I’m going to take the leap into trailer ownership. I just want a little two horse bumper pull to take my own horse on local excursions.
I don’t want a truck. It’s an impractical vehicle for my family.
What SUV can safely pull (and STOP) a two horse bumper pull?
A friend has towed with a Chevy Suburban for years. I have know people that have a Ford Expedition as their tow vehicle.
well, I am old and shocked at the cost of a new Chevy Suburban… as shown $72,300
https://www.chevrolet.com/suvs/suburban
I peeked at the Ford Expedition as an option. It’s not cheap, but it’s cheaper than some of the other large SUVs that have high towing capacity.
I have a 2003 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer, it works well. I have a three-horse aluminum slant load that’s about 2400 lbs, but will only haul max two horses in it due to the lower tow capacity, though it’s almost always just my mare that I’m taking somewhere.
A boarder of mine had a Toyota for many years, I think a 4Runner? Not completely sure on the model.
She recently got a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
We have a Chevy Suburban 2500 and 1500. Both work but we prefer the Chevy Suburban 2500.
A friend a uses an older GMC Yukon. She pulls a 2 horse slant locally. Works just fine. FYI the GMC has a larger engine than the similar Chevy Tahoe.
I had a Yukon XL for a long time with the 6.0 Vortec, zero issues with it. It was a 2002, IIRC.
I have pulled many small bumper pulls with a v8 Dodge Durango, no issues there either.
I have a 2006 Chevy Tahoe that I pull my 2 horse CM trailer with. I previously owned a 1999 Ford Expedition and pulled the same trailer with no issues. I have electric brakes and a towing package on my tahoe, which includes an external transmission cooler as well as heavier rear end.
I’ve been happy with my Expedition. I have an aluminum 2 horse slant, and usually only haul my one horse but occasionally have hauled 2 horses over 1000 miles round trip.
I have a Toyota Sequoia to pull my 2H BP. I wouldn’t go any smaller and would really like a big truck for pulling. However, I only do short trips on flat land, so that big truck is probably not gonna happen.
I’ve towed with an Expedition and a Yukon XL. Both were great for a little bp trailer.
I pulled with a Jeep Grand Cherokee (will this model name change soon, probably yes) with the 4.7 V8. It wasn’t the best due to the short wheelbase, but it did the job and never broke down. The new Grand Cherokee’s have an even higher tow rating, so should feel even better.
Keep your brakes turned up a click higher than you think you need them. Helps keep everything stable when stopping.
I second the older Yukon. Used to have a 2004 Yukon, and back when I was in the saddle industry, that thing towed a trailer full of saddles across basically the entire continental US a few times.
I still see a lot of that year model SUVs around, I really think that was an exceptional model in general.
Close friend towed a two horse BP walk-thru (no dressing room) for many years with an old V8 half-ton Suburban; she liked it fine (and that trailer was not particularly lightweight). That vehicle went on forever.
I drove that rig a few times, too, and it was okay, although I don’t care for the way the various Chevy’s I’ve driven handled (little too remote feeling for my taste). But I haven’t driven a newer one.
Have you considered a crew cab with a short bed? I have the 6.5 ft bed instead of the full 8 foot bed. Lots of room in the back seat for adults, car seats etc… Still a long vehicle. I use the bed a lot- bulk mulch, grave for the driveway, building supplies, muck tub when I trailer, taking the trash/recycles to the end of the 400 ft driveway, moving firewood, taking lawn debris to the compost place (no burning in our township), moving furniture, picking up hay/straw/roundbales. I am sure I can come up with a number of other things I routinely use the bed for. I don’t keep my horses at home but have 2 acres so still use the truck a lot. DH and I do a lot of our own home improvement so picking up hardwood flooring, deck wood, molding, plumbing supplies, rolls of carpet, bushes etc… is so much easier with a pick up.
I will admit it is not a daily driver now but when I purchased my Chevy crew cab in 2001 it was my daily driver for a few year. We now have 2 convertibles and 1 F350 crew cab.
Before you buy get very familiar with the options required to reach these tow ratings. Most require factory installed tow packages because they include upgraded brakes/suspension/engine cooling. It is not just throwing on a tow bar and a brake controller.
I just bought a Durango because it pulls like a truck but handles like a sport wagon. The V8 with tow package is rated to 7200lbs. The SRT and upcoming Trackhawk trims can go over 8k.
10 Best SUVs for Towing in 2020 [LIST=1]
I had a 2000 expedition w/tow package that I hauled my trail et new Yorker for over 10 years (and for about a year, sundowner). Short trips and long trips, it was fine.
We tow with a full size van, and have for decades. The long wheelbase makes it very stable with a bumper pull trailer, it works great for our family/carpool duty, and was significantly cheaper than any of the truck/SUV options with equivalent tow capacity. Just don’t get the 15 passenger version.
I knew someone who towed with an expedition and would never do it (or put my horse on her trailer) after seeing a horse move the whole rig, trailer first, over a lane when I was following. Thankfully it was a quiet country road so she was able to pull out of it, but I wouldn’t risk it.
Look for something on a truck frame, like a Suburban or a heavy van, or get a light trailer like a Suburban.
FWIW I have a new Ram with a “mega cab” and a 6.5’ bed and it has more passenger space than many SUVs. Unless you need that third row of sitting it may be a better choice, and just put a cap or cover on the back for cargo securement.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
