Not a happy ruddin ribber!

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by wavelength

but isnt that the point -that it is completely irrelevant what the weight is as it sits there with the boat on it. If the trailer max laden weight marked on it is over 750 kg then it needs brakes? Even if its empty. Which is a bit of a b****r if that is the case as I always worked on the keep it under 750kg and it would be fine without the brakes which I had taken out of it.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehi...ntsfortrailers

He hasn't actually said the GVW of the trailer is marked as over 750kg though. There's quite a lot left open to interpretation in this:-

Originally Posted by Solent-Salted

Cheers all.

Had a look on the dept of transport site.

The only snag I can see is if the specified max weight of the trailer is over 750kg then it has to be braked, no matter if the trailer and load come in under.

Time to get the paperwork out.

and this:-

Originally Posted by Solent-Salted

Ideal lads,

Much appreciated the long arm of the law threatened a £60.00 fine and 6 points if it weighed more than 750 kg with trailer as the trailer was not fitted with brakes.

They then proceed to allow it to be put on a low bed truck and delivered to final destination but they wont pay the bill.

Just need to know my rights before a few questions are asked.

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by Leapy

I wonder how many of us, in all innocence, are illegal? I wonder how many of us, in all innocence, are running above the maximum rated trailer capacity?

No such thing in the eyes of PC Plod, there's loads of public weighbridges so no excuse. More likely people know but don't want the expense

Here's the list for Hampshire just for info

http://www.hants.gov.uk/regulatory/t...ighbridges.pdf

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by bedajim

No such thing (as ignorance of the law) in the eyes of PC Plod, there's loads of public weighbridges so no excuse. More likely people know but don't want the expense

Just trying to judge how many of us might be clueless what their boat and trailer weigh.

You are absolutely right to say ignorance is no excuse...that's why I'm going down the weighbridge Let's remember, in this instance, being legal means being safe...and how many of us would go to sea without a lifejacket?

[Searider]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

What trailer was under it?

Roller coaster 1 unbraked.

[m chappelow]

just found out that with a trailor up to 750 kgs the max trailor length is 7 metres and 2.3 meters wide wide so for some sailing boats they could well be over .

[Solent-Salted]

Here's the evidence.....

Smug recovery guy too

[Poly]

Suspect he could have booked you for the home made number plate anyway!

[Solent-Salted]

Hmmm,

maybe ....

That's not the point damn it!!

[Leapy]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Suspect he could have booked you for the home made number plate anyway!

Or the fact that it's hidden behind the engine...

[m chappelow]

looks ok to me though cant see the triangles on the lighting board and as polwart says the number plate is missing , and you dont need forward facing white markes lights on boats during daylight hours like caravans do as boat trailors are exempt.though could be the lights dont come into the correct spacing measurement if its not a wide enough board ,.regards lights your police ought to come around here ,the boy racers from a certain comunity even drive around with red head lights talk about sticking your head in a noose .what car or vehicle was it getting towed with .

[Hampton Pete]

Hi Solent,
looking at the photo on the recovery truck, and i notice you have your boat strapped over the tubes. I'm fairly new to boating, and always wanting to learn, so was wondering if this is ok, or would it be better strapping from the transome to the trailer.
regarding number plates, I buy yellow card from staples and simply print out the number of the towing car on to 2 sheets ,overlap and trim to size, then laminate.




pete

[Solent-Salted]

Hello Pete,

Personally, I'm the wrong person to ask, any time i've towed a boat it's been on private property and at reduced speed. E.G. launching, recovering and manoeuvring into sheds.

But always left the winch on and put strops over the top to whilst towing to stop any bounce over uneven launching terrain.

That's my 22 pence worth

[PeterM]

Hope its the photo , but to me it looks like its about to fall off the truck !

Maybe the number plate / light board was just an excuse for the copper to look at you. BUt it doesn't look to bad to me in terms of size etc . I bet if you had had a 'proper' number plate etc he would never have stopped you. Generally I'v found if it looks expensive or properly set up you will be OK ( even if its cheap & not well setup) , if it looks a bit 'lashed up' they are all over you.

OH and I have never put a strap over the tubes - they can rub through the tube or do damage & as the tubes compress you are never really strapping much down very tightly.

