|
|
Dec 13, 2017 18:38:30 GMT
|
I recently read that I can tow up to 750 kg on my license Or I can have a combined train weight of up to 3500 kg Any more and I Will need a trailer test But I know that there is much confusion around this subject and how much weight I can legally take on my standard licence So basically I'm after some guidance; if I was to have a vauxhall vivaro van, with a light trailer ( say 500 kg for instance ) with a classic car on ( lets say a Morris minor for instance ) then potentially it should be under the 3500 kg train weight, but is this all correct, or am I veering down the wrong path here?! there seems to be so many differing opinions on the Internet, and it's hard to determine fact and fiction!! Any advice and guidance from those who know, will be appreciated...... Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 13, 2017 19:29:14 GMT
|
Hi, Be careful there's more to this than meets the eye, which you have realised. you need to consider vehicle limits as well as licence limits. When did you pass your test? If you did the trailer test it will remove all this worrying about licence limits. www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories Colin
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 13, 2017 21:34:56 GMT
|
Ok this clears things up, so the actual weight doesn't come into it, it's just ll about the plated weight and the gross weights Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 13, 2017 22:45:43 GMT
|
mam of a vivaro is 2770 give or take model and trim dependent, so you have 730kg to play with!
do your towing licence and they are plated for 2 ton towing.
or if its a 2900 model they are around the 2900kg mark for a swb low roof
|
|
|
|
pow
Part of things
Posts: 110
|
|
Dec 14, 2017 12:47:32 GMT
|
Remember it's the MGW of the car and trailer has to be under 3.5t, so my BMW is MGW 2.05T, meaning I've got 1.45T to play with as the MGW of the trailer, not the actual load of the trailer. The trailer HAS to be under 1.45 max weight, even if it's empty I'm illegal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 14, 2017 18:55:48 GMT
|
Ok this clears things up, so the actual weight doesn't come into it, it's just ll about the plated weight and the gross weights Thanks Correct. In purely license terms, the weight your license allows you to tow,has to cover the manufacturers plated weights on the trailer and tow vehicle, whether they are loaded or not. So if the combined plated weights are in excess of what your entitlement is,then you are not legal to drive the combination.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What actually counts is the actual weight as weighed on a weigh bridge ,nothing else. There was an VOSA headed letter stating this some years back. You cannot seriously think that you can be prosecuted for the possibility that you MIGHT overload a trailer ? That's like saying as you have a penis you must therefore be a rapist ?
|
|
Todos con Lorca
|
|
|
|
|
Hopefully that should be it.
|
|
Todos con Lorca
|
|
|
|
|
^ that doesn't mentions licences from '97 onwards in any way, just permitted weights V's actual.
It is however possible to down-rate a trailers plate'd capacity to match the towing vehicle and keep the gross train weight under 3500kg for those with newer licences.
Aside from the safety side of things it seems to be invented around making it easier for the traffic officers to make an on the spot assessment without going to a weighbridge.
Ironically the same licence allows something like 26tonnes train weight if your tow vehicle is a tractor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 26, 2017 19:32:07 GMT
|
What actually counts is the actual weight as weighed on a weigh bridge ,nothing else. There was an VOSA headed letter stating this some years back. You cannot seriously think that you can be prosecuted for the possibility that you MIGHT overload a trailer ? That's like saying as you have a penis you must therefore be a rapist ? . Thats why i said “ in purely license terms” Your driving license goes by plated weights ....... otherwise most car drivers could drive an unladen LGV using that argument.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 26, 2017 19:46:00 GMT
|
Hi, That's right, that's why I said "You need to consider vehicle limits as well as licence limits"
Colin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thats why i said “ in purely license terms” Your driving license goes by plated weights ....... otherwise most car drivers could drive an unladen LGV using that argument..... Here in New Zealand we can. The holder of a class one (car) licence can drive up to 6 tonne GVW or GCW. If the towing vehicle is an agricultural tractor we can go up to 25 tonne GCW provided that we don't exceed 40 km/hr. Trailer licence is only a thing for HGVs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Your driving license goes by plated weights ....... otherwise most car drivers could drive an unladen LGV using that argument..... Um, yeah. If you have a pre-97 licence you can drive anything up to a MTW of 8,250kg. What actually counts is the actual weight as weighed on a weigh bridge ,nothing else. There was an VOSA headed letter stating this some years back. You cannot seriously think that you can be prosecuted for the possibility that you MIGHT overload a trailer ? That's like saying as you have a penis you must therefore be a rapist ? Yes I had heard something similar also, but until DVLA/DVSA or someone releases a document stating that comprehensively I would be loathe to rely on it to protect my licence. Currently it stands like this, to the very best of my knowledge: Pre-97 - anything up to 8.25T GVW / MAM, that's single vehicle or towing train weight. 97-13 - a vehicle up to 3.5T MAM plus 750kg MAM trailer (i.e. 4,250kg) or if the trailer is over 750kg, a MTW of 3.5T, with the trailer MAM not exceeding the maximum unladen mass (NOT the MAM) of the towing vehicle. 13- - as above except 3.5T is the MTW when towing, (which I think means no 3.5T+750kg); and the regulation seems to be based on actual weight, not MAMs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 29, 2017 10:48:05 GMT
