Towing!

[vanordinaire]

Towing dolly?

[V8 TVR]

Not really an option, tyres have good tread but are really old.

[mph1977]

V8 TVR said:

I passed my test in '87 so the licence isn't an issue. I'm just getting a bit confused with the maximum tow weight and the GVW that ROG is talking about! Isn't the maximum towing weight the maximum you can tow? But, then do you have to take into account the cars GVW which then implies the maximum towing weight isn't the maximum towing weight?

towing a braked trailer on a Cat B licence ( or driving a D1 vehicle on a cat B ) takes advantage of a not particuarly well constructed derogation to the law underpinned by the EU directives harmonising driving licence categories , which makes it somewhat complicated

[dirty_dog]

Dolly's count as trailers anyway though I think.

[vanordinaire]

dirty_dog said:

Dolly's count as trailers anyway though I think.

Yes but total weight will be car weight plus another 100 kilos max so well within the OP's car's capacity. Well worth buying two new tyres for the DS which I presume will be needed eventually anyway.

[sunbeam alpine]

OP - I have a car trailer and suitable tow vehicle(s). Always up for a road trip so long as you're covering the costs

I collect classic cars and the DS isn't especially rare or expensive, so is this car very special for you?

[mph1977]

vanordinaire said:

Towing dolly?

for recovery only , also the car towed needs to be legal as it has wheels on the road

[vanordinaire]

mph1977 said:

vanordinaire said:

Towing dolly?

for recovery only , also the car towed needs to be legal as it has wheels on the road

WOOPS! I didn't know that and I've been known to use one a lot in the past for track days etc.

[V8 TVR]

Thanks for the offer sunbeam alpine, I am still trying to ascertain if I can tow the car legally with my car. I may come back to you but if legal I would like to use mine. It can tow 1600kg and the car with trailer is 1615kg. I'm sure I can lose the 15kg but I'm not sure what ROG was advising regarding the towing capacities.

[V8 TVR]

So can I use my car? It will be driven slowly on the motorway.

[V8 TVR]

Forget my last post! Can it be driven legally?

[R0G]

V8 TVR said:

I passed my test in '87 so the licence isn't an issue. I'm just getting a bit confused with the maximum tow weight and the GVW that ROG is talking about! Isn't the maximum towing weight the maximum you can tow? But, then do you have to take into account the cars GVW which then implies the maximum towing weight isn't the maximum towing weight?

You did not say you had B+E - you said you just had an ordinary licence which means B

Knowing that really helps because it takes away the 3500 total MAM constraint

All you need to be concerned with is the towing capacity

What you need to do is to get hold of a car with a towing capacity around 2000kg so with a car transporter trailer weighing 500 empty will be able to take a load of 1500
The trailer could be 500 empty with a plated weight of 3500 but the 2000 towing capacity would still be the limit

1600 towing capacity pulling a load of over 1600 is not really going to work for some EU police forces and insurers

GET HOLD OF ANOTHER TOWING VEHICLE with a greater towing capacity

[V8 TVR]

I'm not towing a 500kg trailer and the car being towed doesn't weigh 1500kg. I think you should have asked as to when I passed my driving test as opposed to pontificating what an ordinary licence is. You're not really helping. People in the know tell me it's ok.

[R0G]

V8 TVR said:

I'm not towing a 500kg trailer and the car being towed doesn't weigh 1500kg. I think you should have asked as to when I passed my driving test as opposed to pontificating what an ordinary licence is. You're not really helping. People in the know tell me it's ok.

You set the stage by stating it was an ordinary licence!

That is why I went into B licence towing laws

Had you told me you had B+E my answers would have been different

I can only go on what you tell me

I used the 500 and 1500 as examples of what could be done with a 2000 towing capacity and a trailer where the plated MAM is well over 2000
All you have to do is to adjust those for your situation

[Rosscow]

What power is your MG? How far have you got to tow it?

My caravan weighs around 1600 to 1700kg and I tow it with an Audi A6 3.0 TDi Quattro which has 230 hp.

I wouldn't fancy towing it with a car with much less power.

[LouD86]

My old caravan was being my 75 2.0 CDT Auto. Which is 114 standard, but had been mapped to 145hp. Towed 1500kgs happily, and would certainly pull uphill, at 70 in europe!

The 15kgs does worry me, is it worth trying it on a weigh bridge with someone who has a larger towcar first?

[R0G]

The other thing not considered yet is the fact that at least 50kg will be transferred from trailer to vehicle via the hitch so if put on a weighbridge at 1615 the trailer is going to be at least 35kg under that actual weight