Down rating 7.5t to 4.75t

Hi I am new to this forum, looking for some advice.

I currently tow a large catering trailer (3.5t) behind an Iveco Daily 5.2t that I had down rated to 3.5t. I have a pre 97 licence so whilst I have the C1E entitlement is is restricted to 8.25t mam

Because I am to tight and only tow around 80 days a year, i don’t really want to spend £1200 on doing test to remove restriction.

Is there a 7.5t box lorry (16ft would be enough) that I could get down rated to 4.75t, keeping me within my current licence?

Most of the stuff that I need to carry is bulky rather than heavy. I have counted up and I wouldn’t need more than 1.5t of weight on board leaving 3.25t for the vehicle.

Ive tried searching the internet for this sort of information but can’t find anything helpful. I’m thinking one of the smaller engined lorry’s like the Isuzu Grafter or Fuso Canter?

Can anyone shed any light on this for me please.

you will be better off posting in the owner operators forum mate…

A 3.5t tare 7.5 tonner is a big ask and probably not doable in the real world.Might as well find the right vehicle then couple it to your trailer and then just do the test with the outfit.No need for any expensive training or the aggro of downrating the 7.5 tonner which probably won’t then meet your payload requirements anyway.

While the issue of the 750 kgs weight limit for trailers pulled with a 7.5 tonner makes no sense when the old drawbar entitlement stays the same or for that matter even cars pulling large trailers,all based on it being all about what you’re pulling the trailer with not the trailer itself.The result being counterproductive for safety in creating an incentive for car licence holders to now use under spec/weight vehicles to pull heavy trailers when previously even any self respecting traveller for example rightly used to tow their big caravans with a 7.5 tonner.

You may well find the kerb weight of an empty 7.5 is over 4t to begin with.

16ft is standard 7.5t size and I’ve never seem one of them downplated.
Your best speak to a company or hgv mot tester that might specialise in it.

Quick Google search reveals that ‘svtech’ might be able to do it.
I considered it a while back but settled for a Luton in the end as it was hassle.

When I drove 7.5t 16ft lorries they could only take 2t to 2.5t so I don’t see downplating them to 5t as practical.

As said most 7.5 Ton truck can only carry 2 to 2.5 ton usually so downplaying it is unlikely. As it would have no payload.

Unless you can find a very light 7.5 Ton truck it’s unlikely although I do believe the Canter etc are quite light.

If you did down rate to what you wanted then you would not be able to load it with anything so what would be the point :question:

Thanks for all your replies, I wasn’t sure of the unladen weight of a 7.5t lorry. Tried to fond out on internet but could only seem to find chassis cab info. But from your replies looks like it probably isn’t the way forward, but cheers anyway

I think Iveco make/made a 4.6t variant of the daily, also I think you could get a transit in 4.5/4.5t.

pig pen:
I think Iveco make/made a 4.6t variant of the daily, also I think you could get a transit in 4.5/4.5t.

5 and 6 series sprinters too will up rate to 8 tonne 250 train weight with the correct horse power and diff ratio .

As had been said, you could downplate a 7.5 tonner to 4.75 tons but it will only give you a payload of around 750kg. A better bet would be to find a 4.5 ton van, which would give you a payload of around 2000kg, better fuel economy and lower running costs.

It’s old news now but non hgv drivers could only drive if the vehicle weighed less than 3 old tons, we built Bedford TK with a 22’ body and they came in underweight. We did have to take the jack, tools, spare wheel and loading ramps off before attacking the plate though [emoji23]

Can you not replate the van to 4.75ton? Since its original design weight was 5.2ton.