What is the smallest truck that I can buy to tow a 2 horse trailer with two full sized horses safely.
2007-02-03 06:02:51 · 5 answers · asked by fit4life 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
You have been given two pretty good answers so far... a half ton and a three quarter ton. The answer you are looking for is found in two places... The size and weight of the trailer, and the size and weight of your horses.
Put these two factors together and you have GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). This weight figure will help you decide how big a pick-up you should be looking for.
Truck and trailer combined give you the CVWR (Combined Vehicle Weight Rating). This is the total capacity your vehicle will be allowed to tow including the truck itself.
While a half ton should suffice, a three quarter ton is the safer bet. In this case bigger is better.
Basic designators are as follows:
1500 (or 150) = 1/2 ton
2500 (or 250) = 3/4 ton
3500 (or 350) = one ton (available in either single or dual rear wheels).
Check out the web site listed. Remember Towing Capacity is listed on the manufacturers ID plate of the vehicle.
YOU MUST KNOW THE WEIGHT OF YOUR TRAILER AND CLOSEST WEIGHT ESTIMATE OF YOUR HORSES TO MAKE THIS PURCHASE! PLAY IT SAFE.
If you can load the horses into your trailer, and have the trailer weighed (have a friend tow the rig to a scale and weigh it to be sure). The expense will pay huge dividends in the long run.
2007-02-03 18:18:48 · answer #1 · answered by Klondike John 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should be able to use a 1/2 ton full size pickup as long as you're not in the mountains. Someone in another trailering question said they read in a magazine (Horse & Rider?) that the minimum wheelbase you should use is 114 inches, which rules out most SUV's. My last truck was a 1985 Ford F-150 and it did just fine pulling two horses, but would knock going up long hills unless I used 93 octane gas for towing. It had two gas tanks so I kept one filled with 87 and one with 93! Now I have a 2002 Chevy 2500HD and you can't even tell the trailer is back there.
2016-05-23 23:46:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd recommend a 1500. Half ton pickup. I don't recommend using something small like a Ford Ranger or S10. I know a Dodge 1500 works well. We used one ranching in Idaho to pull a 3 horse trailer on mountain roads and it worked awesome.
2007-02-03 06:14:56 · answer #3 · answered by Jay M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
at least a 3/4 ton , I've known people that have destroyed their 1/2 tons by towing .
2007-02-03 08:35:42 · answer #4 · answered by sterling m 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you dont know what truck to tow a trailer with you dont need to be pulling a trailer
2007-02-03 06:43:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