unbraked trailer towing limits.

[doggypaddle]

MY Trailer is PLATED 750kgs. It is unbraked. I usually tow it with my LWB landrover which weighs in at over 2 tonnes so no problem there.
I also have a SWB landrover the kerb weight of which is 1400KGS when I weighed it.

This is my question....can i tow an unbraked trailer plated at 750KGS with the SWB weihhing 1400kgs if it actually weighs 700Kgs or less?.

I have heard many conflicting opinions on this and would like to find THE definitive answer. even the VOSA were unsure when they stopped a friend with a Pug 406 towing an empty 3.5 tonne ifor williams, and let him carry on when he explained the trailer was to fetch a JCB and the car would be on the trailer on the return leg behind the JCB.

[jwalker]

What weight is the SWB rated to tow?

[doggypaddle]

landrover never specified towing capacities for that age vehicle.
later ones are generally rates at 2 tonnes braked, but thats for off road.
on road was never specified.
I was told the towing capacities for vehicles this age were based on what weight they could pull away with/stop easily on a certain gradient,
Landrovers probably wernt tested as they were a dual purpose vehicle and not a car.....so dont know!

The question is do you go by plated weight or actual weight????

[m chappelow]

i was led to belive that in the uk you could only tow an unbraked trailer up to 750 kgs as long as it weighed half the unladen weight of the towing vehicle,, eg car 1000kgs ,,trailer 500kgs,,,and with brakes it was only weight for weight eg car 1000kgs trailer 1000kgs as long as the plate says you could ,,,if the plate says more this is for off road use or for outside uk ,,,and with regards to plating ,,,,with commercial vehicles its the paper printed plate thats issued with a new truck after the body has been built that they go on and not the chassis plate ,,,,,we were told we could tow a trailer of 2 tons with a new short landrover,as its duel purporse and not regarded as a normal car ,

[codprawn]

Actually you can tow 3500kgs with a 90!!!

[Rogue Wave]

this site makes a bit of sense

http://www.ntta.co.uk/

[doggypaddle]

What unbraked trailer can I tow? You can tow a maximum of 750 Kg with an unbraked trailer but you cannot exceed half the kerb weight of the towing vehicle. 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.

At last! its the actual weight! just realised too......kerb weight is vehicle weight+90% full fuel tank+ one british standard fat basta** at the helm.

so thats 1410kgs+me 90kgs+ 50l fuel~say 40kgs so i can tow up to the 750kg limit anyway

[doggypaddle]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Actually you can tow 3500kgs with a 90!!!

And you can tow a 16 foot ifor williams with 4 pallets of bricks behind a series one too........ It scratted a bit getting up the slope out of the quarry though!

[9D280]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

and with brakes it was only weight for weight

It's the rated capacity of the car, which is based on something like a hill start on a 14% grade at 1500m altitude. (I forget the exact details, but it boils down to a hill start on a partuicularly steep bit at the top of the Gross Glockner pass). Also related to the likelihood of ripping the back out the car with the hitch, so it's not a simple a:b ratio of weights.

e.g. a 2.5Diesel version of a car will have a greater rated braked tow weight than the 1.6 petrol version. Unbraked it's going to be similar as it;s related to half the kerbweight because unbraked tow weights are all down to being able to stop.

The way to stay legal is to see what it says in your handbook.

[doggypaddle]

Originally Posted by 9D280

It's the rated capacity of the car, which is based on something like a hill start on a 14% grade at 1500m altitude. (I forget the exact details, but it boils down to a hill start on a partuicularly steep bit at the top of the Gross Glockner pass). Also related to the likelihood of ripping the back out the car with the hitch, so it's not a simple a:b ratio of weights.

e.g. a 2.5Diesel version of a car will have a greater rated braked tow weight than the 1.6 petrol version. Unbraked it's going to be similar as it;s related to half the kerbweight because unbraked tow weights are all down to being able to stop.

The way to stay legal is to see what it says in your handbook.

The handbook only specifies 500kgs unbraked for off road use.
In 1953 i dont think they were too worried about kerb weights!
i am within the 50% kerb weight, and there is nothing to specify a lower limit.

as for the 14% grade at 1500m............its a landrover would do it at tickover in low box