Could a Freelander TD4 pull a trailer plus SJ413??

[mike harris]

Trust me.

If you passed your test before 1997 you can tow a trailer with a combined weight of 3.5 tons car an trailer.

After 1997 you can tow a unbraked trailer that's less than 750kg

Take a b + e and you can tow a combined wight of 3.5 ton.

If you have your vehicle plated and hav a tachometer fitted, you can tow more - if your car is caperble.

[mike harris]

I took a b + e

Mike

[Jordi]

C+E so im good.

[Jordi]

Cat B vehicle up to 3.5t and trailer of 750kg or vehicle of less 3500 kg + trailer of more than 750kg so long as combined weight is not more than 3500kg example 2000kg car and 1500kg trailer

Cat b+e tow vehicle of upto 3500kg (example transit van) + trailer upto 3500kg so long as it is with in towing capacity of the vehicle

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/forms/~/medi ... ns57p.ashx

[Anton]

Trust me.

If you passed your test before 1997 you can tow a trailer with a combined weight of 3.5 tons car an trailer.

After 1997 you can tow a unbraked trailer that's less than 750kg

Take a b + e and you can tow a combined wight of 3.5 ton.

Sorry, I don't want to come off as argumentative, but that's wrong. As mentioned in the official guidelines I posted a link to in my previous post, standard licence holders *can* tow more than 750kg as long as the MAM (plated max weights of trailer and tow vehicle combined) is less than 3.5 tons - WITHOUT a B+E. You're only limited to 750kg if the tow vehicle has a kerb weight and carry capacity of around 3.5 tons on it's own (i.e. you'd have a MAM of more than 3.5 tons and less than 4.25 tons). A B+E gets you up to 7 tons MAM, a C1 + E gets you up to 12 tons MAM.

Pre 1997 you can tow 8.25 tons without needing a B+E (which would be pointless from a legal standpoint anyway) or C1+E.

[Jordi]

How ever...

If you hold a b licence issued between jan 1997 and oct 2012 the following applies

Vehicles up to 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) and up to 8 passenger seats with trailer up to 750kg; trailers of over 750kg if combined weight of vehicle and trailer isn’t over 3,500kg and the fully-loaded trailer doesn’t weigh more than the unladen vehicle

https://www.gov.uk/old-driving-licence-categories

[Anton]

Yes, I think I remember reading that too, Jordi. Aaaand, just to add to the complexity, I *think* that all trailers over 750kg max laden weight have to be braked. And if it's braked (even if it's under 750kg max laden weight) the brakes have to work, or you invalidate your insurance, and then you can be done for driving without insurance, amongst other things. Pretty sure removing the brakes doesn't make you legal either - if they were once fitted, they have to be fitted and working for the rest of the trailer's lifetime.

Although I'm fuzzy on that one, I do seem to remember that the legal max laden weight of an unbraked trailer is less than the kerb weight of an SJ.

Also, I *think* the weight of the "fully loaded" trailer is taken (for legal purposes) as the plated maximum laden weight. So the Freelander can't pull a trailer that's plated for more than the Freelander's kerb weight (1425kg) even if it's empty and nowhere near as heavy as the Freelander at the time it's being pulled.

In other words, a 300kg trailer with a max laden weight of 1500kg, even when empty, will be illegal to tow. I *think* this only applies post 1997 - a pre-97 licence holder can tow whatever he wants with whatever he wants and be ok as long as the MAM is less than 8.25 tons. I *think*.

That one I'm fuzzy on though, I might be wrong.

Aaand... (Sorry for overloading you with info guys) I *think* that all trailers made after 1997 *have* to be plated. How you'd prove when a trailer was made is beyond me. If you build your own trailer, you have to have it IVA tested (like a kit car) and plated. Have to. Although I'm fairly certain it's a very simple version of the IVA test.

I only know that because I was considering making a teardrop caravan at one point to tow around behind my SJ. And I say "know" in the loosest sense, since all this is info I looked up many, many years ago - so...

[Jordi]

Yeah anything over 750kg legally has to be braked! Even if its less than 750kg if it has brakes they must work.

As for using a trailer with a gross of 3500kg behind a car plated at 2000kg i can't see why it wouldn't be alright, so long as all the weights are correct when weighed off.

Not quite the same, but my truck is plated for 80t gross but i can run round with trailers plated for over 80t so long as when i weigh off my all up weight is not more than 80t.

So, its a mine field.

[Anton]

As for using a trailer with a gross of 3500kg behind a car plated at 2000kg i can't see why it wouldn't be alright, so long as all the weights are correct when weighed off.

I *think* it's just a way some disgruntled coppers nab cat B drivers they don't like. If it's plated too high, even if it doesn't weigh too much on the weighbridge, I *think* they can do you. I don't know if that applies to B+E or C+E drivers, or even if it's correct - just something to be wary of.

Bear in mind that a trailer with a gross of 3500 is going to push the MAM (maximum ALLOWABLE mass) over 3500...

I'm saying it's legaleese. What you're actually towing isn't always the important thing - it's what the numbers stamped on the chassis *say* that you can be done for.

Of course, overloading a 1000kg max laiden weight trailer to 1100kg and pulling it with a 2000kg car is still an offence, even if you've upgraded the trailer and what you're doing is perfectly safe and morally sane.

So minefield? No doubt. Welcome to the British legal system.

[mike harris]

my mate who went to court for not having a b+e, who was caught towing an empty braked horse box with his estate Astra, was wrongly punished?!

Don't think so somehow....