Towing A 3 Bike Trailer

[sameagle]

I travelled to Lancashire today, to collect a single bike trailer.

Whilst chatting to the seller, he happened to mention that "My mate reckons his friend was nicked by the Police for towing a three bike trailer without a licence"

I said "I'm aware that you have to have an extra test for towing now, because my neighbour [23 years of age], had one"

"No", he said, "you can tow a single, or a double, on an ordinary licence, but there's something to do with a triple that's different"

Now, I've had a motorcycle licence since 1961, and car since '65, [i think], but I've never heard of this one - anybody care to comment?

John

[shercojay]

I think its all down to the weight of the trailer(plus bikes) For some reason 750kg ring a bell.

I know the licence is B+E , but to be fair never really looked into it as I have a class 1

[jimbo349]

I think if you passed your test before 97 your ok. I am and I passed in 86 my liecence has a E on it. Even so a youngster can tow a trailer upto 750KG unbraked or upto a GTW of 3500KG tow car/van plus gross weight of the trailer.

[proc]

no matter what your age you can tow a un braked trailer up to and including 750kg or a braked trailer and vehicle combination not exceeding 3500kg without doing a seperate test

[sameagle]

Right!

Thank you - got it.

From what you are saying, it was nothing to do with "a 3 bike trailer" at all - it looks like because there were as many as three bikes on the trailer, they could have taken the weight over the limit.

Probably wouldn't matter if they were all competition machines, but if they were a BMW, plus a couple of Harleys.....

So what he was saying may have been right, but not quite for the reason he was stating.

Thanks Chaps and Chapesses

John

[billyt]

I am surprised

ShercoJay did not advise that the towing vechile needed higher ocatne fuel and there would have been no issue with the police? LOL

[shercojay]

I would have, but thought everybody else knew this

lol or Billy what you like

Jay

[b101uk]

There are a number of things that influence things

1: if the trailer has a manufactures weight plate on it that states its over >750kg even if the trailer is empty and only weighs 150kg (empty) then you could not tow this type of trailer IF you were restricted to trailers of <750kg, as the manufactures weight plate states its capable of in excess of >750kg.

2: similar to the above if your towing vehicle can tow <1500kg but you connect an empty trailer capable of 2000kg GW (with manufactures weight plate) then agene you will fall foul of the law as the trailers potential GW exceeds that that the towing vehicle and tow.

3: NOT all vehicles are capable of towing 750kg unbraked, as such some vehicles require brakes on trailers above >400kg.

4: if a trailer has an unbaked hitch head but the wheel hubs have brake drums and the stub-axel a brake back plate then brakes then must be fitted and working even if the trailer is under <750kg.

5: if you have an unbraked trailer of e.g. 750kg but it has a static nose weight of more than >75kg when fully loaded with the load evenly distributed along its length then technically it ceases to be a drawbar trailer and becomes a semi trailer as it is superimposing >10% of its weigh onto the towing vehicle thus falls outside the purview of being a conventional drawbar trailer.

(technically semi trailer are trailers that superimpose >20% of its weigh onto the towing vehicle, but drawbar trailers are limited <10% or 1000kg (whichever is less) superimposed weight onto the towing vehicle, as such VOSA lump trailers superimposing >10.01% to <19.99% in with semi trailer due to the grey area in EU/UK law)

6: the maximum combination weight for a car licence is 4250kg, which is a vehicle of 3500kg GVW and a trailer of <750kg GW giving a GTW of 4250kg.

7: e.g. also a 1500kg towing vehicle + a <1500kg trailer should also be ok as you are under 3500kg GTW and the trailer dose not exceed the weight of the towing vehicle.

Edited August 30, 2010 by b101uk