Urgent - Trailer weights

[skewbaldpony]

Is there a site somewhere where I can work out legal towing weights. DH is convinced a 12hh pony in an old Rice double pony, is towable with my diesel Golf!
And is intending to do so !
Is he barking mad?

 

[martlin]

Yes, he is probably barking mad. Regardless of how big the pony is, the important numbers are the MAM of the trailer, not what's in it.

 

[skewbaldpony]

I'm starting to panic, looking at sites left right and centre and not understanding any of them!
What on earth is a MAM. Why is the LandRover broken? Why do I not have valium?

 

[skewbaldpony]

Why did I ever get married? Why did I have children? Why do they have ponies ..... the vehicle says braked towing weight 1200, unbraked 500 - what does that actually mean?


(Yes, I am totally thick. Also, way, way out of my comfort zone!)

 

[jojo23]

Consider if you had to brake suddenly the weight of trailer and pony - do you think you would stop, also the stability, weight of trailer and pony could potentially turn car over on a camber etc. You also need to consider if your car insurance covers you. This is really not a good idea.

 

[martlin]

And breathe***

MAM is Maximum allowed mass (or something to that meaning), basically the weight of your trailer and it's maximum possible payload added together.
So, let's say the trailer weighs 900kg and has payload of 1500kg - that means that your tow vehicle has to have maximum towing capacity of at least 2400kg for you to be 'legal'.
A bit clearer?

 

[Mickeymoo]

[ QUOTE ]
Why do I not have valium?

[/ QUOTE ]

you dont have valium cause Ive got it all.. agggh..

sorry, pointless post .. me thinks I going mad today.. horses!!

 

[skewbaldpony]

I really am grateful for the back up of my instinct that it's not a good idea, but I'm afraid, 'someone on hho reckons your barking' is not going to cut it!
I have to find the figures to PROVE he's barking, somewhere!

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

You have to make sure you have a car as heavy or heavier than the trailer and load combination! (i think)

 

[martlin]

[ QUOTE ]
Why did I ever get married? Why did I have children? Why do they have ponies ..... the vehicle says braked towing weight 1200, unbraked 500 - what does that actually mean?


(Yes, I am totally thick. Also, way, way out of my comfort zone!)

[/ QUOTE ]
It's the braked towing weight that applies to you, as horse trailers are braked, ie have brakes

As to the other questions... I don't know - young and stupid maybe?

 

[jojo23]

You could try ringing insurance company and see if you are covered if not that would be your get out of jail card.

 

[jojo23]

Second thought ring a VW Gold dealer and ask them for confirmation.

 

[skewbaldpony]

OK so the Golf weighs (apparently) about 1300 kilos. The pony doesn't weigh over 300. So does a Rice pony trailer weigh over 1000 kilos, then?

edited to correct 100 > 1000

 

[skewbaldpony]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why did I ever get married? Why did I have children? Why do they have ponies ..... the vehicle says braked towing weight 1200, unbraked 500 - what does that actually mean?


(Yes, I am totally thick. Also, way, way out of my comfort zone!)

[/ QUOTE ]
It's the braked towing weight that applies to you, as horse trailers are braked, ie have brakes

As to the other questions... I don't know - young and stupid maybe?

[/ QUOTE ]


So the question of the day is ..... does a Rice Pony Trailer weigh more than 1000 Kg - how am I going to find that out, it's ancient!

 

[martlin]

[ QUOTE ]
OK so the Golf weighs (apparently) about 1300 kilos. The pony doesn't weigh over 300. So does a Rice pony trailer weigh over 1000 kilos, then?

edited to correct 100 > 1000

[/ QUOTE ]
It doesn't matter what the pony weighs in that circumstances.
I don't know exactly how much a Rice trailer weighs, but you should be able to find that info on the hitch, on a small metal plate, the same plate will give you information about maximum loaded weight of your trailer and that will be the weight that cannot exceed your car's maximum towing weight for braked trailers, ie 1200kg. If you exceed that your insurance becomes invalid, therefore you are driving illegally.
I would hazard an educated guess that an empty old Rice double trailer weighs more than 800kg

 

[martlin]

From Rice website
new trailers (which will be lighter than the old ones, so yours will be heavier)
unladen weight 980kg
gross weight 2300kg
You simply cannot tow it legally with a car with 1200 kg towing capacity. End of.

 

[Baileyhoss]

There should be a plate on the drawbar of the trailer which tells you the weight. Rice's can be heavy though. As a guide, my 10yo IW505 weighs 1170kg unladen, which wouldn't allow much room for a pone. I would have thought an older rice would be more.

The other thing to consider is that the maximum towing weight of the car, probably wouldn't account for a live moving load, so it's never advisable to tow a horse at the top of the cars limit. don't forget, you'll need weight left over for people, tack, water & hay.

There is also the gearing, clutch and brakes to think about on the golf. They will take a hammering as the car isn't designed for this.

If the weights work out ok and your hubby is dead set on this idea. get him to take the trailer out for a run with the trailer either empty or with some barrels of water in to see how stable it is and how responsive the braking is and how the clutch smells reversing it. I would imagine it will put him off.

 

[Tinypony]

It's all here. Tell him to read it! http://www.cuddles.abelgratis.net/kerbweights.htm
Get him to read the 85%? bit carefully and think about the safety of not only the pony, but anyone travelling in the car.
Yes, get some big water or oil drums and fill them in the trailer, put the lids on and then lay them down so that they can roll about on the bends. Send him off for a play.

 

[skewbaldpony]

he has finally come to terms with the fact that it is a bad idea.
thanks guys.