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Light Weight Horse Trailer Options

Around The Farm
#1

Hello CoH members,

I’m looking for some advice on a horse trailer. I have a friend who means a lot to me hauling two horses that also mean a lot to me from Wisconsin to British Columbia. The tow vehicle will be a Range Rover with a 7,000 lb towing capacity. One horse is a quarter horse and I’m guessing he weighs right around 1,100 lbs. Another horse is a 3/4 quarter horse and 1/4 saddlebred and he weighs 1,200 lbs or a little more.

I’d like to keep the trailer weight as low as possible and keep at least a 20% margin of safety on that rated towing capacity. I know towing live animals is a lot different from towing dead weight.

That gives us a total towing weight of 5,600 lbs. Subtract 2,300 lbs for the animals, and 500 lbs for any gear, feed, water etc that will find it’s way on the trip and I’m looking at a trailer weight of 2,800 lbs or less. On top of that my friend would like a slant load trailer that has loading/unloading in both the rear and the front OR side. To make this even more of a challenge the tongue weight can’t exceed 550 LBS (manufacturer’s spec) (NOT THE 331 LBS I ORIGINALLY POSTED).

I know such a trailer can be found in Europe where she currently lives, but I’m not sure such a rig exists here in the states. Here is one sold in the UK http://www.chevaltrailers.co.uk/trailer-gold-xl-diagonal.html

I know the tow vehicle isn’t ideal for that long of a haul with two horses, but I’m trying to make it safe as possible for all parties involved given what they have. Once she gets to Canada she’ll probably only tow one horse at a time if she’s going over long distances in BC. Two horses would typically be local tows which I’m not too concerned about.

I’ve towed plenty of trailers, but my horse trailer experience is limited to a gooseneck, a large bumper pull being pulled by a one ton truck, and stock trailers being pulled by suitable sized rigs.

Does anybody know of such a trailer?

Thank you for the help,

Scott

#2

The Bockmann Portax line is pretty much the only thing that’s going to be close to suitable, and while it has the side unload, it’s not a slant. It’s going to set you back about $20k, at which point I’d probably just pay a professional to haul them there and get a better setup once there…

2 Likes
#3

http://www.shadowtrailer.com/store/c5/Stablemate_Bumper_Pull_.html

couldn’t find a spec sheet to tell exact weight but this might work?

#4

Fautras at one point made what she wanted, but they are out of business now and more or less impossible to find used in the US. (As there weren’t very many here to begin with.)

#5

[QUOTE=Obsidian Fire;8628374]
http://www.shadowtrailer.com/store/c5/Stablemate_Bumper_Pull_.html

couldn’t find a spec sheet to tell exact weight but this might work?[/QUOTE]

Empty weight fits the OP’s specs, but it doesn’t have a front/side unload ramp, and I 99% sure that the tongue weight will be too heavy.

#6

I am afraid you won’t find what you are looking for. Get rid of the front/side unload ramp, and it opens up a lot of options in all price ranges.

1 Like
#7

Are you sure the tongue weight limit is 331 on the vehicle she has? It’s usually 550 on Range Rovers.

It does not make much difference though, if you want a super light trailer with a front ramp you are only going to be looking at European trailers and those tend to have 4% tongue weight.

An American trailer will generally have 10% tongue weight, so it might matter if you decide the front ramp is optional, but an American trailer with a front ramp is not going to come in under your weight limit.

I think you are going to have to compromise, or figure out how to import your own special snowflake from the UK. Böckmann has a Canadian dealer but I don’t know if they do a slant load with front ramp. http://www.maplelanetrailers.com Your other option is searching classifieds every day to see if somebody is selling a used one they imported.

1 Like
#8

The bolded part is going to make it rather tricky.

With that said, I’m actually currently helping my aunt sell her horse trailer. It’s a 3-horse slant aluminum made by CM with small dressing room in front. Empty weight is only about 3,000 pounds so it is very light. The slants can be completely tied back and the back completely opens (no rear tack) so it is very easy to allow a horse to turn around completely if you need to do so to unload them.

They are out there. Good luck with your search!

#9

Thank you all for the feedback.

