Towing weight capacity

[Bebee]

Please help

Will I be legal with the following :

Towing vehicle - VW caddy 2014 2.0 TDI 140 PS

Proposed hire trailer:
I think I have these details correct

Brian James A2 single axle
Size 3200×1800
Weight 1500 kg
Payload 1060 kg

Car to be trailered:
Triumph Vitesse convertible
Weight 940 kg
Length 3886
Centre wheel base to wheelbase 2324

Cheers in advance

[kambites]

That 1500kg must be MAM rather than trailer weight? I can't believe a small single-axle trailer can weigh 1500kg unladen!

[wack]

What's the towing capacity of the van , is it private or commercial work, if commercial as in somebody is paying you to go and get it once the combination goes over 3500kg you'll need a tachograph and an operators licence so If your van is 2100kg GVW and the trailer is 1500kg you're over

Plus I wouldn't put a car on a single axle trailer, get a puncture and it'll drag you off the road

[normalbloke]

What does your licence say you can tow?

[Jimmy Recard]

kambites said:

That 1500kg must be MAM rather than trailer weight? I can't believe a small single-axle trailer can weigh 1500kg unladen!

Yeah, that'll surely be MAM

http://www.parkers.co.uk/volkswagen/caddy-maxi-lif...

If this is right your towing capacity is 1400kg, so no, it wouldn't be legal (if the source is correct). Do you have a pre-1997 licence or B+E?

[Bebee]

I got those trailer details off Litchfield Trailers.co.uk
Am I right in thinking that if I went to double axle that my van would not be legal ? I would rather go with four wheels and with two but I'm not sure if my van is capable?

I passed my test in 83 so I know I am legal.

[MDMA .]

Lools like your limit is 1400kg. Not the best van to tow with really -

http://www.uktow.com/towing%20capacity.asp?make=Vo...

[kambites]

Jimmy Recard said:

If this is right your towing capacity is 1400kg, so no, it wouldn't be legal (if the source is correct). Do you have a pre-1997 licence or B+E?

Very close but he should be OK from a vehicle towing capacity point of view. If the MAM of the trailer is 1500kg and the max payload is 1060 the trailer weighs 440kg. 440 + 940 = 1380 which is less than 1400kg.

Whether his licence will cover him is a different matter, of course.

[Bebee]

Assuming I have the trailer unladen correct ?
I saw a BMW 3 series estate towing a trailer with a Mk2 escort on it today, and I thought if he can do it with a car why can I do with my van? the triumph weighs 940kg just 100 or so more than my Elise.

[Bebee]

Just checked my license I have B E

[Bebee]

Cheers for that Carl, I couldn't get my head round it, i'm thinking I might go for the double axle, by mam calculations, the double axle is 600kg
The Triumph is 940. So I will be overweight by 140kg.......... take the front seats out!

[V8RX7]

MDMA . said:

Lools like your limit is 1400kg. Not the best van to tow with really -

http://www.uktow.com/towing%20capacity.asp?make=Vo...

That link is utter crap.

Firstly many of the weights are wrong - it seems they have used GVW in many cases.

Secondly the 85% is merely a guideline plucked out of someone's arse it has NO LEGAL BASIS WHATSOEVER

My 1850kg Jeep can legally tow 3500kg !

The advised towing capacity for your van will be given by the manufacturer and can vary country to country for identical spec cars / vans - google it or better still read your handbook.

However the legal maximum is: Gross Train Weight - Actual weight of the van = max tow weight (generally up to a max 3500kg)

Check the plate on your van.

Although if you crash - and towing a load significantly heavier than the tow vehicle can be "interesting" - the fact you have exceeded the manufacturers guidelines will be used against you.

[kambites]

In the European Union, cars which are approved for towing are given a maximum towing weight figure as part of type approval which it is illegal to exceed. There's a very grey area for IVA'd imports, but for EU market cars the rules are very clear - it's illegal to exceed the maximum towing weight specified by the manufacturer even if you're still beneath the maximum train weight.

[V8RX7]

kambites said:

In the European Union, cars which are approved for towing are given a maximum towing weight figure as part of type approval which it is illegal to exceed. There's a very grey area for IVA'd imports, but for EU market cars the rules are very clear - it's illegal to exceed the maximum towing weight specified by the manufacturer even if you're still beneath the maximum train weight.

