hi i was just wondering anyone got a single box what do you use to pull it, any recomendations? Anyone using a freelander any feed back on these? was looking at double trailers and discovery but then thought WHY??? I would only take one horse anywhere at a time so having seen how spacouse single trailers are have decided to look for one of the instead. just wanting some info really anything at all good or bad, thanks.
single horse trailer/freelanders
- Thread starter JennJ
- Start date
We pull a lightweight Cheval 2 horse trailer with the freelander and have had no problems, max gross weight pulled has been 1400kg , trailer is 650kg .
We also pull a Cheval which is 730kg unladen, with 2 in it weighs approx 1570 our new freelander 11 max tow 2000kg and weighs approx 1900kg.
thanks do you have problems up hill? the cheval is alot lighter than ifors how do they compare? does the freelander struggle at all?
We don't really have any hills
, we do also tow a caravan which is 1450kg and go much further afield where there are hills - off to cornwall tomorrow, my OH thinks the Freelander 2 TD4 is brilliant.I didn't want an Ifor as to me the front ramp unloads the wrong side, they rattle (ones on our yard do anyway) and they are heavier than they need to be.
The good thing about the Cheval is it's max is compatible with a Freelander 2 - max towing of 2000kg - not sure about the older Freelander.
Ours is the older Freelander, we only have small ponies and didn't need anything any bigger than the Cheval we have, we had it downweighted for pulling legalities on daughters licence so we have gross weight limit of 1450kg laden - trailer plated new 1800kg laden and we can change it back if we want to later on, we don't have too many hills either, but what we have had no problems. We are getting the full width breach/breast bars so we can use it as a single for a problem youngster until we can get him comfortable with travelling with partitions, we are really pleased with it. certainly gives you options.
Mikh could you explain more, is that from past experience and why? I know people have told me not to use for double, im thinking ill be getting a single so the tow weight would be well within the aloud limits.
Hi yes, there are several threads on here as to why. IMO they are not up to the job, they don't have the power, and also are not built to tow as such they are effectively tonka-toys. They are on a car chassis, combined with a single trailer the potential to tip both car and trailer would be high. I also wouldn't tow with rav 4, vitara, etc. You would also potentially have to get your trailer derathed to be within the legal limit.
See here: http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174907&highlight=freelander and http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155928&highlight=freelander not a freelander but similar.
Last edited:
I sat my towing test in a freelander and IMO it was awful to tow with (although I'm not sure on the exact spec of this particular car) - it really struggled wtih just a small storage trailer on the back.
I tow a 505 and 500kg horse with my Xtrail and I've never had a problem but I'd never tow any more than this as the xtrail can only tow 2000kg.
I tow a 505 and 500kg horse with my Xtrail and I've never had a problem but I'd never tow any more than this as the xtrail can only tow 2000kg.
I tow with a freel ander and have no bother.
A free lander can legally tow something like an Ivor williams HB 401 (or similar weighted singe or double.
I have towed out of muddy fields brilliantly with one horse in an Freelander and will state that they are a good towing car within their limits
But then again how can any car be great to tow out with the limits. If you are only pulling one horse why do you need a big grunty expensive to run 4x4
Nikki xxxx
A free lander can legally tow something like an Ivor williams HB 401 (or similar weighted singe or double.
I have towed out of muddy fields brilliantly with one horse in an Freelander and will state that they are a good towing car within their limits
But then again how can any car be great to tow out with the limits. If you are only pulling one horse why do you need a big grunty expensive to run 4x4
Nikki xxxx
i know people who swear by towing with thie freelanders with derated trailers.... or just rather naughtily i'm certinaly considering one for when my trooper dies... i'll have a derated 505 (horse wont travel with partitions so i'll never tow two )
i'm certinaly considering one for when my trooper dies... i'll have a derated 505 (horse wont travel with partitions so i'll never tow two )
I'm sorry to disagree but certainly the new Freelander is designed to tow, (when we queried the breakdown cover re- potentially having horses to think of we were told they would expect it to be towing) my trailer did not need to be down rated to tow and it tows very well and is stable. we are sensible and my pony only weighs less than 400kg and the other a bit more. Having been to loads of places where people are towing horse trailers with Mondeos, Golfs etc I know what I'd rather use.