[DJL]

Originally Posted by Hampton Pete

Hi Solent,
looking at the photo on the recovery truck, and i notice you have your boat strapped over the tubes. I'm fairly new to boating, and always wanting to learn, so was wondering if this is ok, or would it be better strapping from the transome to the trailer.

Much better to go from transom to trailer. Strapping over the tubes allows the boat to shift and bounce on the trailer, which isn't really good for the boat or road safety. Usually you'd have one strap at the stern from transom to trailer - running through the towing eyes if the boat has them. A second strap would then be attached to the D ring at the bow vertically down to the trailer. Leave the winch strap attached also.

[DJL]

Originally Posted by wavelength

If the trailer max laden weight marked on it is over 750 kg then it needs brakes? Even if its empty.

Yeah - its a bugger that. Its all about the numbers printed on the plate.

The MAM on my trailer is 1500 kg, 35kg over the unladen weight of my car. Which means even though the combined weight of trailer and boat is never going to reach 1500kg or 1465kg for the matter, I still need a B+E license to drive it. If I'd bought an (inferior) trailer from another company I could have towed it on my B license. Makes sense doesn't it - no wonder people have no idea about all the rules..

[9D280]

Couple of observatons here:

Probably best not post this answer to this unless it's a Landy or a big car that weighs at least 1.5 tons, but the 750Kg Max is only applicable to vehicles that are rated for it. E.g. I could (just) tow my Humber unbraked legally (fully fuelled) with my car, however hitching it on the back of a Corsa or similarly small car I'm not sure it would even be legal on a braked trailer!

Engine - Is that a 2 or a 3 cyl 70? Might just be the angle of the photo making the lid look shorter than it is, but If it's the 2-pot one then you're probably nearer 75-80 KG.

Either way, I'd get it onto a weighbridge!



Strappig it down, just don't use a strap over the toobs. If they are not pumped absolutely hard, simply the sun going behind a cloud as you drive along could reduce the pressure enough for the straps to be as good as useless. I don't leave mine pumped too hard when ashore to take into account temp variations, and I can watch them pump themselves back up if I leave early as the sun comes up & warms the toobs! Go for the U- bolts on the transom, or replace two nuts on your transom braces with eyenuts. Plenty of posts here about securing to a trialer.

That number plate is just asking to be stopped! If it's a roller coaster, Indespension should be able to sell you a couple of extension bars & the clamp screws to told them in. (Mind you, I suspect any make of 'plate holder bars should fit.) You need the lights within a certian distance form the outside edge, easiest way is to buy a lighting board about the width of your boat, will be close enough to legal not to attract attention. and at "rib width" you need a foglamp.

[wavelength]

He hasn't actually said the GVW of the trailer is marked as over 750kg though.

agreed. I plead in mitigation having just done 14 hours running a commercial boat doing a survey-its enough to addle anyone's brains
Too rough today SW8 gusting 9 so we've wimped out At least I can stay on shore and look after my "man cold" now.

If that trailer was supplied new and unbraked in the uk since the current regs came into force I would have thought it would be rated under 750kgs - does it have its plate on it? and if not is that an offence?, I don't know. You were sorta begging to be stopped though with an obscured number plate thats not really a number plate. The guy has gotta keep his performance indicators in the right sorta area after all-as we're paying his wages he needs to show value for money

[m chappelow]

[QUOTE=9D280;267120] Couple of observatons here:

, however hitching it on the back of a Corsa or similarly small car I'm not sure it would even be legal on a braked trailer!

as i said earlier even with brakes fitted you can only tow weight for weight even though your car vin plate may say you can tow that bit more except for Duel purporse vehicles ,ie landrover .if the trailor is not fitted with brakes you can only trail half the unladen weight of the car ,ie car weighs 1000kgs you can tow 500kgs.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by 9D280

and at "rib width" you need a foglamp.

I am not sure I agree with your interpretation of the rules. IIRC trailers wider than 1.3 m require a fog light. However my interpretation is that that is the trailer and not the load.

edit - although looking at the photo this trailer is pretty much rib width itself (unlike mine which is a bit narrower than my relatively narrow boat).

[wavelength]

you can only tow weight for weight even though your car vin plate may say you can tow that bit more

where does it say that?