Re plating Trailers.

[Benbay001]

Is it legal to re plate a trailer for a lower gross trailer weight?
Reason for asking, is that im looking at getting an Ifor William box trailer, to be towed behind a 120 series Landcruiser with 2800kg max braked towing weight. IF Williams do a 2700kg box trailer and a 3500kg box trailer, the 3500kg one is slightly wider, which is nice, but is rated too highly for the LC. Is it legal to replate a trailer? does it have to be done by the manufacturer? Is it possible to replate it for the initial higher weight when i come to sell it?
Thanks!

[B'stard Child]

Benbay001 said:

Is it legal to re plate a trailer for a lower gross trailer weight?
Reason for asking, is that im looking at getting an Ifor William box trailer, to be towed behind a 120 series Landcruiser with 2800kg max braked towing weight. IF Williams do a 2700kg box trailer and a 3500kg box trailer, the 3500kg one is slightly wider, which is nice, but is rated too highly for the LC. Is it legal to replate a trailer? does it have to be done by the manufacturer? Is it possible to replate it for the initial higher weight when i come to sell it?
Thanks!

I've seen blank trailer plates on EBAY for that purpose

Not sure on the legality.......

I'm facing a similar issue so have a vested interest in the outcome of this thread

Need to tow a lightened track car (1200 kgs) behind a car that has a max braked trailer weight of 2400 kgs - most trailers I've looked at have had trailer plates exceeding the capacity

As far as I am aware if I towed an empty trailer with a plated weight of 3500 kgs behind my 2400 kg rated car I would be breaking the law (regardless of the fact it was unloaded)

[Benbay001]

B'stard Child said:

I've seen blank trailer plates on EBAY for that purpose

Not sure on the legality.......

I'm facing a similar issue so have a vested interest in the outcome of this thread

Need to tow a lightened track car (1200 kgs) behind a car that has a max braked trailer weight of 2400 kgs - most trailers I've looked at have had trailer plates exceeding the capacity

As far as I am aware if I towed an empty trailer with a plated weight of 3500 kgs behind my 2400 kg rated car I would be breaking the law (regardless of the fact it was unloaded)

http://www.iwt.co.uk/products/beavertail/beavertail?tab=spec the top one should do the job.
And yes, towing a 3500kg trailer would be illegal, i dont get it either..

[B'stard Child]

Benbay001 said:

http://www.iwt.co.uk/products/beavertail/beavertai... the top one should do the job.
And yes, towing a 3500kg trailer would be illegal, i dont get it either..

Kinda like prosecuting you for going equiped

[Roo]

Just make your own plate.

We have to make additional plates for all the trucks we bring in as none of them come with train/towing weights on them and some need to have the GVW voluntarily down rated to the maximum 3500kg.

[Benbay001]

Roo said:

Just make your own plate.

We have to make additional plates for all the trucks we bring in as none of them come with train/towing weights on them and some need to have the GVW voluntarily down rated to the maximum 3500kg.

But.. is that legal?
Im guessing there is only one way to find out for sure, should i email IFW?

[Roo]

Benbay001 said:

Roo said:

Just make your own plate.

We have to make additional plates for all the trucks we bring in as none of them come with train/towing weights on them and some need to have the GVW voluntarily down rated to the maximum 3500kg.

But.. is that legal?
Im guessing there is only one way to find out for sure, should i email IFW?

I have to make plates for them before I can get them SVA tested, they'll fail without it. It's recognised as being perfectly acceptable by VOSA.

Ifor Williams will more than happily supply you with a new plate provided you're not trying to exceed the trailers design weight.

[rewc]

The Government say that a trailer can be downplated http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensi...

[R0G]

Benbay001 said:

Is it legal to re plate a trailer for a lower gross trailer weight?
Reason for asking, is that im looking at getting an Ifor William box trailer, to be towed behind a 120 series Landcruiser with 2800kg max braked towing weight. IF Williams do a 2700kg box trailer and a 3500kg box trailer, the 3500kg one is slightly wider, which is nice, but is rated too highly for the LC. Is it legal to replate a trailer? does it have to be done by the manufacturer? Is it possible to replate it for the initial higher weight when i come to sell it?
Thanks!

Why would you need to downplate a 3.5 trailer???????

The gross plated weight on the trailer does not need to be equal to or less than the max towing capacity of the towing vehicle

I'll give an example: -
My 1.4 SEAT petrol sport has a max towing capacity of 1.0 and with that I can legally tow a trailer with a max plated weight of 3.5 providing the trailer and it's load does not actually weigh more than 1.0
This would be on a B+E licence

Edited by R0G on Wednesday 22 June 18:56

[R0G]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

Ummm, Sorry - surely it is the weight of the trailer / Cargo versus what its capacity is ?

