Towing weights
Discussion
Hello all,
I have a couple of questions about towing.
I have a post-97 cat B car licence.
My Berlingo van weights are 1300kg, MAM 1950KG
I understand I'm OK to tow up to a total train weight of 3.5 tonnes on my licence, so can I tow 1550kg? Or am I limited to 1300kg to match the van (actual weight would be less).
Second question, which might sound odd, but is the towing weight the plated weight of a trailer or the actual weight?
So if I had a trailer that COULD take 3.5 tonnes, but actually was say 200kg of trailer and 900kg of track car, totalling 1100kg, in the eyes of the law am I legally towing 1100kg or illegally "towing" 3500kg?
Obviously in the case of overloading a trailer they'd count ACTUAL loaded weight, but I've heard somewhere that in normal day to day they take the plated max weight, even if the trailer was empty.
I have a couple of questions about towing.
I have a post-97 cat B car licence.
My Berlingo van weights are 1300kg, MAM 1950KG
I understand I'm OK to tow up to a total train weight of 3.5 tonnes on my licence, so can I tow 1550kg? Or am I limited to 1300kg to match the van (actual weight would be less).
Second question, which might sound odd, but is the towing weight the plated weight of a trailer or the actual weight?
So if I had a trailer that COULD take 3.5 tonnes, but actually was say 200kg of trailer and 900kg of track car, totalling 1100kg, in the eyes of the law am I legally towing 1100kg or illegally "towing" 3500kg?
Obviously in the case of overloading a trailer they'd count ACTUAL loaded weight, but I've heard somewhere that in normal day to day they take the plated max weight, even if the trailer was empty.
journeymanpro said:
When it comes to licences it's the max plated weight of trailer that counts not the actual weight.
You need to stay under 3.5t train and not exceed the vans maximum tow limit.
Are you sure? NTTA website says opposite:You need to stay under 3.5t train and not exceed the vans maximum tow limit.
“You can tow a trailer with a Gross Weight higher than your car’s towing limit as long as you only load it up to that limit.
It is illegal to exceed the car’s towing limit.”
https://www.ntta.co.uk/faq
jmcc500 said:
Are you sure? NTTA website says opposite:
“You can tow a trailer with a Gross Weight higher than your car’s towing limit as long as you only load it up to that limit.
It is illegal to exceed the car’s towing limit.”
https://www.ntta.co.uk/faq
From the Internet: “Actually, the law is quite clear and unambiguous ... For driving licence purposes it's the maximum plated limits that count, for all other purposes, the actual weights.”“You can tow a trailer with a Gross Weight higher than your car’s towing limit as long as you only load it up to that limit.
It is illegal to exceed the car’s towing limit.”
https://www.ntta.co.uk/faq
jmcc500 said:
journeymanpro said:
When it comes to licences it's the max plated weight of trailer that counts not the actual weight.
You need to stay under 3.5t train and not exceed the vans maximum tow limit.
Are you sure? NTTA website says opposite:You need to stay under 3.5t train and not exceed the vans maximum tow limit.
“You can tow a trailer with a Gross Weight higher than your car’s towing limit as long as you only load it up to that limit.
It is illegal to exceed the car’s towing limit.”
https://www.ntta.co.uk/faq
Previous posters are correct when they say with a B licence the max when towing a trailer over 750kg is 3500 of the two plated weights
Example
Car plated GVW 2100
Max tow limit 1600
Trailer plated MAM 1400
Trailer empty 400
Max load into trailer 1000
Same example again but with max tow limit at 1300
Max load for trailer 900
Hope that helps
Example
Car plated GVW 2100
Max tow limit 1600
Trailer plated MAM 1400
Trailer empty 400
Max load into trailer 1000
Same example again but with max tow limit at 1300
Max load for trailer 900
Hope that helps
Yup. There are two separate rules that have to be complied with.
1. The weight limit that the tow vehicle is allowed to pull, based on its own weights.
2. The weight that the driver is legally allowed to tow (and drive), based on their driving licence restrictions.
For most people, it will be whichever of the two is the lower value.
Example calculations in previous post(s).
1. The weight limit that the tow vehicle is allowed to pull, based on its own weights.
2. The weight that the driver is legally allowed to tow (and drive), based on their driving licence restrictions.
For most people, it will be whichever of the two is the lower value.
Example calculations in previous post(s).
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