Can I tow a trailer which weighs one and half tons that will have a TWO
ton vehicle on the bed of the trailer, The trailer is fully enclosed and
tri axle.
Do I legally have to have a TACHOGRAPH fitted.

This will Hire/Reward, (New Business)

I will be towing with a Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 Exceed I know the petrol
will be heavy !

If ANYONE can give a answer please contact me ASAP. I will be extremely
grateful

Here's hoping someone out there can give a straightforward answer

Whatever the legalities, you would be sailing close to the wind and attract
the attention of new VOSA cars which are becoming more and more common.
But as no expert, just my own experiences with cars on trailers and
articulated lorries, I can think of a few good reasons for not doing it.
For a start, a general rule is that total weight of the trailer and load
should not exceed 85 % of the weight of the towing vehicle. A bit higher for
4x4's but even so, you are pushing it (ouch!).
If your trailer wheel hits a bump, it causes the tow hitch to be pitched to
one side with a certain amount of force. If the towing vehicle doesn't have
the bulk to soak up the jolt, the trailer then dictates which way you are
going. You start by snaking and if you stand on the ankers the trailer would
just push you round. Faster speed makes it worse as the bump give more
energy to the trailer.

Try manoeuvring a single axle trailer by hand - easy. Try a twin axle and
you have to push down on the tow hitch to get two wheels off the ground to
get it to turn. Imagine the work your Mitsy is trying to do to dominate 3.5
tonnes on 3 axles! It will always want to go it's own way and I wouldn't
risk it over any distance or at any speed. Your vehicle would get a better
ride on a 7.5 tonner anyway.

I have just found this site but I haven't read it:
http://www.ntta.co.uk/

Hope this helps

Pete W

Gentlemen,

I have experienced three lanes and the hard shoulder trying to bring an
empty car trailer and car to a halt, fortunately for me I hit nothing and
managed to stop it. Tow the trailer with a truck or hire a truck its safer.

Martin P

Pete W wrote:
Can I tow a trailer which weighs one and half tons that will have a
TWO ton vehicle on the bed of the trailer, The trailer is fully
enclosed and tri axle.
Do I legally have to have a TACHOGRAPH fitted.

This will Hire/Reward, (New Business)

I will be towing with a Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 Exceed I know the
petrol will be heavy !

If ANYONE can give a answer please contact me ASAP. I will be
extremely grateful

Here's hoping someone out there can give a straightforward answer

Whatever the legalities, you would be sailing close to the wind and
attract the attention of new VOSA cars which are becoming more and
more common. But as no expert, just my own experiences with cars on
trailers and
articulated lorries, I can think of a few good reasons for not doing
it. For a start, a general rule is that total weight of the trailer
and load should not exceed 85 % of the weight of the towing vehicle.
A bit higher for 4x4's but even so, you are pushing it (ouch!).
If your trailer wheel hits a bump, it causes the tow hitch to be
pitched to one side with a certain amount of force. If the towing
vehicle doesn't have the bulk to soak up the jolt, the trailer then
dictates which way you are going. You start by snaking and if you
stand on the ankers the trailer would just push you round. Faster
speed makes it worse as the bump give more energy to the trailer.

Try manoeuvring a single axle trailer by hand - easy. Try a twin axle
and you have to push down on the tow hitch to get two wheels off the
ground to get it to turn. Imagine the work your Mitsy is trying to do
to dominate 3.5 tonnes on 3 axles! It will always want to go it's own
way and I wouldn't risk it over any distance or at any speed. Your
vehicle would get a better ride on a 7.5 tonner anyway.

I have just found this site but I haven't read it:
http://www.ntta.co.uk/

Hope this helps

Pete W

I have experienced three lanes and the hard shoulder trying to bring an
empty car trailer and car to a halt, fortunately for me I hit nothing and
managed to stop it. Tow the trailer with a truck or hire a truck its
safer.


One of the finest bits of driving I ever saw was a few years ago on a
freeway somewhere south of New York. I was a passenger in a 4x4 of some
sort with a trailer carrying a Formula Atlantic. It started to snake, then
fishtail, and things got a bit fraught. A couple of those huge trucks -
Peterbilt or similar - spotted what was going on, and one came alongside on
the left with the other on the right. They then moved gently together with
us in between and squeezed until we were all straightened up. No CB, no
mobile phones, just excellent observation and brilliant execution.

Don't suppose the drivers read this NG but if you do, thanks, guys. Nobody
stopped so we didn't have the chance to thank you in person.

Geoff MacK

full 3.5tons. You are likely to be needing a bigger vehicle.

Unfortunatly to get this kind of towing load, the towing vehicle is
probably going to exceed 3.5tons MGW anyway, which puts you into the
7.5ton category. Now not only do you need category C1 on your licence,
but you are going to require a tacho to do it commercially.

If you're thinking of doing this commercially as a business you'd be
far better off getting a flatbed/beavertail recovery vehicle rather
than going for car+trailer

Alex

Probably then getting into the realms of needing an Operators Licence which
needs a CPC in Road Transport.

Pete W wrote:
Can I tow a trailer which weighs one and half tons that will have a TWO
ton vehicle on the bed of the trailer, The trailer is fully enclosed and
tri axle.
Do I legally have to have a TACHOGRAPH fitted.

This will Hire/Reward, (New Business)

I will be towing with a Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 Exceed I know the petrol
will be heavy !

If ANYONE can give a answer please contact me ASAP. I will be extremely
grateful

Here's hoping someone out there can give a straightforward answer


Whatever the legalities, you would be sailing close to the wind and attract
the attention of new VOSA cars which are becoming more and more common.
But as no expert, just my own experiences with cars on trailers and
articulated lorries, I can think of a few good reasons for not doing it.
For a start, a general rule is that total weight of the trailer and load
should not exceed 85 % of the weight of the towing vehicle. A bit higher for
4x4's but even so, you are pushing it (ouch!).
If your trailer wheel hits a bump, it causes the tow hitch to be pitched to
one side with a certain amount of force. If the towing vehicle doesn't have
the bulk to soak up the jolt, the trailer then dictates which way you are
going. You start by snaking and if you stand on the ankers the trailer would
just push you round. Faster speed makes it worse as the bump give more
energy to the trailer.

Try manoeuvring a single axle trailer by hand - easy. Try a twin axle and
you have to push down on the tow hitch to get two wheels off the ground to
get it to turn. Imagine the work your Mitsy is trying to do to dominate 3.5
tonnes on 3 axles! It will always want to go it's own way and I wouldn't
risk it over any distance or at any speed. Your vehicle would get a better
ride on a 7.5 tonner anyway.

I have just found this site but I haven't read it:
http://www.ntta.co.uk/

Hope this helps

Pete W



Not sure where the law stands now, but up until 7 or 8 years ago my old
man was working as delivery driver for a local BMW dealership (King's
Lynn area). They used to run as their national delivery / transfer /
recovery setup a short wheelbase Mitsubushi Shogun and four wheel
trailer. I assume that the setup was legal then, at least, even with a 7
series on the back. They certainly didn't hide its identity under a
bushel - with the dealership name and contact details in big letters and
BMW 535 on the numberplate )

The whole point then was to (as the original poster appears to want to
do) avoid the whole issue of tachos, extra licensing etc)

As an aside that old Shogun went though a LOT of clutches and 4
gearboxes, but only broke down and stranded him at the roadside once in
over 250,000 miles