If you tow a race car, read this.

[pawsmcgraw]

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A word of caution for all you PH's that tow your track day cars or any vehicle.I have been prosecuted by the Ministry of Transport and the police for towing an empty trailor."going with the intention of breaking the law"The plate on the trailer,a car transporter said 2500kgs and the vehicle pulling it had a 1700kgs max.Now i know not to overload the vehicle as i was only going to be collecting a bare shell(400kgs)so i thought i was ok.Not so.I now realise that most people who tow are over loaded and as a side issue,your insurance is invalid for everything in you train weight.This was all news to me and i did'nt have a leg to stand on as they had the stamped plate rivited to the trailer.Most vehicle towing weights are low for breaked trailers and i'll give you a previous example of mine.My 02 Toyota Hilux pick up will tow 1750kgs braked.My trailer weighed in over 600kgs plus big winch,and a Ford escort on the back weighing 1290kgs.Add to that my fuel in vehicle,tool boxes,spare wheels and tyres,passenger,jerry cans full and all the extra stuff on the truck i was over loaded by half a ton.
I now tow with something bigger(3.5ton towing cap)but i always go on the weigh bridge and get a ticket now to be safe.I have really investigated this since and there are so many ways to break the law its scarey.The thing the Ministry like is the distribution of weight.If you don't get the car distribution correct you can be way over the limit and you would never know(weight per axle has to be right and weight on tow bar has to be exact)
Its only since this happened to me that i've been back and forth from the weigh bridge trying different scenario's and nearly every time i am overloaded with a Hilux.Its such a precise juggling act,if an average car is only 7"further forward on the trailer i'm OL.Also some other info thats important,the tyres on a trailer must be capable of carrying the plate weight of the trailer.Car tyres will not do if your pulling more than an average car,van tyres only.No emergency cord/chain is an instant fine as is a defective trailer brake.Its an expensive minefield and a big grey area out there and i hope for their own good people check their figures before towing.

There's no law to stop you putting a new weight plate on the trailer,say 1000kgs,as long as you don't put more than that on it!