Bit of advice please...

I have a 1.5 ton mini-digger that I would like to transport very occasionally. I have a Nissan Cabstar 3 litre turbo pick-up truck that I was going to use for towing it, but have been told by a friend that I would be better off legally to use my 2 litre diesel Freelander. From what I can gather from googling, the most I can tow with the Freelander is about 1.25 ton. Is this correct? It doesnt seem a lot compared to other (lesser?) vehicles.

Reply to
Stuart
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On or around Tue, 28 Jun 2005 20:15:15 +0100, "Stuart" enlightened us thusly:

I can sell you a nice trailer which would suit it...

meanwhile... look at the gross train weight on the vehicle plate. Should tell you what it's supposed to be able to tow. I'm not sure that it's legally binding, mind. I doubt you'd be better off with the freeloader, meself. Your digger plus trailer is gonna come in at at least 2 tons.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

And that will very likely mean that you'll be running with over 3.5 tonnes GTW, so check your driving licence.

Reply to
David G. Bell

remember this discussion from some time ago, if you want to tow the full 4 tons you need air brakes as per artics, then you get replated, or sommat like that.

Reply to
Larry

I tow a caravan weighing over 1.5 tons using the Mrs Jeep weighing 2.2 tons. Do I need a special license? I don't think so. Stew

Reply to
90ninety

I'm reasonably sure that the Freelander can tow 2 tons - but check with the hand book that came with the vehicle to be sure, though when allowing for the trailer you're going to be pretty close to the limit if it is 2 tons.

I don't know about the Cabstar, but quite a lot of the Jap (and US)

4x4's have remarkably low towing weights (one or two people have been caught out round here at Ministry checks)

Richard

Reply to
beamendsltd

On or around Tue, 28 Jun 2005 23:26:33 +0100, "Larry" enlightened us thusly:

not per se air brakes. It does however need a linked braking system of some kind rather than over-run brakes.

If used commercially, you go over the 3.5T limit for PLG and should fit a tachograph and conform to the tachograph rules and hours limits.

If it's purely private, then you don't have to do that lot.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

On or around Tue, 28 Jun 2005 23:00:31 +0100 (BST), snipped-for-privacy@zhochaka.demon.co.uk ("David G. Bell") enlightened us thusly:

Yeah, modern licences first issued after 1/1/97 only allow a 750Kg trailer. To tow heavier trailers or to drive goods vehicles from 3.5T MAM and not over 7.5T MAM you need separate tests. What I can't tell you off-hand is whether if you take the C1 (goods vehicles as above) test that also covers you for larger trailers behind smaller vehicles.

all us old fogeys already have full B+E, and C1, and indeed C1+E(8.25Tonnes)

Reply to
Austin Shackles

On or around Wed, 29 Jun 2005 06:38:39 +0100, "90ninety" enlightened us thusly:

If your licence was issued after 1/1/97, then yes. See other post.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

On or around Wed, 29 Jun 2005 07:26:32 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd enlightened us thusly:

what I'm not sure about is whether the towing weights in vehicle handbooks and suchlike places are in fact manadatory maixma.

On commercials, you tend to have a gross train weight as well as GVW (now known as MAM), and I don't know, in fact, if that's legally binding either. It's not, for example, a ministry plate.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

On or around Wed, 29 Jun 2005 07:26:32 +0000 (UTC), beamendsltd enlightened us thusly:

hmmm. Just been looking in the traffic legislation, and I can't see anything about trailers exceeding or not exceeding the manufacturer's recommended trailer weight.

Highway code says, in regulation 74:

you MUST NOT overload your vehicle or trailer. You should not tow a weight greater than that recommended by the manufacturer of your vehicle

and refers to C&U, regulation 100:

In that lot, I suspect that 100(3) is the one they could get you for. However, I assume they'd have to prove that the vehicle was so unsuited as to cause a danger. I guess if you try to tow 5 tons behind a metro, you could well argue that this could cause a danger. However, towing say 2500Kg behind a vehicle rated to tow 2000Kg, I reckon they'd have to prove that you were travelling recklessly fast, or that the brakes weren't up to scratch, or something.

Bearing in mind, of course, that lower speed limits apply to vehicles towing trailers, so that if they pulled you at 70 with a oversize trailer on they will do you for the speed limit and maybe for contravening C&U as well.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

Nothing to do with the licence it's construction and use regs I think, trailer over a certain weight needs coupled brakes, overrun will not do, nor the electric arrangement they have in the states.

Reply to
Larry

And some of us old fogeys were barred on medical grounds... Check, before you get caught.

Reply to
David G. Bell

out if interest I just checked my licence, got it about 12 years ago, and it lists.. B BE C1 C1E D1 D1E f k l n p, no idea what they are but I'm not sure if they are from my old military licence somehow or what.

Regards. Mark.

Reply to
MVP

On or around Wed, 29 Jun 2005 11:53:31 +0100, "Larry" enlightened us thusly:

I believe you can have electric ones.

hmmm. 'snot in C&U, or not that I can find. In fact, for modern trailers, the brakes have to comply with some European directive, buggrem.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

I don't think so that is what I have had since 1977...

You don't have a nice pink and green paper licence then, all the info is on that. Not enough room on the silly modern plastic thingy...

B = car

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

On or around Wed, 29 Jun 2005 13:37:43 +0100, MVP enlightened us thusly:

B= car (and light goods not exceeding 3500Kg MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass, no less)) B+E= car+trailer C1= Goods vehicle 3500-7499Kg MAM C1+E= Ditto plus trailer (you may have a category restriction which limits you to 8.25T train weight) D1= Minibus (9-16 passengers) (you may have category restriction 1: not for hire or reward) D1+E= ditto plus trailer

erm... lessee...

F= agricultural tractor K= mowing machines and pedestrian controlled vehicles L= electric vehicles N= restricted use vehicles P= mopeds

Mine has the same groups, I notice it *doesn't* specify 8.25T for C1+E, although I'm damned sure it should...

I also have provisional entitlement for groups G and H, which are road rollers and tracked vehicles respectively.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

On or around Wed, 29 Jun 2005 16:54:45 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice" enlightened us thusly:

Reply to
Austin Shackles

That is applied via numbered note on my licence the little pictogram has 12Mg as the weight.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

On or around Thu, 30 Jun 2005 01:08:22 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice" enlightened us thusly:

hmmm. The normal limit for 7.5T plus trailer is indeed 12T. However, there's supposed to be a reduced limit of 8.25T for those who have C1 as a result of passing a car test long enough ago that you got C1 along with it.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

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