I have two emails from VOSA confirming what I've typed.

I have two because last time someone mentioned similar so I wrote to them again and received the same response.

---

I have a 2001 VW T4 Transporter LWB and I want to confirm what it can
legally carry / tow.

The plate under the bonnet gives me 2800 and 4500

I believe these to be GVW and GTW

I believe the kerb weight to be 1750kg

Am I correct that I can tow 4500 - 1750 = 2750kg with an empty van and

4500 - 2800 = 1700kg with a fully loaded van ?

My (German) handbook states recc max tow capacity is 2000kg

Thanks

---

[e-mail]

Good Morning.

Reply to your enquiry forwarded to us due to its technical nature,

You are quite correct in your calculations.

The handbook figure is usually the maximum that a manufacturer says is safe behind the full vehicle taking note of drive shaft strength and towing bracket fixings.

The stated train weight is the figure you need to consider along with the maximum gross weight of the vehicle and the gross weight of any trailer.

Edited by V8RX7 on Friday 28th April 21:17

[kambites]

Hmm, looking at the EU type approval rules it appears that you're right, which is definitely not what VOSA told me when I asked them a while ago!

Oh well, hardly the first time the government has given me information which has turned out to be wrong.

[R0G]

With a B+E licence

What is max towing capacity listed on V5 doc ?
What are top two numbers of the 4 listed on the vehicle weight plate ?

What is empty weight of trailer ?
What is plated MAM of trailer ?

What is the weight to be carried on the trailer ?

Answer all 5 questions and I can give a definitive answer

[TooMany2cvs]

V8RX7 said:

I have two emails from VOSA confirming what I've typed.

I have two because last time someone mentioned similar so I wrote to them again and received the same response.

---

I have a 2001 VW T4 Transporter LWB and I want to confirm what it can
legally carry / tow.

The plate under the bonnet gives me 2800 and 4500

I believe these to be GVW and GTW

I believe the kerb weight to be 1750kg

Am I correct that I can tow 4500 - 1750 = 2750kg with an empty van and

4500 - 2800 = 1700kg with a fully loaded van ?

My (German) handbook states recc max tow capacity is 2000kg

Thanks

---

Woah, hold on...

If the max towing capacity is listed as just a recommendation, then - yes - you can exceed that recommendation up to GTW. But if it's not a recommendation, then the max legal weight is the lowest individual weight - so if GTW-kerb is lower than max towing, you're limited by GTW. If GTW-kerb is higher than max towing, you're limited by max towing.

[markymarkthree]

R0G said:

With a B+E licence

What is max towing capacity listed on V5 doc ?
What are top two numbers of the 4 listed on the vehicle weight plate ?

What is empty weight of trailer ?
What is plated MAM of trailer ?

What is the weight to be carried on the trailer ?

Answer all 5 questions and I can give a definitive answer

ROG is your man on this issue, unbeknown to him his correct and free advice has helped and kept the company (MEWP hire) i work for within the legal limits.

[Bebee]

R0G said:

With a B+E licence

What is max towing capacity listed on V5 doc ?
What are top two numbers of the 4 listed on the vehicle weight plate ?

What is empty weight of trailer ?
What is plated MAM of trailer ?

What is the weight to be carried on the trailer ?

Answer all 5 questions and I can give a definitive answer

Sorry for delay Rog.

With a B+E licence Tick

What is max towing capacity listed on V5 doc ? 1500kg
What are top two numbers of the 4 listed on the vehicle weight plate ? From V5 info, Revenue weight 2172 kg gross

What is empty weight of trailer ?
What is plated MAM of trailer ?

The above two are listed on Lichfield trailer hire web page but it's not clear to me.


http://www.all-fit.co.uk/hire/trailers-car-transpo...

Second one down on their list.

Brian James A2 Blue 10' 6 x 5'11 Ramped Vehicle Transporter Single Axle (A22) Winch - Straps - Lockable Hitch - Spare Wheel - 320 x 180 cm - 1500 kg / 1060 kg


What is the weight to be carried on the trailer ? 940kg


Pic of vehicle weight plate:




Cheers

Edited by Bebee on Sunday 30th April 08:07

Edited by Bebee on Sunday 30th April 08:08

[Josho]

Worth pointing out that the Caddy will be an awful tow vehicle in that the back end is so light the trailer will want to push it round every bend sideways.