towing law?

mark_j · 22 March 2011, 11:08

On the way back from a day on the rib we often stop off for a pint or two, at this point my good lady will sometimes drive back, she passed her test after jan 97 and has not got the trailer test, i read somewhere that there is an exemption and that she can tow as long as the weight is less that half of the weight of the car? I tow with an E320cdi estate and the rib is a ribcraft 5.8 with 115opti, i do not have a local weighbridge so cannot weight the car or trailer, but obviously want to make sure she is legal, over to you ribnet?

ed_dash · 22 March 2011, 11:11

she is only allowed to tow an unbraked trailer upto 750kg, without sitting a trailer towing test. I assume your trailer is braked and she cannot legally tow it even if it were empty.

Im in the same situation as her and having to do the test.

mark_j · 22 March 2011, 11:18

Exemption

A post '97 licence holder can however tow a trailer with a gross weight of around 1500kgs, providing the towing vehicle and trailor are carefully matched. If this matching is not done correctly, it will fail to comply with the exemption, resulting in the driver being unlicensed and uninsured. In a court of law this could carry a maximum of 9 penalty points and £1000 fine and in some cases even a ban.

source:
http://www.operator-safety-training....owing_44_2.asp

kwil · 22 March 2011, 12:18

Quote:

A post '97 licence holder can however tow a trailer with a gross weight of around 1500kgs, providing the towing vehicle and trailor are carefully matched.

I think this is the passage in the regs you are referring to.

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to eight passenger seats

Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.

For example:

•a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle

Whereas

•the same vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes when coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.5 tonnes would fall within category B+E. This is because although the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer is within the 3.5 tonnes MAM limit, the MAM of the trailer is more than the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle
•Vehicle manufacturers normally recommend a maximum weight of trailer appropriate to their vehicle. Details can usually be found in the vehicle's handbook or obtained from car dealerships. The size of the trailer recommended for an average family car with an unladen weight of around 1 tonne would be well within the new category B threshold.

Keith

m chappelow · 22 March 2011, 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_j

On the way back from a day on the rib we often stop off for a pint or two, at this point my good lady will sometimes drive back, she passed her test after jan 97 and has not got the trailer test, i read somewhere that there is an exemption and that she can tow as long as the weight is less that half of the weight of the car? I tow with an E320cdi estate and the rib is a ribcraft 5.8 with 115opti, i do not have a local weighbridge so cannot weight the car or trailer, but obviously want to make sure she is legal, over to you ribnet?

Same as my wife ,she only passed her normal car test 2005 so can only drive with a trailer up to 750 kgs unbraked,,but ,,

Any unbraked trailer must weigh less than half the weight of the towing car/vehicle
,eg car weight 1000kgs so an unbraked trailer can weigh 500kgs,
car weight 1500kgs so an unbraked trailer can weigh 750kgs,

also any unbraked trailer must have the gross weight of that trailer marked on the nearside draw bar and be fitted with a safety chain.

Even with brakes fitted with some cars it used to to be only weight for weight ,,,,,,eg ,, car 1050kgs,,,trailer 1050kgs,,even though the towing weight of the car vin plate may be much more .

Poly · 22 March 2011, 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

Same as my wife ,she only passed her normal car test 2005 so can only drive with a trailer up to 750 kgs unbraked,,but ,,

Any unbraked trailer must weigh less than half the weight of the towing car/vehicle
,eg car weight 1000kgs so an unbraked trailer can weigh 500kgs,
car weight 1500kgs so an unbraked trailer can weigh 750kgs,

also any unbraked trailer must have the gross weight of that trailer marked on the nearside draw bar and be fitted with a safety chain.

Even with brakes fitted with some cars it used to to be only weight for weight ,,,,,,eg ,, car 1050kgs,,,trailer 1050kgs,,even though the towing weight of the car vin plate may be much more .

she can tow with brakes in a very limited set of weight combinations as Kwil and Mark J say.

