What license for a unimog?

[Big J]

Holy thread revival batman!

 

It's been pointed out to me that a Unimog would be a perfect tow vehicle for my new sawmill when it arrives at the end of August. My budget is fairly limited and I like the look of the 404s (some nice old fire engines on German eBay. Water tank is very useful for pressure washing logs on site).

 

Firstly, is £4k on a 404 £4k wasted.

 

Secondly, if registered as a forestry vehicle, what are my limitations in terms of what I can tow, how far can I travel on red diesel, do I need a tacho? Any other useful info?

 

The sawmill is 11.4m long, 2.55m wide and 3.3m tall. It weighs 2.8 tonnes.

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

Jonathan

[Mike Hill]

Holy thread revival batman!

 

It's been pointed out to me that a Unimog would be a perfect tow vehicle for my new sawmill when it arrives at the end of August. My budget is fairly limited and I like the look of the 404s (some nice old fire engines on German eBay. Water tank is very useful for pressure washing logs on site).

 

Firstly, is £4k on a 404 £4k wasted.

 

Secondly, if registered as a forestry vehicle, what are my limitations in terms of what I can tow, how far can I travel on red diesel, do I need a tacho? Any other useful info?

 

The sawmill is 11.4m long, 2.55m wide and 3.3m tall. It weighs 2.8 tonnes.

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

Jonathan

 

404's have a 2.1 L four cylinder Petrol engine in them.Towing or moving quickly is not what they do.Or stop quickly,especially with 2.8 tonn behind and as in your suggestion a full water tank.

 

However if all your jobs were close by and down hill in a dimension where down hill went both ways and where there were gravel traps to stop you when your drum brakes failed. Then I can't see why it wouldn't be a good solution,no?

[agrimog]

with that length of trailer, your going to need a tow vehicle over 3500kg, :-

Towing vehicle over 3500kg GVW

 

Length (excluding the coupling and drawbar): 12m (min 4 wheels

 

Width Maximum: 2.55m

 

Length of towing vehicle and trailer combined: 18m

 

Maximum overhang of load from rear of trailer: 3.05m

so a mog would be the perfect choice, but one of the newer ones, at least a U1000., or even one of the oddball ex utility service ones,

and as for licences etc, depends on what the V5 says it is, and yes you can exceed 20mph, drive on motorways , and run on red, check the vosa guidlines for ag vehicles, unimogs are mentioned as being special excemptions

[tommytopsoil]

MB Trac? Agri sprayer tank on back platform or front links for your pressure washer. Could eve have pto pressure washer on front too.

[Gray git]

Well from what iv been informed you will need too have it as hgv run on white an 'o' licence and the relavent part too your licence which in the case off alot off mogs will be a class 2 or whatever it is now or pos a class 1 depends on wate off trailer but im not well versed in the whole thing unless you are farming which most off uss are not, pooo aint it!

[Little Steven]

Just wondering what license is required for driving a unimog? Is it a full lorry license (7.5t) or can it be classed as agricultural, and so no need for a license?

 

Cheers.

 

Tom.

 

 

Hi Tom,

be a tad careful on the registered class of intended mog. Ag & Hgv/goods on the log book req very different approaches. The latter requiring a lot more than just driving.... (Hgv licence, 'o' license and the whole nine yards)

 

Secondly, don't forget using a Ag vehicle for non-ag work will eventualy lead to possible upset, commonly referred to a 'grey area'!

 

Vosa won't be sympathetic and are not good with colors, running the above on tractor concessions and doing tree work away from forestry will be frowned apon.

I know and see it is done by peoples own admissions. I marvel at bravery.

 

Insurance assesors will know every scenario should disaster occur, so if you are going pay for insurance its a nice to know it has a happy ending.

 

Nice to see you are trying to get it right before the event.

[carpenter1]

whats the insuranece though?

[Little Steven]

whats the insuranece though?

 

I take it you are asking about cost versus definition!

 

Just like any vehicle dependant on all factors, cost of the vehicle varies so much which is the single biggest difference. No claimes bonus on a commercial policy can reduce quite a major amount..... not as easy as comparing like for like.

 

Mine is £1500 per year, but I have 3 policies running. Road/working/working on non-arb work.

Based on an oldie driver, class 1 HGV, full no-claims (on a truck policy) owner driver. £500 vol excess. Alarmed/imobilised.......

 

Little Steven

[agrimog]

as long as your unimog has pto's and at least one TPL, its a tractor, and not even VOSA can say otherwise, construction and use act cannot be argued with, and as for use, agriculture, horticulture, and forestry, are your three options, arbculture, contrary to what some might like to think, isnt one, so a chipper on it and doing some gardens doesnt count, however towing a sawmill to a wood to process some trees you have felled, is classed as forestry, and as such falls under the remit of the ag excemptions, Ive found that carrying a copy of what construction and use actually says, and the HMRC guidlines on red useage, and presenting these to any over zealous plod, or vosa idiot stops them in there tracks, they must follow the law as it is written, not make up there own interpretation of it, there isnt really any "grey" areas as you speak of, its all written down in black and white, youve just got to know where to look, and stick by it

[treequip]

as long as your unimog has pto's and at least one TPL, its a tractor, and not even VOSA can say otherwise, construction and use act cannot be argued with, and as for use, agriculture, horticulture, and forestry, are your three options, arbculture, contrary to what some might like to think, isnt one, so a chipper on it and doing some gardens doesnt count, however towing a sawmill to a wood to process some trees you have felled, is classed as forestry, and as such falls under the remit of the ag excemptions, Ive found that carrying a copy of what construction and use actually says, and the HMRC guidlines on red useage, and presenting these to any over zealous plod, or vosa idiot stops them in there tracks, they must follow the law as it is written, not make up there own interpretation of it, there isnt really any "grey" areas as you speak of, its all written down in black and white, youve just got to know where to look, and stick by it

 

The problem there comes when you do both work legitimate under the exemption and works not covered by that.

 

They will then follow the law as it is written and you are going home on the bus.

 

As an example a MEWP can carry such goods as are required for its use so the highways chap with a box full of light bulbs is fine, you can also argue that a tree outfit can tow a chipper with the MEWP but if you use it for moving waste from the site it becomes general haulage and has to follow those rules.