Trailers help

[Ratman]

Non plated i would expect will fall under non braked rules which would be laden up to a mass of 750kgs.

If you’ve beefed one up and fit 750kgs+ indispension units but not fitted a brake system to compensate for extra weight, then you will succumb to 750kgs non braked regs.

If you’ve fit up rated indispension units of 750kgs+ so for example 1000kgs units and fitted a brake system then i would imagine you will be legal up to 1000kgs (1 tonne) legally provided you hold the appropriate licence. If all that made sense?!!

But thats just my take on it, not 100% sure for law purposes ?‍♂️

I have hgv licence so can tow pretty much anything according to my licence as far as my age limitations but even i will fall under weight laws same as every one else.

So i can tow a unbraked trailer under 750kgs with no probs in any way.

Can tow a braked trailer at 750kgs+ with no probs in any way..... provided the gross weight of the trailer does not exceed my kerb weight of my vehicle, AND the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer do not exceed 3500kgs.

 

Hope that all makes sense and helps [emoji106]

 

 

 

 

[Ratman]

Me and a pal thought this also. He got pulled in Scotland once and the coppers were having none of it. Prosecuted him for it, points fine court case etc. Doesnt mean they were right mind you .

Any sense in just buying a blank trailer plate off Ebay and stamping 1800kg on it? Obvs unsure of legality of doing this but essentially it's just a label. Wonder what is required to down rate a trailer?

Possible to down rate a trailer, you have to go through dvsa and required to meet type approval too.

[wisewood]

Yes.
 
I had this discussion with, in order of appearance; the traffic police officer who pulled me, the Ministry testers who crawled over the vehicle and trailer trying to find something else to shaft me for, (they didn't), my solicitors, and the Magistrates. I ended up with fines and points on my licence. And this was in England. I was pulled off the M60 going anti-clockwiswe near Oldham into the test center at Middleton, and prosecuted in Rochdale Magistrates Court.  
 
As an aside the prosecuting officer said to the Magistrates, and I quote, 'the law is very confusing and very complicated, and I get a lot of people for this'. Of course it shouldn't have, but my mouth engaged before my brain and I responded by congratulated the officer on his diligence in keeping the community safe from burglars and rapists.
 
I had a 2000Kg plated trailer with a small stump grinder on it, total weight less than 750Kg, way below the plated weight, but that didn't matter, as I could have carried more on the trailer, and that is what matters, not the actual weight. The answer, I down plated the trailer and continued using it for the stump grinder, which was why I'd bought it.
 
It was a Batesons trailer, bought new from them, and they did the downplating.

Thanks for the heads up, what did you have to do to downplate?

[woody paul]

What a crazy law so you buy a Ifor Williams trailer 3500kg gross a pick it up with say ford mondeo estate and you would be braking the law.  

[Ratman]

I didn’t do it personally, it was my manager at the time at work, he got in touch with dvla at the time, now dvsa and got a form to fill out, which basically takes all the details and assures that everything is in place to meet type approval. Was a while ago when he did it, he’s retired now but would imagine its all relatively the same process [emoji106]

[htb]

4 minutes ago, woody paul said:

What a crazy law so you buy a Ifor Williams trailer 3500kg gross a pick it up with say ford mondeo estate and you would be braking the law.  

Oops so I broke the law picking up my ifors with my old Renault 19, oh well never mind

[eggsarascal]

10 minutes ago, woody paul said:

What a crazy law so you buy a Ifor Williams trailer 3500kg gross a pick it up with say ford mondeo estate and you would be braking the law.  

Yes, at least that how a traffic copper explained it to me. It isn't what it is carrying, it's what it could carry. Things may have changed as that was quite a few years back...... Or the copper could have been wrong.

[woody paul]

Looking things up a transit can tow 2100kg so no towing of 3500KG ifor.

[htb]

7 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

Yes, at least that how  traffic copper explained it to me. It isn't what it is carrying, it's what it could carry. Things may have changed as that was quite a few years back...... Or the copper could have been wrong.

As usual the laws or the enforcers are an arse

[spuddog0507]

5 hours ago, Ratman said:

Plated weight

so from reading the above posts both myself and many hundreds of other people are towing trailers every day and braking the law, me old shape L200 and 10 x 5.5 ft ifor tipping trailer plated at 3.5 tonne L200 rated to tow about 2.8 tonne , and the cattle auction just down the road on monday mornings there is a que of landrovers and pick ups all with either twin or tri axel cattle trailers behind them , landrovers ok for weight towing but not many of the pick ups will be if what has been said above is correct about the towing viechale and the plate on the trailer ?,