Xk59D · 22 March 2011, 13:39

i have the same restrictions on my licence. i called the DVLA to double check what i thought as the consequences are severe should you not be legal.

the max car kerb weight (found on door pillar usually) and GVW of your trailer (this is the plated weight on your trailer chassis) can not exceed 3.5 tonnes.

the plated trailer GVW must also not exceed the unladen weight of the car.

that is my understanding of it and what the DVLA advised when i called to double check.

the actual weight of your entire rig at a weighbridge doesn't matter in this instance as the law use the plated weights. if your exceeding the plated GVW of your trailer then your breaking the law period no matter your licence.

cheers

Xk59D · 22 March 2011, 13:43

according to google that merc you have is-

unladen- 1886kg
max kerb weight/GVW- 2460

you do not say which trailer your rib is sitting on but i assume it is plated crica 1100-1300KG, to be legal on the new style license the boat would have to be sitting on a trailer with a plated weight of 1040kg-not likely with a 5.8m i'd wager. otherwise you are exceeding the 3.5 tonne limit.

cheers

mark_j · 22 March 2011, 14:07

So anyone know what a RC5.8 +opti weigh?

mark_j · 22 March 2011, 14:10

given the confusion, i'd wager that if stoped we'd be fine??

Xk59D · 22 March 2011, 14:10

mark-it doesn't matter for now for towing purposes-what does the plate on your trailer show as GVW or max loading?

i know someone that got fined last year towing a normal trailer-it was full of soil from their garden and police took them to local weighbridge and charged them as 100kg over GVW the trailer was capable of-not the car.

cheers

mark_j · 22 March 2011, 14:18

here's the plate

Xk59D · 22 March 2011, 14:28

your right there is confusion over this but i would never condone driving illegally but it's not my licence on the line...........

that is the wrong plate if memory serves-there should be another one somewhere (on axle perhaps or down side i think is where indespension put them). i think that plate tells you what the tow hitch is capable of and not the trailer.

what model trailer is it?

rollercoaster 2/3 etc?

cheers

mark_j · 22 March 2011, 14:34

its a rollercoaster 8 max 1500kgs

Xk59D · 22 March 2011, 14:38

i can't find that on the indespension website-they only show the super rollercoaster 8 but if you have found the other plate i mentioned then that is what the law goes with.

your way outside what is legal to tow with the restricted licence as your closer to 4 tonnes than the 3.5 max :-(

if anyone else has better info than i'm giving then be great to hear but my understanding is they look at what you CAN tow and not what you are towing weight wise-bit naff i know but only follow the rules they make.

just aswell they don't apply the same logic to speeding in cars as every car made these days is capable of smashing 70mph.

cheers

Stephen-RIB · 22 March 2011, 15:38

Has anyone sat the test for trailers towing? is it a total ball ache in that they test your driving skills all over again or is it more focussed on just trailer towing?

Nos4r2 · 22 March 2011, 21:01

First post on this thread has a PDF attached that tells you exactly what you can and can't tow without category B+E on your licence.

Crusher · 22 March 2011, 21:13

Just every now and then there is an odd occasion when it is good to be a little bit older !

Glad I dont have to worry about this !

Markyboyo · 23 March 2011, 08:15

I currently tow with an Octavia Estate at 100% of the cars towing capacity (1300kg) on a CAT B license. The cars kerb weight is 1435kg (more than the MAM of the trailer which is 1300kg) and the cars GVW is 1880kg which suggests a max train weight of 3.18T so I am well within the 3.5T limit.

It annoys me intensely that after towing regularly without incident since I did my test in 1998 I will now have to do another test when I buy a more suitable and safer tow vehicle.

I believe that the actual weight of the Boat on the trailer is really nearer a tonne and have considered having the Trailer re-plated(as mentioned earlier) once It has been on a weigh bridge full of fuel and all the other rubbish we ribbers carry in them.

Re-plating is very common in Horsey circles where the max weight of many horse boxes is say 3.5 tonnes despite actually weighing less than 2.5 tonnes with 2 horses in them. Plate the trailer down to 2.5 tonnes and the number of possible tow vehicles available increases massively.

Xk59D · 23 March 2011, 09:19

who is allowed to replate trailers? is it only the manufacturer?

i do know of people have done it DIY style but that is probably as bad as getting caught over the limit on the old plate...not a good idea me thinks.

cheers