Towing with 3.0i - Advice needed
 

Hi all, I will be towing a horse-box to a show, approximately 500km (300miles) return trip. With two horses. This is my first time so I need some advice.
I figure the horses at 550kg-650kg (1200lb -1400lb) each and the trailer at 800-1000kg (1800lb-2200lb) the full weight should be around 1800-2200kg (4000lb-5000lb) is well within the towing capacity of a 3.0i (2005 model) with OEM tow-hitch.

• Does the above calculation seem correct?
• Do I need to adjust tyre pressures? (or other adjustments)
• I understand that gearing should be left in AUTO from reading up. Correct?
• I plan on doing 100km/h (60miles/h)
• Should I invest in extended mirrors

Any other advice from your experiences will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

p.s. (we dont have an ARTICLE on the homepage on towing, do we need one?)

The tow weight is also affected by trailer brakes. Do the horse trailer have its own brake, or is the brake from the X the only brake for stopping the horse trailer?

If accurate, you appear to be within capacities, but you will want to check the air in your E53's tires and in the trailer and inflate to fit the load. Those are big horses, by US standards - draft or warmbloods? Upallnight asks the big question: trailer brakes on the trailer and a brake controller in your E53? IF you have trailer brakes and controller, the 100km p/h is the very fastest you want to go, keeping at least twice the normal distance between you and the driver in front of you, if you aren't an experienced tow-er. If you don't have trailer brakes, but your E53's brakes are in good condition, drop your speed significantly and increase the distance back from the vehicle in front of you. As for mirrors - your OEM mirrors will suffice, if you angle them out to adjust for your added 'length.' The better investment is in a brake controller. Given the wiring difficulties in E53s, if you own the trailer and anticipate doing this regularly, I suggest the RF version of the Tekonsha Prodigy, if available in SA. I have hauled horses thousands of miles, using big Ford trucks; take your time, mind the gap, and drive like you are balancing an egg on your dashboard: slow acceleration/deceleration; on turns, use your wing mirrors and turn WIDE. Your horses, and the fenders on your trailer, will thank you.

and one more .... depending on the trailer's setup, you may want to invest in an anti-sway hitch along with the brake controller. see etrailer dot com for examples of both.

Send me a PM with your email address. I can send you the instructions in pdf that came with the hitch I just bought.

Some important bits for 6cyl with auto trans:
- max towing weight for trailers with brakes (on road) - 5000lbs
- max tongue weight for trailers with brakes (on road) - 600lbs

Some important bits for 6cyl with manual trans:
- max towing weight for trailers with brakes (on road) - 6000lbs
- max tongue weight for trailers with brakes (on road) - 600lbs

Off road has deratings. Towing trailers without brakes also derates thing significantly.

Here is a link to the file

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...66330100,d.aWw

Or search for this and you'll find it in a post
20120331143051744 site:xoutpost.com

Hi all, thanks for the quick replies, appreciated.

Upallnight: yes the trailer should have brakes - will be doing a test run tomorrow. In fact most trailers on South african roads require it i think. However it is a mechanical brake, attached to the trailer hitch mechanism, so when you brake the trailer pushes forward and activates the brakes on the wheels.

Riggodeaux: thanks for your words. my vehicle is equipped with standard (OEM) hitch, does this mean i have a brake controller. What is a brake controller? What does it do? and how do i check if i have one already installed? (all wiring, etc on my tow-hitch electrics is standard)

LVP: will do buddy.

again thank you all
slow and steady, mind the gap, easy on the turns - got it!

OP, note the cautions in the instructions LVP linked. They confirm what I would advise: you really shouldn't haul 2+ tonnes of trailer and horse without trailer brakes. A brake controller is [most often; in old days, a mechanical/hydraulic system keyed to the master brake cylinder in the vehicle] an electronic device, not original equipment, that links electronic brakes in a trailer. You don't have one in your E53, even if it has an OEM hitch. The Tekonsha I described, as sold by etrailer dot com and many others, is one brand name of controller. What you describe is a mechanical safety brake, not an electronic, gradual brake that engages the trailer brakes as you press the brake pedal. The modern, electrical brake system is the safety system that protects your horses and your vehicle [and others!] from your trailer/horses becoming a projectile, moving at your road speed when it rolls/twists, etc. I know Euro [and I expect SA] standards differ; for local guidance, I suggest you check with local horse show enthusiasts sites on trailers/hauling/brakes. If they sell the RF [wireless, radio frequency]Tekonsha Prodigy in SA, that's a good path to take to safe hauling.

FWIW, my OEM trailer hitch is still in the garage, begging me to install it. We haven't yet bought a replacement horse trailer for the big gooseneck trailer [hauled behind a diesel ford truck] we sold last Fall. S0 - I'm overdue to practice what I preach! Install the OEM hitch and RF Tekonsha Prodigy on the trailer we buy. For anyone interested, a two-horse, aluminum bumper pull is about max for our E53s: I lean toward CM's slant load model. It and comparable trailers weigh 2250-2750 lbs. With tack and two 1k-1100 lb, 15.1 hand quarterhorses, thats all you really should pull, even with the V8 auto/3.0L manual max trailer weight of 6,000 lbs.

I believe the OP is describing surge brakes, which apply automatically with vehicle deceleration. If functioning properly, those will be fine. No need for a brake controller, as the trailer is unlikely to have electric brakes. The OE wiring does not include a brake controller.

IIRC the 3.0 was rated to tow 6000 lb from 2004 onwards. It is the earlier 5 speed auto model that was limited to 5000 lbs. Ratings varied outside North America.

Leave the transmission in automatic unless it hunts between gears on long hills. If so, manually select the lower of the two gears it is hunting between.

Slower is better than faster.

Not sure which OE hitch style is used in SA, but North American sway control devices may not fit.

You may need extended mirrors based on the trailer width and local regulations.

Good luck.

Jeff