The 331 lb tongue capacity is straight from land rover’s website for a range rover, unless the one she has is equipped differently where the capacity would change.

I agree that dropping the front/side ramp would open up her options quite a bit, but you still have the limitation of 331 lbs for a tongue weight. I’m not a fan of overloading manufacturer’s specifications on a long haul like that, it opens you up to a lot of legal liabilities in the worst case scenario, and a window for the worst case scenario to happen especially descending a mountain.

I found a used Brenderup which is in great shape for a reasonable price which I think would tow like a dream behind that Range Rover as long as the horses tow well, but it’s a straight load and doesn’t have a front ramp.

#10

[QUOTE=VHTA;8628858]
Thank you all for the feedback.

The 331 lb tongue capacity is straight from land rover’s website for a range rover, unless the one she has is equipped differently where the capacity would change.

I agree that dropping the front/side ramp would open up her options quite a bit, but you still have the limitation of 331 lbs for a tongue weight. I’m not a fan of overloading manufacturer’s specifications on a long haul like that, it opens you up to a lot of legal liabilities in the worst case scenario, and a window for the worst case scenario to happen especially descending a mountain.

I found a used Brenderup which is in great shape for a reasonable price which I think would tow like a dream behind that Range Rover as long as the horses tow well, but it’s a straight load and doesn’t have a front ramp.[/QUOTE]

A normal bumper pull trailer, even an aluminum 2h with no dressing room and about a 2200lb dry weight, is going to put more than 331 on the hitch. Around 12% of the weight is going to be on the hitch - the hitch weight of my 2750lb aluminum with dressing room is around 400lbs.

#11

The ONLY way you’re going to manage that low tongue weight is with a Euro trailer and in North America, that’s either going to be a used Brenderup or a Böckmann. The reason for this is that the Euro requirement demand the lower tongue weight due to the nature of tow vehicles “over there”. They also feature inertial brakes (also required by the Euro authorities) which makes them more adaptable to a wider variety of tow vehicles. None of them are going to be slants. Only the Bøckmann Portax AK is going to give you front unload. The North American distributor for Böckmann is (as far as I know) Maple Lane in Ontario and there is/was also a dealer in Maryland. They are really nice trailers…but like all things “different”…pricy to buy. Many folks “over there” tow these with Land Rovers and smaller.

If you are able to acquire a lighter weight North American design trailer (like the Trailers USA that I have at about 2200 lbs before horses), you’ll want to use a Weight Distribution Hitch to help with the tongue weight and insure proper axil balance and stability for the SUV. Trust me…I understand this as I two with a 2012 Grand Cherokee Summit with similar, albeit better towing specs than the Range Rover you cite.

#12

Actually, you must NOT use a weight distribution hitch or anti-sway device with a Range Rover! Rovers are a unibody construction & are self-leveling. Use of a weight distribution hitch puts you at risk for bending the vehicle frame.
The tongue weight quoted by the original poster is not correct for a full-size Range Rover. A full-size Rover comes in at 550lb tongue weight & towing capacity of 7,716 lbs.

#13

[QUOTE=FEI1Day;8629329]
Actually, you must NOT use a weight distribution hitch or anti-sway device with a Range Rover! Rovers are a unibody construction & are self-leveling. Use of a weight distribution hitch puts you at risk for bending the vehicle frame.
The tongue weight quoted by the original poster is not correct for a full-size Range Rover. A full-size Rover comes in at 550lb tongue weight & towing capacity of 7,716 lbs.[/QUOTE]

You are correct on both parts. I did some more digging on the land rover website and the 331lb weight they listed is for trailers without brakes. The 550 lb weight is for trailers with brakes. So, I guess that opens up quite a few more options as far as two horse slants go since most American made 2 horse trailers should fall within that 550 lb tongue capacity.

I also read the weight distribution hitch is a no-no unless you lock out the feature on the air suspension that causes the ground clearance to decrease on the highway.

