its a recommendation for safe towing practice, but not law.
Unbraked trailers have been 750kgs for a long time.
Scanner:
I have a Ford Ranger and I want to buy a trailer to move my classic cars which are dotted around (and very unroadworthy!).Please can someone give me a definitive answer as to what is my max legal GTW?
Any other hints or tips gratefully accepted
You can find all the info here, I would check the plate just to be sure though:
vanleasingmadesimple.com/van-lea … ical-data/
Gives GTW as 5,125 kg and a braked towing max weight of 2,500 kg
Reckon you should get one of those twin axle braked trailers and I presume your cars are going to be around 1000 kg.
Try hiring one first though and when loading the car put it on so the heavy end is at the front being carefull not to overload the rear axle of the ranger of course.
Still gonna bounce around like a ■■■■■ though.
Get one with a winch as well 
Edit to add: Also have a look at the tow bar on the ranger to make sure its safe to use pulling 2,500 kg max.
Driveroneuk:
its a recommendation for safe towing practise, but not law.
Cheers for that, I thought I’d read it somewhere.
Also and i’m waffling now, invest in a good peice of chain and a ‘D’ shackle as an extra safety device to attach to the trailers A frame, not to short that it restrics the trailer from turning though.
Unless somethings changed in the last 10 years you should find a cable that links the trailers handbrake to the ranger so if things go ■■■■ up and the trailer detaches the cable will yank the trailer brakes on as it detaches, not totally foolproof hence the use of the chain.
Also keep the jockey wheel nicely lubed and raised up fully when towing, not sure if the same fine per number of turns VOSA infringement applies to jockey wheels like trailer legs but better safe than sorry. 
Dipper_Dave:
Also and i’m waffling now, invest in a good peice of chain and a ‘D’ shackle as an extra safety device to attach to the trailers A frame, not to short that it restrics the trailer from turning though.Unless somethings changed in the last 10 years you should find a cable that links the trailers handbrake to the ranger so if things go ■■■■ up and the trailer detaches the cable will yank the trailer brakes on as it detaches, not totally foolproof hence the use of the chain.
Also keep the jockey wheel nicely lubed and raised up fully when towing, not sure if the same fine per number of turns VOSA infringement applies to jockey wheels like trailer legs but better safe than sorry.
not 100% sure but that item may be a legal requirement, someone on here will confirm or correct me 
syramax:
Dipper_Dave:
Also and i’m waffling now, invest in a good peice of chain and a ‘D’ shackle as an extra safety device to attach to the trailers A frame, not to short that it restrics the trailer from turning though.Unless somethings changed in the last 10 years you should find a cable that links the trailers handbrake to the ranger so if things go ■■■■ up and the trailer detaches the cable will yank the trailer brakes on as it detaches, not totally foolproof hence the use of the chain.
Also keep the jockey wheel nicely lubed and raised up fully when towing, not sure if the same fine per number of turns VOSA infringement applies to jockey wheels like trailer legs but better safe than sorry.
not 100% sure but that item may be a legal requirement, someone on here will confirm or correct me
Someone may confirm or correct it but only if they can read it Should be able to now! Colingl
I don’t know about anyone else but the yellow text isn’t even readable on my screen without selecting the text to highlight it, and I doubt too many people reading it on a phone will bother selecting all the yellow text to make it readable
Someone may confirm or correct it but only if they can read it
I don’t know about anyone else but the yellow text isn’t even readable on my screen without selecting the text to highlight it, and I doubt too many people reading it on a phone will bother selecting all the yellow text to make it readable
[/quote]
mmmm see what you mean (or perhaps not 
) soory about that
The laws are as follows
All trailers over 750 kgs plated MAM must have at least over-run brakes
Trailers over 3500 kgs plated MAM must have an independent braking system such as air brakes
An unbraked trailer MAM cannot be more than half of the vehicle kerb weight
That means a vehicle with a 1200 kgs kerb weight cannot tow an unbraked trailer over 600 kgs plated MAM
Hope that helps
You also HAVE to have a breakaway cable on all trailers - braked or unbraked. A few quid from the likes on Amazon et al…
IIRC it was all the caravan clubs and their ilk who recommended that you don’t tow anything that is more than 80 per cent of the towing vehicle weight - you certainly don’t want the tail to wag the dog 
Yep nothing gets the old ring piece puckered and twitching like seeing a trailer similar to the one your towing trying to overtake you on the motorway.
Also worth looking at the style of tow bar I used to like the ring type that was locked in place rather than the round kuckle type that pushed on to the towing ball.
tachograph:
From hereThe gross train weight is the weight of the fully loaded car plus fully loaded trailer and must not be exceeded.
So you didn’t understand what was on the screen. There’s a surprise.
This has gone off on all sorts of tangents.
On the weight issue, provided each axle is within its limit, you will be able to tow the max gross over-run braked trailer weight of 3.5t provided you put little or no load in the pick-up bed and stay comfortably within the vehicles plated train weight.
Provided you are not buying or selling vehicles you won’t need a tachograph.
But (and these are the big two buts) the manufacturers rated tow capacity (which assumes the pickup is loaded) will probably only be around 2.5-3t. If your cars fairly light this won’t be an issue but it is a grey area as to whether it is a breach of construction and use or any other law to exceed the manufacturer’s tow rating.
