Towing law advice please.

[Nigel Worc's]

What ho chaps.

I have the licence, I tow frequently (caravan), Honda CRV, 2000KGs braked trailer limit.

I possibly have the need to move an auto car for a friend, we are checking kerb weight and trailer weight to stay withing the 2000 KGs.

I have a friend who is advising me to be very careful, he says the trailer must be plated for 2000KGs or less, and obviously the car & trailer mustn't exceed this.

He says that back in the days it was VOSA rather than the current DVSA he was caught towing a trailer that was plated at 3.5 tons, and despite the fact that the trailer and load was less than the towing limit of his car it cost him £2K in fines.

Is he correct please ?

[drmike37]

In a word, yes.

[No ideas for a name]

Nigel Worc's said:

I possibly have the need to move an auto car for a friend, we are checking kerb weight and trailer weight to stay withing the 2000 KGs.

I have a friend who is advising me to be very careful, he says the trailer must be plated for 2000KGs or less, and obviously the car & trailer mustn't exceed this

......

Is he correct please ?

There is a sticky at the top of this section which explains it all - though I don't find it particularly easy to follow.

AFAIK, if you have a B+E licence, then it isn't the plated weight that is important, it is the actual weight.
So, you would be looking for a trailer that weighs no more than 2000kg less the weight of the load.

If you don't have a trailer licence, then it is the plated weight or MAM.

I reserve the right to be completely wrong.

[Jimmy Recard]

If the “Worc’s” in your username indicates Worcester/shire, my car has a 3500kg towing capacity and I’m happy to help, if it’s convenient


I can’t help you with the finer points of the rules though, I just found one with maximum capacity to be safe

[meatballs]

No ideas for a name said:

There is a sticky at the top of this section which explains it all - though I don't find it particularly easy to follow.

AFAIK, if you have a B+E licence, then it isn't the plated weight that is important, it is the actual weight.
So, you would be looking for a trailer that weighs no more than 2000kg less the weight of the load.

If you don't have a trailer licence, then it is the plated weight or MAM.

I reserve the right to be completely wrong.

That is my interpretation of the sticky at the top of the forum.

[Nigel Worc's]

Thanks chaps, he is checking his breakdown cover to see if he does have at home, thus getting him out of the issue.

It's now an obvious non starter for our idea anyway, as the car has a kerb weight of 1750 KGs, so we aren't going to find a trailer to hold that, that weighs 250KG or less.

It's an E38 735i that just turns over and won't start, it has done it before and then it goes, no error codes, so off to BM Euro in Wolverhampton it will be going.

[Nigel Worc's]

No ideas for a name said:

Nigel Worc's said:

I possibly have the need to move an auto car for a friend, we are checking kerb weight and trailer weight to stay withing the 2000 KGs.

I have a friend who is advising me to be very careful, he says the trailer must be plated for 2000KGs or less, and obviously the car & trailer mustn't exceed this

......

Is he correct please ?

There is a sticky at the top of this section which explains it all - though I don't find it particularly easy to follow.

AFAIK, if you have a B+E licence, then it isn't the plated weight that is important, it is the actual weight.
So, you would be looking for a trailer that weighs no more than 2000kg less the weight of the load.

If you don't have a trailer licence, then it is the plated weight or MAM.

I reserve the right to be completely wrong.

I find it too hard to follow.

Yes I have B+E, I'm old enough to have always had it.

My mate who got the £2K fine also has B+E, but he still got done for having a trailer plated at 3.5 tons despite the fact the trailer and load weighed less than the towing weight of his car, so he tells me.

[Nigel Worc's]

Jimmy Recard said:

If the “Worc’s” in your username indicates Worcester/shire, my car has a 3500kg towing capacity and I’m happy to help, if it’s convenient


I can’t help you with the finer points of the rules though, I just found one with maximum capacity to be safe

Many thanks Sir, the offer is appreciated.

[R0G]

There is no law or rule which states that the towing capacity of a vehicle must be able to accommodate the plated MAM of a trailer
Ask anyone who states otherwise to show you the law/rule = they will not be able to because its a myth

Legal set up using a B+E licence =

Vehicle
GVW 2200
GTW 4200
Max tow 2000

Trailer
MAM 3500
Empty 800

Max load for trailer 1200 - due to 2000 max tow limit

[Nigel Worc's]

R0G said:

There is no law or rule which states that the towing capacity of a vehicle must be able to accommodate the plated MAM of a trailer
Ask anyone who states otherwise to show you the law/rule = they will not be able to because its a myth

Legal set up using a B+E licence =

Vehicle
GVW 2200
GTW 4200
Max tow 2000

Trailer
MAM 3500
Empty 800

Max load for trailer 1200 - due to 2000 max tow limit

Rog thank you, that is what I was hoping.

I will have to speak to my mate in more detail to find out what he was truly done for, I know he was and I know it cost him thousands but as ever it is always difficult to get to the actual facts.

I was ready to accept what was being said above, as the authorities used the same crazed logic to dictate speed limits on vans !

Why can't they write rules that make sense and are easy to understand ?

[C Lee Farquar]

As an aside I have a scrap 735i E38 if he can't find the parts. North Oxon. Some parts have gone, I bought it for the rear diff but haven't got round to taking it out

[Happy Jim]

Nigel Worc's said:

Thanks chaps, he is checking his breakdown cover to see if he does have at home, thus getting him out of the issue.

It's now an obvious non starter for our idea anyway, as the car has a kerb weight of 1750 KGs, so we aren't going to find a trailer to hold that, that weighs 250KG or less.

It's an E38 735i that just turns over and won't start, it has done it before and then it goes, no error codes, so off to BM Euro in Wolverhampton it will be going.

I had that problem the other day, phoned the RAC explained that I needed them, they advised me that as I didn’t have at home cover it would cost £160ish to come out “now” or phone in the morning, add at home cover for £25, then pay £15 as it was within the first 24 Hrs.....

No brainier!

[R0G]

Nigel Worc's said:

Why can't they write rules that make sense and are easy to understand ?

if they did there would be no need for ME !!