#14

[QUOTE=FEI1Day;8629329]
Actually, you must NOT use a weight distribution hitch or anti-sway device with a Range Rover! Rovers are a unibody construction & are self-leveling. Use of a weight distribution hitch puts you at risk for bending the vehicle frame.
The tongue weight quoted by the original poster is not correct for a full-size Range Rover. A full-size Rover comes in at 550lb tongue weight & towing capacity of 7,716 lbs.[/QUOTE]

You shouldn’t be towing with anything where properly distributing the weight over the axles will bend the vehicle frame. Self leveling is not meant to perform this action (my tow vehicle has it too) it just stiffens the rear suspension to keep the truck from bottoming out, it doesn’t prevent your front end from coming off the ground.

Sounds like a totally unsuitable vehicle and I wouldn’t even tow a boat with it. Sorry. Just because it can on paper doesn’t mean it will in real life.

#15

[QUOTE=soloudinhere;8629592]
You shouldn’t be towing with anything where properly distributing the weight over the axles will bend the vehicle frame. Self leveling is not meant to perform this action (my tow vehicle has it too) it just stiffens the rear suspension to keep the truck from bottoming out, it doesn’t prevent your front end from coming off the ground.

Sounds like a totally unsuitable vehicle and I wouldn’t even tow a boat with it. Sorry. Just because it can on paper doesn’t mean it will in real life.[/QUOTE]

From what I read, the reason not to use weight distribution on these vehicles is they employ the use of the air suspension to reduce the ride height on the highway, thus reducing the frontal area and increasing the fuel economy. If you set up a weight distribution hitch on a range rover while it’s in park, and then go on the highway without the system locked out, it’s going to lower the ride height, thus mess around with your setup, possibly unloading the front suspension as you mentioned, causing a very unsafe condition.

With the weights we’re talking about, and just general engineering knowledge, I find it hard to believe that Rover would design a system without some sort of pressure override that would shut down the system when overloaded to keep it from doing structural damage to the vehicle. Then again, engineers and common sense don’t always go together (I’m a Mechanical Engineer so I’m allowed to say that.)

Is a Range Rover a vehicle I would start a professional livestock hauling business with? No. Is it an ideal hauling vehicle for this trip? No. With a 7,000 lb towing capacity, is it capable of making the trip safely if driven with the proper setup and caution? Yes. That’s why I’m trying to maintain 20% margin between the weight being towed and the rated weight. Even with that 20% margin, would I fly down the interstate at posted speed limits? No. I know my friend wouldn’t compromise the safety of her animals, as long as she has a clear understanding about what the limitations of her vehicle and trailer setup are. She’s the type that enjoys the journey and doesn’t cloud that with her focus on the destination. I’m not making that statement with a condescending tone, I’m just trying to clear the air and focus on my original question. I do appreciate you looking in and commenting.

#16

My friend tows her aluminum 2 horse straight load many miles with her Range Rover and is very happy with it. I think Sundowner makes a slant load trailer that would work for her. Is she sure she wants a slant load? Her next horse could be bigger, and might not fit in a slant load.

#17

[QUOTE=VHTA;8629801]
From what I read, the reason not to use weight distribution on these vehicles is they employ the use of the air suspension to reduce the ride height on the highway, thus reducing the frontal area and increasing the fuel economy. If you set up a weight distribution hitch on a range rover while it’s in park, and then go on the highway without the system locked out, it’s going to lower the ride height, thus mess around with your setup, possibly unloading the front suspension as you mentioned, causing a very unsafe condition.

With the weights we’re talking about, and just general engineering knowledge, I find it hard to believe that Rover would design a system without some sort of pressure override that would shut down the system when overloaded to keep it from doing structural damage to the vehicle. Then again, engineers and common sense don’t always go together (I’m a Mechanical Engineer so I’m allowed to say that.)

Is a Range Rover a vehicle I would start a professional livestock hauling business with? No. Is it an ideal hauling vehicle for this trip? No. With a 7,000 lb towing capacity, is it capable of making the trip safely if driven with the proper setup and caution? Yes. That’s why I’m trying to maintain 20% margin between the weight being towed and the rated weight. Even with that 20% margin, would I fly down the interstate at posted speed limits? No. I know my friend wouldn’t compromise the safety of her animals, as long as she has a clear understanding about what the limitations of her vehicle and trailer setup are. She’s the type that enjoys the journey and doesn’t cloud that with her focus on the destination. I’m not making that statement with a condescending tone, I’m just trying to clear the air and focus on my original question. I do appreciate you looking in and commenting.[/QUOTE]

Any vehicle manufacturer who advises you not to use a physical sway control system (which by the way, doesn’t affect the axles of the vehicle at all) is endangering you and other people on the road with you. That’s really all I have to say about that.

