Another vote for the Escalade. They check all the boxes for me. They can be gas guzzlers but I don’t use this vehicle for long distance commuting so it isn’t an issue for me (plus I expect it with a 6.2 liter V8). It is also already prewired for an electric brake, you just need to buy the controller. That option seemed to vary a lot with the larger SUVs.
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I think we have mostly decided on the GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate with the Max Trailering Package and the Enhanced Trailering something or other. As I understand it, it’s almost identical to the Escalade but not quite so nice on the interior and a couple fewer tech options. But hey, for a vehicle designed for horse/dog use, I kinda prefer a sturdier leather even if it doesn’t look as nice.
We are still going to go look at the Escalade, just in case. 
I checked the stats on my trailer. It’s curb weight is 3700 lbs and its GVWR is 7000 lbs. Max tow capacity on the Yukon is 8000 lbs. I asked the dealer to send me a copy of the label that has the other info.
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Run the numbers yourself on the Yukon. Make triple sure it has the exact specs to get the towing capacity you think it has! Wheelbase and axle ratio can make or break you, as well as drivetrain.
My current rig is an F150 with the same towing capacity, a camper shell, and a 2H straight Exiss with a tack room. We have dogs and all that too. The trailer is 3200lbs empty, and I’ll tell you right now that you really need a WD hitch and if you also drive a gooseneck you’ll be DREAMING of upgrading your truck and trailer every day 
. It’s safe, within spec, and if you only haul one horse or two small ones for short flat trips, it’s totally fine. The closer you creep to that 8000lbs and the longer/more complicated the drive, the less comfortable it is to deal with. The margin of error is more narrow and you need to think about balancing the load a lot more.
YMMV. Like I said, I drive basically that rig and it’s fine. But I’m actively working on getting a Euro trailer or upgrading the whole situation to an F350 and gooseneck, for comfort and peace of mind.
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might want to at least look at the F450 as well, heavier frame, larger brakes, much larger fuel tank, cost is nearly the same
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Can you point me to an article or other guidance on how exactly to do that? I’ve googled but can’t seem to find exactly what I’m looking for. I found some articles from Practical Horseman and the like and from those, I think I’m okay (it has a sufficient wheelbase, curb weight, towing capacity), but then I also see people in forums talking about additional things like payload, and I can’t seem to find instruction on how to calculate and/or find out these numbers and put everything together. It may be I’m not googling the right terms. Any help appreciated.
My trips are usually an hour or less on flat ground for day shows or clinics. No dogs in the vehicle with me when I have the horses.
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Okay this is for Ford (I happen to have it in my history so it was easy to grab) but the other manufacturers should have a similar chart
Basically you need the specs off your truck (typically it’s all on the window sticker or can be provided by the dealer). Then you go down the chart and find the “conventional towing” with your exact engine, cab (not applicable to you), wheelbase, drivetrain, and towing package (sometimes noted with a *). SUVs can be slightly different charts but this is the basics.
Payload capacity is typically on the same chart, and tongue weight capacity. Tongue weight + passengers/gear in the truck/accessories all need to come in under that payload total. American trailers can have some crazy high tongue weights, so if you don’t have the scale tech on board you’re safest going with the highest typical % of your total weight - and getting a WD hitch can help.
I say check the specs yourself because dealers really don’t know anything about towing - they’ll just do a cursory google or say something from memory. And live weight like horses REALLY needs to be 75% or less of capacity if at all possible. For the Yukon, that’s 6000lbs. Keep in mind, with your trailer + one 1200lb horse, you only have 1100lbs left for that second horse + tack + hay + shavings + awning/camper door/AC/muck bucket/etc etc before you’re pushing it over that “comfortable” range. I 100% believe that ballpark, having towed this setup for a few years and having had to punch it AND slam on the brakes before.
I’ll try to find the chart for the Yukon. Make sure you get this info from the manufacturer site, not some dealer or blog.
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Here’s a chart
The fine print says “for comparison purposes only”, but it gives you an idea. The highest towing capacity setup does not also give you the highest payload, so keep these numbers in mind, as well as the fact that these numbers come from barebones setups - every accessory and extra you add chips away at that capacity. But it looks like a properly equipped Yukon could work for your purposes - just be mindful of overloading the trailer (which is SO easy to do!).
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Echoing everything Five Stride has said - all VERY good advice. Looking the Yukon chart there is nearly 1,000lbs difference between lowest and highest capacity. Please also know that it can vary wildly by year even within the same makes/model/ and trim.
IME, finding a vehicle that has the highest towing capacity available for the model is difficult and that was looking at trucks (vs SUVs where less people purchase them for towing purposes and thus are less likely to order the towing upgrades). That is a moot point if you are buying new/ “custom” for you but wanted to throw it out there.
