how big a trailer can I tow

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C5Alan
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how big a trailer can I tow

Post by C5Alan »

A nice grey area this as I know with my license I can tow a trailer up to a max laden weight of 750kg but how big is this given a lot of older wooden home built trailers don't have any way of identifying their max weight part of the reason I gave up building my last trailer I don't want to loose my license and don't want to spend 300 on a course might not need
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Re: how big a trailer can I tow

Post by daviemck2006 »

IIRC from my caravanning days with the C5 when I was trying to get my daughter to tow, it's 750kg max for an unbraked trailer, for a braked trailer as long as it's lighter than the car and less than 3.5 tonnes total weight it's ok. Therfore the C5 was 1560kg kerb weight, our caravan was 1300kg max laden weight, that makes 2860kg, leaving a 640kg load for the car and it's legal. Dont quote me on that though!!!!!!!
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Re: how big a trailer can I tow

Post by Citroenmad »

It is a grey area and even the DLVA's website does not make things at all clear.

If unbraked then it should be 750kg max. If braked then you are allowed to tow a combined weight (max weight of a laiden car and laiden trailer) of up to 3.5 ton. Providing the trailer is within the max allowed for a braked trailer for your model of C5. Which I think, being a 110, is able to tow 1300kg.

However, as said, its a grey area and I would not fully rely on the above information.
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Re: how big a trailer can I tow

Post by RichardW »

The rules are quite different as well depending whether you passed your test before 1997 - the regs are stricter after that date. 750kg un braked is quite a lot - you will certainly know its there going downhill!! Impossible to say how big a 750 kg trailer is - most camping trailers are probably only 250kg all up, but if you fill them up with stone, they can be much heavier than that! If in doubt get it on the weigh bridge.

Edit: Previously discussed here: towing regs not as restrictive as I thought for post 1997.
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Post by addo »

In response to the OP, I suggest there's not much wrong with getting a training course done.

You only have to look at LinkedIn and see how the middle layer of bureaucracy pad out their résumés with things like "January 2013: Certificate for domestic companion animal handling" (which means they bought a dog leash and kept the receipt) to see the potential additions to your employability. Never know when being licenced to tow a larger trailer might help the job prospects in future times.
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Post by Citroenmad »

addo wrote:In response to the OP, I suggest there's not much wrong with getting a training course done.

You only have to look at LinkedIn and see how the middle layer of bureaucracy pad out their résumés with things like "January 2013: Certificate for domestic companion animal handling" (which means they bought a dog leash and kept the receipt) to see the potential additions to your employability. Never know when being licenced to tow a larger trailer might help the job prospects in future times.
Very true!

I have passed a HGV Class 2, just because I wanted to do it. Ive also passed the IAM Advanced Driving Test and have a Level 1 certificate in off road driving.

Next on my list is the trailer towing test.
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Post by addo »

Does it include a reverse slalom? :twisted:

I really want an artic licence - about £1100 here.

Useful garnishes to a licence here, also include a forklift permit.
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Re: how big a trailer can I tow

Post by C5Alan »

I may have this all wrong but having a post 1997 license I thought it was the weight the trailer could carry so you could be over your license limit towing an empty car transporter hence why I want an idea of what size, as it will be down to Mr plods impression of an unmarked trailer if it looks too big. Would an 8x5 single axle unbraked trailer look like it could carry over 750kg??? I know the c5 can pull pretty much anything I would need as it has pulled a caravan from Northern Ireland to East Germany and back so no worries there.

I will be getting a trailer license as soon as I gather up enough pennies but in the mean time want to be legal, reading up online it isnt that hard be able to hitch your trailer been doing this since I could walk as parents always had a caravan, reverse safely if you can do it with a wee trailer a big one should be no probs as it should stay straight longer, drive around town safely not had a huge load on in my wee 3x4 trailer but this has never been a prob just need to get out of the bad habits of normal driving lol
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Re: how big a trailer can I tow

Post by wheeler »

Citroenmad wrote:
I have passed a HGV Class 2, just because I wanted to do it. Ive also passed the IAM Advanced Driving Test and have a Level 1 certificate in off road driving.

Next on my list is the trailer towing test.
If you have an HGV class 2 licence (cat C) you would be better off going for your C+E (class 1) licence as passing this will also add larger trailer towing entitlement to all of your smaller (4 wheeled) vehicle classes.
I've done the category B+E (car & trailer) test but it wouldn't be worth doing if you already had a class 2 HGV.
What has already been posted is pretty much right but basically with a category B only licence you can drive a car + trailer combination as long as the combined weight is not over 3.5 tonnes and the trailer is not heavier than the car, however if the weight of the car/van you are driving has a gross weight of 3.5 tonnes you can tow a 750kg trailer behind it. Obviously you need to be within the cars weight limits.

See here for more info > http://www.jcoates.co.uk/portal/alias__ ... fault.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: how big a trailer can I tow

Post by daviemck2006 »

Any unbraked trailer should not be more than 750kg gross, that is in total including the weight of the trailer. I had a 8" x 4" trailer that was professionally made, it was rated to carry 1.5 ton, it was only about 3/4 full of gravel which was weighed on a weighbridge as 1.6 ton, the trailer weighed approx 300 kg, so I was towing 1.9 ton, with the C5, well over it's towing limit, and well over it's weight. Therfore I think it would not take much of a load to put a 8" x 5" trailer over the 750kg limit. I wouldn't really know, or be prepared to say if you would go by the actual weight being towed, or the maximum permitted weight for the trailer, which on a lot of trailers would be impossible to know. I wouldn't like to tow, on a cat B licence, the empty car transporter weighing 700kg empty when it could be capable of being say 2tons laden. I don't think PCplod would look at it favourably if anything were to happen, or the Insurance company either for that matter. Safest way is do the test and stick to correct weights, which by my own admission I may have broken in the past!
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