5 ton Ford Transit Van would be o.k.

 

[Oaksflight]

Dad will occasionally pull with his honda accord, but only with mine in, as it struggles with that. We'll be getting a 4 x 4 in a couple of years though, at last!

 

[K9Wendy]

Last year we decided to buy a trailer but at the time drove a VW Passat estate 1.9d so we bought the lightest trailer we could find, a Cheval Liberte. The car pulled it fine, it was 85% of the cars max towing weight and therefore legal. Towing on the straight, even up and down hills was fine but the clutch did occasionally suffer and when it came to towing in muddy fields it was rubbish.. We changed to a Hyundai Terrican in June and you simply would not know you were towing the trailer.

So, yes we did tow with a car, a 15.2hh 500kg horse in a 730kg trailer, and we were legal, took our time and didn't put too much pressure on the car (hill starts in wet conditions etc. However given the choice the 4x4 is much better..

 

[Sooty]

Funnily enough you rarely seen trailers on the continent towed by anything other than a car, but I think the majority of the continental trailers are lighter than the British ones - either that, or they are less risk averse! I don't like the thought of the trailer pushing the car, it is bad enough towing a caravan with a car that isn't quite up to it, but with horses you have an unstable, uneven load - much better to err on the side of caution and have plenty of weight in the tow car.

 

[Snowberry]

I had to use my OH's Subaru (EX OH) to tow the trailer as my jeep had a flat tyre (whoops didnt have a spare either!) and it was a pig to tow with!!
I've always towed with BIG 4x4's - the car was horrid to tow, I felt like the trailer was pushing me the whole time. We were only going to a show 3miles away and I hated pulling trailer with a car. Wouldnt do it again.
A friend of mine thou regularly pulls a trailer with 2 ponies in using a Volvo. She says it pulls like a tank! Not sure I'd wanna try it though!

 

[blakey]

BMW 5 Series estate, 55 reg, 3.5 litre (i think), no insurance worrys

 

[Oaksflight]

Ooh, OH's dad has just got new 7 series. I see advantages to this all of a sudden!

 

[kick_On]

I used towed with a big SAAB, fab but only good for one big horse, in some ways it was better that my landie but you could only take one large horse and as not a 4x4 couldn't go onto wet/soft ground. NO insurance problems as long as only carrying one horse. But it pulled brill and so wonderful to have the options of heated seats in car.
It was a very heavy car eg most weight in nose of car, had for years. Never had problem with towing with it and only changed it, as car died through electrical cr**p going wrong with it. Not being mechinacally unsound, shame love the car

 

[sillygillyhorse]

I used to tow a 820kg Richardson with a diesel Volve S80 saloon and it was fabulous but could only ever take one horse as otherwise would have been over the maximum manufacturers tow weight for the car. This would have made it illegal and yes if in an accident my insurer could refuse to pay out.

Understand about the 85% etc but as I understand it you are only actually breaking the law if you exceed the manufacturers maximum weight permissible i.e handbook for the Volvo said maximum at 1800kg but the car itself only weighed 1550kg!

 

[Theresa_F]

I have to keep my car for another couple of years so worked out a compromise.

I have a Bateson Derby - weighs 650 kilos - fantastic little trailer that I can really recommend. 7' head height and able to take 2 14.2 ponies.

Chancer is 14.2 and weighs 385 kilos.

My car can pull 1200 kilos. It is a Nissen Primera 2 litre turbo diesel.

I will only take Chancer in my trailer - he is a fantastic traveller, despite being so young.

So far have had no problems - trailer and car trundle along very happily. I leave lots of room to stop, but I would do whether in a car or a heavy 4 x 4 as I prefer to stop on the engine braking to reduce stress to my passenger.

Wet muddy fields are probably going to be a challenge. That said, I am sure I can beg someone to pull my trailer off a field if I should get stuck - I have done it before for people with my old landie. Chancer practically loads himself so I don't have to worry about needing lots of room to get him on again.

If Chancer grows and gains a lot of weight, then I will probably look at one of those lovely big pickups - heavy and big engined and I can lease one as a commercial vehicle.

 

[brighteyes]

Not a good idea though you see it all the time. It's all a question of kerbweight, gross train weight and weight on each of your axles. If a policeman decided to pull you over, they might 'throw the book'. In the absence of a weigh-bridge, they'll go off the gross laden weight of the trailer (stamped on the hitch mounting) regardless of what is in it, and the towing vehicle's weight plate (under the bonnet sometimes). You'd be fined for every kg they calculate you are overweight. Ouch. Plus you won't be insured. You need a weighty 'built to tow' with plenty of torque and pulling power - 3500kg is best. Too many outfits have tail wagging the dog potential and I wouldn't risk my horse. My bro is a traffic cop and he advised me of this. I bought a Daihatsu fourtrak and it was brill.

 

[Patchwork]

Toyota Previa before we got the Daihatsu Fourtrak - but usually only one horse except on flat, level roads. It was a bit dodgy to get out of muddy showgrounds a couple of times too.