Trailer versus small box in wind

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tb gal

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I dont tow in high winds but I am now a bit worried about towing a trailer and being hit by a cross wind and it flippind. I am contemplating a 3.5 tonne box or similar but not really sure if that would be any better if a cross wind hit it. I am torn between moving to a double trailer so slightly wider or getting a box.

Backstory My Cheval librte trailer made and foal trailer ended up on its side in the car park having been hit by hurricane on Thursday night. Lifted it and another trailer from where they were parked and spun them onto their sides. impressively the only visual damage is to two planks either side of the trailer main body where it landed on a fence post one side and another trailer's tow hitch rested on the other side where that trailer had ended up leaning on it. Plastic nose cone and roof undamaged. I am waiting for insurers to assess it as they have confirmed it is covered as accidental damage. Cant moan as many local people have suffered severe damage to homes and several stable yards litterally had their stables blown away. Amazingly no horses injured but a lot understandably stressed
 
I have used both and found that a small box is a lot more stable.

Trailers are liable to snake, boxes don't.
Small boxes have the engine to pin them down and are of a heavier constriction generally than a trailer.
Small boxes of the platform type have a very low centre of gravity.

I have used HGV, 7.5t, 3.5t (uprated to 4) and trailers, and the HGV and 3.5 type have been the most stable.
 
If you have the funds for a good 3.5T, and will run it often enough to keep it going sweetly, then a box is always going to be nicer to drive. But - if you don't tow in high winds anyway, might you be worrying unnecessarily? The weather on Thursday night was pretty extreme, I don't think anyone would ever tow in such weather (there was literally a tornado, it doesn't get much more extreme than that....)

There are lots of practical positives to a mare and foal trailer (far cheaper to "run" than a lorry, easier to store, no MOT needed, etc).
 
I’ve found the 3.5t to be pretty good in wind. It’s better than the 7.5t as there’s less for the wind to catch.
 
Sorry to hear about your trailer.
Presuming you mean the master/movano type, I find mine very stable. Look at the quality of fixings as i have heard of issues with back doors catching the wind and breaking.
The old transit type are much higher and I wouldn't be as comfortable in one.
 
Due to a real emergency I had to travel Manchester to Leeds in a 3.5t during very high winds - literally don't travel unless an emergency warnings everywhere whilst driving over the highest motorway (M62) with a horse that was in a life or death situation. I swear the 3.5t box I was in saved us that evening, carrying a 16.2 heavy mare probably helped to keep the weight low in the box. There were a number of crashes passed along the route and I won't pretend it was an easy journey, I don't think i'd ever risk it again, even in an emergency. I do know for sure I'd never ever risk that sort of journey with any trailer.
 
tb gal said:
I dont tow in high winds but I am now a bit worried about towing a trailer and being hit by a cross wind and it flippind. I am contemplating a 3.5 tonne box or similar but not really sure if that would be any better if a cross wind hit it. I am torn between moving to a double trailer so slightly wider or getting a box.

Backstory My Cheval librte trailer made and foal trailer ended up on its side in the car park having been hit by hurricane on Thursday night. Lifted it and another trailer from where they were parked and spun them onto their sides. impressively the only visual damage is to two planks either side of the trailer main body where it landed on a fence post one side and another trailer's tow hitch rested on the other side where that trailer had ended up leaning on it. Plastic nose cone and roof undamaged. I am waiting for insurers to assess it as they have confirmed it is covered as accidental damage. Cant moan as many local people have suffered severe damage to homes and several stable yards litterally had their stables blown away. Amazingly no horses injured but a lot understandably stressed
Click to expand...
I've towed the same trailer regularly (at least once a week, but often two or three times a week) from 1996 to 2020 and snaked slightly once in all those years. That was going down this fairly steep incline and hitting a cross wind.
 

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tb gal said:
I dont tow in high winds but I am now a bit worried about towing a trailer and being hit by a cross wind and it flippind. I am contemplating a 3.5 tonne box or similar but not really sure if that would be any better if a cross wind hit it. I am torn between moving to a double trailer so slightly wider or getting a box.

Backstory My Cheval librte trailer made and foal trailer ended up on its side in the car park having been hit by hurricane on Thursday night. Lifted it and another trailer from where they were parked and spun them onto their sides. impressively the only visual damage is to two planks either side of the trailer main body where it landed on a fence post one side and another trailer's tow hitch rested on the other side where that trailer had ended up leaning on it. Plastic nose cone and roof undamaged. I am waiting for insurers to assess it as they have confirmed it is covered as accidental damage. Cant moan as many local people have suffered severe damage to homes and several stable yards litterally had their stables blown away. Amazingly no horses injured but a lot understandably stressed
Click to expand...
Having a trailer flip over in a high gust coming back from Wales and my mare coming out on the M4 i would choose a box over a trailer anyway, as your hand on the steering wheel and controlling the whole vehicle where as trailer is on ball hitch
 
You are worrying unnecessarily really, if you wouldn't drive in bad weather you'll be fine with a trailer. Maybe chuck a bale of haylage inside for the next storm warning if you can.

However if you have the funds for a little box I think it is much better for safety all round.
 
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