Should towing/vehicle weight laws change?

[Coletti]

Pulling a fully laden 2.7 tonnes gross trailer behind my Defender TD5 I would not want to be pulling any more than that thank you.   Even a few more horses under a Disco TD5 does not make a whole lot of difference.
 
A

What makes you say you wouldn't want any more than 2.7t behind a defender?

With regards to the op, as has already been stated, the option to drive and tow bigger and heavier is already there, you just need to go and do another licence which I think is fine. I must admit, when I was employed on a farm it frustrated me that I could tow all that weight behind a tractor you couldn't tow any more than 750kg with my truck but I can see some sense in it a detractors simply handle the weight better in my opinion

[chuck norris]

1 hour ago, josharb87 said:

Seems a strange thread to me.

 

Theres nothing stopping you getting bigger vehicles/heavier trailers, but it comes across as if you don't want to go to the effort, but think the law should change instead? Its the same rules for everyone 

 

FWIW, i read somewhere that trailers with over-run brakes are "safe" at a maximum of 80% of the towing vehicles weight. so a 2 ton pickup will be safe towing 1600kg.

I started the thread, after traveling abroad and seeing pickup trucks towing 5+ ton trailers. I was curious on why we don't have similar laws in our country, and if laws where to change what effects it would have on, the profitability of small businesses.

 

 

[chuck norris]

2 hours ago, roseyweb said:

I'm a small company I don't earn much more have big contracts, or any contracts actually.

 

I did my class one, about 2k 

i got my on licence 400 odd quid if I remember 

I bought a lorry for 10k less than I spent on a second hand transit 

 

I can't see how it's prohibitive. I personally think 7.5 tonners drivers in grandad rights are a absolute danger, I see them cutting up artics all day as they have no lane discipline on round abouts. 

I occationally tow my 3 tonner with my ford ranger, not sure I'd ever want to tow anything bigger with it and I live in the realativly flat Midlands. 

 

Tractors are destined for a farmer for short distances to bring his crop from the field to his shed on small roads it's only us arbs who abuse that with unimogs and use them as lorries 

In regards to tractors, I am more talking about why the government will let a 17 year old with no idea how to tow, drive a 20 ton piece of equipment on public roads. I do agree though a lot of ARB folks do abuse the tractor laws, and that is an issue that need to be addressed.

[chuck norris]

1 hour ago, Alycidon said:

Pulling a fully laden 2.7 tonnes gross trailer behind my Defender TD5 I would not want to be pulling any more than that thank you.   Even a few more horses under a Disco TD5 does not make a whole lot of difference.

 

What I meant, was to allow bigger vehicles with higher towing weights, to be driven on a B+E license. Not to allow vehicles to tow more weight than they are capable off.

[chuck norris]

1 hour ago, Coletti said:

 

What makes you say you wouldn't want any more than 2.7t behind a defender?

With regards to the op, as has already been stated, the option to drive and tow bigger and heavier is already there, you just need to go and do another licence which I think is fine. I must admit, when I was employed on a farm it frustrated me that I could tow all that weight behind a tractor you couldn't tow any more than 750kg with my truck but I can see some sense in it a detractors simply handle the weight better in my opinion

What I meant was to allow bigger vehicles/trailers to be driven with a B+E license.

[william127]

3 hours ago, Alycidon said:

Pulling a fully laden 2.7 tonnes gross trailer behind my Defender TD5 I would not want to be pulling any more than that thank you.   Even a few more horses under a Disco TD5 does not make a whole lot of difference.

 

A

Really? I tow 3.5 tons behind my 110 all the time and am very happy doing so, all over the country.

As an overall reaction to this thread, I don't think 4x4s suited to this country are heavy enough with big enough engines for towing more than 3.5 tonnes and the last think we need is more vehicle classes or regulations!

[agrimog]

why are tractors allowed such heavy trailers......easy, they are restricted to 25mph, and must have sutible brakes to cope with the load. and as for pulling 3.5t loads with a land rover.....wouldnt do it , ever, the military downrate them for a reason. the only reason they have the magic 3.5t towing is so they can sell more of them  (harks back to the LR stonefield fiasco of the past, and how many MP's had money invested in LR at the time)

[Mulcherman Chris]

What I meant, was to allow bigger vehicles with higher towing weights, to be driven on a B+E license. Not to allow vehicles to tow more weight than they are capable off.

I feel that any driver regardless of age should not be able to drive anything bigger than 2.5 ton van or a domestic vehicle or tow more than 750kg without upgrading their license.
I do however think the license upgrade to tow and drive upto 7.5 tons should be made considerably cheaper. to allow more people the chance to drive something far safer than a transit at the weight that most of them end up running at anyway. I also feel the driver cpc should be scrapped which would also help lower the costs, as it is an absolute farce anyway.

[Woodworks]

2 hours ago, agrimog said:

 and as for pulling 3.5t loads with a land rover.....wouldnt do it , ever, the military downrate them for a reason. the only reason they have the magic 3.5t towing is so they can sell more of them  (harks back to the LR stonefield fiasco of the past, and how many MP's had money invested in LR at the time)

Couldn't agree more. Had a moment in a 90 with no more than 2.5 tonne on the back. Going up a wet narrow lane and had to pull in to let a car pass. Put the brakes on and started sliding backwards down the hill as the car was passing. I did stop once out in the middle of the road but a scary moment that I am not keen to repeat. A heavier vehicle or air brakes on the trailer would probably have avoided the situation.

[GA Groundcare]

^ I did something similar years ago in a defender. I had to pull up and stop on a hill in the wet, loaded trailer started dragging the defender backwards all four wheels skidding about 25 foot. That sure tested my reversing skills, luckily the hill levelled out and came to a stop.