The other issue is the plating of the trailer. There are plenty of instances of the authorities claiming they can treat the plated max weight as the actual weight as you have the ‘potential’ to carry that weight and fine you accordingly. This is seemingly most prevalent amongst the police enforcing licence issues but has also been used for loading as well.
The towing laws are a mess to rival DCPC exemptions and it is a diagrace that such a lack of clarity and inconsistent enforcement is allowed to continue. One issue is Vosa’s failure to criticise the police for incorrect enforcement.
Conor:
tachograph:
From hereThe gross train weight is the weight of the fully loaded car plus fully loaded trailer and must not be exceeded.
So you didn’t understand what was on the screen. There’s a surprise.
Care to explain what you mean ?
Own Account Driver:
The other issue is the plating of the trailer. There are plenty of instances of the authorities claiming they can treat the plated max weight as the actual weight as you have the ‘potential’ to carry that weight and fine you accordingly.
Absolute myth which has been doing the rounds on the internet for a few years and which absolutely nobody has ever come up with an instance where any authority has issued a legal penalty for it … because there is not one !
Either a plated weight HAS been exceeded or not = set fines listed for that
The manufacturers recommended safety towing weight has been exceeded or not = court case to determine whether set up is unsafe
ROG:
Own Account Driver:
The other issue is the plating of the trailer. There are plenty of instances of the authorities claiming they can treat the plated max weight as the actual weight as you have the ‘potential’ to carry that weight and fine you accordingly.Absolute myth which has been doing the rounds on the internet for a few years and which absolutely nobody has ever come up with an instance where any authority has issued a legal penalty for it … because there is not one !
Either a plated weight HAS been exceeded or not = set fines listed for that
The manufacturers recommended safety towing weight has been exceeded or not = court case to determine whether set up is unsafe
Absolutely not a myth at all, very real, if you pull an empty car trailer with a 3.5t plate behind a saloon car even if the actual weighbridge tare weight of the trailer would be within the train weight of the towing car and it’s manufacturer’s rated tow capacity.
I know of three people that have been issued with FPs at the roadside and there are countless examples on the internet of this and also people being prosecuted for needing B+E on this basis. Of the three cases I directly know about two challanged it in court one won and one lost, although the exact same scenario and they were both towing the same trailer (they had borrowed it from me).
Personally if I was in the situation I would demand to be taken to the nearest weighbridge and it’s all very well to say accept the FP and challenge in court but, who has time for that, when the end result for your time is just not being fined? Also as demonstrated even if the law is on your side the court may not agree as they are too readily assume the authorities have it right and the private individual has it wrong.
I would not tow a small (sub 3.5t) trailer behind a car if it carried a plate stating a maximum capacity that would take it over the vehicle’s GTW regardless of whether it was empty, part-laden or what it actually weighed would ordinarily be considered legal. I certainly do not believe, as the rules are written, there is anything actually wrong in doing so but it is an invitation for hassle.
By that line of thinking you would need a B+E license to drive a car fitted with a tow bar because its capable of towing a trailer big enough to require such entitlement.
Driveroneuk:
By that line of thinking you would need a B+E license to drive a car fitted with a tow bar because its capable of towing a trailer big enough to require such entitlement.
Well it is an MOT requirement the electrics work now if fitted.
I’m just saying how it is based on running a fleet of 4x4s fitted with tachographs towing 3.5t trailers commercially and a trailer hire business and regular real world encounters with the enforcement authorities and their various BS and peculiar interpretation of the law.
Typically VOSA lose almost immediate interest at a roadside pull when they discover a tacho is fitted and the combination receives scheduled maintenance under an o-licence - although oddly sub 3.5t vehicle and trailer combinations seem to have no impact on OCRS. The worst offenders are the police who have a very varied interpretation and grasp of towing and weights law.
Caravanners will generally be left well alone it would seem and I suspect it helps they have the high profile support of the Caravan Club behind them. Apart from taking a little unbraked trailer to the tip towing other types of trailer longer distances is to approached with extreme caution in my view and those doing so are seen as soft targets particularly as there’s so many things they can be tripped up on licencing/weight/tacho required.
Own Account Driver:
I know of three people that have been issued with FPs at the roadside and there are countless examples on the internet of this and also people being prosecuted for needing B+E on this basis. Of the three cases I directly know about two challanged it in court one won and one lost, although the exact same scenario and they were both towing the same trailer (they had borrowed it from me).
Licence issues I believe because many including some plods do not know the laws - trafpol do
Get one plod who thinks it goes on actual weight for licencing and another who knows the law goes on plated weights for licencing
If I misread your intention in your last post I apologise but I did not realise you were referring to licencing laws
The myth I was referring to is where some numpties were stating that the MAM of a trailer must fit into the max towing capacity
Own Account Driver:
Well it is an MOT requirement the electrics work now if fitted.
Another example of confusion. There will be a basic security/damage check of 7-pin sockets, but the newer 13-pin sockets will be subject to a full electrical connectivity check and incorrectly connected or inoperative circuits will result in failure.
Don’t skimp on the trailer. Quality matters more than price with a car transporter trailer. Buy a twin axle, fully braked one with a winch.
Brian James, Ifor Williams or Indespension would be my choice.
Stan