# Help, need tow vehicle recommendation



## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I would really like to have a horse trailer, but I also need a vehicle capable of towing one, and I'm trying to work out the best way to achieve that. Mostly I'd like to be able to tow to nearby trails, and maybe some clinics or shows that no one else at my barn is going to. I don't expect to ever go more than about an hour away. Being limited to just my horse would also be OK.

Right now, I have a small coupe and my husband has a minivan. Obviously, the coupe's not going to pull anything. Assuming the towing package doesn't have to come factory installed and can still be added on, the minivan can tow up to 3,600 lbs. My horse is a smaller horse, right around 1,000 lbs, which leaves 2,600 lbs for the trailer itself (although I know it's not ideal to tow anywhere near the capacity). I know someone who tows a Brenderup with her minivan, but those are expensive and hard to find. Honestly, I have no idea how much "regular" trailers weigh, so I'm not sure if it's realistic to even consider finding one that the minivan could handle. (Anyone know a ballpark figure for how much a standard 2 horse slant or straight load trailer w/ small tack room would weigh?)

Replacing the minivan could be an option, but I'm not sure I could find something that would make DH happy and also tow a trailer. The minivan really fits all his criteria (except gas mileage, but nothing's perfect): he can fit a stand up paddle board AND a kayak AND his kiteboarding gear inside at the same time (he hates tying things to the roof, even though it has a rack), the middle and back row seats fold down flat into the chassis which makes re-configuring REALLY easy. I borrowed it for my last horse show, stuffed all my tack, hay, etc. into the back, then unloaded it at the show and slept in it instead of getting a hotel room, so I also am a big fan of the seats folding completely flat.

A pickup truck, even one with a longer bed, wouldn't fit a SUP board or kayak. The full size vans (like a Ford E-150) would probably fit that stuff inside and can tow >6000 lbs, but aren't re-configureable. The minivan has a low towing capacity. Anyone know of a vehicle that can "do it all"?

The other option would be to get a 3rd vehicle just for towing. I'd rather not go this route, since parking is already a little tight at my house and there's all the maintenance, registration, etc that would have to be done for it. And since we wouldn't be trading in a vehicle, the budget for buying the vehicle would be so low I'd be worried about getting a clunker that would break down and leave me and my horse stranded on the side of the road :-|


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Suburban? I wouldn't tow with a minivan. Ford Excursion? If they still make those. What about a long bed pickup? Those have an 8ft bed.

Here's the weight for the Featherlite trailers

http://www.fthr.com/userfiles/BP-Horse-Trailers.pdf


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Chevrolet Trailblazer extended. I own a 2005 and I love it. I can tow my friend's aluminum FeatherLite two-horse slant with my 1500lbs draft cross gelding in it with no problems. Tow capacity is 7000lbs, gas mileage is pretty decent (averaged 22mpg on my last tank and I do a lot of both city and highway driving to work and running errands), the seats are easily reconfigured, and it's got a great ride. When pulling a trailer, you hardly notice the trailer.
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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Yukons are really popular for towing.

I love my F250 though!
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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Chevrolet Trailblazer extended. I own a 2005 and I love it. I can tow my friend's aluminum FeatherLite two-horse slant with my 1500lbs draft cross gelding in it with no problems. Tow capacity is 7000lbs, gas mileage is pretty decent (averaged 22mpg on my last tank and I do a lot of both city and highway driving to work and running errands), the seats are easily reconfigured, and it's got a great ride. When pulling a trailer, you hardly notice the trailer.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Looking at some pictures, that seems promising. There are a couple listed at a nearby dealership, so maybe I'll drag my husband out there to take a look with me next weekend and see what he thinks of it 

Is the 7000lb capacity high enough to tow something other than a Featherlite? I'm mostly seeing steel trailers on Craigslist right now- probably something like this is what I'd end up with: 1990 Charmac 2 Horse Slant Trailer (not this one in paritcular, of course, since I don't even have a tow vehicle yet!)



> What about a long bed pickup? Those have an 8ft bed.


Probably should have specified... the kayak is 10 or 10 1/2 feet long, and the SUP board is only a little bit shorter. He manages to fit it- barely- in the minivan with all the passenger side seats folded down.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Our 2 horse BP steel stock trailer weighs 2200 lbs as a reference.
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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

You should be able to tow pretty much any two-horse slant, regardless of what it's made of.
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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

you need a proper tow vehicle, sorry but a mini van aint it. You want the tow vehicle Id sell/ trade your car. SOunds like he has what meets his needs, why should he give that up ?


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

I am of the opinion bigger is better...I'm sure there is no such thing as "too much truck"...but then I am a paranoid mental case when it comes to towing safety. I wouldn't get anything less than a 3/4 ton pickup or SUV. I suppose a Brenderup would work with a 1/2 ton. A woman in the area tows one with her Mercedes sedan. 
Just do all the research you can before you buy as far as towing capacity and all that stuff. It's not easy finding a vehicle that will do everything you want it to do for the price you want to pay and within the time-frame you want. But it sure is fun when you find it!


