Should towing/vehicle weight laws change?

[skc101fc]

I was thinking about this today whilst tugging my digger around. Firstly, I think towing 3.5t in a Landy is fine but there is a limit to the speed you can go whilst still feeling in control and safe. On normal roads I’d say this speed would be around the 40mph mark. After that it starts to feel too vulnerable to every day road occurrences. I’m a big believer in having as much weight as you can  in the towing vehicle to aid traction and act as ballast. .................I think any vehicle is going to have its limits regardless of how big or good brakes but it comes down to driver awareness and experience to know how to react and adapt to a given situation.

Spot on there.
Knowledge, experience and an intelligent head will get you in and out of most situations, but so many leap into their 4x4 with simply a belief from the sales brochure that they'll be invincible and able to achieve the impossible/improbable, and barely get away with it. That's why I believe the current weight restrictions are right. You need to cater for the inexperienced. I was told once always expect the next man on the road to be an idiot and you'll never be disappointed.

[josharb87]

Good post Mathew but 40mph on a motorway for example is unsafe imo.

the vehicle should be rated to tow a laden trailer in whatever traffic/road conditions/speed limit safety and comfortably 

[Matthew Storrs]

Yes, i agree Josh. I don’t really encounter motorways that much myself and In all honestly wouldn’t want to tow at 40mph on one either. I also fully agree with the idea that running a 7.5t truck (for example) probably works out better and safer in the long run and the cost would be absorbed if your in it for the long run.

unfortuntaly I never work on hard standing or even remotely near and find myself in situations where I need to acces sites that a 7.5t just couldn’t ever access, the advantage of towing 3.5t with a Landrover means I can get kit to site and once unloaded still have the off-road capabilities to get access, tools, lunch etc across fields etc. My only viable alternative is using a tractor and well, that’s a can of worms in itself   running one of those as a business. So in answers to the OP, Id welcombe the idea that suitable 4x4s could tow more with everything updated and rated as a result. 

[Philip Anderson]

On 08/11/2017 at 19:51, James Atkinson said:

Don't really have a problem with that bit you can't even put it on your own drive haha

Yes you can James and we have for many years had a restricted o licence.

I live up a private lane the only stipulation is that you exit and enter in forward gear.

[Philip Anderson]

23 hours ago, roseyweb said:

Would you want a big ugly van or lorry on your drive? 

I had my van on my drive for a bit done my head and really unsociable on my neighbours. 

Guess js depends on how big your drive is, i have a shared one 

 

I quite like looking at a nice 7.5 tonner with a bright orange bandit chipper on the back much better than a caravan I think .

it depends how rural you are and how close your neighbours are.