|
Your driving license goes by plated weights ....... otherwise most car drivers could drive an unladen LGV using that argument..... Um, yeah. If you have a pre-97 licence you can drive anything up to a MTW of 8,250kg. What actually counts is the actual weight as weighed on a weigh bridge ,nothing else. There was an VOSA headed letter stating this some years back. You cannot seriously think that you can be prosecuted for the possibility that you MIGHT overload a trailer ? That's like saying as you have a penis you must therefore be a rapist ? Yes I had heard something similar also, but until DVLA/DVSA or someone releases a document stating that comprehensively I would be loathe to rely on it to protect my licence. Currently it stands like this, to the very best of my knowledge: Pre-97 - anything up to 8.25T GVW / MAM, that's single vehicle or towing train weight. 97-13 - a vehicle up to 3.5T MAM plus 750kg MAM trailer (i.e. 4,250kg) or if the trailer is over 750kg, a MTW of 3.5T, with the trailer MAM not exceeding the maximum unladen mass (NOT the MAM) of the towing vehicle. 13- - as above except 3.5T is the MTW when towing, (which I think means no 3.5T+750kg); and the regulation seems to be based on actual weight, not MAMs. Pre 97 its gross train weight of 8.250kg ......... You can only drive up to 7500kg for a vehicle..... The license system needs a complete overhaul ........ its a joke .....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 29, 2017 11:23:34 GMT
|
I agree there, but to do anything about older licences would be to change qualifications after the fact which is never done, and I agree, shouldn't be done. We need stricter, better quality testing, by better qualified instructors, with a stronger emphasis on road safety. But that's a whole other discussion.
|
|
|
|
Mike D
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,196
Club RR Member Number: 57
|
Trailers, weights and lawsMike D
@v8mike
Club Retro Rides Member 57
|
|
I passed in '99 so am in the same boat as you, when I went to pick up my mini, I did it like this.. Tow car - BMW 330ci - Gross Vehicle weight 1930kg - Actual weight - 1530kg - Towing Weight - 1700kg Trailer - Ifor Williams LM126G - Gross weight - 3500kg - Actual weight - 675kg Mini - 640kg Ebay Trailer plate for a tenner, downrate the trailer to 1560kg. Gross train weight is now 3490kg, actual weight was probably closer to 3000kg Lovely
|
|
Last Edit: Jan 8, 2018 20:40:29 GMT by Mike D
|
|
|
|
|
You can't downgrade a trailer weight just by putting an ebay tag on it. The DVSA use the manufacturers or builders plate.
|
|
|
|
lightyearman
Part of things
GYJDM - Grimsby based Japanese car club - Find us on Facebook
Posts: 639
|
|
|
I passed in '99 so am in the same boat as you, when I went to pick up my mini, I did it like this.. Tow car - BMW 330ci - Gross Vehicle weight 1930kg - Actual weight - 1530kg - Towing Weight - 1700kg Trailer - Ifor Williams LM126G - Gross weight - 3500kg - Actual weight - 675kg Mini - 640kg Ebay Trailer plate for a tenner, downrate the trailer to 1560kg. Gross train weight is now 3490kg, actual weight was probably closer to 3000kg Lovely Interesting Goose! I'm borrowing a trailer on Saturday to pick my Mini up from my Lockup in Horncastle and bring it home to Grimsby. I'll be towing with my A4 and the Mini has no engine in it so I'm massively under on weight, I think I'll be alright. It has to be better than when I used my 330d and Patty's dads builders trailer to take the B2000 home from Essex...
|
|
'89 Honda CRX siR Glassroof Flint black fully restored track beasty '90 Nissan S13 Pignose - pass the mig wire '86 Mini - matt orange, 13" Wellers, Project 2018 '97 LDV Convoy home built camper/tramper van '04 Saab 9-5 Aero HOT. Anyone want it? '91 Honda VFR400 NC30 17,000 km from new '87 Honda XR80 4 stroke baby crosser '03 Mini Cooper S - honestly, they are fun... '15 VW T5.1 LWB daily brick
|
|
Mike D
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,196
Club RR Member Number: 57
|
Trailers, weights and lawsMike D
@v8mike
Club Retro Rides Member 57
|
|
You can't downgrade a trailer weight just by putting an ebay tag on it. The DVSA use the manufacturers or builders plate. There's nothing to legally say you cant. You can't 'uprate' it though.
|
|
|
|
Mike D
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,196
Club RR Member Number: 57
|
Trailers, weights and lawsMike D
@v8mike
Club Retro Rides Member 57
|
|
Interesting Goose! I'm borrowing a trailer on Saturday to pick my Mini up from my Lockup in Horncastle and bring it home to Grimsby. I'll be towing with my A4 and the Mini has no engine in it so I'm massively under on weight, I think I'll be alright. It has to be better than when I used my 330d and Patty's dads builders trailer to take the B2000 home from Essex... It was Pats Dad's trailer I used! I only bothered as it was miles away, you'll be reet int sticks
|
|
|
|
|