Trailers and motorways

Not sure if someone has already mentioned this but you should only travel at 50mph on a motorway, its the LEGAL driving limit

Personally I drive to the conditions of the road and haven't had any problems towing on a motorway.

:)
 
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ArcticFox said:
Not sure if someone has already mentioned this but you should only travel at 50mph on a motorway, its the LEGAL driving limit

Personally I drive to the conditions of the road and haven't had any problems towing on a motorway.

:)
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No actualy it is 60 mph ,but personaly I think 50 is more realistic.
 
cruzing said:
I thought it was 60mph for twin axle and 50mph for single axle.ie some caravans.
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Having just looked at the highway code, I stand corrected - it is 60mph (and I just did my HGV too so should have known) for motorways and 50mph for single carriageways. no difference between single or double axel.

I do remember though that as you are towing with an animal that can change their weight distribution in the trailer, you should tow at 50 mph for safety

:)
 
perfect11s said:
I would love a shiny new trailer the 4x4 and a budget for 30 mpg at 125ppl I cant afford it so its lorry and old smelly 60 mpg diesel runaround:D
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I'd love a shiny new ANYTHING!!! Currently have a lorry I love (but costs £500 a year in repairs + MOT and tax and insurance), and about to get a 4x4 (will be old as budget small) for weekends/bad weather as I only have a moped for commuting at the present time. We worked out we'd save £500 a year at least if we swapped the lorry for a trailer, but then worry about getting stuck in the local area and not being able to get to big shows if it's not safe to tow on the motorway.
 
Whatever speed is legal for trailers and all things being equal (suitable tow vehicle, healthy trailer) I would still not want to go any higher than 50 on any road simply because I would not be happy having to brake suddenly due to some other idiot cutting in. Might sound smug but I work out how long I need for the trip so I'm not in a hurry. Just because the limit is 60 doesn't mean you have to do that or that it's safe for your combination and remember a horse isn't a stable load like a stack of feed and their movement can alter handling.
 
Maesfen said:
Whatever speed is legal for trailers and all things being equal (suitable tow vehicle, healthy trailer) I would still not want to go any higher than 50 on any road simply because I would not be happy having to brake suddenly due to some other idiot cutting in. Might sound smug but I work out how long I need for the trip so I'm not in a hurry. Just because the limit is 60 doesn't mean you have to do that or that it's safe for your combination and remember a horse isn't a stable load like a stack of feed and their movement can alter handling.
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I personaly think 50 is a bit slow for safety on the motorway and could contribute to the common type of motor way acicident ie someone running
into the back of you because they are half asleep and mis judge your speed so if you can stay with a truck going at about 56 that would be ideal...
 
perfect11s said:
I personaly think 50 is a bit slow for safety on the motorway and could contribute to the common type of motor way acicident ie someone running
into the back of you because they are half asleep and mis judge your speed so if you can stay with a truck going at about 56 that would be ideal...
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I agree; I was driving my car in the slow lane at no more than 70mph and suddenly came up behind a car doing 40. It was near miss, very scary. Vehicles going 50mph or less are a hazard IMO, much more so than those doing 100mph.
 
ajn1610 said:
Not necessarily true - our trailer flipped due to, we think a breaking system malfunction. We were travelling at roughly 40mph down a perfectly straight piece of road in excellent conditions and the resulting jack knife caused the trailer and car to flip. The trailer broke off rolled across the far side of the road and the car did 3 somersaults. The trailer was under two years old and had received more than the required services and checks. The car was a 6 month old Discovery and both were written off, we were extremely lucky to escape unhurt, the trailer looked like it had been crushed. The trailer came to rest on its side with the front pointing back up the road the way we'd come. The horse and pony had rolled over each other several times inside the trailer so they had reversed positions and both ended up lying on their sides on one side of the trailer under the partition and had to be rescued. They also had no serious injuries.
No one was at fault and had there been any other traffic on that area of the road at the time it would certainly have been fatal at the very least for the horses if not ourselves or any other drivers.
IMO the point of gravity in a trailer is too high and creates a pivot point which makes them very vulnerable to toppling over and intrinsically unsafe especially the newer light weight versions. After my experience I would rather not travel at all than put my horse in one. Although accidents can of course happen in a lorry you have a good deal more protection due to the positioning and construction. In a trailer your horses are level with and only separated from traffic doing high speeds by a few millimeters of aluminium.
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that sounds awful :(

however, I think 'freak' accidents are just that and the majority of accidents are caused by driver error- that is all accidents and not just trailers and obviously it doesn't matter what you are driving if some idiot decides to plow into you.

