240 General: towing horse box your opinions and experiences

[honestjoe]

Hi folks ,its possible in the near future that i may be required to ask my bus to pitch in and tow a horse box on occasion..(I"m not overjoyed by the prospect).."my bus has retired"..I feel that my model and set up is as good as it gets for towing..Dl..2.3 carb..4 speed box..tow bar fitted and all electrics functioning..(Recently borrowed a trailer to pick up a sofa)..Went without a hitch and my bus did not even feel it..Now i know towing a horse box is a completely different and having towed a few diggers with a land rover i know what that feels like..If any of you good folk have had experience with towing a load heavy i would really appreciate your input..Folk have used the 200 series for such endeavours but would still lke to hear your thoughts..Cheers hj.

[minesa240x3]

Hi there I haven't ever towed a horse box but my employers used to tow them all the time with a 740 diesel.In fact they only bought a horse lorry when they wanted to tow four horses.Yes they actually towed a box for three horses BUT they did have a twin sway bar fitted.
How you go about wieghing a horse I don't know?

I should imagine it's a strange experience as the horse can move a little so the wieght can move about a little.Yes I know they can't walk about or do hoof stands but it isn't as static a load as a car strapped down.

So if you do tow one then imagine it has a big glass of liquid in the back and if you spill it you'll loose your right to ever own a volvo.
Just take it easy keep your distance and use the brakes gently and all should be well.
Regards Brian.

[honestjoe]

Thanks brian..good advice..hj.

[Clifford Pope]

I have towed an old Rice double box with a large pony/small horse plus a Shetland. On reasonably level roads there is no problem at all. The car can cope easily. It's an odd feeling, a bit like a boat would feel if you were being nudged by an ocean liner, but as long as the trailer's brakes are properly set up you should get a reassuring pull from the trailer's brakes when you slow down.

On hilly roads it's another matter. The Volvo rapidly runs out of puff as soon as you go uphill, and you need a really good clutch and cooling system to cope with a long grinding climb up a hill in 1st gear. I once met a tractor and hay trailer while going down a narrow hill. Reversing back to the passing place was no fun at all. The clutch was smoking and the back wheels would barely grip on the road.
Now I have a Series LandRover for serious towing.

I'd let the terrain be the decider. Ok in the Fens, definitely not in hill country.

Remember about the legality issues too. You need a pre 1987 (?) licence or an additional trailer licence to pull anything of any size, and you will be pushing the Caravan Club "recommended" guidelines and 85% weight ratio.
It's not illegal to exceed them, but it can be hard work convincing the police if you have an accident. The golden rule is don't get caught.

[Paul240480]

Hi HJ . I recall the max tow weight to be 1600kgs as per my hand book. Same for my 850 too! Thought if you tried I reckon 1st gear all the way lol.
85% is the golden rule. I have towed vans and trailers for years, infect just in from leaving Detford to home via Calais with 850 and 1000kg caravan.
Never towed a trailer with live contents tho' lol
Tank towed my old van over to here via Pompey-Cherbourg a few years back That van was heavier, I reckon around 95% . He needed a lot of gear stirring to keep moving at a respectable rate of knots mind.
I used (still do) an Alko hitch stabiliser, a fantastic bit of kit!
Btw, on a different note I bought back some London Pride and some Abbots Green king Woohoo! Hic!

[honestjoe]

Thanks for the tips people..Reading between the lines i may back out of this one...Good man paul..keep lashing down the ale!!..cheers hj.

[stephend]

Originally Posted by Paul240480

Never towed a trailer with live contents tho' lol

First time I towed a trailer, it was full of pigs. A bit lively until they settled down, but my driving seemed to send them to sleep, and they stayed that way until we reached our destination.