Towing with a 7 seater

[notasausage]

Looking at the grand Picasso or the Zafira Tourer and want to eventually pull a small livestock trailer or horse box with small pony. Anyone using either of these cars for towing? the spec says 750 unbraked or 1500 braked which seems fairly standard for this group of car. General thoughts on these as 7 sweaters also appreciated.

You'd have to figure out how much the trailer weighs, along with the pony and whatever else you're going to put in it. I think even an Equi Trek trailer will be over weight for your car once it's loaded. Something like a Rice or Ifor Williams would put you way over weight.

You car can 'carry' up to 1500kg. The [url=www.equi-trek.com/uk/horse-trailers/trail-treka-l/info]Trail Treka[/url] weighs 910kg. Throw in the weight of your pony, hay, water, tack plus everything in the car and you'd be closer to the limit that I'd be comfortable with.

Weight issues aside, they're really not designed to hold up to towing for extended periods of time.

I think you would be better off looking at something with a towing capacity of 1800-2000kg. If you need 7 seats, would it be easier to buy a 4x4 if you're planning on towing. The big Volvo estates might do, I think you can get 7 seat versions of them, and they could tow 1800kg. That was the older ones, not sure if the new ones are the same or not. You would be comfortably in range with an ifor Williams trailer and a small pony or two. I had to give up the Volvo and get a Land Rover when the kids grew and needed bigger ponies which pushed us over the limit.

When did you pass your test out of interest?

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm an old git so passed before the extra towing test - think I passed in 1993. The extra complicating factor is that it will be a company vehicle which limits CO emissions to 140 so all the 4x4's are out of the equation. I had not considered that the 1500kg included what was in the car as well as what was in the trailer but that makes sense. Think it will be a 7 seater first and then work out how to tow a horse trailer if/when the need arises

I had not considered that the 1500kg included what was in the car as well as what was in the trailer but that makes sense.

Eh? It doesn't. The 1500kg towing limit refers to the mass of the trailer. The gross train weight is the maximum mass for the car and trailer combined, and will be shown on the VIN plate.

I'm an old git so passed before the extra towing test

That's good. At least you don't have to try and fit it within the rules of the post '97 rules as well.

I'd look closely at the zafira I think they are poor 7 seaters, middle seat second row is tiny. I've just been looking at Volkswagen caddy vans. Full 7 seats, big boot, not sure about efficiency but one with bluemotion might suit.

Loved the new Zafira Tourer and it fitted 3 full size car seats along the middle row no problem - something my Peugeot 3008 couldn't do, but it was a bit more expensive to lease, so the Citroen Grand Picasso won - hope I don't regret it!