Shedendman
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Also not mentioned as far as i can see is INSURANCE.
Make sure your covered
Make sure your covered
There's only a limited number of trailer suspension manufacturers, so they'll have charts of dimensions/weight limits available.
It's one area where VOSA inspectors are likely to go by experience and making a visual judgement, before considering doing any kid of detailed checks.
If it generally looks OK, they're not likely to do anything.
If it looks overloaded, or somebody is trying to say that a spindly 4 bolt braked suspension unit is capable of carrying 1 tonne when it's blatantly obvious it's only likely to carry 500kg, they're going to check further.
1, This is where it gets more complicated you can tow any trailer with any payload behind your pick up now providing it dose not exceed 3.3 tons and is secure too the vheicle, the trailer breaks are connected and appropriate licence plates and lights are in place. Ie i could tow a 5 ton rated agricultural tractor tipping trailer behind my d max if i wanted too on the road provided my lights were all hooked up, a licence plate of the towing vehicle was displayed, the breaks were connected and the trailer did not weigh more than 3.3 tons with any cargo it may or may not be carrying.
2, If you dont have grandfather rights or a b+e licence then you are limited too 750kgs as your maximum trailer weight.
View attachment 236333
With brakes and no plate they go by the rating of your suspension units, how they know that I have no idea, failing that I think its load rating of the tires
Now I know why my xc70 Volvo can only tow 750kg unbraked...it's the trailer limit. Cheers ...I was comparing with a mate who has a tiny car rated at 650kg...now it all makes sense
Also not mentioned as far as i can see is INSURANCE.
Make sure your covered
The regulations are that unbraked trailers cant be more than 50% of the vehicles unladen weight up to a max of 750kg.
1, Wrong
a, Your BE licence from after 19-01-2013 limits you to a plate weight of 3500kg.
b, C&U regs limit you to trailers plated to 3500kg with over run brakes. To tow over that you need a brake system like air brakes.
If you have a pre 19-01-2013 BE licence from grandfather rights or passing the test then a, does not apply but b, still does.
2, Wrong
a, With a B licence after 01-01-97 you can EITHER tow 750kg behind any cat B vehicle OR drive a combined plate weight of 3500kg.
Fair enough on point 2 im not as uptodate as i should be then. Regarding point 1 im going off what i was told by the driving examiner. though admittedly i do need too go read the regs again.
I have passed my test back in the early 90's so have BE on the licence
GVW is 2661kg
Train weight 4050kg
Difference of 1389kg, bit of an odd number, but the way i interperate that your van has a max towing capacity of 1389kg regardless of license type
So if you loaded your 1500kg trailer to max it would be illegal, I await correction..