Insult from a Land Rover owner!!

[badger]

i think due to my licence, i am exempt from that, have now read vosa rules, and does not seam to apply for pre 96 test, mine was well before that, and have hgv class as well.
did you pass after 96/97?

 

[kbekl]

no to do with licence mate

the mav is plated up to 2800kg max so you can only tow a trailer that is rated no higher than 2800kg

mine is rated at 3500kg so same principle i can only tow a trailer rated the same or less

 

[Muckypup]

Yes but have been through my test and got E entitlement. But I can only go to 7000kgm gross train where as you 8250 i think.

I need to find that DVLA post but i'm 99.9% sure the law is that if vehicle max tow weight 3.0 a 3.5t trailer cannot be towed at all.

Need that link whoever it was!!!!

 

[kbekl]

is it this one ?
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/info_trailers.pdf

 

[Muckypup]

It doesnt actually appear to say it on there

 

[badger]

2800 is trailer/towing weight, all up weight is train weight.
which on your plate will be higher value.
terrano is about 4800??
xtrail 4300??
towing weight 2200.
without hgv class, my licence is 8200.
dont forget tacho though.

you cant tow more than train weight, i think that is what has been read.


looking on vosa, even they admit pre 96 can do as they want, but make sure it is safe??

 

[briggie]

2800 is trailer/towing weight, all up weight is train weight.
which on your plate will be higher value.
terrano is about 4800??
xtrail 4300??
towing weight 2200.
without hgv class, my licence is 8200.
dont forget tacho though.

you cant tow more than train weight, i think that is what has been read.


looking on vosa, even they admit pre 96 can do as they want, but make sure it is safe??

http://www.nissanpress.co.uk/press_.../2003/Terrano-engine-data-dimensions_2003.pdf

 

[badger]

me and two trafic cops, checked this out, as i was towing, passed no issue
towed down to france, when sitting in the back of the caravn, the stearing wheel looked a long way away
had no problem, until an owl hit window in middle of the night.

 

[badger]

hello briggie,
for the terrano 5310kg then.
i think xtrail is less, but all depends on laden weight of car/van.
terrano with 2800kg trailer, if used for reward, would need a tacho.

 

[Muckypup]

Different mate, its a car and does not have a tow rating so its down to the kerb weight of the car :thumb2

Thats why its a stupid law, mondeo can legally tow Brian James 3.5t trailer unladen. Nissan Terrano cant legally tow it

 

[badger]

still dont get it, your terrano will have a train weight.
car or 4x4 is not important.
i will check with my pet trafic cop in morning.

 

[geoffdown]

Different mate, its a car and does not have a tow rating so its down to the kerb weight of the car :thumb2

Thats why its a stupid law, mondeo can legally tow Brian James 3.5t trailer unladen. Nissan Terrano cant legally tow it

sorry mate all cars have a max tow weight but with caravan should go by the 85% rule of kerbweight but still only tow max weight in owners book which is about the kerbweight if that makes sense:doh

 

[kbekl]

the maxium towing weight for a 2.7 td/tdi is 2800kg that is a specified value and should not be exceeded

think rick would know more on this subject

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

85% rule is something the caravan clubs push, but it is not the law! My t2 is a commercial so the rules are a bit different again and far too complicated!

The caravan i use every day has an uladen wight of 2.6 tonnes and no maximum stated by the manufacturer. It also meets the new lagal maximum width of 8 feet, that woudl confuse the average PC at the side of the road :augie

 

[tezzer]

no trailer should weigh more than towing vehicle, but there are exceptions to this, but im not too sure what they are, the 85% for caravans is not a legal requirement but a guide to safe towing. :thumbs

 

[briggie]

What Weight of Caravan Can I Tow?
26 Mar 2009

There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the weight of caravan that a driving license entitles you to tow, due to a change in the law enacted from the 1st January 1997.

Licenses

The law states that if you have a driving license from before the 1st of January 1997 you can drive any vehicle and trailer combination as long as the combined weight of the vehicles does not exceed 8250kg Maximum Authorised Mass (M.A.M.).* And the towing vehicle’s weight must not exceed 7500kg.

If you have a full driving license from after 1st January 1997 you may drive a car or lightweight commercial vehicle and tow a caravan but the combined weight must not exceed 4250kg. So the caravan’s weight must not be greater than 750kg, if the car weighs 3000kg. If you wish to tow a caravan above 750kg, you must follow the rule that the combined weight of the vehicle and caravan must not exceed 3500kg. In order to do this the caravan must not have a greater M.A.M. than the unladen weight of the vehicle towing.

Inexperienced drivers are recommended to tow a caravan with no greater than 85% of the weight of the vehicle towing. This will make more difficult manoeuvers, such as hill starts, easier.

It is illegal to tow any vehicle with only a provisional license.

If you passed your test after the 1st January 1997 and wish to tow a greater weight, you need to take a B+E driving test. See the Driving Standards Agency or Driving Instructors Association websites for more information about how to take this test. It is worth noting that the tests will probably be held at a designated truck and bus testing centre.

Establishing The Weight of the Towing Vehicle

There are two different directives on how to establish the weight of your towing vehicle:

•According to the UK Construction and Use Regulations 1986, M.A.M. or curb weight is the “weight of the vehicle as it leaves the manufacturer with full fuel, adequate lubricants and water, standard tools and equipment but no driver, occupants or load”.
•According to the E.U. Directive 95/48 it is, “the weight of the vehicle as it leaves the manufacturer, with fuel tank 90% full, necessary fluids for normal operation, a nominal driver weight of 68kg and 7kg of luggage.”
In reality this means that E.U. curb weights are around 70kg more than by the U.K. rule. Most new cars now use the E.U. definition, but the U.K. standard will provide you with a safer ratio.

It is always advisable to determine the curb weight by consulting the manufacturer, in store sales advisers will not always be up-to-date with towing laws and may not give you correct information. Any infringement of the law could cause an accident, invalidate your insurance or see you taken to court. None of which are desirable outcomes so it is best to be crystal clear before you make your first trip.

Accordingly it is important to keep up-to-date with new developments in this law. Currently amendments to the laws are being considered in order to clarify these laws that many find confusing. Although this should not change current allowances for drivers who already hold their full license, it is possible that there will be adjustments.

*Also referred to as Maximum Technical Permissible Laden Mass (M.T.P.L.M.), Gross Weight or Curb weight.

 

[kbekl]

but this is talking about towing a trailer with a car on it not a caravan

so if my car weighed 2 ton and it had a written max towing weight from manufacturer of 1000kg i can still tow 2ton ??

 

[badger]

i tow leagly for work all the time, very rare to see trailers on the roof, but caravans, well......
make sure you have plenty of nose weight, if not, crash.
as you say, 85% is rule of thumb, how much do you think and artic tractor unit weighs, compared to its trailer?
yes i know, air brakes, but i can drive one.
still not sure what is being said about weight.
average trailer even our ifors are only 5 or 600kg empty, are you saying beacuse its max mass is 3500kg you cant tow it empty?
not true, i will check with the law in the morning, but it make no sense, i know lots of laws dont, but it just doesnt.
maximum towing weight is unit being towed, maximum train weight is towing vehicle weight plus towed vehicle weight.
hence 5310kg for terrano.

 

[tezzer]

but this is talking about towing a trailer with a car on it not a caravan

so if my car weighed 2 ton and it had a written max towing weight from manufacturer of 1000kg i can still tow 2ton ??

no you can't, because you are over the manufactures limit, some vehicles cant be fitted with tow bars, vauxhall tigra is one, and i think the KA also.

 

[briggie]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_4022564