trailer regs

[Billhook]

What is the reasoning behind the law that you cannot tow an empty 3500kg plated trailer with a lesser vehicle if say you were just taking it to be repaired, or taking delivery of it?

[agrimog]

of course you can tow the empty trailer, as long as it doesnt exceed the GTW of the tow vehicle, the rules apply to ACTUAL weight, not the possible weight, VOSA have had there fingers rapped for trying to bring prosecutions based on the carrying capacity rather than the true weights

[openspaceman]

of course you can tow the empty trailer, as long as it doesnt exceed the GTW of the tow vehicle, the rules apply to ACTUAL weight, not the possible weight, VOSA have had there fingers rapped for trying to bring prosecutions based on the carrying capacity rather than the true weights

 

I suspect this is dependant on what licence class you are driving under. OK fot B+E but probably not C1+E with a 107 note if the gtw MAM exceeds 8.25 tonne

[Billhook]

Hedgesparrow's post in the braked trailer paragraph says " REMEMBER, the law does not care whether the trailer is empty or packed to the roof with bricks, what counts is the plated gross vehicle weight of the trailer."

 

And I believe I have read the same elsewhere, cannot fathom the reasoning behind it

[agrimog]

this is the same as saying "we are doing you for speeding, cos you car can do more than 70, so we'll just put it down you were doing 100, that be ok", same reasoning

[treequip]

Hedgesparrow's post in the braked trailer paragraph says " REMEMBER, the law does not care whether the trailer is empty or packed to the roof with bricks, what counts is the plated gross vehicle weight of the trailer."

 

And I believe I have read the same elsewhere, cannot fathom the reasoning behind it

 

I can, if the trailer is empty and has a tare weight declared the enforcement people can see that its within limits.

 

If the trailer is partially loaded they wont necessarily know what the load weighs so each one would need to go to a weighbridge. Clearly not an ideal situation.

 

And remember, that text is provided without citation, its probably just someone's opinion, just becausee its on the internet......

Edited July 26, 2014 by treequip

[Billhook]

If a trailer is full and being towed by a correctly plated vehicle they still would not know if it was overweight, so that is much the same problem for the police.

 

I am just saying that if it is empty, and the unladen weight is on the plate it should be a special separate case.

 

For instance if I bought an Ebay bargain Ifor Williams 3.5 plant trailer, unladen weight 670kg, from say Cornwall 300 miles away, I would not fancy doing the journey in the old Land Rover, but our trusty Volvo XC70 , 2000kg capacity, would do the job comfortably and economically and more safely.

[treequip]

If a trailer is full and being towed by a correctly plated vehicle they still would not know if it was overweight, so that is much the same problem for the police.

 

I am just saying that if it is empty, and the unladen weight is on the plate it should be a special separate case.

 

For instance if I bought an Ebay bargain Ifor Williams 3.5 plant trailer, unladen weight 670kg, from say Cornwall 300 miles away, I would not fancy doing the journey in the old Land Rover, but our trusty Volvo XC70 , 2000kg capacity, would do the job comfortably and economically and more safely.

 

 

What's wrong with the land rover that makes it less safe than the Volvo?

[aspenarb]

I have not read up on the latest towing laws but I am going to. A friend of mine moved a tractor and post knocker on his plant lorry the other day for fencing contractor. It had to go from Oxford to Crawley, the fencing guy followed in his transit and trailer with some materials on the back. Nothing leary looking about it but he was pulled by Vosa at Leatherhead at 9am , apparently they like transits and its 50% of what they now pull. Anyway they found it to be slightly overweight and a few small faults so it got a prohibition on it as well, they also nicked the driver for tacho infringements . My mate had to go back to the Vosa depot from Crawley and crane the trailer onto the back of his truck and take it to the job, we are now talking about 2pm. That was one expensive day. You really need to be on top of this and check what you can legally tow not only with your license but the vehicle, not all transits have the same towing capacity's/ train weights and some when loaded for business use fall into the tacho rules.

 

Bob

[Billhook]

What's wrong with the land rover that makes it less safe than the Volvo?

 

Total train weight is nearly quarters of three quarters of a ton lighter

Braking system is far superior ABS and 4x4 linked in a superior way

Tyres are wider and for Tarmac as opposed to off-road

Visibility is far superior

Wipers work better in heavy rain

Ice alerts

Driver and passenger and curtain airbags

Better headlights and brighter brake and indicators

More power for overtaking a slow cyclist up a hill

Cruise control for keeping to speed limits

Climate control for increasing driver comfort and decreasing fatigue

Better seats for the same result

Journey would be quicker so again less fatigue

Journey would be quieter ditto

Lane wandering warning system

Better horn

Less chance of breaking down and being stranded on the side of the road with all the dangers that entails

Far better fuel consumption so probably do it on a tank,no time lost as there would be with Landie constant fill ups

 

I am sure I will think of some more things to post later

(Moderator says " Please don't bother Billhook!")

Edited July 26, 2014 by Billhook