I have 2003 Protege 5...and I know the user manual says not to use a trailer with my car; however, I was wondering if there is a way to make this possible and still safe?

The trailer is rated at 2300 lbs (it can be seen herehttp://www.doubledtrailers.com/details.asp?ID=117080) I will be travelling with two miniature horses, that weigh about 200 lbs each.

I have experience driving larger trailers with trucks, but I don't own a truck and certainly don't have the money or interest to get one. My boyfriend has a Chevy pick-up, but I'd rather my primary vehicle be the one that transports them.

Any opinions? Thanks for any advice!

 

The trailer weighs 2300 lbs, you are putting 400 lbs of horses, if you put anything else in there (hay, feed, etc, that could easily be another 50 lbs.....Total of 2750 lbs (estimate.) Not sure what a Protege weighs, but it's probably around 2800-3000 lbs.

Your car is not up to the task of controlling that load. You would overload the springs and the braking systems of your car. In a panic situation you would most certainly lose control as you wouldn't be able to stop the load behind you.

If you value the cargo in the trailer, use your boyfriend's truck.

 

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure there weren't any mods I could do that would reinforce the strength of the vehicle. It was worth asking.

This morning I saw a cheap 95 Chevy Tahoedown the road, so if she runs it might be a good option. I'll go check her out and start the hunt for a cheap, but reliable (and safe!) tow vehicle. Thank you very much!!!

 

There should be plenty of vehicles in the <$4K range that would work fine for what you need. The longer the wheelbase the better it will tow. Make sure to keep a good tongue load. (If the trailer is swaying behind you, you need more weight in the front of the trailer to increase the tongue load.)

If the total trailer weight stays under 3500 lbs, you can safely tow with an S-10 or Ranger sized vehicle, they are rated to 4500-5000 lbs towing. Get trailer brakes and a controller if you can...it's extra insurance should you need to stop fast.