Daily driver towing vehicles: What do you drive?

[juliep]

Hi everyone, OK so I know folks have strong feelings about what one should haul horses with. Please don’t be nasty–I want to gain knowledge, not be shamed or feel abused. I’m curious to see what other folks typically haul with that they also use as their daily drivers?

I don’t have a trailer yet, but I will likely end up with a lighter weight, stock type two horse. It won’t be anything fancy, just want it safe for my horse. I’m in Texas where trucks are king, but don’t currently own one. I figure there may be other options out there? I know not everyone is all up in their dually or 3500 commuting to the city from the suburbs LOL.

I *think I would be considered a “light” hauler…my plan is to haul usually 1, although it’d be nice to have the power to haul 2 sometimes-- no more than 2x per month, sometimes no trips at all during the depths of summer, with distances usually in the 30 minutes–3 hours one way range. The terrain is “North Texas” flat, not many hills at all, but we can get some high winds.

I currently have a 2018 4x4 Toyota 4 Runner that has a 4.0-liter V-6 with 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. It will tow 5,000 lbs, so technically it appears like it could work for one horse (def not two), but I’m a little uneasy about its real capacity to haul live weight.

So what do ya’ll drive for those of you who may have a similar situation? Advice, tips, words of wisdom, lessons learned?

Thanks, Chronicle think tank!

[ecpolo]

I have a tahoe that I occasionally pull a 2h stock trailer with, and I cannot say I recommend it at all. You will get blown all over the road. I would rather do hills than flat and windy TX highways in that setup. I still do it when needed but would be very bummed if I did not have any other options. It is definitely handy for short distances and vet visits.

That 4 runner is almost 1000 lbs lighter than the Tahoe. I would never use it to tow unless it was a serious emergency and no other options present.

[tabula_rashah]

I drove an Explorer with a 2 horse BP until I literally blew the transmission to pieces doing it. I also have drive my brother’s 4 Runner quite often- it’s not nearly as sturdy as the Explorer. I don’t think you need a 3500 but at least something 1500. Please, please don’t tow with a 4Runner

[clanter]

We are in Fort Worth. We have F150 four wheel drive we use to tow the trailer around, the truck isn’t used as daily drive but could easily handle that task if needed

[juliep]

@tabula rashah

I drove an Explorer with a 2 horse BP until I literally blew the transmission to pieces doing it. I also have drive my brother’s 4 Runner quite often- it’s not nearly as sturdy as the Explorer. I don’t think you need a 3500 but at least something 1500. Please, please don’t tow with a 4Runner

Yes, you’re confirming my suspicions. The total vehicle weight and just driving it everyday makes me realllly question how it could actually tow up to 5,000 lbs?

[juliep]

@clanter

We are in Fort Worth. We have F150 four wheel drive we use to tow the trailer around, the truck isn’t used as daily drive but could easily handle that task if needed

Do you like it? What do you pull with it? I’d much prefer something with 4wd–haven’t had a vehicle without it for years.

[clanter]

@juliep

Do you like it? What do you pull with it? I’d much prefer something with 4wd–haven’t had a vehicle without it for years.

It is a really nice truck, older 2006 King Ranch crew cab so it has all the stuff that they had then… It pulls really nice do not know the two trailer is there. Wife and daughter just took it to North Dakota to pickup a new horse, They used the four wheel drive to get there and back as they were dodging a blizzard (I see they have another blizzard headed in there Thursday)

Rarely need four wheel drive here bit we used to do a lot of trail riding in the LBJ Grasslands

I see the new ones are in oh my god land of $60,000 so I suppose ours will be around for a while, it only has 120,000 miles on it

[candyappy]

@juliep

I currently have a 2018 4x4 Toyota 4 Runner that has a 4.0-liter V-6 with 270 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. It will tow 5,000 lbs,

So what do ya’ll drive for those of you who may have a similar situation? Advice, tips, words of wisdom, lessons learned?

I wouldn’t haul anything with the car you’ve got. If it has good gas milage keep it for commuting and daily driving and find an affordable used truck with the power to safely tow a trailer.

