i need some help:

1) axle ratios - can someone explain what's best for hauling?

2) towing package - do i really need a tranny cooler and engine cooler and a heavy duty battery for a 2 horse aluminum trailer? dealer of course claims yes, but what's the truth?

3) i KNOW that i want a 4 wheel drive.  is it a total pipe dream to think that i can get a 4 wheel drive w/ manual tranny which can haul horses? why do manual transmissions lower the towing capacity so much anyway?

4) any words of wisdom that you can offer are welcome. i hate shopping and shopping for cars in particular. i don't have much funds to play around with which makes this an even more painful experience.

thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.

oh, wait, one more thing. in your opinion are the new dodge dakotas suitable for hauling horses? their towing capacity is listed at 7000 lbs but some people seem to think that they're too light to haul with. what's the deal?

marta

I wouldn't worry about axle ratios unless it will be a tow only rig or you live in the Rockies.(more info when you narrow down the % of use, total weight and geographic location)

 Yes get the tow package on whatever rig you get! That usually includes a larger cooling and charging system also prewired for the electric brakes (minus controller) and the reciever(hitch). Good for resale and hot days stuck in traffic!

 4-wheel drive....depends on where you live...Every time an option is added it takes away from the tow rating. A 2-wheel will have a higher rating than a 4-wheel drive...If you want it ...get it!..I did!

Vehicles will tow what they are rated to tow...so 7,000 lbs rating for the Dakota is 7,000 lbs. I wouldn't consider that light duty....Medium duty might be a better description. The tow rating is the number you want to use to do your shopping. Figure out how much your trailer fully loaded with horses, people and tack weighs. What percentage of your mileage you plan to tow. And things can be narrowed down. I wouldn't want a full blown tow rig and tow only 10% of the time!  Not good for milage.

If you list what the total weight is you want to tow and how often it will help narrow your search!

my trailer weighs about 1800 lbs and most of the time (actually up until now all the time) my mare is the only horse that gets hauled in it and she's only about 900 lbs. i don't have a center divider and my mare is not the friendliest of horses so i don't put anyone else in there w/ her. so usually i haul right under 3000 lbs in the northeast (yeah, no rockies here, but i do want the 4 wheel drive for the beach and the snow;)). i would like the truck to be able to haul the trailer w/ 2 horses in it, so lets say another 1200 lbs of weight. that brings us to about 4200 lbs. i really don't see myself exceeding 5000 lbs under any circumstances, unless i'm hauling someone else's trailer but that's unlikely. so 5000 lbs is more than sufficient. my friend got the f-150 w/ a v-6 and automatic tranny (2 wheel drive) and hauls w/ that. i would rather do the reverse (if possible) and get a v-8 w/ a manual tranny (i hate driving automatics, feel like i'm 'detached' from the vehicle).

oh, and i haul mostly on the weekends (all year round), probably 3 times per month on average. the remainder of the time the truck would serve as a daily driver (although i might consider taking a train to work if i actually get the truck - it might be cheaper;))

marta

marta....good info! I would look for a vehicle with a tow rating of 6500lbs or more (lets call it reserve capacity) and being a horse type person new wants seem to crop up with time...lol..

I would get the std. axle ratio...towing package...4x4 of course..Manual vs auto??...The reason the auto is rated more than the auto is because they have more control of the driver input..The manual can be abused or used improperly(this is an educated guess)! Full size trucks it is the other way manual has a higher rating. It is a much heavier duty tranny. Whatever the reason you have to look at the tow rating numbers. If the manual can still give you the reserve towing capacity then go for it! I used to be the same way about auto....now I have one! They take a bit of getting used to but work fine. My wife tows about the same weight with a 2002 Durango. It has a 6300lb tow rating. Two horses puts it right up there but it does fine. Her Trailer weight is 2500lbs a bit heavier than yours. But usually only hauls one horse. She loves it. You will need to get a brake controller for it of course unless you have a Brenderup then you are ready. I would recomend a Prodigy ($100.00) or equal controller. Take it with you when you get serious and make the instalation part of the deal....tell them where you want it mounted....You will have to get a stinger..or hitch...(the part the ball mounts to then slides into the reciever) with the correct drop so your trailer sets level. They come in different drops so you can adjust the height of the ball. I don't believe you will need a weight distributing hitch.. It will depend on the tow habits of you setup when you finally get it all put togeather. Tow Rigs!!??....The Durango Dakota...F-150....1500 Dodge or Chevy should make a great tow rig...There are more I'm sure! Just give yourself some extra tow rating and it will make driving a lot less white knuckle! I'm sure there will be more input here with time and even some better suggestions! Hope I helped! 

Added after a bit of thinking...1800 lbs for the trailer weight seems a bit light. Have you put it on a scale? What brand is it if I may ask?