Towing question

Rainagul

Rainagul

Rainagul

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Canterbury
Hi,

I'm currently thinking of having a track car that will need transport on a flatbed trailer and would just like some clarification about the rules before I continue.

I currently have a full UK driving license (Category B), if I was to tow a car of 1'550kg on a 16' by 6' flatbed that weighs 665kg (2215kg in total ) would I need to apply for another license or can I just just go ahead as I am?

The rules state:
B
Motor vehicles with a MAM of up to 3,500 kg, no more than eight passenger seats, with or without a trailer - weighing no more than 750 kg
17*

B
As category B but with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg. The total weight of the vehicle and the trailer together can’t weigh more than 3,500 kg. The weight of the trailer, when fully loaded, can’t weigh more than the unladen weight of the vehicle
Click to expand...

So if I've understood this correctly:

- So long as the weight of the car towing + the trailer + the car being towed isn't more then 3500kg then everything will be ok

- So long as the trailer itself dosen't weigh more than 750 kg, the loaded car + the trailers weight can be higher than the weight of the car that is doing the towing.

- If I'm towing a car on a trailer that would weigh 2215kg together, that would mean the car I'm towing with can not be heavier than 1285 kg


Also as a side note, I've never towed anything before and will be doing it with my MG ZR, does anyone have any opinions on this? Would it be better to use another car, perhaps a 4x4?

Cheers
 
The weight of the trailer, when fully loaded, can’t weigh more than the unladen weight of the vehicle
Click to expand...
This part will be a problem for you.
The trailer + load weighs 2215kg, so you cant have that lighter than the weight of the towcar and still stay under 3500kg total.

edit: also, according to this page, your car shouldnt be used to tow more than 1000kg
 
Last edited:
touch said:
This part will be a problem for you.
The trailer + load weighs 2215kg, so you cant have that lighter than the weight of the towcar and stay under 3500kg total.

edit: also, according to this page, your car shouldnt be used to tow more than 1000kg
Click to expand...

But that part of the rule won't apply as the trailer im planning on using weighs less than 750kg, and that rule says "As category B but with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg"?

Edit: Though you are right about the MG, guess I will need to find something bigger to tow with then.
 
Rainagul said:
Hi,

I'm currently thinking of having a track car that will need transport on a flatbed trailer and would just like some clarification about the rules before I continue.

I currently have a full UK driving license (Category B), if I was to tow a car of 1'550kg on a 16' by 6' flatbed that weighs 665kg (2215kg in total ) would I need to apply for another license or can I just just go ahead as I am?

The rules state:


So if I've understood this correctly:

- So long as the weight of the car towing + the trailer + the car being towed isn't more then 3500kg then everything will be ok

- So long as the trailer itself dosen't weigh more than 750 kg, the loaded car + the trailers weight can be higher than the weight of the car that is doing the towing.

- If I'm towing a car on a trailer that would weigh 2215kg together, that would mean the car I'm towing with can not be heavier than 1285 kg


Also as a side note, I've never towed anything before and will be doing it with my MG ZR, does anyone have any opinions on this? Would it be better to use another car, perhaps a 4x4?

Cheers
Click to expand...

If you got your license post 1997 then you will only have a Cat B entitlement (not Cat B+E)

That means you have the following limitations:

"Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM."


Am I understanding you right however - The track car + trailer weigh 2215kg? There is no way I would want to tow that with an MG ZR.

The rule of thumb is that it is advisable for the towing weight to be no more than 85% of the unladen weight of the tow car. Beyond 100% it can become very unsafe.

That load would be 187% of the weight of the MG ZR! The trailer would be steering the car.

You either need a much bigger tow car or a much lighter track car ! (I'd go with the latter :) )
 
Rainagul said:
But that part of the rule won't apply as the trailer im planning on using weighs less than 750kg, and that rule says "As category B but with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg"?

Edit: Though you are right about the MG, guess I will need to find something bigger to tow with then.
Click to expand...


It's not the weight of the trailer - it's the Maximum Authorised Mass of the trailer that shouldn't exceed 750kg. Big difference!!
 
pcoltrane said:
If you got your license post 1997 then you will only have a Cat B entitlement (not Cat B+E)

That means you have the following limitations:

"Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM."


Am I understanding you right however - The track car + trailer weigh 2215kg? There is no way I would want to tow that with an MG ZR.