I say this because I was hauling my 2 horse BP trailer with 1 normal sized horse in it when my trailer brakes suddenly locked up. I had to finish my drive home with no trailer brakes. I could feel that trailer pushing me at every slow down and stop and I was so thankful to have my F-250 and not some vehicle that I could " make do with".

Since you are starting from square 1 in needing both a truck and trailer get what you can afford, but get what is right.

[Guilherme]

There are a range of options, here. Clanter has given you a good one. It’s probably the “low end” of the range.

When considering what to pull with you must first consider what you pulling and where you are pulling it. How often is really not that much of a factor 'cause if the combo works once without issue it should work whenever without issue. Without issue, here, means just that. If you’re consistently overheating/over-stressing your tranny and get away with it)once you still have an issue. If you get away with it 100 times you still have the issue!

One way to approach the problem is buy the trailer first. Buy what YOU need/want to do WHERE you want to do it. If you do this you don’t run the risk of buying either too much or too little truck. The trailer is usually the smaller of the two purchases (in $$$) so “right sizing” is a Good Thing!!!

In this remember that quality doesn’t cost, it pays. If you (or your SO) is handy then you can buy a “beater” and fix it up. But you have to KNOW what you are about if you are thinking about this. Most folks are better off buying higher up the quality scale. This is true for truck, trailer, or both.

Whenever I look at the price of new pickups I get a bad case of “the vapors”!!! They have, literally, gone beyond reason. I am taking very good care of my 2008 Duramax and even considering having it “re-manufactured” when the time comes. I found a place in Texas that says they do this and price tag for the full Montey is around $32,500 (less if the truck is in reasonable condition). That’s a lot but a new 2019, similarly equipped, tops $65,000. I have not researched them so I don’t know if they are good or just good at marketing.

G.

[Training_Cupid]

I have a Ford Expedition that I’ve been really happy hauling an aluminum bumper pull with usually one, sometimes 2 horses. It is also our second car and my husband’s daily driver, but he only drives about 10 miles per day. I find it very comfortable and for its size handles quite easily, just the gas mileage is dismal!
It has 4wd, we also use it when we go up to the mountains for skiing

[clanter]

The trailer is usually the smaller of the two purchases (in $$$) so “right sizing” is a Good Thing!!!

wife was looking at one that had a price tag of $160,000 on it … well that is a little beyond the budget dear.

[Unfforgettable]

2019 Ram 1500, with the 5.7 Hemi and 3.92 rearend. Handles my two horse with dressing room like it’s not even there.

[Texarkana]

@Unfforgettable

2019 Ram 1500, with the 5.7 Hemi and 3.92 rearend. Handles my two horse with dressing room like it’s not even there.

I have almost the same truck. Mine’s a 2015 model, shorter differential, but the 8 speed transmission helps with that.

No problems towing my 2H steel stock combo trailer with dressing room. I’m constantly impressed with how nicely it handles it, especially considering I “downgraded” from an older 2500 GMC Sierra.

[Guilherme]

@clanter

wife was looking at one that had a price tag of $160,000 on it … well that is a little beyond the budget dear.

I look at “trailer porn” all the time. Haven’t bought any, though. ;(

G.

[TullyMars]

2005 F350 Diesel SRW Crew Cab LB
2000 F350 Triton V10 Gas SRW Crew Cab LB
2007 Chevy 2500 6.0 Gas SRW Crew Cab LB
2001 Chevy 2500 6.0 Gas SRW Crew Cab SB

These are my common daily driver/commuter trucks. Do not own a car!

[hunt_jumpfl]

I moved to a 2018 Ram 2500 last May from a 2009 Sierra 1500. I haul a 2 horse Hawk BP and while the 1500 handled it well, that truck was needing a lot of work to keep going for only 150k miles. I don’t know for sure if it was the hauling or commuting that did it in, but I decided this time around to go with the more truck than I should ever need approach. I also changed jobs last year which dropped my overall mileage for commuting but shifted me to almost all in town driving. Even so, the Ram is getting within a couple mpg as my old Sierra - though both are pretty bad lol. Between insurance, car taxes, and registration I just can’t justify a commuter vehicle and a separate hauling vehicle though.