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

every make of trailer is different.... Had a WW 3 horse slant that weighed 3600..also had a 2horse BP with a walk in tack room that weight the same.. 

I would be afraid to pull a horse trailer with a minivan. mini van may be able to handle it in terms of weight capacity- but horses move-sometimes alot, making your vehicle move too. Also, just because is "rated" to pull that weight doesn't mean it should. It wasn't built to be a towing vehicle, so hooking up to and pulling a horse trailer is probably going to wreak havoc on your transmission, engine, various other parts, TIRES..ect ect..


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

We bought a old "84" dually just for our stock trailer and hay. It's old (cheap tags) reliable (no computers) and will pull anything. And have a spare back up vehicle is nice. Well technically we have 3 back up vehicles lol, but you know what I'm sayin. I'd look at a cheap 3/4 or 1 ton as a dedicated hauler. If that's just not an option, you could put a ladder rack on a pick up and haul the toys on that.
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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Joe4d said:


> you need a proper tow vehicle, sorry but a mini van aint it. You want the tow vehicle Id sell/ trade your car. SOunds like he has what meets his needs, why should he give that up ?


The main reason is that I drive a lot more than DH, so gas mileage is pretty important. He averages 4k miles per year, whereas I'm more around 10k miles per year. I'd consider replacing my car if I could get something rated 25+ mpg (though I know in reality it would get a little less than that). In the end, if it comes down to keeping the minivan and me not getting a trailer vs. trading in the minivan for something that doesn't suit him, we'd be keeping the minivan.

In a perfect world, I'd have a Nissan Leaf and a big truck in my garage, along with whatever DH wanted 



> You should be able to tow pretty much any two-horse slant, regardless of what it's made of.


Awesome. Thanks!



> We bought a old "84" dually just for our stock trailer and hay. It's old (cheap tags) reliable (no computers) and will pull anything.


I'm kind of leery of getting an older vehicle. My first car was a '89 Chevy S-10 (in 2003) and despite the fact that I got to know my mechanic VERY well and basically made a car payment's worth of repairs each month, it still died about 6 months after I got it. It's not something I'd care to repeat...


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

a 1/2 ton will work fine as long as there is enough motor under the hood. I personally would be a bit leary of a trailblazer, seems to have a shorter wheel base.

if he wants something with enclosure I woud either look at a regular/extended cab/long bed truck and put a cap on it, then you can easily get 10' in with just a bit sticking out. or look at an SUV lik the excursion/Suburbans


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Would a Chevy Colorado work? It's mileage is rated at 18/25 mpg and towing capacity at 6000 lb; I could replace my car with it without feeling too bad about the decreased mileage.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

I would really try for a full size truck frame to be honest whether you go SUV/Truck.

the smaller trucks are ok for something like a landscape trailer with a lawnmower, I think Toyota has some midsized trucks that you could get away with


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Hmm, I'm really pretty clueless as to what specs to look for to make sure it's sufficient. When I looked up 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, etc I learned that it's an outdated term that used to refer to the payload capacity, but that current model 1/2 tons trucks have payload capacities well above 1/2 ton. I couldn't find any info on what makes a truck "1/2 ton" now.

It seems like anything bigger than a Chevy Colorado or Toyota Tacoma get gas mileage too low to be my everyday car and won't work for my husband, so I'm thinking the truck option is probably out of the question.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

1/2 ect refers to the truck bed capacity not towing. Nothing less than an f150 Chevy 1500 or Toyota tundra. Those are the full size. I believe the trailblazer ext is built on the 1500 frame. It's not the same as the regular trailblazer, which has a terrible rollover rating due to the height, wheel base ratio. A Colorado replaced the s10. So that is too small.

Ps if I only drive 5k miles a year I would own an f250. At that low of mileage mpg shouldn't matter. 
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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

verona1016 said:


> Would a Chevy Colorado work? It's mileage is rated at 18/25 mpg and towing capacity at 6000 lb; I could replace my car with it without feeling too bad about the decreased mileage.


I used a Colorado with the towing package to haul a 12' v nose trailer from south bend to Indy. Apx 200 miles. All it had in it was household goods. I hated that drive! 50mph
And two tanks of fuel! My dually with a 454 and a 3:73 rear gear gets 15/18 empty and 10/12 pulling a stock trailer and 4 horses. I understand if your not handy and dont want something older but skimping on the the tow vehicle will end up costing more in the long run. My truck is rated to gvwr at 10000lbs my trailer has breaks, and I'll never wear it out hauling horses. Pull the same load with a "light truck" and you'll see your lower cost of ownership go threw the roof!
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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

tim62988 said:


> a 1/2 ton will work fine as long as there is enough motor under the hood. I personally would be a bit leary of a trailblazer, seems to have a shorter wheel base.