Towing with a maximum plated trailer of 3.5 tonnes on a 'B' category vehicle with a B+E licence the following must not be exceeded: -
The MAM (or GVW) of the towing vehicle (max 3.5 tonnes)
The MAM (or GVW) of the trailer (max 3.5 tonnes)
The GTW (Gross Train Weight) listed on the towing vehicle (that is the actual weights of the towing vehicle and the trailer added together)
The maximum towing capacity of the towing vehicle


There have been some trailer towing sites on the internet which seem (by the wording used) to claim that the GVW/MAM of the trailer must not exceed the towing capacity of the towing vehicle but this is totally incorrect as there is no law that states this

[Cyberprog]

IW will re-plate to whatever you like under it's advertised maximum, IIRC there's a small admin charge, but it's all done in a legit way.

[R0G]

Cyberprog said:

IW will re-plate to whatever you like under it's advertised maximum, IIRC there's a small admin charge, but it's all done in a legit way.

No need to do it though

[Roo]

R0G said:

No need to do it though

A lot of people like to get it done for peace of mind in case they get stopped.

It just stops any possible roadside arguments with VOSA.

[R0G]

Roo said:

A lot of people like to get it done for peace of mind in case they get stopped.

It just stops any possible roadside arguments with VOSA.

There are none to be had with VOSA or the police unless a law is broken

It might interest anyone reading this to know that I have an e-mail from the police and a text from one of the top people in VOSA which confirms what I have said

[rewc]

R0G said:

There have been some trailer towing sites on the internet which seem (by the wording used) to claim that the GVW/MAM of the trailer must not exceed the towing capacity of the towing vehicle but this is totally incorrect as there is no law that states this

They are presumably the same people who give out false information regarding towing with a B only licence in an attempt to get you to take a trailer test so as to have B+E.

[R0G]

rewc said:

They are presumably the same people who give out false information regarding towing with a B only licence in an attempt to get you to take a trailer test so as to have B+E.

Don't get me started with B only licence towing - they are a weird set of rules!!

[B'stard Child]

R0G said:

Why would you need to downplate a 3.5 trailer???????

The gross plated weight on the trailer does not need to be equal to or less than the max towing capacity of the towing vehicle

I'll give an example: -
My 1.4 SEAT petrol sport has a max towing capacity of 1.0 and with that I can legally tow a trailer with a max plated weight of 3.5 providing the trailer and it's load does not actually weigh more than 1.0
This would be on a B+E licence

No offence intended but I think you should go and research a bit more

Yes your 1.4 seat can tow a trailer up to 1 T - however if that trailer has a plated weight of 3.5T you will be breaking the law even if it actually weighs less than 1 T with nothing on it at all.....

[Benbay001]

B'stard Child said:

R0G said:

Why would you need to downplate a 3.5 trailer???????

The gross plated weight on the trailer does not need to be equal to or less than the max towing capacity of the towing vehicle

I'll give an example: -
My 1.4 SEAT petrol sport has a max towing capacity of 1.0 and with that I can legally tow a trailer with a max plated weight of 3.5 providing the trailer and it's load does not actually weigh more than 1.0
This would be on a B+E licence

No offence intended but I think you should go and research a bit more

Yes your 1.4 seat can tow a trailer up to 1 T - however if that trailer has a plated weight of 3.5T you will be breaking the law even if it actually weighs less than 1 T with nothing on it at all.....

B child is right.
Anyway.. some interesting info. If i was to down plate a trailer would there be an issue when i resell? with up plating it again?

[B'stard Child]

Benbay001 said:

B'stard Child said:

R0G said:

Why would you need to downplate a 3.5 trailer???????

The gross plated weight on the trailer does not need to be equal to or less than the max towing capacity of the towing vehicle

I'll give an example: -
My 1.4 SEAT petrol sport has a max towing capacity of 1.0 and with that I can legally tow a trailer with a max plated weight of 3.5 providing the trailer and it's load does not actually weigh more than 1.0
This would be on a B+E licence

No offence intended but I think you should go and research a bit more

Yes your 1.4 seat can tow a trailer up to 1 T - however if that trailer has a plated weight of 3.5T you will be breaking the law even if it actually weighs less than 1 T with nothing on it at all.....

B child is right.
Anyway.. some interesting info. If i was to down plate a trailer would there be an issue when i resell? with up plating it again?

Not if you keep the old plate

[TOPTON]

We had this issue with the race car and trailer. Checked it out with the authorities and it came back as---

If the trailer has a mass weight of 3.5t, then even when empty wheighing .5t it is still classed as towing 3.5t. So for my mate to drive on his post '98 license, we replated the 3.5t trailer to 1.6t maximum mass, so the car/trailer combo Maximum weight was 3.4t.
So even with me driving, we could still only legally put 1.6t on a 3.5t trailer. No problems at all in replating the trailer back up again to 3.5t, as long as no structual mods were done to it