trailer towing

[perenzo]

Hi everybody..can anybody offer any advise, does anybody on here tow a trailer with an estate car thats not a 4 x 4 ?

I have sold my freelander and really dont want another 4 x 4, as i am worried about the threat of the green tax on them.

I have seen lots of people recently towing with transit vans, and pick up trucks and was just looking for an economical alternative to a jeep.

Any help greatly appriciated

Thanks x

 

[polyphonic]

depends on weight off car trailer and horses max load etc. my self personally although no longer have a trailer choose a 4 x 4. and even now i wopuld rather pay (but grudgenly) the extra tax and now my horse is safe. just my opinion though

 

[pottamus]

I don't know of any cars, estate or otherwise that are suitable for towing really...yes I am sure they can physically pull but they would not be safe and you would not have sufficient weight in the car to get out of trouble. It is not just about engine size...it is about weight of vehicle in comparison to weight behind. I would not advise it at all...not worth the risk.

 

[Chex]

My mum towed Chex with a Renault Savana estate 1.8, but that was pulling a 600kg trailer and a 400kg pony. Not actually sure if it was legal though (for some reason it wasn't mentioned at the time). We have a 4x4 now, and it feels mush safer, wouldn't go back to towing with an estate.

 

[galaxy]

Used to tow with a Saab 93 estate. But you can only put one small horse in the back otherwise you will be overweight. The Saab 93 can tow 1600kg and the Saab 95, 1800kgs.

I now have a 4x4 which I prefer. I only went very locally with the Saab. It's legal, but I didn't want to take a risk.

 

[cp1980]

If you get hold of a lightweight trailer and tow just one horse that isn't too big, then it should be fine.

4x4s are good at towing (on the road) for two main reasons:

1)

They are heavy so can absorb the bumps of the trailer and the shuffle of a horse

and

2) they are powerful so can pull smoothly.


the 4x4 is really only of use when you need to get maximum traction ie slippery conditions, steep hills.

4x4s also have good nose weight ratings, which is the amount of weight that can push down on the tow bar. A 4x4 can have a max nose weight of upto 150kgs, most cars are about 50-100 kgs.

So if you do decide to get a large car, you must ensure that it is quite heavy (the kerb or empty weight needs to be at least 120% the weight of what you are towing - more if possible) and is rated to pull your weight and take a hefty nose weight (100 kg usually)

Those people who say that anything other than a 4x4 is unsafe are being a rather dogmatic and should look at what alternatives are availible. There are some very sound non 4x4 towcars that are capable of towing single horse trailers safely.

A 4x4 probably will be very safe, but that does not mean that you shouldn't drive carefully and make sure that the car and trailer are both well serviced (particularly brakes!)

Hope this helps

CP1980 BEng(Hons) AMIMechE (I'm a trained engineer)