Trailer hire?

noblesteed

noblesteed

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Anyone done it? My novice sharer is wanting to get out competing. She's just a teenager so requires the bank of mummy and daddy to buy her a trailer, however I get the impression parents are none too keen as it will require a lot of their time to take daughter out in said trailer... Also the trailer they could afford would be a shoddy one and I'd prefer my precious beastie to travel in the utmost safety and comfort.
Anyway I thought about hiring one for us both to use for a few months, maybe early summer. My small 4x4 will legally pull only up to 2000kg so I thought about hiring a 403 single trailer just to get out and about, maybe sharer can do a clear round and I can do 2' 6" round on our horse. OR could I hire a 511 if I am just travelling one horse in it?
Has anyone any experience of hiring trailers? How does it work insurance-wise? It seems a good-value option for the non-serious competitor.
 
There is also the issue of having the correct driving licence

If intending to use a B only licence then its simple to work out if legal or not

Add vehicle plated GVW to trailer plated MAM and if they total over 3500 kgs then the driver needs a B+E
 
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My driving licence is fine, it's got BE on it which I understand means I can legally tow a trailer with a vehicle.
I have a Mitsubishi Outlander which, from what I understand, can tow a maximum of 2000kg - so I think that means a 501/511 would be too heavy to be legal, and I would need to hire a 403/401.

I wondered if anyone has experience of renting a trailer and whether or not they thought it was a good experience, and what they did regarding insurance. And also for the inexperienced driver, would it be wise to have a practice before towing the horse.
 
noblesteed said:
My driving licence is fine, it's got BE on it which I understand means I can legally tow a trailer with a vehicle.
I have a Mitsubishi Outlander which, from what I understand, can tow a maximum of 2000kg - so I think that means a 501/511 would be too heavy to be legal, and I would need to hire a 403/401.

I wondered if anyone has experience of renting a trailer and whether or not they thought it was a good experience, and what they did regarding insurance. And also for the inexperienced driver, would it be wise to have a practice before towing the horse.
Click to expand...
I did not realise it would be you doing the driving - I thought it was a late teenager

The empty 501/511will be 1000 max so that leaves 1000 for the two horses if tack etc is put in the 4x4
How heavy are the two horses?
 
It would just be the one horse, my 15.2hh. He's about 500kg.
I wouldn't fancy the chances of the Outlander being able to pull a trailer with 2 horses safely as it's just a 2.0 tdi engine - the same one that's in a VW Tiguan, Audi A4 etc. So I wouldn't ever be travelling 2 horses.
I read somewhere that the law goes on maximum laden weights for towing ie it doesn't matter what's inside the trailer, it's to do with the stamp on it that gives it's maximum weight? Or am I getting in a muddle? So that's why I thought I needed a lightweight trailer.
TBH it's a lot easier to hire a 511 as there's one for rent up the road from us, if I need a 403 I'd have to travel 200 miles each way to pick it up!
 
noblesteed said:
It would just be the one horse, my 15.2hh. He's about 500kg.
I wouldn't fancy the chances of the Outlander being able to pull a trailer with 2 horses safely as it's just a 2.0 tdi engine - the same one that's in a VW Tiguan, Audi A4 etc. So I wouldn't ever be travelling 2 horses.
I read somewhere that the law goes on maximum laden weights for towing ie it doesn't matter what's inside the trailer, it's to do with the stamp on it that gives it's maximum weight? Or am I getting in a muddle? So that's why I thought I needed a lightweight trailer.
TBH it's a lot easier to hire a 511 as there's one for rent up the road from us, if I need a 403 I'd have to travel 200 miles each way to pick it up!
Click to expand...
With a B+E licence it does not matter legally what the MAM of the trailer is

Find vehicle towing capacity
Find trailer plated MAM
Use the lower of those tow figures as the maximum the trailer can be when loaded

Example -
Vehicle
GVW 2200
Towing capacity 1700

Trailer
MAM 3500
Empty 1000

Trailer can be loaded with 700
 
Ah right! That's why I see freelanders towing 511s then - they're not actually illegal! And here I was thinking they were...

That is good news then. I shall investigate hiring the 511.

Thank you for your help ROG!
 
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