[Risuena]

I was shopping for my first truck (that would also double as my daily driver) and trailer about a year and a half ago and my needs were almost identical to yours. I decided a used half-ton should fit both my horse and family needs, and test drove Ford F150s, GMC 1500s, and Ram 1500s. Couldn’t tell you exactly why, but I LOVED the Rams I tried. I really thought I would end up with a Ford, and there was a Sierra 1500 that on paper was exactly what I wanted, but there was something about the feel of the Ram I really enjoyed. I ended up with a 2015 EcoDiesel, which works great since my commute is mostly highway. I never thought I’d love a vehicle as much as I love this one! So I’d say go test drive everything that might work for you, and see how it feels.

I read that there was a general rule that with horses (live weight) you should stay below about 75% of towing capacity. I’m well within mine with one horse, and I’d feel fine about hauling a friend’s horse too if that came up, but I wouldn’t have gotten a 1500 if I actually planned on hauling 2 regularly. As a complete novice, I also spent a lot of time reading about things like the axle ratios and learned that one 1500 could have a very different towing capacity than the 1500 parked next to it. I also learned (reading COTH, thanks everyone!) that you should NOT trust the car salesman and in fact I found that the axle ratio listed on the truck I was interested in was wrong (that truck was not manufactured with that configuration) and the dealership had to do some digging to figure out what it was. So definitely educate yourself!

[wildlifer]

My 01 F250 is my daily driver. I have 200k on the 7.3L diesel, but it’s doing great, wouldn’t trade it. It gets 22 mpg on highway so not as bad as my previous gassers (I have had an old Tahoe & Expedition) .

I have a 2h BP - the SUVs pulled it OK, with those I had a 1 horse rule, but it was hard on trannies & brakes, as previously noted. Traded in for F250, so much more stable, doesn’t matter if 50 mph crosswind hits it, we stay put.

I expect at least another 100k out of it, still on original transmission. When it dies, I will likely do what above suggested & rebuild it, I can’t & won’t pay $60k+ for a rolling metal box, they don’t have nuclear reactors in them, lol. And I hate having a vehicle swamped with computers, even worse now they are hackable. I am fortunate that I purposely moved away from harsh winter so it’s not rusty.

I wouldn’t mind having a wee commuter car, but I can’t afford 2 vehicles.

[Obsidian_Fire]

@Guilherme - in 2015 when we were shopping for a new truck, GM/Chevy was one I tested out (3500 4x4 diesel). It drove exactly like my brothers 2005 (which I had borrowed for several long hauls), for a price tag more than my first house. Plus, the leather was CRAP (already coming apart) and the controls for things we horse/truck people use were not placed in an intuitive spot at. all. It sucked.
No way was I paying that much money for something that badly put together, Duramax or no!

Just my 2 cents!

[hut-ho78]

I drive a Ford crewcab F150 with a tow package. When you are looking at vehicles, check the wheelbase (min 93" for Brenderup and 120" for bumper pull 2 horse trailer), gross trailer weight rating, the tongue weight allowed, gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), gross combined vehicle weight rating (GCVWR). Many of the trucks come with tow packages which typically come with at least a slightly stronger axle ratio. Axle ratios can be 3.21, 3.55, 3.73, 4.30, etc. I think a minimum for the weight is a 3.55. If you haul a lot you may need an F250 or Dodge Ram or Chevrolet 2500. For SUVs an Expedition barely meets the wheelbase. A Suburban is built on a truck chassis. Unless you buy a Brenderup, those are the two unless they are now making another model. What size trailer? We used to all get quarterhorse size and not even think about larger. However, with a lot of warmbloods around, I opted for a warmblood size trailer so I could haul my friends’ horses too. Trailer tires, including the spare need to be replaced every 5 years from manufacturing date. Bearings need repacking, the flooring needs inspection, etc. There are steel or aluminum or a combination the the two. Aluminum holds value. Steel is less expensive and strong but doesn’t hold up as well. Good cleaning will help. There are a lot of good articles online. Take the time to learn as much as you can.