# At the risk of sounding stupid for asking so many questions...



## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

The best bang for buck that I can glean from your post would be a 3/4 ton diesel truck with a full towing package.

The most shocking thing about trucks when you start talking pulling is how much weight they can actually tow, fuel mileage and how good the braking is while towing.


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

suv's and pulling horse trailers usually don't go in the same sentence. also depends on budget


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

_So, a lot of your questions are going to give you personal opinions besides facts...
I have personal opinions, likes and dislikes just as the next person...
Some things though are learned through the school of hard knocks and "Oh **it moments"....

I dug this article out... it is a few years old but I believe much of the information is still pretty "on" today...
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext...blications/FS-955 Selecting a Tow Vehicle.pdf

So, my own personal experience and opinions I wrote under each question you asked....

*However.... no question is ever foolish or stupid or not worthy of a honest answer... :-x
Don't ever feel that way.... :grin:
*To ask is to enrich your knowledge base, help to make informed decisions and to just plain learn from others experiences and oops.... :grin:

You've started in a great place asking questions.
So many here are professional haulers, drivers, experienced horse-people and they understand the dynamics of weight of truck to trailer and safety all rolled together.
Some like overkill...
I like safe..I want to go out to ride and come home safely with no incidents. That starts by having good equipment not over-loaded...

Enjoy the journey toward buying your first rig...and the freedom it gives!!:grin:_



redandmonty said:


> At the risk of sounding stupid here are a few questions I have because I have never had a vehicle or trailer of my own before, but am planning on getting them in the near future and I want to make sure what I get will be safe. I have done some research but I would like to have words of wisdom from people with experience.
> 
> Which SUV is best for pulling trailers?
> _The SUV best is the one that is capable to safely handle the weight of a loaded trailer. The longer the wheel base the better the stability and handling capability...and ride comfort for human & horse._
> ...


_
_
_So...some thoughts in closing...
I was told no question is ever stupid...it is how we learn!!
For trailers...wise old men, true horseman told me more years ago than I wish to admit to that a safe rig is one that starts with a smart driver behind the wheel. Know your rig, know what is can and can't do and don't expect it to do what it is not been made to do...AKA...don't overload it!
Same gentleman told me your trailer should never outweigh your truck...that was before behemoth LQ came upon the scene...
Also was told the trailer should not exceed the length of the truck, hence larger trucks tow large trailers.
Today there are many improvements in materials used to make trailers...
Trucks though are still trucks, however they are made to meet MPG guidleines and that does impact the job done.
Huge one is....any truck regardless of brand when looking at weight numbers it can tow...NEVER, never ever is that weight number been a live cargo of horses. Those numbers are measured by stagnant weight..a camper a boat...not livestock!! That is why so many say go big...because a horse banging against a side inside the trailer going down the road is going to make you change lanes in a small tow vehicle...{ever sit next to a loaded trailer at the stop light and watch it move with a irritated horse, now do that at 50mph :eek_color:}
Just some more to think about...
 :runninghorse2:....
_


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Horselovinguy has provided a lot of useful information.

Please don't feel bad about your questions. Trailers and tow vehicles require an overwhelming amount of knowledge to comprehend.

You think you will be happy with a two-horse trailer with a dressing room. That gives you lots of options for a tow vehicle. But before we talk about those, let's answer your question about the safest combination of tow vehicle and trailer. I don't think there can be any argument that it would be a 3/4 ton pickup pulling a gooseneck trailer. The safety advantage of the gooseneck is that it places weight right over the rear axle of the tow vehicle, instead of on a hitch behind the vehicle, and it carries a higher percentage of the weight of the trailer on the tow vehicle. That makes the truck trailer combination more controllable.

The reason you need a 3/4 ton pickup is most half-tons aren't rated to carry enough weight for you, your gear, your passengers, and 20% or so of the weight of the trailer that will rest over the bed.

If you decide on a bumper pull, you could pull it with an SUV or a half-ton pickup, but then you have to really dig into specifics. You need a frame mounted hitch that is rated to pull more than the weight of your trailer. You need brakes and tires and radiator and transmission cooler and engine size and rear end ratio all suited to pulling your trailer. You need a brake controller, which means your vehicle needs to be wired for it and have a big round 7-pin connector in the back. You could buy a Chevy Suburban or a Toyota Sequoia that would be adequate, but it would cost just as much as a pickup and would not give you any gas mileage advantage.

And while we're on the subject, I suggest you forget about gas mileage. On the longest haul I did, from Minnesota to Washington State and back, pulling two horses with a first generation Tundra, I got 12.6 mpg going west and 11.8 mpg coming home. (I drove faster on the way home.) From what I gather from others, that's about as good as it gets. Some people get under 10 mpg. Towing takes a lot of fuel.

One advantage of buying a 3/4 ton pickup is it simplifies your decision making. Take the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 for example. For the last ten years the gasoline version has had only one engine, one rear end ratio, one transmission, etc. It is assumed it will be pulling a trailer so all the necessary equipment is standard. It will pull your two-horse trailer with dressing room with power and capacity to spare. You can buy an adequate half-ton to tow a bumper pull, but you will have to be immersed in the details and understand things like GVWR. You just absolutely can't trust the salesman, who doesn't own a horse, has never pulled a trailer, and quite possibly doesn't own a pickup, and even if he did, he's a very rare individual if he has the knowledge to advise you. And even if he did have the knowledge, he has great incentive to sell you the pickup on the lot whether or not it suits your needs.

Two-horse trailers, both gooseneck and bumper pull, are available in either straight load or slant load. You will see a lot more slant loads, and I believe there are two reasons for that. First, most horses load easier into a slant load and second, a lot of people want a three-horse trailer and there's no good way to make a 3-horse straight load. I personally strongly prefer a straight load. My horse doesn't get to vote according to how willing he is to jump in. He actually travels more comfortably in a straight load. 

As far as diesel vs. gas engines, the diesel has one gigantic advantage. It produces enormous torque at relatively low rpm, which gives a feeling of effortlessness while pulling, especially facing head winds or climbing steep grades. All the other stuff -- better mileage, longer engine life, fewer "tuneups" or whatever, are all offset by the fact that you will spend way more for the diesel engine, in most places you will spend more for the fuel, you will have to buy DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) and add it regularly, and simple service like an oil change can cost you three times what it does for the gas engine. So in the beginning, all the time, and in the end, the diesel will cost you more. My aunt Peggy, who spent her whole life hauling horses all over the country to compete in barrel racing, is a big fan of diesels. Most of us could buy a gas powered 2500 Silverado with 100,000 miles on it and pull our horses around for the rest of our lives without ever having to mess with the engine.


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