 | Home > Off Topic > Another towing question |
 
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006   
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Hi all.
This is not seemingly a simple question. The law being construction and use 1986 states that if a trailer is less than 750kg it doesn't need brakes. It also states that the trailer and it's load can't be more than half the kerb weight of the towing vehicle. All good and simple. The issue then comes when a vehicle manufacturers recommended unbraked tow limit is less than half the kerb weight. Now in the owners manual it does state that said limit is only in regions where no local regulations offer higher limits. When I have sought clarity the suppling dealership have settled in favour of the law. Vosa through dvsa have said it's not their department or basically I'm on my own. This is just research but I don't want to wade in regardless and find out the hard way? I always thought that legislation superceded recommendation? Cheers. Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon. |
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1st Jul 2016 4:07am |
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006
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Re plated weight it was as you say plated over actual but the changed that a couple of years ago to actual because it was allowing people with overloaded trailers to get away if the plates were correct. Now if I want to I can legally tow my 3500kg trailer with my Jimny so long as I have no more than 150kg of load in the trailer as I am within the train weight of the car. Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon.
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1st Jul 2016 6:14am |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831  
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I have always understood the 750kg to be the trailer and load. The max trailer and load cannot exceed the 750kg no matter what the manufacturers guidance is if higher. Don't make old people mad.
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to  us off.
Richard |
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1st Jul 2016 9:33am |
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| dorsetsmith Member Since: 30 Oct 2011 Location: South West Posts: 4554 |
Unbraked trailers
No unbraked trailer is allowed to have a plated gross vehicle weight* of more than 750 kg. No unbraked trailer is allowed to have a plated gross vehicle weight that is more than half the kerb weight of the vehicle that is towing it. *The combined weight of the trailer and the maximum amount of cargo it is designed to carry. Braked Trailers Although trailers with overrun brakes can weigh up to 3500kg gross, actual maximum weights are set by the specifications of the vehicle that is doing the towing. The law says you must not exceed the Gross Train Weight that the manufacturer has set for the towing vehicle. Look in the vehilce handbook or on a plate riveted to the vehicle to find this figure. You then have to subtract the weight of the towing vehicle (including fuel, driver, passengers, luggage or cargo) from the Gross Train Weight. The amount you are left with is the maximum theoretically-possible weight of trailer that can be towed legally. REMEMBER, the law does not care whether the trailer is empty or packed to the roof with bricks, what counts is the plated gross vehicle weight of the trailer. |
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1st Jul 2016 9:47am |
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006
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/\ you have contradicted yourself there. You are right with the gtw being the limiting factor upto the maximum authorised mass. So a defender has enough train weight th tow 3500kg on top of the gross vehicle weight whereas my jeep can only tow 2688kg on top of gross vehicle weight but I can still use the same 3500kg trailer just not fully loaded. But that is irrelevant as I am looking for understanding of unbraked tow limits in relation to the potential difference between the law and a manufacturer recommendation. And yes nothing can be more than 750kg including its load without being braked. Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon.
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1st Jul 2016 10:17am |
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| nitram17 Member Since: 08 Jun 2014 Location: newcastle Posts: 2261 |
So just for the folk on here who have lost a lot of grey matter over the years....if your towing with a defender 90 whatever is attatched to the towbar(trailer & load) must not exceed 750 kg if the trailer is not braked?
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1st Jul 2016 1:06pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17527 
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^^ Correct.
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1st Jul 2016 1:19pm |
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| dorsetsmith Member Since: 30 Oct 2011 Location: South West Posts: 4554 |
^^
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1st Jul 2016 1:22pm |
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| Flyingfocrs Member Since: 12 Jan 2015 Location: Deepest darkest Aberdeenshire Posts: 155  
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Just to throw another spanner in the works i did see a proposed legislation that your vehicle must be rated to tow your plated trailer weight.
So for example you can't tow a trailer plated at 3500kg gross with a 2200kg towing vehicle even if the trailer is empty or loaded up to or below 2200kg, your vehicle must be able to tow the full 3500kg. |
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1st Jul 2016 7:12pm |
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