The rule of thumb is that it is advisable for the towing weight to be no more than 85% of the unladen weight of the tow car. Beyond 100% it can become very unsafe.

That load would be 187% of the weight of the MG ZR! The trailer would be steering the car.

You either need a much bigger tow car or a much lighter track car ! (I'd go with the latter :) )
Click to expand...

Yes you are correct, I don't want to be towing with the MG anymore either. Unforunately for me, it seems I'm going to need to find a much bigger car to tow with since I won't be getting rid of the track car I have at the minute.
 
Rainagul said:
Sorry I'm not sure I understand the difference could you explain?
Click to expand...

The Maximum Authorised Mass is the total weight of the trailer + heaviest load it can carry.

This is usually stamped on the trailer plate.

As I understand it - it doesn't even matter if you are towing just an empty trailer ... if the MAM stamped on the trailer is higher than you are allowed to tow it would still be illegal to tow it.
 
Alright, thanks for the clarification.

Seem like I will have to get a towing license so I can tow heavier things as I just realized that if I can't use my MG because I need a bigger car to safely tow the flatbed + trackcar then there is no way in hell that I can get a big enough car under 1285KG so I can stay under the 3.5t MAM limit.

Oh well, glad I learnt something from all this, cheer guys.
 
If you're going to be buying a big tow car for this, you might be better off with a beavertail transit or something?
You could probably get something around 2 tonnes and stay (just) under the 3500kg limit with your track car on the back.
 
This is going to require a properly big car - even the maximum towing weight of something large like a 5 Series Touring is not sufficient for the weight you wish to tow.

You are going to need a large 4x4 I'd imagine and thats without thinking about the 3.5T issue.
 
[TW]Fox;22322171 said:
This is going to require a properly big car - even the maximum towing weight of something large like a 5 Series Touring is not sufficient for the weight you wish to tow.

You are going to need a large 4x4 I'd imagine and thats without thinking about the 3.5T issue.
Click to expand...

This. In reality, you probably could tow it with something like a higher powered 5 series but legally you will need something that has a big enough towing capacity.

Out of interest, that's pretty heavy for a track car, what are you running?
 
Fox is right, it's probably going to need to be a biggish 4x4 as towing weights on cars are quite low.

Even 4x4's aren't what they used to be, 3,500kgs, with a lot of modern ones having pitiful low towing weights nowadays.

If you are going to stick with the 85% rule you need a car which weighs over 2,600 kgs which pretty much means a big 4x4.

Brilliant site here:

http://www.uktow.com/towing capacity.asp
 
HummuH1 said:
This. In reality, you probably could tow it with something like a higher powered 5 series but legally you will need something that has a big enough towing capacity.

Out of interest, that's pretty heavy for a track car, what are you running?
Click to expand...

Nope. Even the big engined 5 series only has a max towing weight of 2,000kgs plus only weighs 1600ish

Even if it could tow 2,200kgs I wouldn't want to be towing that much in a car which weighs 1600kgs.

I once towed a 3,300kgs trailer with a SWB Izuzu Trooper. Everything seemed fine until the trailer started to wag and before I knew it, the weight of the trailer had spun the car round 180 degrees.
 
HummuH1 said:
This. In reality, you probably could tow it with something like a higher powered 5 series but legally you will need something that has a big enough towing capacity.

Out of interest, that's pretty heavy for a track car, what are you running?
Click to expand...

MKIV TT Supra. Will be doing some weight reduction mods, but not this year.
 
Greebo said:
Nope. Even the big engined 5 series only has a max towing weight of 2,000kgs plus only weighs 1600ish

Even if it could tow 2,200kgs I wouldn't want to be towing that much in a car which weighs 1600kgs.

I once towed a 3,300kgs trailer with a SWB Izuzu Trooper. Everything seemed fine until the trailer started to wag and before I knew it, the weight of the trailer had spun the car round 180 degrees.
Click to expand...

Erm, yep? I know, but a bigger engined 5 could easily tow 2.2 tonnes on a twin/triple axle trailer. Didn't say he should be doing it, far from it.
 
HummuH1 said:
Erm, yep? I know, but a bigger engined 5 could easily tow 2.2 tonnes on a twin/triple axle trailer. Didn't say he should be doing it, far from it.
Click to expand...

Whooosh, sorry I missed the way you worded it that you just meant it would be capable of doing it.

Sorry.
 
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