My friend had an accident when the a tilt cab on her horsebox pretty much dropped off while she was on the motorway and she ended up with the cab facedown on the tarmac being pushed and crushed by the horsebox body- a horrid accident and she was very lucky to survive but it wouldn't stop me putting my horse in a 7.5t box.
 
viewfromahill said:
On a motorway the police will not let you unload but vehicle will be recovered with animals on board to the nearest "safe" place to move into rescue vehicle, we were lucky (or unlucky) enough to break down on a motorway bridge and the police allowed us to unload and reload onto another vehicle before broken down lorry was recovered but they stopped ALL traffic on a dual carriageway while we did that!!
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Yes they will. My engine blew up on the M11 whilst I was towing back from the AHT. Police shut both sides of the road whilst I unloaded horse, trailer unhitched from broken car, broken car hitched up onto rescue vehicle, Dad's 4x4 attached to trailer then horse reloaded. It was a bit of a operation but huge thanks to my Mum and Dad for being there to help and for the police shutting the road
 
I bought a 7.5t lorry specifically for travelling on motorways

At the end of the day in most trailers there is only a few mm's of ali between your horse and the traffic.

Even if you are the best driver, with a decent tow vehicle and stabilisers, it doesn't protect you from the other muppets on the motorway.

At least in the lorry, it has far more substance and as said further up, your average car should not cause any damage to the horse.
 
Bouncy_Mistletoe said:
Yes they will. My engine blew up on the M11 whilst I was towing back from the AHT. Police shut both sides of the road whilst I unloaded horse, trailer unhitched from broken car, broken car hitched up onto rescue vehicle, Dad's 4x4 attached to trailer then horse reloaded. It was a bit of a operation but huge thanks to my Mum and Dad for being there to help and for the police shutting the road
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Yes police WILL AND DO shut the motorway or road to reload horses. It is not just for the horses sake it is in case horse escapes causing another accident.

I am NOT having a dig at anyone I am just curious where the idea comes from that people can't afford a lorry but can afford a 4x4 and trailer, now I am not talking about people who NEED a 4x4 or £3000 worth of 4x4 and trailer more those that have a 4x4 worth £5000+ and a trailer £2000+

I mean say someone like me I don't need a 4x4 for everyday so I have a little car which is cheap to run both in diesel and tax etc and an old lorry. I don't even do many miles in my little car but while lorry may cost me anywhere between £500 and £1000 a year depending on repairs I still feel it is cheaper than the running costs of a 4x4.

I used to have a 4x4 and trailer and the extra it cost me to run (mpg the 4x4) pay for the lorry repairs, also insurance was EXACTLY the same cost for the 4x4 as it was for the lorry and small car put together and this was before the tax on 4x4 went through the roof

So can someone please explain why it is cheaper for them to run a 4x4 and trailer??


There is NOTHING wrong with an older lorry so long as it is checked to be safe!! good god how many old TK's are still going strong and safer than a lot of old trailers I see!!! I'm not saying people on here do it, but I know plenty of people with old trailers, running them when I wouldn't put a cuddly toy in it!! They seem to think they are maintaince free :eek:

Also at least with a lorry you are higher off the ground so if something does run into you the horse has a lot more protection from side bars and chassis
 
soulfull said:
I am NOT having a dig at anyone I am just curious where the idea comes from that people can't afford a lorry but can afford a 4x4 and trailer, now I am not talking about people who NEED a 4x4 or £3000 worth of 4x4 and trailer more those that have a 4x4 worth £5000+ and a trailer £2000+

I mean say someone like me I don't need a 4x4 for everyday so I have a little car which is cheap to run both in diesel and tax etc and an old lorry. I don't even do many miles in my little car but while lorry may cost me anywhere between £500 and £1000 a year depending on repairs I still feel it is cheaper than the running costs of a 4x4.

