there are few things such as the imposed speed limits when pulling a horse trailer in Germany is 80km/h that work there but not here …50 mph (80km/h) will get the trailer and tow vehicle run over here
Fundamentally the speed limit applies in Germany of 80 km/h for trailer combinations (car + trailer).
FULL Size SUV only - on smaller SUV’s the towing capacity may sound OK at or 7200 or what ever
BUT the tongue weight capacity on these small UNIBODY frames is about 550, way low for a loaded horse trailer
( unless a very lightly built EURO ) Full size SUV or consider a 1/2 ton Eco boost or diesel OR a small older sedan for your commute ( hubby gets 36 mpg or so an a 2013 Altima )
Risa
HappyTrailsTrailers
BalancedRideTrailers
Nothing to do specifically with what you would like to pull your trailer with but… address your driving skills so you don’t ‘hit all the curbs’ (or anything else that may cause a claim with your insurance company). Address your driving to stop doing things that will cause LE to perform a traffic stop. Drive correctly and safely, use your turn signals, make sure your vehicle is properly registered, all your lights work as they should.
Over time, this should also get your auto insurance premiums down. As others have noted… a luxury car’s insurance, regardless of driving record, will cost more to insure than a smaller, more economical vehicle. IMO, keep your truck for towing and make sure the insurance company knows how many miles you plan on driving over the course of a year and then get that daily driver with economy in mind.
Thanks all for your advice, driving habits aside, if anyone currently drives an SUV and pulls a trailer let me know your experiences! I’ve only driven trucks and SUVs so am going to stay in this genre for now.
(Other than that I’m going to sip my coffee and ignore the fact I had to crawl out of the passenger seat in a pencil skirt this morning to get out of my truck in the garage.)
If you want to play with different vehicles, you might consider renting a car for a week. See what it’s like to have a tinymobile that you can park more easily in the city. If you’re not renting from an airport during peak tourist time, it may not be that expensive.
I’ve been driving Suburbans and hauling things (horse trailers included) since the late 70s. I actually learned to drive on a Suburban and a Kingswood Estate Station wagon. I’m used to “big”. The gas mileage, on the other hand, in my current 1999 GMC Suburban, makes me cry. :lol: Poor Andrew gets about 14 MPG, less when towing. I know nothing about newer model SUVs. I come from a family who drives their vehicles until they die. Mine turned 20 this year and is still going strong.
I have been towing my 2 horse no dressing room bumper pull with a Toyota Sequoia since 2001. I am on my 3rd. It works perfectly for my needs but is the opposite of gas efficient. I max about 14mph without the trailer, don’t even want to think about what it is with it.
One of my boarders has an SUV she hauls her horses with. It’s a Toyota, I don’t remember which one, she’s been using it for years and loves it. It is a V8.
I have an Expedition, but it’s basically an F150 with an enclosed top. Has the exact same engine my F150 had.
I personally would not haul with a V6, only a V8, but I am fine with hauling with an SUV. However, they do it a lot in Europe. If you have small horses and an all-aluminum trailer, and are not in the mountains, it’d likely be okay.
No way, no how, been there, done that, couldn’t pay me to do it again. Especially with 2 horses and going up to 8 hours- that’s just begging trouble. Keep your truck as a hauler and buy a small car. Unless you have a super crappy driving record, the insurance really shouldn’t be that bad- there are almost always discounts for multiple vehicles and discounts for one of your vehicles not being a commuter vehicle.
Erk. No on Toyota unless you have a Brenderup or something similar. I agree with keep your truck, get a moderately used sedan or the like that will get better mileage for every day use. Insurance won’t go up that much, especially if truck is only being used in limited fashion. If you decide to put up with the low mileage but want an SUV, my only comment would be that in my experience, you will need sway bars for the trailer if you use a Suburban, Expedition or the like.
I just wanted to say, OP, I can relate to you on every level and this thread has made me chuckle. My current situation is a sporty SUV with all the leather and heated seats, but sans trailer. I have considered a solo benderup to more conveniently haul myself around but instead travel hours out of my way to get my parents lovely truck and trailer to haul my most expensive 4 legged child around (seriously why don’t horses count as children for tax purposes). If I didn’t have my parents rig as an option (albeit an inconvenient one) I’d have a euro 2 horse or solo and would hire a shipper for longer hauls as needed.
