Towing sanity check

[winchman]

The cheap big trailer we purchased needs a spot of welding so I am looking at selling it on as a project as I just cant manage to fix it at the moment and buying a twin axel plant trailer that needs the lights fixing and not much else, something I can do easily myself.
So The Range Rover P38 is rated to tow 3500KG
My licence has BE & C1E (107)
On it so am I missing anything?
Its a normal ball hitch on the P38 and trailer. I am going to view the trailer so will check the rating plate then, but its the generic sort you see little diggers on.
It will be used for general fetch and carry whilst we try to sort Winchboys workshop and tip runs.
No doubt it will end up shifting a machine or two.

 

[addjunkie]

Driving licence categories

Driving licence categories - entitlements on your licence and what vehicles you can drive - cars, motorcycles, mopeds, medium and large lorries, minibuses and buses.

www.gov.uk

Clear as mud in the link above.

 

[James1979]

They are normally around the 2.8t mark so you’d be fine with the p38

what you need to know is the Max Train Weight of the Range Rover ie truck plus trailer. In all honesty without digging into the plates I think you’d be fine. In Range Rover terms that’s a small trailer and as long as you don’t get stupid loading it you’ll be under.

there’s an area whereby the towing vehicle is plated to tow the same weight as itself (100%) and the rules say you should only tow up to 80% (I think it’s 80 without looking it up) which caused confusion for a while. I believe it’s now been resolved as the plate is the over ruling factor. I looked into this as my ranger was plated to tow 3.5t which is why I bought it

 

[Mark_C]

Provided you passed your test before 1st Jan 1997 you're good to go, as you should have class B+E on your licence.

If you passed your test after 1st Jan 1997 you are only allowed to tow if the weight of the car and tow vehicle (including its load) is less than 3500kg. You can get B+E added to your icence by taking a "towing test".

As the for the above, there is the "85% rule", in fact its just a recommendation and there is no specific law around it. The idea is you tow no more than 85% of the weight of the tow vehicle, in your case thats a smidge under 3000kg so I shouldn't think its going to be a concern.

 

[sako243]

Things can get a little complicated, @Justme can probably clear up any particular confusion but the short version is that you shouldn't have any issues at all with your planned setup. Just don't go over the weight of either the tow vehicle, trailer or combined weight.

At least you don't have the complication that is the Sandringham 6x6 which is plated for 4t gross vehicle weight and 8t gross train weight. At least in this situation it's easy enough to downplate rather than "up-plate" to bring it under 3.5t / 7t for simplicity.

 

[Munkul]

BE - you can tow a 3.5t plated trailer no problem. Probably worth driving to a local weighbridge and getting the unladen weight of the trailer so you have an idea of payload capacity.

My rule is: EVERYTHING must work. All lights, brakes, emergency cable, etc. If it looks good and tidy, police/VOSA are less likely to be interested.

Oh, and stay away from vosa checkpoints if you have a marginal load

 

[Bobupndown]

Don't tow 4 ton + with your Freelander 2

 

[James1979]

Don't tow 4 ton + with your Freelander 2
View attachment 297062

Even got a bit on your tool box to maximise your load

 

[winchman]

Been dragging this around but its rotten where the spring hangers meet the chassis having said this its performed really well and tows well, saved a fortune in delivery skips etc
I am just not up to flipping it over and welding it

 

[Edward Teach]

Even got a bit on your tool box to maximise your load

Weight distribution

 

[Bobupndown]

Even got a bit on your tool box to maximise your load

Couldn't believe when I weighed out of the quarry the load was 3.7 ton, and the trailer must be at least 0.5 ton. Glad I didn't have far to go! It towed OK slowly, brakes were not pleased.

 

[Munkul]

That's hands-down one of the finest loads ever to grace an Ifor williams

 

[m_c]

Driving license is based on plate weights. Aka if you don't have B+E, then you're limited to a combined max train weight of either 3.5t, or a maximum plated trailer weight of 750kg (you can tow a 750kg trailer with a 3.5t vehicle)

Vehicle towing limits are based on measured weights. I.e. if your vehicle can only tow 2t, then you can tow a trailer plated at 3.5t as long as it doesn't exceed 2t.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Might as well stick your finger in the air to gauge the answer if you passed post 97. Unless of course you’re on agricultural whereby all concept of weight magically vanishes and you can run any weight you want with immunity

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Don't tow 4 ton + with your Freelander 2
View attachment 297062

Don't tow a Range Rover Classic on a six wheeled car transporter with a Volvo 740SE. No problem with power but a wee bit unstable over 30 mph. I'll never be that stupid again - now hire a big van with towbar (extra £10) if I need to tow such weights

 

[MoreWellie]

am I missing anything?

I don't know what the insurance situation is, I presume towbar fitment should be listed as a modification for your car insurance

Any car manufactured from from 1st August 1998 has to have a type approved towbar fitted

I struggle gauging nose weight on a trailer, I did try using the bathroom scales but broke them so I guessed it was too high

 

[Gritineye]

Don't tow 4 ton + with your Freelander 2
View attachment 297062

I did that once, or nearly as bad, to get a job finished by dark.

Had to go round a smallish roundabout on the way, looked in the mirror and the twin tyres were almost peeling off, and the wheels were leaning right ove in opposite directions. But I felt quite smug to get away with it and made some extra money.

A while later I had to replace all the bearings and seals, big chunks missing off all the rollers and races.

So yeah, over loading really does pay!

 

[colnerov]

Don't tow 4 ton + with your Freelander 2
View attachment 297062

Hi, I can remember this chap had a RR Silver Shadow on a trailer behind a Rav4, 4 miles into a trip to Spain it all ended upside down.

https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/ne...before-it-overturned-on-a350-near-trowbridge/

Colin

 

[Bobupndown]

I did that once, or nearly as bad, to get a job finished by dark.

Had to go round a smallish roundabout on the way, looked in the mirror and the twin tyres were almost peeling off, and the wheels were leaning right ove in opposite directions. But I felt quite smug to get away with it and made some extra money.

A while later I had to replace all the bearings and seals, big chunks missing off all the rollers and races.

So yeah, over loading really does pay!

Not my trailer!

 

[zzr1200]

Don't tow 4 ton + with your Freelander 2
View attachment 297062

Now that's a proper load...well done!!!!