I used to have a 4x4 and trailer and the extra it cost me to run (mpg the 4x4) pay for the lorry repairs, also insurance was EXACTLY the same cost for the 4x4 as it was for the lorry and small car put together and this was before the tax on 4x4 went through the roof

So can someone please explain why it is cheaper for them to run a 4x4 and trailer??
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Well, my car was 2k, my trailer was 2k (moral: do not try to event whilst a student) - would I be able to get both a lorry and a small run around car for 4k? Plus there is the age/licence problem. I had to take my trailer-trash test, which wasn't too expensive. To drive a lorry, I would have to take an HGV test, or limit my market to 3.5 tonne lorries. My horse lives in the London low emmission zone, so I would need a new lorry or a converted one - my yard owner spent £4k on getting hers converted so it's LEZ legal.

I did start out (pre trailer-trash test) with 2.5k of little lorry and £100 of little old car - but the little old car blew up one day on the A3. Plus then I had 2 x insurance, MOT, tax, maintenance and I think it was more expensive than 1x all that for my 4x4.

Plus, and this is the really annoying part, I was always in situations where the horse was at law school, the lorry was at the parents', the car and the bike were somewhere else altogether and I spent every waking second running round the country trying to get them all in the right place!

You are right, a 4x4 trailer combo is possibly just as pricey as a lorry, depending on your 4x4 and trailer. But if you really want to do it cheaply, I think it's easier to do it with a 4x4 and trailer.
 
People doing endurance prefer a trailer so they have the vehicle for crewing, otherwise it means taking an extra vehicle or towing one behind the horsebox, and they often go miles to competitions, so it is what suits, not only cost. I would love to have a small lorry, but can only afford a trailer and the 4x4 fits into my lifestyle as a farm vehicle.

I always drive with the sidelights on if I have a horse in the trailer, whatever road I am on. I think trailers could do with more warning signs on the back to alert vehicles that they are not going fast. I too have come up behind a slow car/trailer combination at times.

I agree with too slow on a motorway being dangerous (on the other roads the b.....s can wait!) which is why I want to change my trailer for a more up-to-date with better suspension. But I think that 50 is really fast enough with a live animal on board. Although the suggestion to go at 56 to be the same speed as a lorry is a good point.

I intend to get another "slow vehicle" sign on the back. It is black lettering on a yellow background. I asked a Policeman if he thought it was a good idea, or whether I was breaching some road regulations. He wasn't an expert, but he thought it was probably a good idea, and as I said earlier, I think it has made a difference. In a couple of instances a motorist has overtaken on an ordinary road when they thought they were going to be held up, when it maybe wasn't a good idea, but when and where someone overtakes is up to them. If they can't be patient for a while and overtake dangerously that is their lookout.

I think in general a horsebox gets more respect from other road users, as they are used to having to give way to a lorry but see a trailer as being a nuisance and a slow thing in their way.
 
Tinselface said:
I was in an accident with a trailer being towed by a discovery. We snaked, and flipped over (car flipped too). This was due to the ridges in the inside lane on the motoeway that are worn by the big trucks. We were not going more than 50mph at the time.

Both horses were fine thankfully, but I never liked trailers to start with, and I wouldn't travel a horse of mine in one. Taking my HGV test in Jan, so will be able to drive our wagin then, which will make life so much easier :)
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Had a similar experience with two ponies on board some years ago, we got stuck in the ridges in a snake following a coach passing us to fast - luckily I managed to drive out of it and come to a steady stop but it frightened the life out of me. I went out and bought a 7.5t and only recently 8 years later have I been able to bring myself to tow again.
 
I too drive thousands of miles a year towing (Land Rover Disco and a Richardson trailer). I have only ever heard of accidents never seen one that of a car etc and trailer. Have seen and attended many normal car / Lorry accidents

You just have to listen to the local radio to hear about the number of general car / Lorry accidents.

Good careful driving on the Motorway and they are safer than other roads. As someone has said people are in to much of a hurry to get pass a trailer if you are traveling on a A or B road.

