Can anybody give a definite answer to a question that so called "experts"
cant agree, I'm told "well it all depends etc"

My simple question is this.

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

Regards

Paul

Your car plus the trailer without its load is 2.8 + 1.5 = 4.3 tons which is
more than the 3.5 ton all-up weight limit. Add 2 tons of car and it gets
very interesting doesn't it!

Suggest you visit the DVLA web site and get facts instead of opinions.


"phv" wrote in message
...
Can anybody give a definite answer to a question that so called "experts"
cant agree, I'm told "well it all depends etc"

My simple question is this.

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

Regards

Paul

"phv" wrote in message
...
Can anybody give a definite answer to a question that so called
"experts" cant agree, I'm told "well it all depends etc"

My simple question is this.

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 !


Check the Mitsubishi handbook for its maximum permissible train weight,
which may also be on its VIN plate. This is the maker's statement of
the maximum weight of vehicle + its load + trailer + its load. Although
it is not an offence in itself to exceed this with something like a car,
it would be difficult to defend charges of "unsafe load" or whatever
it's called.

As to tachographs, yes, in theory you need one.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_freight/documents/page/dft_freight_504543-02.hcsp#P184_12704

It's a widely held misconception that tachographs (and, of course,
drivers' hours rules) only apply to lorries. The wording is that
exemption from EC rules applies to: "Vehicles used for the carriage of
goods where the maximum permissible weight of the vehicle, including any
trailer or semi-trailer, does not exceed 3.5 tonnes" together with
various odd exemptions irrelevant here.

Of course, you won't be stopped very often, though you're much more
likely to be if your trailer is sign-written to show it's a business,
not helping out your mate.

Have you managed to find anyone prepared to insure you, including goods
in transit, for anything like a sensible price? Who?


--
Kevin Poole
**Use current month and year to reply (e.g. )***
Car Transport by Tiltbed Trailer - based near Derby

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:00:28 +0000 (UTC), "phv"
wrote:

Can anybody give a definite answer to a question that so called "experts"
cant agree, I'm told "well it all depends etc"

My simple question is this.

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.

Provided you keep the entire trailer+load weight under the 3.5ton
limit, you can do this with an over-run braked trailer. Any more
weight and you need power brakes, which will require a commercial
towing vehicle with trailer brake capability.


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 !


I doubt wether the towing capabilities of the Pajero will allow a
3.5ton trailer, you will have to look up the manufacturers official
figures. Pratically speaking there are very few vehicles of this class
which have the capability (from the manufacturers figures) to tow the
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

In addition I would add that a 7.5 tonne vehicle that is taxed as a recovery
vehicle can be tachograph exempt.

Dixie

dixie wrote:
In addition I would add that a 7.5 tonne vehicle that is taxed as a
recovery vehicle can be tachograph exempt.

Dixie

Dixie's comments are correct but we were told by the Metropolitan Police
that a recovery vehicle that is tachograph exempt can not carry serviceable
vehicles, only ones that are defective or damaged in some way. We did not
take any notice but that is the individual's own responsibility.
Robert

Roberts wrote in message
...

we were told by the Metropolitan Police
that a recovery vehicle that is tachograph exempt can not carry
serviceable
vehicles, only ones that are defective or damaged in some way. We did not
take any notice but that is the individual's own responsibility.
Robert

A serviceable vehicle can become a defective vehicle by disconnecting the LT
connection from the distributor :-)

Jim

"phv" wrote in message
...

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 !

Further to my earlier reply to this question:

Google Pajero maximum towing, and it looks like it's only 2500kg

Don't forget there is a maximum width for trailers towed by tonka toys,
even proper ones, of 2300mm. There have been some well-reported cases
of systematic trailer checks at motorway services where owners of wide
trailers have had to get their yankavans taken home by HGVs because they
exceeded this width.


If ANYONE can give a answer please contact me ASAP.

No, sorry, that's not how newsgroups work. Ask on the group, read the
answers on the group; and ideally share a bit of _your_ knowledge, too.
Like answering my previous question about where you've found that will
cover goods in transit on a trailer for a sensible price.


--
Kevin Poole
**Use current month and year to reply (e.g. )***
Car Transport by Tiltbed Trailer - based near Derby

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 06:12:46 +0100, "Roberts"
wrote:

dixie wrote:
In addition I would add that a 7.5 tonne vehicle that is taxed as a
recovery vehicle can be tachograph exempt.

Dixie

Dixie's comments are correct but we were told by the Metropolitan Police
that a recovery vehicle that is tachograph exempt can not carry serviceable
vehicles, only ones that are defective or damaged in some way. We did not
take any notice but that is the individual's own responsibility.
Robert


Vehicles taxed as recovery vehicles can only be used for the purpose
of recovering vehicles, thus you must either be on your way to pick up
a vehicle, or actually transporting it. So no popping down the shops
in it......

Alex

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:00:28 UTC, "phv" wrote:

: My simple question is this.
:
: 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.

There are at least two questions here.

1) Will your license let you do it?

A quick look at http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/dl_towing_trailers.htm
suggests that the answer is a) yes, if you got your car license before
1997 and b) yes if you got your car license since, provided you
upgrade to B+E entitlement

2) Will the contruction and use regulations let you do it?

Dunno. I suspect that will depend on what the Mitsubishi manual says

There is also

3) Will your insurers let you do it?

And there is only one way to answer that.

Ian


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