I wish I had kept copy or a link , but i did find a few years ago ,( but post the 1997 licence changes) some official Government document that said it was perfectly legal to tow say a 3500kg IW trailer behind a wee car, as long as the ACTUAL trailer weight did not exceed the allowed towable mass for that vehicle.

I read & re-read & re-read it simply because it contradicted all that that I had previously researched ie that It was always the plated weights for the vehicles and trailers concerned. Not the actual weights as per the article referred to above.

Anyway enough waffle.

Look up the Indespension web site or Tow-sure? web site or Witter? or even the Caravan club as long as you ignore their 85% recommendation.

Btw

It is very straightforward & simple to get a trailer "downplated" simply affix a new plate as supplied by a dealer for your required lower weight.

I downplated a 3500kg IW tipper to 2000kg, a reduced payload (but sufficient for our needs), and more importantly legal behind most "Transit" sized vans

And I have even done it with a vehicle such as to legally tow 3500kg but stay within the 8250kg gross train weight, so the van bought at 5200kg had to be downplated to 4750kg+the 3500kg trailer=8250kg=simples.

I have done this at work. It is all perfectly legal..

cheers

M

Edited 6 December, 201015 yr by dieseldogg

Some links for you:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_10013073

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/helpandadvice/courses/becourse/

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/forms/~/media/pdf/leaflets/INF30.ashx

Thanks for peoples comments. I've still got a lot of time to do more research - my Yeti won't be turning up until March!!

Doh! And i've been getting all excitey and breathless all of a rush - for NOWT?

Still - I do know how LONG some horsey swimboes take to get their ?brains organised. Lol.

Hi all

 

First post and apologies for resurrecting an old post...

 

We’re currently looking to buy an affordable 4x4 (both in terms of purchase price and running costs). It will be replacement for a 2004 focus so size (or lack of) is important.

 

It will need to occasionally pull a single horse box - though I can see the frequency increasing!! At the moment the Skoda Yeti (140) is looking very favourable – my only concern is with regards the horse box.

 

I have searched this site, and this thread seems to have been started with the same concerns that I have by the original poster (jlwah/John) and a subsequent poster (chatterbox). However neither seems to have continued the thread with their actual experiences ?

 

So I was wondering if jlwah/john (who appears to have swapped his yeti for an A6 allroad?) or chatterbox (or anyone else for that matter) would be able to update this thread with any real life experiences which would be great?

 

Thanks

Geoff

Hello Geoff.  Although I can't recall anyone posting a lot about horseboxes, there's a wealth of helpful comment and info here about towing caravans - some of which weigh as much a horse!  I'm by no means alone in comfortably and legally dealing with around 1400Kg - check my sig below.  Have a search and see

Morning Geoff.

I doubt you will get a reply from the previous horse owners as they seem to have moved on. I can only add to Brijo's posting above. There are plenty of us who tow caravans and other things who have had few problems.

 

As the original postings have said watch your weights carefully. Although the Yeti is plated at 2000kg max that is greater than the kerb weight so not really advisable. Keeping to just below 1500kg max should give you no problems.

 

I hope you don't own a Suffolk Punch!

And here's a giv.uk leaflet all about towing!

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_185825.pdf

Hi all

 

First post and apologies for resurrecting an old post...

 

We’re currently looking to buy an affordable 4x4 (both in terms of purchase price and running costs). It will be replacement for a 2004 focus so size (or lack of) is important.

 

It will need to occasionally pull a single horse box - though I can see the frequency increasing!! At the moment the Skoda Yeti (140) is looking very favourable – my only concern is with regards the horse box.

 

I have searched this site, and this thread seems to have been started with the same concerns that I have by the original poster (jlwah/John) and a subsequent poster (chatterbox). However neither seems to have continued the thread with their actual experiences ?

 

So I was wondering if jlwah/john (who appears to have swapped his yeti for an A6 allroad?) or chatterbox (or anyone else for that matter) would be able to update this thread with any real life experiences which would be great?

 

Thanks

Geoff

Hi Geoff,

 

We sold on our Yeti in early May this year and although I never towed the horses with the Yeti (horse shows often clash with F1 or Touring Cars on TV, so my enthusiasm often waned  ), I am led to believe by SWMBO that the Yeti proved to be a fine towing vehicle for the horse trailer.

 

The dealer who we bought the trailer from (second hand), took one look at the Yeti and said it would be fine for towing as it has a short rear overhang (if only the same thing could be said for SWMBO!) And so it proved. They never once got stuck at a horse show, we never had any issues with it and it seemed a competent and stable tow car.

 

The two bits of advice I gave her (and she seemed to take note of) were to let car idle for a good minute on two when they arrived and to press the off road button once on grass.

 

We most probably would have replaced it for another Yeti only our stable doubled in size (1 horse to 2) and we would have been overweight if we'd upgraded the trailer to take a 15.3 and a 16.2 horse. Hence we went for the Audi Allroad as it has a 2500kg towing limit.

 

I'm sure the Yeti would manage your towing needs without problem and when you weren't towing you'd enjoy the most capable car in it's class.

 

I doubt you will get a reply from the previous horse owners as they seem to have moved on.

 

Steady on there Graham, I continue to browse the Yeti forum as it's informative, interesting and the responders are generally enthusiastic towards the Yeti, as I am, despite having switched to an Audi!

 

Every time I see a Yeti on the roads, my first thought is (still) how "right" it seems. It's more than the sum of its parts and is/has, rightly, been a great success for Skoda.

Sorry jlwah, I shall go and stand in the other corner, suitably chastised.

Sorry jlwah, I shall go and stand in the other corner, suitably chastised.

 

 

Have a look round for Bobdog while you're there, eh, Graham? 

Morning Guys,

 

Thanks for all the replies - most helpful.

 

I'm kinda hoping that if we only have the capacity to tow one horse, then that's another excuse for not being able to get another horse

 

Having said that we haven't 100% decided on a Yeti - though a trip to a local independant dealer at the weekend has strengthened it's case and moved a few other makes onto the ignore pile!

 

Cheers

Geoff

....another excuse for not being able to get another horse .....

 

OT - One's enough, Geoff !   We're near plagued with them in these rural parts - lovely creatures, but the problem is that the riders aren't law-bound to poop-scoop, as applies to dog owners.  With heaps of the by-product in the lane outside, it's inevitable that some of it is always being brought into the drive on car tyres, splattered round the wheel arches, and traces of it into even the house on shoes.  'Shovel it up and stick it.......round your roses !' is the usual reply to a polite request for clearing up.  We don't even have roses. 

 

Don't get me wrong - I like horses.  It's the riders who are often not good citizens in this respect.  However, I'm sure your horse wears a poop-bag, Geoff, because you're a Briskodian

 

As they say - rant over....

It always amazes me when you see a Large Box Van with " Horses in Transit " written on the back doors when in fact the Van is a Merc