I have a Trailblazer EXTENDED, which is what I recommended to the OP. It is very close to being as long as my dad's 12-passenger E350 van. Sitting my brother's Expedition next to my Trailblazer, my Trailblazer is slightly longer.

Also, the Trailblazer has a 4.1L inline six putting out 275hp. 
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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Going tire-kicking is a great idea! If you see something that looks like a possibility go home and get online and check to see what the manufacturer specs are. Don't believe everything a salesperson tells you.
Also keep in mind that unless you are going to stay local or stick to I-5 or east on I-84 a ways, there are hills and mountains to the west and east. No fun in an underpowered vehicle heading up over a pass.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Phly said:


> I used a Colorado with the towing package to haul a 12' v nose trailer from south bend to Indy. Apx 200 miles. All it had in it was household goods. I hated that drive! 50mph
> And two tanks of fuel! My dually with a 454 and a 3:73 rear gear gets 15/18 empty and 10/12 pulling a stock trailer and 4 horses. I understand if your not handy and dont want something older but skimping on the the tow vehicle will end up costing more in the long run. My truck is rated to gvwr at 10000lbs my trailer has breaks, and I'll never wear it out hauling horses. Pull the same load with a "light truck" and you'll see your lower cost of ownership go threw the roof!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


It's not that I want to skimp on the tow vehicle, so much as that I don't want to drive a giant gas guzzler as my everyday vehicle, a truck (of any size) won't fit my husband's needs, and having a 3rd vehicle just to tow 5 or 6 times a year doesn't make sense (and to afford a third vehicle I WOULD have to skimp on it)



> 1/2 ect refers to the truck bed capacity not towing.


Right... payload capacity. But since "half ton" trucks now have a much higher payload capacity than 1000 lbs (the Ford F-150 has a payload capacity of anywhere from 3/4 up to 1-1/2 tons depending on the specific model) and has nothing to do with towing, I'm not sure how to (a) identify a "half-ton" truck or (b) why that even matters.

So far, it seems like only the Trailblazer EXT is a candidate. Can someone explain what specs make this vehicle suitable for towing, but are not sufficient on a small truck (like the Colorado or Tacoma)? They're both rated similarly in tow capacity. The wheelbase is about the same if you get an extended cab (which is also about the same as a regular cab F-150). The trucks do have a little lower horsepower (240 vs 290). 

As I said, I'm not trying to skimp- I'll buy something that is safe or nothing at all- but I want to understand why only a full size truck will do if that's the case.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Max towing for the colorado is 6000 and gwvr is 5000

Max towing for trailblazer ext is 7200 and gwvr is 6200.

Big enough difference for me to stay away from the small one. 

F150 max towing is 7700 gwvr is 7350.

See the difference. Not to mention hp and torque are a huge difference. 

The colorado has a very crappy engine as well. My bf was a chevy guy and wanted a colorado until he looked into the engine. We now have an F150.

Edit: Vehicle weight makes a difference. You don't want that trailer tossing the truck around.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Which year/trim is rated at 7200 lb for the Trailblazer? The two that are at a nearby dealer are both 2005 4x4's, one is an LS and the other is an LT. Both are rated at 6500 lb towing capacity. Would that be enough, or do I need to look for a different year/trim with higher rating?


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

There were so many different trims but I think it was an 04. Doesn't seem they make them anymore? You will have to look up each trim to know what to look for. You want hp and torque along with vehicle weight.
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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

The two at the dealership have 275 HP @ 6000 rpm, 275 ft-lbs. torque @ 3600 rpm, 4954 lbs curb weight, and 6400 lbs gross weight. Worth looking at? Or should I search for a different year/trim?


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

I would say that is worth looking at. The sticker on the inside of the door or somewhere should give you the max towing capacity for that vehicle.

It actually has more horsepower than our truck with a little less torque so pretty even there. Too bad they couldn't have a trailer for you to tow with on a practice drive so you could feel how it tows.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Phew  I was afraid the only potential solution was going to get ruled out before even getting a chance to look at it!


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Mine is an '05 2wd LS.
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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Mine is an '05 2wd LS.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Ok it said 7000 max towing but that it might need special engine and other things in order to get to 7000 max towing.


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## rockyrider227 (Jun 8, 2012)

*Tow setup*

I have a Nissan Titan 1/2 ton truck with Big Tow Package with a tow capacity of 9500 lbs. It handles like a nice SUV. I tow a 2 horse straight load Featherlite bumper pull, all aluminum, that is the warmblood size (for sale by the way). You don't even know the trailer is behind you. Nissan makes racks that attach to the truck bed to haul stuff above the truck bed for kayaks, bikes, and such. They are pretty cool. Gas mileage isn't great but it's a truck.


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## Jim Andy (Jan 21, 2013)

I for one do not like to tow with anything that is front wheel drive.Not having the right tow vehicle is very dangerous. the vehicle has to be heavy enough to control the trailer and horses behind it. If someone pulls out in front of you.You have to be able to stop that load with out jack knifing it or pushing you in the ditch.


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