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Whats a good 4x4 for towing horses
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:42 pm
by Fudman
I currently have a 1990 2.6 Trooper that I want to upgrade from.
I have a budget of around $15,000 and need to tow a solid (heavy) old horse float with 2 horses.
What do you guys recommend...
cheers
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:31 pm
by Maddog
what part of the world are you in ?
I am just about to advertise my 1990 Hilux Surf V6
it would be a good tow vehicle for you.& at half the budget.
Safari
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:50 pm
by Kent
My dad has being towing my sisters horse and sometimes a friends horse, with his V6 Toyota Hilux. It handles it OK but I must say that my Safari handles it a whole lot better. I have the 4.2 L diesil and It really handles it well. If you really wanted to get the pull then you could get the turbo. And it would be a great 4x4 vehicle for you as well.
They are a fantastic car and mechanically won\'t give you any trouble. And they tow like a dream, a part from having to put your foot down a bit harder, they are solid on the road and will tow beutifully.
Kent
Tow wagon
Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:58 am
by hinsonberger
Unfortunately a Surf of that age is not up to the task you require. The braked tow rating of all Surfs up to 1996 is 1500kg. After 96 they are rated at 2500kg, but would be $20,000+
If I was you I\'d make a list of all 4WDs that have a braked tow rating of 2200kg or over, then narrow that down to what you prefer & your budget. A long wheelbase wagon is also obviously going to be a more stable towing vehicle. I\'d also go with a diesel if you are doing much towing, just for the characteristics over a petrol engine. I personally also prefer full time 4WD for the safety & grip when towing, but only some of the list below are this.
Quick list of possible vehicles:
- Land Rover Defender
- Land Rover Disovery
- Range Rover
- Toyota LandCruiser
- Toyota Prado
- Nissan Patrol/Safari
- Isuzu Bighorn
- Jeep Cherokee
- Mitsubishi Pajero (97 onwards)
A good site for tow ratings is the Best Bars site (
http://www.bestbars.co.nz). The tow ratings are a pretty good guideline as they take into acount engine, brakes, transmission, chassis, etc & not just the strength of the towbar as many people think.
This should generate a fair bit of discussion as everyone has their own ideas & think their vehicle is the best, but to be objective, I think you need to just deal with facts.
Hope this is of some help?
Cheers