Cars for pulling trailers - help!

Shetlander

Shetlander

Member
Aug 23, 2010
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16
Surrey
Dear NRs

Thinking ahead to getting a trailer in the future, I need some answers to help with car decisions. All comments and advice gratefully received!

1. Does it have to be a 4x4 to pull and if so, how do you know which ones can and which can't tow (2 horses in a trailer)?

2. Can the likes of the newer Honda CRVs do the job?

3. Are there any to avoid and why?

4. If I bought a really old 4x4 for this (and kept my car for fuel economy as I do loads of business miles), which would you recommend and why?


This whole business seems to be a minefield! I can only exchange my car for a newer/decent 4x4 if I can get reasonable fuel economy as I do a lot of miles for work so it's real balancing act to get this right against running a 4x4 as a second vehicle.

Please help! xx
 
It is a nightmare isn`t it. I can only speak from personal experience but we have an old 3.1 TD Isuzu Trooper and it tows like a dream.

I don`t know about any of the newer stuff, but i`m sure others could help.

Hubs uses ours just for work and back, and my car is the one we use for everything else as it is very economical, so that works for us. x
 
We used to have a CRV but I am told it wouldn't have been able to hack pulling a trailer.

We currently have a Nissan X Trail which has a bigger engine but at 2.2 it would only just do it.

Ask Fairlady, she knows all the numbers to crunch!

(PS how are you????)
 
Is it a single or double trailer. A single can be pulled by a car something like a Subaru Forrester which has 4x4 capabilities or any good sized family car. The weight you can tow is pretty much governed by the weight of the car if your vehicle is say 1 ton you can tow up to 80% of the vehicle weight [I think this is correct]. However, if it is a double trailer you will required a bigger and heavier vehicle. A 4x4 is ideal as all horse events are usually held in a field where there is mud and glaur up to your eyeballs so 4x4 capability means you have less chance of getting stuck. What most people forget that towing a trailer with a car or any vehicle for that matter is that it pushes you from behind when you brake so it is important that any horse trailer you buy has the brakes well checked out. Ifor Williams in my humble opinion are the best but they usually hold their price if your are buying second hand. But there are many types now the main thing when buying second hand is the brakes and obviously the state of the floor and chassis. Hope this helps.
 
I just did a google because I remember looking on a website that gave you towing capacities etc, think it was a .gov one. Didn't find it this time because I got sidetracked by this website

http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/towing_vehicles.htm

Interesting - I spent some time playing with putting weights into a trailer and seeing what type of car came up as suitable, I'm not entirely sure I believe it! Lots of info on there though.
 
I don't believe that website, or maybe I am totally wrong:unsure:, I thought it depended on the MAM of your trailer?

I have an ifor 510, MAM of 2700kg, yet that website was telling me that a blooming estate car could safely pull it fully laden with 1100kg of horse, because the total weight was only 2100kg. No freaking way:help: I suppose it could be legal if I replated the trailer to a lower MAM, but even so, I feel safer with a heavier towing vehicle, to reduce the likelihood of tail wagging the dog syndrome!
 
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This is a very interesting thread (reply from VOSA), and may clear up any confusion re. towing weights etc.,

This is what Wibble sent to Vosa, and the reply she got.........

This is the email I sent Vosa

Could you answer a debate which has been raging on an internet forum once and for all?

It concerns the maximum towing weight of the vehicle towing against the plated maximum weight of the trailer (in this case we are talking horse trailers), it assumes the driver to have passed test prior to 1997

group A believe that for example if the trailer has a plated weight of 2800kg then you should only tow with a vehicle that has a towing weight of 2800kg or more and that if you towed with a vehicle with a maximum tow weight of 2600kg even if you were only pulling a shetland it would be illegal. To be legal you should have the trailer replated to 2600kg or buy a vehicle that can pull 2800kg or above

Group B believe that is is only based on the actual weight being towed so if the trailer weighs 1000kg and the horse weighs 600 as long as your vehicle has a tow weight of 1601kg or above you are legal.

Are either group right? If Group A are which law is it that states this.

Whichever group is right can you advise where this is written down, we can find several recommendations but no actual laws?

Both groups want to make sure that no-one is breaking the law or is libel to be fined, equally they want to make sure people aren't buying bigger tow cars for no reason.