These days tow cars etc seem to be more powerful and quiet so it is easy to go over the speed limit.
 
soulfull said:
I am NOT having a dig at anyone I am just curious where the idea comes from that people can't afford a lorry but can afford a 4x4 and trailer, now I am not talking about people who NEED a 4x4 or £3000 worth of 4x4 and trailer more those that have a 4x4 worth £5000+ and a trailer £2000+

I used to have a 4x4 and trailer and the extra it cost me to run (mpg the 4x4) pay for the lorry repairs, also insurance was EXACTLY the same cost for the 4x4 as it was for the lorry and small car put together and this was before the tax on 4x4 went through the roof
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I have a company car which I have no choice over, it is a 2wd and unable to tow a trailer. I use my husbands car - which he paid for to tow my horse to shows. My IW trailer cost me £1900 as that was all I could afford. the floor is aluminium and it is in good nick for a 12yo trailer.

Personally I think people can drive badly in a lorry or a trailer and yes, there are other road users to contend with, but you can still be run off the road driving a lorry as you can with a car (that has happened to me- & I've been in a lorry fire having to unload on the busy M6).

I am unable to afford a lorry as my husband still needs his car, so I would need to save up to pay for a lorry myself. I would not buy a lorry for less than £10,000 as it would have to last me for years. I would love a lorry as it could travel two horses and would have a small living for those miserable days.

I have seen so many badly built horseboxes out there too, with rubbish head room and too small for a horse that when compared to my trailer it actually has loads of room and my horse travels better in it that a lorry (except a rear facing lorry)

So I will continue to use my trailer and hubby's car until I can afford to have a lorry. Ideally I'd have one built as I have my HGV license and would allow me to get a better lorry for less money.

Lastly, If I went out to buy a lorry just now, I'd have to take a loan out, give up competing for 12 months or so and I'd be very grumpy so I'm happy going to a show in my hubby's car, towing my old trailer, and having all my stuff in a wheelie bin in front of the horse as it allows me to get out and about.

It doesn't bother me if someone has a flashy car and trailer than a horsebox, they are both road legal vehicles and capable of moving a horse from A to B.

As my mum always said: its not what you arrive in, its what comes out the back :) :)

I do agree though, there is no difference in running costs as I have owned both in the past and the insurance is hardly any different too!
 
Having had lorries in the past, my 4 x 4 and trailer works out much cheaper.
The main problem with a lorry is that you need to run it regularly to stop it breaking down.
I think a lot comes down to how often you compete. I use the trailer once or twice a month, as long as it is checked each time this is fine, a lorry would hate this. I used to end up exercising my lorry as well as the horse!
 
How can you travel to competitions without using the motorway?? I can't get to Wales & West without using the M4, & also have to use the M4 to get to my sj lessons. I have no problem towing on the motorway, & have travelled hundreds probably thousands of miles without issue. You just need to be aware of the big lorries, & idiots slotting into the space you have left between yourself & the vehicle in front. Ok, so I could have an accident, but I could also have an accident on a dual or single carriageway, or I could get run over by a bus.
 
HotToTrot said:
Well, my car was 2k, my trailer was 2k (moral: do not try to event whilst a student) - would I be able to get both a lorry and a small run around car for 4k? Plus there is the age/licence problem. I had to take my trailer-trash test, which wasn't too expensive. To drive a lorry, I would have to take an HGV test, or limit my market to 3.5 tonne lorries. My horse lives in the London low emmission zone, so I would need a new lorry or a converted one - my yard owner spent £4k on getting hers converted so it's LEZ legal.

I did start out (pre trailer-trash test) with 2.5k of little lorry and £100 of little old car - but the little old car blew up one day on the A3. Plus then I had 2 x insurance, MOT, tax, maintenance and I think it was more expensive than 1x all that for my 4x4.

Plus, and this is the really annoying part, I was always in situations where the horse was at law school, the lorry was at the parents', the car and the bike were somewhere else altogether and I spent every waking second running round the country trying to get them all in the right place!

You are right, a 4x4 trailer combo is possibly just as pricey as a lorry, depending on your 4x4 and trailer. But if you really want to do it cheaply, I think it's easier to do it with a 4x4 and trailer.
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I did say I was talking about people with a combo of more than £7000 :D

ORANGEHORSE said:
People doing endurance prefer a trailer so they have the vehicle for crewing, otherwise it means taking an extra vehicle or towing one behind the horsebox, and they often go miles to competitions, so it is what suits, not only cost. I would love to have a small lorry, but can only afford a trailer and the 4x4 fits into my lifestyle as a farm vehicle.