IIWM, I’d want to take the trailer loaded with the regular amount of tack and equipment (hay, buckets, whatever lives in there or usually goes to shows) and get a weight on it with everything in it. It’s surprising how the little things add up, and the Yukon doesn’t leave a ton of room as Five Stride noted. You may find that the trailer is over 4,000lbs + roughly 2,000lbs of pony weight + dog and human weight + dog and human things all put you closer to 7,000lbs than you think.
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Good point. Even the same body style and engine “name” can still have massive capacity differences between years. Definitely a good idea to pull up the specs from the exact year and trim you’re looking at!
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What year(s) are you looking at? I think the newer Yukons (within the last couple of years) will have a Trailering Information Label on the B-pillar of the vehicle that provides detailed towing capacity information for the vehicle as-built. There will also be a tire/loading information label (or maybe 2) that will have the GVWR and other info.
I’d also go on the GMC website and pull up the owner’s manual for the vehicle you’re looking at - there should be info on calculating all of this stuff.
The Denali Ultimate package will add a lot of weight to the vehicle, so it will reduce your payload/load limit. Where this becomes critical is factoring in how much weight will be transferred from the trailer tongue to the vehicle. If it’s just you in the vehicle it’s probably not an issue. But there are people who put 7 adults in the vehicle and still tow a heavy trailer that adds 700lbs of tongue weight and don’t realize they are over the vehicle load limit.
Also more than likely the owners manual will specify that a weight-distribution hitch is required for a trailer over a certain weight. (That isn’t something that the dealership typically tells you.)
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Yep! For over 5k on a lot of SUVs and half ton trucks, IME. Which OP is definitely over that weight range I think.
It’s that second ramp and second horse that’s going to really push the boundaries. The length and weight of that particular trailer is more than your “average” 2H and puts a lot of tongue weight on the tow vehicle.
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You have plenty of answers here on options for SUVs that might suffice. But have you considered just renting an appropriate truck when one is needed? I have an acquaintance who started doing that when her hauling truck died and she didn’t want to buy another.
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That’s not an option for me as my horses are at home and I need to be able to haul out for emergencies.
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Wanted to thank everyone for weighing in here! I truly, truly appreciate it. Have some reading to do.
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Let us know what you end up deciding. I’m considering the same option. Though the prices on some of these vehicles- ouch!
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I would 100% not pull a side ramp trailer with an SUV. I have “just” a two-horse stock combo with a small dressing room and a 1/2 ton 4WD truck. I will only haul ONE of my large pony/small horse (Arabian) animals, or a mare and new foal, and even then only within 150 miles or so of home. My truck (a RAM 1500) should, based on the manufacturer’s stated towing capacity, handle my rig easily. But I can FEEL that trailer on hills or in windy conditions far more than I’m comfortable with. As soon as I can afford it, I’ll be purchasing a larger truck and trailer for longer hauls.
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I’m back. Took me a few days to find some time to do some reading. I read the owner’s manual, got the sticker from the model we are considering, and got the sticker from the trailer.
I’m getting stuck on tongue weight and GVWR. Is there a way to calculate tongue weight without loading up the horses and going to a commercial scale? It sounds like tongue weight should be between 10-15% of the total trailer weight. If It’s 10%, I’m good. If it’s 15%, then I think I am over.
I am kinda regretting getting the side ramp trailer at this point.
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So why does the side ramp make a difference? I have a Hawk two horse straight load bumper pull no ramp.
Honestly it’s nice to think about but when it comes down to it, we will probably stick with a truck. It’s our extra vehicle and my husband uses it for other things. Our current one is a perfectly good 2016 Ram Hemi and it’s paid for which is the best kind. My suv is paid for too and in this crappy overpriced economy I don’t feel like borrowing trouble.
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I think there’s some products on the market that go on your hitch to measure tongue weight. I’d have to go look - but you’d need to load everything up to use that method regardless. You can dramatically change tongue weight just by moving stuff around in there.
You have a very heavy trailer, unfortunately, and hauling two horses on top of it. There are some goosenecks with tack rooms on the market that are barely heavier than the Hawk you have . It’s sturdy and well designed - but heavy.
The additional side ramp adds hundreds of pounds and a good chunk of length in front of the axles - on a BP this dramatically increases tongue weight.
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That’s a heavy trailer. Your tongue weight will be 1,000lbs, minimum, fully loaded. I say this as the owner of a 2H BP with small DR, an all-aluminum Exiss. My tongue weight, fully loaded, is 900lbs. You will not find a modern SUV equipped to handle that rear axle weight and total payload without weight distribution. Even then, it’s probably ill-advised. You can estimate tongue weight of a BP horse trailer to be close to 20% with a DR in the nose.
I have a spreadsheet that can help with these calculations I would be happy to share (and have shared many times to other users here).
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