Many Thanks


and this the response I got

Karen I refer to your mail of 20 June to VOSA Enquiries on the above subject which has been passed to me to answer. There are two aspects to your question, the technical capability of the car to tow the weight, and driving licence limitations. There is no technical problem with the gross vehicle weight of the trailer exceeding a car's towing capability providing its actual weight does not exceed the towing capability, or if the car also has a stated train weight on its manufacturers plate and the weight of the car, trailer and load does not exceed that train weight . It is entirely normal for vehicles totow trailers which have a GVW exceeding the towing or GTW capability. Most HGV artic combinations are like this. For driving licence purposes, however, if drivers only have a category B driving licence entitlement then if the trailer exceeds 750 kg GVW then the trailer GVW must not exceed the unladen weight of the car and the totalof the trailer and car GVWs must not exceed 3500 kg. The combination of a trailer with a GVW of 2800 kg (or 2600 kg for that matter) could not therefore be driven on a category B licence. It can however be driven on a category BE ( or B+E on some licences) which anybody who passed their driving test before 1 January 1997 will have. This category does not have the trailer weight or relative combination size limitations. If they haven't got the BE / B+E licence (people need to look at the licence photocard reverse for entitlements) then they will need to take an extra trailer test to get the BE entitlement. According to the above and referring to your mail it is Group B that arecorrect. Group A are getting confused about issues related to category Bdriving licence restrictions which are irrelevant in the forum context ofpre-1997 qualified drivers. I hope this answers your question adequately. Steve Whitehart Heavy Vehicle Process Manager Testing and Support Services Customer Service CentreVOSA Swansea


So driving licence laws are quoted but still no laws on towing weights but I conceed it does look like you can tow with a less able car although I still wouldnt want to and I am guessing that you would only get a trailer replated if it affected your licence not because of the car? I do think this is something that could be put into a clear concise document as there is so much confusion out there.
 
Wow I knew you NR peeps would be helpful.... Although it all feels ,ike a mathematical nightmare as well as a financial one!

So... What vehicles are you all towing with?

Also, didn't know you could get a single trailer? Anyone got one to share pics?
 
I had a Cheval Liberty trailer and towed with my VW Bora which was allowed but I was never happy, so got a Trooper which was OK. Then when back to a lorry which I was so happy about. But then had to sell as 1 mile in LEZ. Could not afford trailer and 4x4 so I brought nearly new Ifor Williams 510 Classic and I use my friends Mitsubishi Warrior. I am happy to tow with it and the horse loves it to. It works well my friends uses my trailer and I use her car.

Good luck,
 
We have a Honda CRV and Ifor 510 with a 450kg (approx) pony in. Sent all the details to VOSA and they confirmed that we can tow that absolutely fine.

At work we have a Toyota Landcruiser and that can pull a 3horse Rice with about 1500kg in easy!
 
We had a CR-V and a 505 ifor williams trailer and transported a 300kg pony and it was just under the legal towing regulations, though it was okay for us we did feel the CR-V struggle at times and it was a new car and no way could we legally tow with two horses.
Ours was the 2ltr CR-V automatic and had a tow weight of only 1654 with a safe pulling weight braked of 1500kg. this means as my pony was 300kg the trailer could not be over 1200kg, as the 505 is lighter than 1200kg we were well within the safe towing laws.

I found this great site which helps with towing weights for a ifor 510
http://www.towinghorsetrailers.co.uk/towing_weights_law.htm

If your car is able to tow say up to 2500kg kerb weight and the weight of the trailer and horses is 2500kg while legal it is still dangerous as you are irght on the edge and your car will feel the strain.
Idealy it is recommeded that the weight of the towed vehichle should be 85% of the cars towing limit

Having two cars I could not afford another 4x4 not new anyway and ended up buying a Vauxhaul Frontier 2.5, it is brilliant and I can tow my 505 with two horses in it with ease, in fact I don't even feel the weight of the trailer like I did with the CR-V

Some people don't like the frontier but I have no problems with mine and fuel consumption isn't too bad either.

Good luck in finind the 4x4 for you
 
A lot comes down to the vehicle's rated towing capacity rather than whether it's a 4x4. A modern SUV can tow two horses if it's properly rated, but a true 4x4 is definitely an advantage once you're pulling out of wet showgrounds or uneven fields. Always check the manufacturer's towing limit, the trailer's gross weight, and the vehicle's payload before making a decision.

The newer CR-V models can work in some situations, but many owners hauling horses still prefer heavier vehicles because they feel more stable, especially in crosswinds or during emergency braking. Older models including the Toyota Land Cruiser, Mitsubishi Shogun, or Isuzu Trooper have earned a solid reputation for towing if they've been well maintained.

When comparing used tow vehicles or trailers, it also helps to get advice from businesses that work with towing equipment every day. Crawford Truck Sales has experience with trucks and trailers, and their location is easy to find here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?cid=10290295707305905838. Even if you're buying elsewhere, getting guidance on towing setup, hitch ratings, and trailer compatibility can help avoid an expensive mistake.

The best advice is to buy based on the combined weight of the loaded trailer and horses, not just the vehicle's engine size or fuel economy. A stable tow vehicle is worth far more than saving a few miles per gallon when you're transporting horses.
 
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