Switching from a truck to a subcompact is easier than the reverse IMHO. You just need to get used to not being able to push other folks out of your way. A good subcompact will also accelerate faster than a truck.
Renting a car for a week is a great idea to see if you like the smaller size.
This is the exact trailer I have - I haul it with my 2014 Ford F-150 with the 3.6L V6 EcoBoost engine, which is my daily driver. I commute approximately 20 miles each way to work (mostly highway miles) and add an extra 20-25 miles on days I go to the barn. I’m a converted speed demon (leaving my truck’s console display on the “Instant MPGs” setting generally keeps my foot OFF the gas :D). When not hauling, I average anywhere from 17 to 20 MPG, depending on driving conditions.
I don’t haul often, and when I do, it’s frequently just one horse, but I’ve recently taken a few more trips where I hauled a friend and her horse, including to a show approximately five hours from home. Even with the truck, I noticed the difference when hauling two horses, and wouldn’t have wanted to try that with any less vehicle with this trailer. We had a ‘traffic situation’ while mid-haul - while both lanes of the highway were significantly slowed, had a vehicle several cars ahead decide they were going to change lanes without even CHECKING for clearance - cue everyone in our lane STANDING on their brakes. Thank goodness I had left plenty of room and was using the ‘Tow/Haul’ mode - I literally felt the truck shift down and slow my whole rig, and it was just BARELY enough to be OK. Can’t imagine that any SUV smaller than a Yukon/Suburban/Expedition could have handled that safely. And even just driving down the road under normal conditions, you can definitely FEEL the effort of the truck at times while hauling two - nothing that really makes me worry in the truck, but again, it’s considerably more vehicle than even the larger mid-size SUVs that you’re interested in.
Now, on the bright side, the Adams trailers seem to hold value well, so if a smaller tow vehicle would really make your life simpler, maybe look into trading/selling the current trailer for one of the Euro models that would support a smaller SUV?
One more voice for two vehicles, and another strong caution against Audi’s (or anything German, tbh). They just love sucking money from you. My husband’s currently has a faulty sensor that makes it not start after filling the gas tank. It is a $15 part. It is a $200+ job because of how buried the piece is.
In my old Audi, I hit a deer and cracked the radiator. This was a few years ago, and it was a 2006 Audi I think, so not ancient by any means. Insurance totaled it because of how expensive the repair was, even though it was totally repairable.
Ram has a diesel 1500 that has a smaller diesel engine and gets 28 mpg. Hubby is lusting after one. They have been
out on the market for several years. If you don’t want 4-wheel drive, the new ones get 32 mpg. Their Laramie Longhorn
interior is pretty spiffy…we have a 2014 2500 with that interior.
I haul my 2 horse CM with no dressing room, just a straight load no frills 2 horse trailer with my 2006 Tahoe. My Tahoe has the V8 with the factory to package, external transmission cooler, etc. I drive well below the speed limit and take my time. Would I haul a trailer with a dressing room, nope. Would I go 8-10 hours, nope. But around home 2-4 hours I am good.
I would never want to skimp on something carrying my heart around in the back. The ability to stop a trailer is just as important as the ability to pull it.
I love my Q7 but I’d never haul with it. Just not enough to stop a trailer. I hauled a Trailet BP with DR with a Tahoe for years, did a great job and never felt I didn’t have enough truck.
I get your predicament. I shudder on days I have to park my long bed F250 in the parking garage. No fun. Before the Audi I had the F250 and a Cooper Mini. That was a good combination except both were terrible in the snow. Unless it’s super deep the Q7 is a beast in the snow.
Good luck. Not an easy, albeit first world, problem.
Its not the lbs towing capacity its the wheelbase that is too short. I towed with an expedition (not the xl) that is as small as i would go, and I probably wouldn’t tow for 8 hrs with that. Get a cute little Mazda 3 or something inexpensive like that for commuting. Or if you want luxury, trade in for an older truck and a nice smaller SUV like the acura rdx or audi q3 or 5. Or drive a suburban but really unless you need to haul lots of kids it’s not better than the truck.
We are looking at a used 2019 Ford Expedition right now. My daily driver is an 07 ram 2500 diesel. My mom has a 1998 expedition with only 160k miles and it still drives great, I had it for a month while my EGR was being worked on. I’m excited to get something more drivable for everyday and saving the truck for towing. But it will also be great to have the option to downsize from the 2500 and 2+1 if I ever decide to and know that my expedition can tow it.
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