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Jun 30, 2010 12:36:09 GMT
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I'm looking at what to get when I get bored with Bruce so a couple of years time. I have been thinking with the caravan and the horse trailer that I really ought to have something that will tow one.
the criteria it must offer a good degree of comfort Be powerfull enough to tow the horse trailer with ease and be old enough to get classic insurance.
on a side not I would really like it to be tax exempt or at least not going to cost me an arm and a leg to tax.
The only thing that springs to mind is an early range rover. Has anyone other suggestions or more info on the above
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Jun 30, 2010 12:42:04 GMT
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and early volvo 240? anything mid / early 80's will get classic insurance.. but obviously not tax exempt.... otherwise....... scammel?
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Jun 30, 2010 12:48:48 GMT
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Jun 30, 2010 13:40:24 GMT
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How heavy is the horse trailer? I'm fairly certain that it's heavy enough to need a full trailer license - which you probably don't have yet.
The test is quite involved and quite expensive, so don't forget to take that into account.
Johnny - he said "a reasonable degree of comfort"...
A classic Range Rover will do those things, but it will also drink heavily - especially when towing. My Dad had a friend with one, and it would do about 8mpg while towing. That was an Auto, which won't help, but I don't think there are many manuals about really.
TBH, I think you're struggling to get anything tax free and comfortable that can tow any real weight - older stuff that can tow is very agricultural, while comfortable stuff that can tow is more recent.
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Jun 30, 2010 14:05:39 GMT
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My Dad had a friend with one, and it would do about 8mpg while towing. Freeking Jesus! I get 8.5mpg from my lorry, and that's 44ton! TBH most large cars will do the caravan thing. Depending on the size of the caravan. It's when u talk horseboxes u talk about some serious weight that pretty much limits u to vans and 4x4s. Other than the landrovers I'm pushed for ideas... What about a nice old yank truck?
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Jun 30, 2010 15:17:08 GMT
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I wouldn't even consider towing a loaded horsebox with a car unless it was a full size yank of some sort. That kind of weight is way over the limit for most cars, especially old ones which tend to be lighter than their modern equivelents. Pulling power and comfort... but probably not much economy...
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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Jun 30, 2010 15:23:31 GMT
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Horse boxes need a 4x4 to tow them really, my friend has a livery stable and all the horses are moved in lorries or in trailers on the back of japanese 4x4s, very few of the experienced horsey set are using landies these days from what I see up there, I think the defenders are to agricultural and the disco's/rangies are to unreliable or expensive to buy and run the only non japanese 4x4s I ever see on the farm are my LR's or my mates CJ Jeeps, his missus has a shogun sport to tow her horse box.
you could buy a mk1 transit chassis cab and build a demountable horsebox body and convert your caravan to do the same, just swop them over when you need to. It'd be unusual, classic and tax free.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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ThePollitt
Posted a lot
Fix up, look... at that car on eBay!
Posts: 4,696
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Jun 30, 2010 15:25:56 GMT
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Chris And for the record, I think you have a 750kg limit on a trailer (maximum, I think, someone feel free to put the specifics). Anything over requires the license.
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Last Edit: Jun 30, 2010 15:27:31 GMT by ThePollitt
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Jun 30, 2010 15:32:00 GMT
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I'm not the one driving when the horsebox is pulled I'm just a tad fed up of £40 to move a horse 5 miles in transport fees. Thats why I was thinking rangy
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Jun 30, 2010 15:52:13 GMT
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I thought you needed a 4x4 to tow a horsebox but someone I know uses a Volkswagen Bora! Volvo 740s are very, very good tow cars. Mine used to barely notice that I'd got anything behind.
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1986 Citroen 2CV Dolly Other things. Check out my Blog for the latest! www.hubnut.org
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Jun 30, 2010 15:53:37 GMT
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Rangeys are not the best for towing heavy trailers, the relatively long rear overhang and short wheelbase make them very choppy.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Jun 30, 2010 16:12:12 GMT
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I'm just a tad fed up of £40 to move a horse 5 miles in transport fees. If it's only five miles, can't you just ride the horse? ;D
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Jun 30, 2010 16:16:40 GMT
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yeah but sometimes its further than that and then it gets costly
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Jun 30, 2010 16:22:56 GMT
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Just joching. As others have said, 4x4 is best for horseboxes. Caravan would sit quite nicely behind something like a P5/P6 Rover or maybe a Triumph 2000/2500.
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Jun 30, 2010 16:26:44 GMT
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You want something to tow a horsebox but don't want to pay much road tax. Does not compute.
To save any money in road tax you need a sub-1.5 litre motor. Ain't gonna happen.
Maybe you should get this whole 'must be retro' thing out of your mindset and buy a vehicle that is right for the job. I agree that a Japanese 4x4 is the best thing for this. Not a Delica (waits for the gasps!) but something like a Landcruiser, Shogun or Patrol.
Towing a horsebox is a different league to dragging around an old, light caravan.
Be clear and 100% exactly what you want from this tow car, what you'll be towing with it and accept that you won't be getting a free lunch with fuel economy, road tax and even insurance (at your age). Time to be realistic about what you want vs what you need and what you can manage/tow and manouvre. How much trailering exerience have you got? Please don't be one of those that has to unhook everytime you need to reverse 10 yards let alone around tight spaces/sharp corners etc...
If you just look to towing a retro tatty caravan then things are very different and you probably could get away with something a bit smaller, more economical and retro...but throw horesboxes into the equation and it looks like you're going to be heading into territory that will have us enduring endless moaning about how much the tax/fuel costs you along with the woes of not having some oddball retro.
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Jun 30, 2010 16:29:48 GMT
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A retro tow vehicle? As others have said, horse floats are kind of pushing the limits of ordinary cars. They really need something as close to a truck as you can get, hence the vast majority of horse-people use diesel four-wheel-drives. If you were in Australia then I would suggest an old Holden or Falcon, but proper heavy-duty RWD cars of that size have never really been common in the UK. Perhaps one of the many Chevy Caprice wagons which keep popping up here on RR. They seem to be readily available quite cheaply over there, due to some bizarre tax loophole which had them all imported as commercial vehicles or something. A Chevy Caprice wagon (estate) has the necessary mass and wheelbase to keep a horsefloat in check, and the 305 V8, auto and differential combination is truck-like enough to happily pull big loads all day long. You'll be going very slowly though and probably doing about 10mpg.
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Jun 30, 2010 16:30:07 GMT
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Lada Niva, perhaps? I don't know what they're like from personal experience but they seem just as tough and all-terrain torque as old Land Rovers. Range Rovers will do the job, but they're pricey to run these days.
I've seen small horseboxes behind Granadas, Volvo 240 and 740s, and even things like Citroen XM and BX estates.
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Jun 30, 2010 16:34:24 GMT
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Are I expected curse word fuel consumption and when I said about tax being exempt is not essential but a bonus. What I don't want is to find myself with a £400 a year tax bill that some 4x4s get. This is pie in the sky at the moment as the other option is an old van Transit, Master type and a horse box conversion. It only needs to take one horse.
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Jun 30, 2010 16:39:49 GMT
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If it's pie in the sky, then your tow vehicle should be this:
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Jun 30, 2010 16:42:34 GMT
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The picture is a Chevy Celebrity. FWD, and a 2.8 V6
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Last Edit: Jun 30, 2010 16:43:47 GMT by Fennec
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