Maximum towing weight...

I've regularly towed my 16foot 3500kg trailer with discos and similar loaded on. Getting the balance right on the trailer is absolutely vital unless you like changing your underwear at the side of the road. Worst thing I've dragged lately was this so called caravan. Don't know the weight but feck me it was heavy and bloody unstable too. 30mph absolute max.

Harold 4x4 said:

That's interesting Ratty, why? (It's something I think is a good idea, but don't know for sure) Is it a 'false sense of confidence' or did you find it more stabilized?.... I would have thought (?) a braked trailer would be safer with normal weight in the vehicle: less strain on the braking system..

Thanks for all the input - plenty to chew on.

I should add: I'm an experienced trailer user (daily), and have towed a caravan around France but have never maxed out (3500kg) on a long journey.

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It keeps the towing vehicle firmly in contact with the ground and helps prevent fishtailing. In the event of fishtailing happening it helps prevent the arse end of the towing vehicle being snatched around. It also helps with finding grip through surface water/snow in heavy rain or snowy conditions.

Thanks, that all seems logical. - As usual, I guess it's a bit of trial and error to get the balance in the car/suspension/braking/trailer all safely set up......

hughesy said:

I've regularly towed my 16foot 3500kg trailer with discos and similar loaded on. Getting the balance right on the trailer is absolutely vital unless you like changing your underwear at the side of the road. Worst thing I've dragged lately was this so called caravan. Don't know the weight but feck me it was heavy and bloody unstable too. 30mph absolute max.

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wtf is that and wot do they use it for?

I too find some weight in the tow vehicle is good, and getting the noseweight right is vital, also having the bed of the trailer level to the road and not nose-up or arse-up, nose-up arse-down is a great way to get instability.

i remember when we were taking scrap away, we borrowed a ifor tipper, 10 foot bed, trailer was 980kg iirc. put what was left or a honda acord aerodeck on the back, was about 4 foot off teh back off the trailer. towed it with an escort van :O not good atall, was all over the road haha. was just over 3.3 tonnes gross train weight. oops might have a picture somewhere

I have towed 3.5 tonnes with TDI 300 and I can tell you it's not for the feint hearted. I suggest you listen to the guys about nose weght and balance.

However think of this:

Towing 3.5 tonnes down a steep hill in vehicle that weighs maybe 2.2 tonnes and your not in straight line..........the trailer starts to push which should apply the compression brake but even if it's slightly stiff or badly adjusted your in for a tricky ride as it pushes the vehicle side ways starting a fishtail...........if that's at 30mph it's a lot of brown stains at 50 on a motorway it's serious and could lead to killing you and/or somebody else.

Just had a quick glance at the Disco II manual,

That says for trailers up tp 2000kg, car can be loaded to maximum vehcle weight. Maximum tow hitch weight is 150kg

For trailers up to 3500kg, coil spring vehicles can only carry driver+passenger, or equivalent load. If airprung, load can be driver+4 passengers, or equivalent load, stowed forward of the luggage compartment. In both cases, max towhitch load is 250kg.

I think if you went against any of this advice, you would be on dodgy ground with police and insurance.

I'm surprised about these restrictions, but I suspect it's a combination of safe braking and maximum load on the rear springs. Full car + 3500kg may overload the brakes, and stuff in the back with a full trailer may overload the springs.

Cheers!

goonarmy said:

wtf is that and wot do they use it for?

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It's a mobile canteen type thing. Dates from the 1940's apparently jury is still out as to whether it started out as a caravan or a horsebox? My mate does some work for hanson's and he needed a hand to shift it.

i once came away from an auction with a load of 8x2 timbers about 15 foot long on a 10 foot ifor twin axle behind a rover 3500 hatch.... trailer was arse heavy over about 30 mph it was lethal fishtailing all over the road..... i drove home very slowly by the backroads.

generally weight in the towing vehicle makes the combination more stable.... power to weight ratio and performance is irrelevant.... stability is the overriding factor.... think ahead... try and brake as little as possible and in a straight line.... slow down before the bends not in the middle of them .... if it does start fishtailing take your feet off everything and hold the steering wheel still untill it slows down and sorts itself....... bear in mind the suction from high sided artics passing you cane start a high sided trailer snaking.

Dont have figures to hand but wieght restrictions are subject to brakes on trailer and possibly number of axels. Now to really put my anorak on, as I recall standard tow balls, bolt on, are only meant to tow 2t with the ball and pin or jaw type being rated to 3.5t. May not be the case with modern balls but sure I saw that somewhere correct me if bs.

I've weighed in the scrap yard at 5.2t would say 3 ton on the back and all on L plates

my lads regularly tow up to the limit in their 110s.same chasiss,

power to weight ratio and performance is irrelevant

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It isn't irrelevant at all, quite the opposite, particularly if you live where I do - having the oomph to get up an incline is essential.

Remember you need the correct driving licence to drive a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes. If you have passed your driving test after January 1st 1997 you need to sit a separate test.

Since 1 January 1997 all drivers who hold category C or D entitlement have been limited to trailers up to 750kgs MAM; Category C+E or D+E must be held in order to tow trailers in excess of this.

Also the driver of a vehicle with a permitted gross vehicle weight/gross train weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes is required by European Law to obey EU Drivers Hours and Tachograph Law if the vehicle is used in connection with hire and reward I.E. Business use.

OldDiscoMan said:

Remember you need the correct driving licence to drive a vehicle over 3.5 tonnes. If you have passed your driving test after January 1st 1997 you need to sit a separate test.

Since 1 January 1997 all drivers who hold category C or D entitlement have been limited to trailers up to 750kgs MAM; Category C+E or D+E must be held in order to tow trailers in excess of this.

Also the driver of a vehicle with a permitted gross vehicle weight/gross train weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes is required by European Law to obey EU Drivers Hours and Tachograph Law if the vehicle is used in connection with hire and reward I.E. Business use.

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Nice sweeping generalisations but complete bull ****. tacho is required if driving for hire or reward where driving the vehicle is your main duties. so a builder can drive without tacho. trailer laws for noobies is more complicated than a blanket 750kg weight limit, they can drive braked trailers above that weight if combined GVW is less than 3500kg and towing vehicles MAM is higher than trailers MAM

Also if you have grandfather rights 8250kg is plated weight, so endorsement 107 means 7.5 ton lorry you'd be able to tow a small camping trailer.

Note this endorsement was in guide book for paper licences and is on photo card licence.

So a empty lorry and empty plant trailer =no go without proper hgv test

Harold 4x4 said:

It isn't irrelevant at all, quite the opposite, particularly if you live where I do - having the oomph to get up an incline is essential.

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so how did we all manage to tow with a series, with what 50 bhp under the bonnet ? it might have took a while but we got there.

please, not the great trailer debate