MADBAZ:
I don’t have +E (yet) but I could pull his caravan with my Ford Galaxy because it’s ULW is less than his Nissan Patrol. IE: combo is less than 3500kg and ULW is more than the MAM of caravan.
I could be wrong but I think a Galaxy will have a MAM of over 2080kg and therefore would not be suitable to pull the OP’s caravan on a category B licence. Can’t find anything online either way though.
The Galaxy is going to be over 2080kg MAM. The lowest MAM of a (new style) Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is 2150kg, and the Galaxy is a bigger vehicle all round.
Just been frantically looking around, 2 tonne is the max towing capacity which I knew however the max unbraked is 700kg (time to downplate my trailer), kerb weight is 1683-2003kg, MAM 2470kg.
djw:
The Galaxy is going to be over 2080kg MAM. The lowest MAM of a (new style) Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is 2150kg, and the Galaxy is a bigger vehicle all round.
Just been frantically looking around, 2 tonne is the max towing capacity which I knew however the max unbraked is 700kg (time to downplate my trailer), kerb weight is 1683-2003kg, MAM 2470kg.
Downplating the trailer is unnecessary - overloading is assessed on actual weight and you’re licensed to drive a combination with a 750kg MAMÂ unbraked trailer (the maximum mass allowed in the Construction and Use Regulations for an unbraked trailer).
Indeed, I’m not sure that there’s an overloading offence committed until you reach 750kg actual mass of the unbraked trailer, as that’s the first time you’d cross a plated limit. I’d have to dig through the Construction and Use Regulations to see whether the vehicle manufacturer’s declared limit for braked trailers has any legal force.
With those figures, the maximum towing weights when using your category B are:* 750kg MAM unbraked, but do not load beyond 700kg actual mass
1030kg MAM braked
The 1030kg MAM figure for braked trailers on category B is 3500kg MAM allowed for the combination minus the 2470kg MAM of the Galaxy. 1030kg is comfortably less than the kerb weight of the Galaxy, so no worries there.
With a BE licence, you could tow braked trailers up to the limit - 2000kg actual mass, so long as you don’t exceed the plated GCW of the vehicle or exceed any axle weights. There is no trailer MAM limit for category BE at present, though BE is limited to 3500kg trailer MAM after 19 January 2013. Anyone obtaining BE entitlement before that date keeps their entitlement to unlimited trailer MAM.
Edit: of course there’s no need to downplate the unbraked trailer - duh. Thanks Paul (repton)
MADBAZ:
Just been frantically looking around, 2 tonne is the max towing capacity which I knew however the max unbraked is 700kg (time to downplate my trailer), kerb weight is 1683-2003kg, MAM 2470kg.
Anyone got a large rock I can go hide under?
Why, you got an unbraked trailer over 700 then Baz??
MADBAZ:
Just been frantically looking around, 2 tonne is the max towing capacity which I knew however the max unbraked is 700kg (time to downplate my trailer), kerb weight is 1683-2003kg, MAM 2470kg.
As I understand it you don’t need to downplate your trailer, you just need to not load it over 700kg gross, as the 700kg limit is due to the towing capacity of the vehicle and the 750kg MAM of the trailer is within the legal limits for a category B licence.
With those figures, the maximum towing weights for category B are:* 700kg MAM unbraked
1030kg MAM braked
Are you sure about that? I would think he can tow a trailer up to 750kg MAM unbraked as long as the actual weight doesn’t go over 700kg.
My logic behind this is that his licence legally allows him a 750kg MAM trailer and it is only the towing vehicles capacity that limits him to 700kg so it is the same situation as, for example, a 3500kg plant trailer behind a 4x4 rated to tow 3000kg, and in that situation you wouldn’t need to downplate, you would just need to not fully load the trailer.
With those figures, the maximum towing weights for category B are:* 700kg MAM unbraked
1030kg MAM braked
Are you sure about that? I would think he can tow a trailer up to 750kg MAM unbraked as long as the actual weight doesn’t go over 700kg.
You’re right, I was wrong, and I’ve edited my earlier post with an explanation.
When IÂ get the time, I’ll have to go digging through the Construction and Use Regulations to see if there’s any legal force to the vehicle manufacturer’s limit for unbraked trailers from an overloading point of view. However, overloading is assessed on actual weight, not plated weight.
MADBAZ:
Just been frantically looking around, 2 tonne is the max towing capacity which I knew however the max unbraked is 700kg (time to downplate my trailer), kerb weight is 1683-2003kg, MAM 2470kg.
Anyone got a large rock I can go hide under?
Why, you got an unbraked trailer over 700 then Baz??
It’s plated at 750, but no need to downplate, omg have I opened a can of worms or what. At least I’ve learnt something
Stop getting your knickers in a twist the odds of you even seeing a police car nowadays is slim never mind getting stopped by one! Just do as you please everyone else does
merc0447:
Stop getting your knickers in a twist the odds of you even seeing a police car nowadays is slim never mind getting stopped by one! Just do as you please everyone else does
Aye, in the real world as long as it doesn’t look obviously wrong (I did see one of our travelling friends once towing a twin axle caravan with a fiesta!) and you don’t have a smash then you will generally get away with bending the rules a little.
ULW or kerb weight does come into the rules where UNbraked trailers are used because the MAM of an Unbraked trailer must not exceed half the vehicle kerb weight
A car with a kerb weight of 1400 kgs cannot tow an unbraked trailer over 700 kgs MAM for example
This may help those who are having trouble with the B licence towing rules
Nissan X trail (4X4) with these specifications/dimensions
Kerb weight = 1515
GVW (MAM) = 2050
Towing capacity = 2000
Max trailer plated MAM or caravan MPTLM = 1450 kgs
Reasons it is legal for B licence towing:-
The GVW 2050 added to trailer MAM 1450 = 3500 kgs (3500 is the max limit)
The trailer MAM 1450 is not more than the vehicle kerb weight 1515 (this rule seems to be being scrapped after Jan 2013)
Trailers without plates use the total of the TYRE LOAD RATINGS to determine the MAM.
A rating of 66 on 4 tyres would give a MAM of 1200 kgs.
If the total adds up to more than 3500 then it will be considered as a 3500 MAM unless the trailer conforms to the braking rules for trailers over that weight
Trailers can only be downplated by the manufacturer of that trailer which is very little or no cost
Home made plates for trailers not over 3500 can be made but they have no legal standing unless done by manufacturer
ROG:
The trailer MAM 1450 is not more than the vehicle kerb weight 1515 (this rule seems to be being scrapped after Jan 2013)
There’s no “seems to be” about it - the rule that trailer MAM must not exceed vehicle kerb weight for towing trailers above 750kg MAM on a category B licence is being scrapped from 19 January 2013.
As I wrote in an earlier post in this thread:
djw:
I’ve explained the changes in detail in this post. On 19 January 2013, the “vehicle unladen weight must exceed trailer MAM” element of the towing rules for category B licence disappears.
(time to downplate my trailer), kerb weight is 1683-2003kg, MAM 2470kg.