Not everyone can afford to run a disco and personally I'd rather my new Freelander than an older potentially less reliable disco. (I know of at least one nasty incident where something failed on an old disco causing an accident - thankfully all were ok)
That's not really a reason..any car can fail spectacularly.. (I'm not really commenting on suitability for towing).. I saw an upside down 09 Freelander on the Motorway yesterday.. with an upside down 505 attached. No horses on. (I stopped to see if I could help)... Policeman waiting with rig for clearance team said that apparently the trailer started weaving in the wind and flipped up taking the car with it..
I would tow with the biggest car I can afford.. I would even an older, heavier car rather than lighter newer car.. purely for safety not cash reasons. I've just bought an 51 reg Navara
Tows beautifully, cheap tax & insurance as it's a commercial vehicle and loads of space.Any car can cause an accident regardless of model, or age if there is a falt
I wasn't recommending a car to tow with, and I don't own a disco so can't comment on it's performance.
A proper towing car, usually has a separate ladder chassis or can at least tow 2500kg (anything less for me is too close to the bone) a freelander doesn't, that's why it doesn't constitute as a towing car in my eyes.
I personally wouldn't put my horse in a trailer towed by one, as I don't think it is safe enough, but that's just my choice. If I couldn't afford to run a car which equal or exceeded the laden weight of my trailer (not a deplated one) then I wouldn't tow, but that's just me. The car I tow with can tow 3500kgs, and I'm happy with that I can tow, two horses in an ifor, equi trek, wessex etc, all legally.
I wasn't recommending a car to tow with, and I don't own a disco so can't comment on it's performance.
A proper towing car, usually has a separate ladder chassis or can at least tow 2500kg (anything less for me is too close to the bone) a freelander doesn't, that's why it doesn't constitute as a towing car in my eyes.
I personally wouldn't put my horse in a trailer towed by one, as I don't think it is safe enough, but that's just my choice. If I couldn't afford to run a car which equal or exceeded the laden weight of my trailer (not a deplated one) then I wouldn't tow, but that's just me. The car I tow with can tow 3500kgs, and I'm happy with that I can tow, two horses in an ifor, equi trek, wessex etc, all legally.
So then us people who cannot afford to run a bigger car should not be taking out horses out and about then in your eyes???
Not all of us can buy lorries/conversions/bigger towing cars etc but we want to do all the things we can to enjoy ourselves. I want to go to local shos and events and go to the beach and hack with my friends and to do this I either have to tow with the freelander or the Xtrail and I am happy with boths performance. Its your own choice what you tow with and as long as your careful I dont see the problem.
I tow with an xtrail as well and it has been slated but tows brilliantly with again one horse and a 505 I dont want or need a bigger car as I dont have the funds to run it.
Nikki xxx
That's not really a reason..any car can fail spectacularly.. (I'm not really commenting on suitability for towing).. I saw an upside down 09 Freelander on the Motorway yesterday.. with an upside down 505 attached. No horses on. (I stopped to see if I could help)... Policeman waiting with rig for clearance team said that apparently the trailer started weaving in the wind and flipped up taking the car with it..
I would tow with the biggest car I can afford.. older cars rather than lighter newer cars.. purely for safety. I've just bought an 51 Navara
I do agree any car can fail as for towing horses on a motorway, not something I would do anyway, none nearby us. I do feel it depends partly on how far you intend to go we only go to the vet which is 13 miles mainly built up area and our local shows which are max 20 miles. We would not go out in high winds.
Because we tow a caravan very long distances we had to make compromise between the ideal vehicle for the horses and a nicer / more economical vehicle for long distance and not towing.
So then us people who cannot afford to run a bigger car should not be taking out horses out and about then in your eyes???
Not all of us can buy lorries/conversions/bigger towing cars etc but we want to do all the things we can to enjoy ourselves. I want to go to local shos and events and go to the beach and hack with my friends and to do this I either have to tow with the freelander or the Xtrail and I am happy with boths performance. Its your own choice what you tow with and as long as your careful I dont see the problem.
I tow with an xtrail as well and it has been slated but tows brilliantly with again one horse and a 505 I dont want or need a bigger car as I dont have the funds to run it.
Nikki xxx
I said that's just me, each to their own, but I am with BIrish, I'd always aim to buy the most capable car possible. I really don't want to sail close to the wind (no pun), and reading BIrish's post, it reaffirms my views.
I had to wait two years for my towing car, and it is a 4ltr, so I also run a more economical car along side it. To do that I sacrafice a lot, it's not cheap running two for one person, plus my OH's car. So fiancially like most things people make sacrafices for what they want, one of mine is for a very capable 4x4, but again that's up to each inidividual as to whether they do that, and what they feel comfortable with, and are happy with.
newrider.com