How many trailers can you tow?

[b101uk]

If the rear trailer has a good portion (I think its counted as more than 20%) of its weight on the first trailer then the two trailers become "as one".

 

NO, look at a composite trailer and what it is, its 2 trailers classed as 1 ware it is specifically made up of a "converter dolly & a semi trailer" a converter dolly is a specific apparatus like what a towing implement is a specific apparatus, if you put 20% of the weight on anything else trailer wise other than a converter dolly it is STILL classed as 2 trailers, Denby Transport have the same problem with there LHV in that the VOSA and the police stop them going on the road.

 

So adapt the first to take the fitting & weight distribution (as it would be behind the wheels) & adapt the second so the weight is further forward than in a normal trailer.

 

If you could only ever tow one trailer then in the section for cars it would just say

 

ONE

 

yet instead it says

 

Ok one has to be classed as a towing implement so not all standard trailers can count but still the answer to the question how many trailer can a car tow is two if you follow the rules. If you cant meet the requirement of the rules then one.

 

the law is quite explicit as is C&U etc, a towing implement + vehicle is classed as one trailer just as a composite trailer is classed as 1 trailer even though it is made out of 2 trailers, this is done by classification under C&U, thus a towing implement + vehicle is STILL only 1 trailer.

 

and agri tractor can tow 2 composite trailers which is actually 4 individual trailers when separated.

 

if you want to tow 2 trailers behind a car or truck then you MUST connect them together permanently which requires "significant time & tooling" to separate them and as such they then get classed as 1 trailer.

[Justme]

So why dont they just say

 

 

 

ONE?

 

 

Edit to add.

 

That Denby set up looks neat.

Edited May 15, 2010 by Justme
add stuff

[b101uk]

So why dont they just say

 

 

 

ONE?

 

Because to say “ONE” would be inaccurate, to say “TWO” would also be inaccurate

 

They are merely just quantifying the “exception” between the more normal “one” trailer only and the “two” as a specific exception for normal cars and lorrys

 

Also they are trying to put it in layman’s terms in the PDF without going into highly complicated cross-referencing of numerous aspects of law and how they relate to each other which would make the PDF >10 times the size and very complicated as every definition would require every exception listed which for the layman would make it complicated to read/interpret.

 

As an e.g. you correctly noted >20% of trailer mass being superimposed on the drawing vehicle is the start of something being classified as a semi-trailer, but as every law there is exceptions like its >35% for agricultural tractors/trailers or that for cars and trucks drawbar trailers can only impose less than <10% of the trailer mass or 1000kg (whichever is less) under EU/UK law thus there is a void between >10% and <20% of weight superimposed which captures drawbar trailers being classified as semi-trailers even though they are beneath the >20% weight superimposed but above the >10%/>1000kg

[18 stoner]

So, can we now agree;

 

VOSA, however, will not let you do this behind a Land Rover. One trailer cannot tow another.

[b101uk]

So, can we now agree;

 

yes excepting a towing implement + vehicle attached to it or a composite trailer ("One trailer cannot tow another" is erroneous) or if you register your Land Rover etc with the DVLA as a Motor tractor

 

[18 stoner]

yes excepting a towing implement + vehicle attached to it or a composite trailer ("One trailer cannot tow another" is erroneous) or if you register your Land Rover etc with the DVLA as a Motor tractor

 

 

:thumbup:

[Frank]

I want a motor tractor. That would be awesome.