Car to tow with.....

[Theresahairbrushinthefridge]

So. I have headed down the slippery slope. I am spending a fortune on transport.

Thinking of getting a trailer. I reckon £2k for a second hand one. Looking to be able to tow the standard 1950kg. Although our present horses are lighter than that. A pony and two 15.2hh

However our family car is too light to tow. What cars do people recommend without going into the mega luxury end. Mostly it will be me and my 15.2. I don't have a budget as yet. I don't know anything about these kind of cars. So far a second hand Citroen kind of a person!!!

I beginning to think a 3.5t is the way to go. We already have two cars. The family people carrier which works brilliantly for us and is economical on long journeys. And an ancient tiny car which is worth nothing, dead cheap to run and really useful for city living and parking!!!! I can't see how replacing either of these is good value.

So..... are the cheaper 3.5t or conversions ok? The equitrek style are out of my price range.

Are the van conversions safe and robust enough. I have seen some mixed info. My max combo would be a 15.1 heavy cob. And a 15.2 ISH
The weight of some of the conversions seems very low given that they say they carry 2 x 16.2.

Seen some very shiny new conversions but with very high mileage.

I would absolutely love a 3.5 lorry but everything I've seen that would take either a 16.2 or a 15.1 was much more expensive than a car and a trailer or less reliable

I would absolutely not put 2 x 16.2s in a 3.5 tonne lorry

Me neither, no way.

OP is suggesting 2 15.2 max in 3.5 lorry, not 2 16.2! Worth exploring. We got a diesel truck with less than 100k miles, full MOT. Reliable & powerful. Double axel behind, so very stable. Worth exploring. They are around; also max load weight can be increased.

I wouldn't carry two in a 3.5 tbh. The payload is what? 1 tonne? A 15.1 heavy cob is probably 600kg that leaves 400 - even if the other horse weighs 400 thats nothing for you, the tack, other people, water, etc

I have a 16h2” RID that weighs just a little over 600kg, so a 15h 1” cob should be closer to 500 kg. She can work this out herself, using weight tapes or other methods.
The point is, a 3.5 lorry is an option worth exploring, and should’t Be dismissed based on hypotheticals.

I agree that some of the boxes saying they take 2x 16.2 with a 1250 payload is just not accurate.

The equitrek 3.5 t have a much higher payload as I understand it.

Still pondering. I won't be doing shows so
Much. But trips to local hacking a
Couple of times a week. Then regular 1.5 hr motorway hauls to my parents. Most of my hauling will be with just my 15.2 but obviously want the option of taking my daughters cob.

Obviously a budget of 25k and no worries about running costs would help the decision making 😂

Having another look at payloads I think I am back to a trailer!

If this checked out mechanically and in weight it might be worth looking into. You could probably take some of the seats out too.

I worked out I could only safely carry one in a 3.5. Shame as I love them. Love out truck and trailer tho - both horses, all of us, tack, camping stuff and dogs!!

My husband pointed out last night that we have three children!!! So if I want to tow down to my parents I'll need to have room for them too 😳

So car and trailer it is!!

I have three kids hence the Kia sorentto as it has a massive boot that fits two lots of tack and other random stuff. Plus you can convert to 7 seats which is great for random pals of kids 😀 however you wouldn’t fit tack in too with 7 seats. But it helps justify the expense as it does both - pulls a trailer for horsey days, holds extra kids for non horsey days.

We use a disco.

If wanting to move three horses you may find it easier to get a three horse trailer than find a 7.5 that won't be overweight unless going for an entirely stripped out livestock type body (not a single 7.5 from our yard was legal last time we all went off via the local weigh bridge to a show.

We plan to get a lorry in the next few years but are planning for around a 12 ton.

For reference towing a big box our disco does 21-22mpg, if driven very gently indeed without a trailer it can tickle 30mpg.

I wouldn't put anything in a 3.5t lorry. They aren't as safe as trailers or bigger lorries for horses and so many people have had accidents in them. Don't trust them anymore.

If you get a car and trailer, always check the towing capacity on parkers first before buying it. I would say never have anything that can tow less than or up to 2000kg. At 2000kg it might be able to do it but not safely and you will just ruin the cars engine, brakes and clutch quicker than with a bigger toeing capacity. It's not a target to meet, it's a limit and realistically you should be well under it, not just at it. Our l200 tows 2500kg and it never struggles with my horse, but with a trailer on its about as long as a bus if not longer, so maybe not ideal.

Thanks to everyone who helped me. Now very proud owner of Ifor 510. (Bought from a friend) and an old Touareg.

Let the adventures begin.....