Needing a towing vehicle

[MissTaniaThomas]

Help me with a motoring dilemma…

I want to get something interesting to tow with. Thing is, large caravans over 7m have different vehicle requirements and need a vehicle rated at 3500kg GVW.

This is mostly bigger transit vans I can see so far, but has someone found a vehicle more interesting I can use that is rated as such.

Note. Yes, I’m aware a LR Discovery 4, or a big SUV would tow well, but they’re illegal so whatever I pick needs to be rated officially as above.

[kiethton]

Could you look at pick-up's

Ranger raptor would be epic (haven't actually checked the towing limit mind)

[JapanRed]

What do you mean by “large SUV’s are illegal”?

[MissTaniaThomas]

kiethton said:

Could you look at pick-up's

Ranger raptor would be epic (haven't actually checked the towing limit mind)

I’ve yet to find a pickup with a suitable legally plated GVW

…the big Fords can pull monumental weights though, I’d love a F250.

[MissTaniaThomas]

JapanRed said:

What do you mean by “large SUV’s are illegal”?

Folks who pull >7m caravans with SUV’s are doing it illegally. The law requires a 3500kg vehicle.

So many caravan users are invalidating their insurance. Their choice, their risk

[InitialDave]

MissTaniaThomas said:

Folks who pull >7m caravans with SUV’s are doing it illegally. The law requires a 3500kg vehicle.

So many caravan users are invalidating their insurance. Their choice, their risk

This is not correct.

Why do you believe it is correct?

Edit: Are you including the drawbar in the length? That is separate. So the length of the entire thing can be longer than it technically "counts" as.

Edited by InitialDave on Thursday 20th January 21:19

[The jiffle king]

Not interesting but a land cruiser for towing all day long

[MissTaniaThomas]

InitialDave said:

This is not correct.

Why do you believe it is correct?

Edit: Are you including the drawbar in the length? That is separate. So the length of the entire thing can be longer than it technically "counts" as.

Edited by InitialDave on Thursday 20th January 21:19

For something with a body length of over 7m (a Hobby 720 is 7.9m, overall 9m) then it also requires a B+E licence as well as a 3500kg vehicle. Double whammy :-(

I’d love a Disco 4, but they’re 400kg short. ;-((

[topcat1]

I never heard of that rule before, after a quick look even big commercials like the new Defender are not quite 3500kg GVW so unless you find an American monster of a pick-up it looks like large vans may be the only option. Ridiculous how a LHD tank or an empty van would be a legal tow vehicle but a Range Rover or Defender isn't...

[MissTaniaThomas]

InitialDave said:

This is not correct.

Why do you believe it is correct?

Edit: Are you including the drawbar in the length? That is separate. So the length of the entire thing can be longer than it technically "counts" as.

Edited by InitialDave on Thursday 20th January 21:19

For something with a body length of over 7m (a Hobby 720 is 7.9m, overall 9m) then it also requires a B+E licence as well as a 3500kg vehicle. Double whammy :-(

I’d love a Disco 4, but they’re 400kg short. ;-((

[InitialDave]

MissTaniaThomas said:

For something with a body length of over 7m (a Hobby 720 is 7.9m, overall 9m) then it also requires a B+E licence as well as a 3500kg vehicle. Double whammy :-(

I’d love a Disco 4, but they’re 400kg short. ;-((

Ah, right, I follow.

I think the issue is that the rules are a gross weight of 3500kg and below has that length limitation, and other than a couple of exceptions, you need to have a gross over 3500kg to step up to longer trailers (12m I think).

But because the normal car licence is 3500kg, that's the limit you get for a "normal" SUV, right on 3500kg.

Which would not count as over 3500kg gross.

If you want to tow a very long trailer, even a 3500kg SUV isn't going to meet the rules, and you're into heavier licence categories than B+E.

[MissTaniaThomas]

topcat1 said:

I never heard of that rule before, after a quick look even big commercials like the new Defender are not quite 3500kg GVW so unless you find an American monster of a pick-up it looks like large vans may be the only option. Ridiculous how a LHD tank or an empty van would be a legal tow vehicle but a Range Rover or Defender isn't...

I know, technically daft ain’t it.

A huge V8 pickup with 500bhp is a no but a 150bhp Sprinter van somehow isn’t

I get it about load as you couldn’t stick a 2 ton load in a pickup as it’d collapse, but it’s just nuts when you think about.

[Jazzy Jag]

SsangYong Rexton

[MissTaniaThomas]

Jazzy Jag said:

SsangYong Rexton

Tops out at 2960kg.

Not even close.

Towing capacity isn’t GVW.

[exelero]

The jiffle king said:

Not interesting but a land cruiser for towing all day long

Or a Shogun

[exelero]

MissTaniaThomas said:

For something with a body length of over 7m (a Hobby 720 is 7.9m, overall 9m) then it also requires a B+E licence as well as a 3500kg vehicle. Double whammy :-(

I’d love a Disco 4, but they’re 400kg short. ;-((

Eerm I don’t think you need B+E anymore with the new hgv testing rules

[kiethton]

Bummer H2?

[Darumvej]

Isuzu D max or latest Toyota Hi Lux both plated at 3500kg

[MissTaniaThomas]

exelero said:

Or a Shogun

Only 3030kg GVW. Still too short by 470kg GVW unfortunately,

[MissTaniaThomas]

Darumvej said:

Isuzu D max or latest Toyota Hi Lux both plated at 3500kg

The Isuzu isn’t, tops out at 3100kg, Hilux is 2940.

Isuzu D-Max Kerbweight Payload GVW
Utility Single Cab 4x2 1,795kg 1,205kg 3,000kg
Utility Single Cab 4x4 1,895kg 1,205kg 3,100kg
Utility Extended Cab 1,960kg 1,140kg 3,100kg
Utility Double Cab 1,985kg 1,115kg 3,100kg
DL20 Extended Cab 1,952kg 1,148kg 3,100kg
DL20 Double Cab 1,980kg 1,120kg 3,100kg
DL20 Double Cab auto 2,010kg 1,090kg 3,100kg
DL40 Double Cab 2,000kg 1,100kg 3,100kg
DL40 Double Cab auto 2,030kg 1,070kg 3,100kg
V-Cross Double Cab 2,000kg 1,100kg 3,100kg
V-Cross Double Cab auto 2,030kg 1,070kg 3,100kg