I took a looksee at the vehicle manual for the 2016 Range Rover. Turns out that if your tongue weight is over 331lbs, you have to remove one pound of weight from the vehicle for every 1lb over that weight you add to the rear axle. So if you want to tow with a 400lb tongue weight, you need to remove 70lbs of cargo from the vehicle. That tells me that the 550lb max actually probably exceeds the axle rating of the rear axle when you combine the tongue weight, passenger/cargo weight, and the fact that some of the vehicle’s own weight is being transferred from the front to the rear axle when you attach a trailer.

As an engineer, I’m sure you understand the forces involved.

1 Like
#18

While I obviously drive a Rover, just want to clarify that my input was to clarify the previous input on the usage of weight distribution devices vs the manufacturer’s recommendations. Personally, I do not haul horses with either of my Rovers.

#19

[QUOTE=soloudinhere;8629883]
Any vehicle manufacturer who advises you not to use a physical sway control system (which by the way, doesn’t affect the axles of the vehicle at all) is endangering you and other people on the road with you. That’s really all I have to say about that.

I took a looksee at the vehicle manual for the 2016 Range Rover. Turns out that if your tongue weight is over 331lbs, you have to remove one pound of weight from the vehicle for every 1lb over that weight you add to the rear axle. So if you want to tow with a 400lb tongue weight, you need to remove 70lbs of cargo from the vehicle. That tells me that the 550lb max actually probably exceeds the axle rating of the rear axle when you combine the tongue weight, passenger/cargo weight, and the fact that some of the vehicle’s own weight is being transferred from the front to the rear axle when you attach a trailer.

As an engineer, I’m sure you understand the forces involved.[/QUOTE]

I think part of the reason they tell you not to use them is Rover was being lazy and just covering themselves from a service and liability standpoint. Relying on owners to A: read the manual, and B: understand a “complicated” procedure to deactivate ride height adjustments when using a special hitch starts introducing a lot of room for error, confusion, and questions to dealerships and rover themselves. By saying people can’t use that, Rover is just trying to make life easier for themselves. A decision that was probably made from a marketing or legal team instead of the engineering team. But I agree, banning the use of a safety system to allow for the use of a system to improve fuel economy shows that the vehicle was not designed with towing as a primary design consideration.

I noticed the note on the cargo and passenger weight as well when exceeding the 331 lb rating. I didn’t mention that here as that didn’t pertain to the question. I’ll make sure to keep an eye on that when they’re loading up for the trip.

#20

[QUOTE=FEI1Day;8629329]
Actually, you must NOT use a weight distribution hitch or anti-sway device with a Range Rover! Rovers are a unibody construction & are self-leveling. Use of a weight distribution hitch puts you at risk for bending the vehicle frame.
The tongue weight quoted by the original poster is not correct for a full-size Range Rover. A full-size Rover comes in at 550lb tongue weight & towing capacity of 7,716 lbs.[/QUOTE]

I’m sorry, but WDH has nothing to do with “leveling” and the suspension of the RR cannot rebalance tongue weight. These are two completely different things. I’m really surprised that they would say WDH shouldn’t be used…it’s perfectly compatible with every other air suspension equipped SUV, including the one I drive. My vehicle also lowers slightly at 65+ MPH and still no issue with WDH. I agree with the OP that it’s likely RR is trying to limit liability or something in a strange way…there’s no functional reason that I can think of disallowing a WDH with an air suspension and every reason to be very concerned about things getting “interesting” when the load and the tongue weight get up toward the limits and the front axel is nearly bouncing off the ground. Air suspension cannot prevent that.

OP, it’s true that allowable cargo weigh includes tongue weight, so yes, it’s good to consider that as part of the plan.

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