the maximum length as I understand it from all the online sources for a rigid and drawbar trailer is 18.75 meters.
I also read that a load may overhang the tail of a trailer by up to 3.05 meters with appropriate marking without notifying Police. What I cannot find clearly stated is whether this means the overall length of the vehicle plus trailer and the load can be 21.8 meters or whether the overhang is only permitted within the 18.75 meters. Can you tell me which it is?
My understanding is it’s 3 metres over and above the length of the drawing combination as long as the overhang is marked appropriately.
So 21.8 overall length.
Also with length over this as I understand it it’s not a matter of notifying old bill but of seeking permission.
But that’s not gospel so as always I stand to be corrected
Thanks Bale Bandit, thats pretty much what I think too.
I’m really surprised that no-one I’ve spoken to seems to know the answer to this though, surely someone with a TM’s CPC would know this?
Thank you for enquiry regarding overall length on a draw bar trailer. The combined length of this type of vehicle is 18.75m
The load may extend over the rear of the vehicle up to 1m but not obscure the operation of any lights, between 1m-2m the load must be clearly visible.
You do not state if there are greedy boards fitted to the trailer as this would in effect extend the overall length of the vehicle.
I hope that this helps with your enquiry?
(signed by a vosa technical officer)
Testing and Support Services
Customer Service Centre
VOSA Swansea
I phoned for clarification and had confirmed that the 18.75 refers to the vehicle and trailer not the combined length with load. so you can overhang the rear of a drag trailer in accordance with the load marking requirements
As a matter of interest, does the 18.75m include coupling?
Reason I asked is that I once worked for a company that used to have a lot of Belgian drivers come in (Giraud). Some of them had wag and drags with dolly steering. In a straight, the gap between the wag and drag was about 6 inches. But there was a spring like bar on the front of the drag. If this touched the back doors of the wagon, the drawbar would extend. They would back into our yard and jackknife the combo so the back doors of both wag and drag were accessible without decoupling. When like this there could be as much as 4 meters between the wag and drag.
So when first pulling away, until the drawbar took up the slack, there could be quite a sizey gap there.
Cant find a photo showing the spring thing on the drag.
VOSA have been clamping down on the drawbar trailers used for straw and having fold down racks to extend the bed length, many have been threatened with court if they continue.
18.75 from front to back
ROG:
18.75 from front to back
Would there be a difference between a fixed rack/support attached to the chassis or a few bits of wood ratchet strapped to the trailer to be part of the load/ support an extra half a straw bale?