I think in general a horsebox gets more respect from other road users, as they are used to having to give way to a lorry but see a trailer as being a nuisance and a slow thing in their way.
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I did say if you didn't need 4x4 to me this classes as needing one

I agree


paulineh said:
I too drive thousands of miles a year towing (Land Rover Disco and a Richardson trailer). I have only ever heard of accidents never seen one that of a car etc and trailer. Have seen and attended many normal car / Lorry accidents


You just have to listen to the local radio to hear about the number of general car / Lorry accidents.

These days tow cars etc seem to be more powerful and quiet so it is easy to go over the speed limit.
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This is more likely to be that there are FAR more general lorries/cars on the road than trailers, not that trailers are safer

ArcticFox said:
I have a company car which I have no choice over, it is a 2wd and unable to tow a trailer. I use my husbands car - which he paid for to tow my horse to shows. My IW trailer cost me £1900 as that was all I could afford. the floor is aluminium and it is in good nick for a 12yo trailer.



I am unable to afford a lorry as my husband still needs his car, so I would need to save up to pay for a lorry myself. I would not buy a lorry for less than £10,000 as it would have to last me for years. I would love a lorry as it could travel two horses and would have a small living for those miserable days.

I have seen so many badly built horseboxes out there too, with rubbish head room and too small for a horse that when compared to my trailer it actually has loads of room and my horse travels better in it that a lorry (except a rear facing lorry)

So I will continue to use my trailer and hubby's car until I can afford to have a lorry. Ideally I'd have one built as I have my HGV license and would allow me to get a better lorry for less money.

It doesn't bother me if someone has a flashy car and trailer than a horsebox, they are both road legal vehicles and capable of moving a horse from A to B.

As my mum always said: its not what you arrive in, its what comes out the back :) :)

I do agree though, there is no difference in running costs as I have owned both in the past and the insurance is hardly any different too!
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I was talking about people who don't need a 4x4 and still buy one, you have a company car so have no choice, you are not in the group I was asking, but thanks for the reply anyway. It really doesn't bother me if someone has a posh 4x4 I only ask because of those same people saying they can't afford a lorry, I too agree with you mom!!
 
Its amusing that there are people on this thread saying they consider it too risky to travel their horses either in a trailer or lorry, however they presumably are happy to drive around with themselves and family in the car. The poor driving standards of others don't suddenly disappear when you travel without a horse.

Its understandable when someone has experienced an accident, in the same way you might not want to drive after having an accident in a normal car.

In some of the examples such as getting stuck in the lorry ruts or getting sucked in by passing lorries, confidence goes a long way. Once you release your death grip on the wheel and accept that your vehicle is going to handle differently when its towing, it becomes much less stressful. My combination is particularly prone to wandering in lorry ruts as the trailer wheel base is quite wide and wants to follow the ruts nicely, which leaves the van perched on top and wandering about. If its really bad the simple solution is to change lanes or drive further to the left, just missing the rumble strips.

My last long journey with the trailer was a 300 mile round trip, I'm pretty relaxed though cautious whilst towing but I must be more tense than when driving solo as my right shoulder was extremely stiff and sore for the following week. And this is after towing on average three times a week over the previous year so its not like its an unusual experience for me.
 
You can have horrendous accidents in a horsebox/lorry - don't kid yourself.

Why do I have a trailer and a 4x4? Partly because it's cheaper and partly because it's easier to maintain. I know naff all about lorries and their engines and I wouldn't know when something was going dangerously wrong. I can however do my own car maintenance and what I can't do, I can identify and take to someone who can. A quick perusal of HHO will tell you that throwing money at the problem (ie. buying an expensive lorry) does not guarantee you a safe reliable lorry - I seem to remember Kerilli on here had a total 'mare with hers.

At the end of the day, thinking about what might happen is like looking into the abyss. You only ever hear about the horrendous trailer accidents - particularly on a thread like this. There are thousands of trailer journeys that go well. If you maintain your car, your trailer and you drive not just safely but in a way that foresees and avoids trouble, well then your odds of an accident are likely to be low.

The only issue is the one of driving on single carriageway roads. The overtaking traffic is a total nightmare and you've got no room for wriggle. For this reason, I absolutely will not tow into Norfolk unless I absolutely have to. There is something about the A10 that is guaranteed to give you near-misses.
 
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