Trailer Tips For The Virgin Tow-Er (Tow-Ist?)

[GLPoomobile 958]

I may be moving home soon, which means my 205 will need to be moved too.

 

I know you can hire actual car transporters, but I'm also looking at hiring a car trailer as a cheaper option. My Volvo has a towbar, but I've never towed before (queue mental images of embarrassing reverse manoeuvres ).

 

Has anyone got any useful information regarding the do's and dont's? Not so much the obvious stuff like taking a wide berth around corners etc, but more stuff like

 

1 - Do I need to notify my insurance company?

2 - How do I know if my towbar is legal/usable?

3 - Any other legal implications

4 - Good places to look for hiring both a transporter or a trailer (my googling wasn't great as wasn't quite sure what to search under)

5 - Any members in Edinburgh area with a trailer want to earn some money?

[welshpug 1,657]

1, not sure but worth asking if you are covered.

2, look for a makers plate, if the car has had an MOT recently then it "should" be ok, as the security of them is checked.

3, don't know of any, other than the obvious towing weights and licences.

 

4+5, way out of my area

[205kenny 7]

As long as you passed your test before 1997 and don't exceed the towing weight of the vehicle, you should be fine. No need to contact insurance company.

Edited April 16, 2012 by 205kenny

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

As long as you passed your test before 1997

 

You can still tow on the post 97 license within quite prescriptive guidelines, but a 205 on a lightweight trailer behind a Volvo estate will be legal on the later license.

[205kenny 7]

I thought there was a 750kg limit on a post 1997 license?

Edited April 16, 2012 by 205kenny

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

In short, no. I've been through this a few times now, you could search on here or Google for the correct allowances.

[omega 82]

a few things

try and get a 4 wheel trailer as they are more stable[and make sure it has a spare]

the trailer will be only insured 3rd party even if you are fully comp

make sure it has a brakeaway chain and that you use it

[Anthony 1,003]

I thought there was a 750kg limit on a post 1997 license?

750kg is the unbraked trailer limit.

 

Braked trailer gets a bit complicated on a post '97 licence and can be tough to keep it legal without doing the B+E test, but there's plenty out there on the 'net as Tom says. Basically, big trailers are a no-no without re-plating them, big 4x4's to tow with are a no-no, and you've no chance of towing a heavy car.

 

Volvo towing a smallish trailer with a 205 on it should just about squeeze inside the legal limits, but you'll need to calculate the numbers to be sure.

 

Much more straightforward on a pre '97 licence or if you've done a B+E test.

[Cameron 16]

You can still tow on the post 97 license within quite prescriptive guidelines, but a 205 on a lightweight trailer behind a Volvo estate will be legal on the later license.

 

It all depends on the Maximum Authorised Mass of the tow vehicle and trailer, and has absolutely no bearing on how much weight you're actually towing. The combined MAM's need to add up to less than 3500kg, and it's quite likely that a Volvo estate has a high MAM which could restrict you to a trailer that was too small to carry a car.

 

My Mondeo + a 1600kg (small) car trailer took me to 3450kg, right on the limit, so be very careful.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Cameron

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

If you actually read my post, as i say this has all been done before. I also state a lightweight trailer, e.g less than 1500kg, my PRG is 1400kg all up 400kg unladen.

[welshpug 1,657]

1549 kerb weight, 1800 towing weight for a phase2 T5.

 

 

06 mondeo 2.0 tdci. 1555 kerb weight, 1800 towing weight,

 

 

 

rather have the T5

[Cameron 16]

Ever read the regulations on towing?

 

Without a B+E, Maximum Authorised Mass may not exceed 3500kg.

 

That means the Maximum Authorised Mass of the vehicle PLUS the Maximum Authorised Mass of the trailer may not exceed 3500kg.

 

It has absolutely nothing to do with the weight you are towing, you could be towing a 1700kg MAM trailer that was completely empty with a Mondeo rated to 1850kg MAM and still be breaking the law.

 

Fenton - stop reading my posts as an argument, I'm trying to help the guy with FACTS rather than vague misdirections.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Cameron

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

I was just giving you a taste of your own medicine Peterson, as you are the fecking champion at being a forum arse, not nice to get a stupidly aggressive reply to your posts, is it?

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

Trailer laws/rules are great, everyone (police included) interprets the law differently

[Anthony 1,003]

There's one point that you forgot Cam, and that's that the MAM of the trailer cannot exceed the unladen weight of the tow car.

 

Your example with a 1700kg MAM trailer would risk falling foul of that on a typical medium saloon/estate

 

It's also not quite true saying that it's nothing to do with the weight of what you're towing, because naturally what you're towing must be within the rating the trailer.

 

Basically, the towing laws on a new licence are a minefield and like I said, a pain to do so legally if you're towing cars. Most people that you see towing who aren't old enough to have a licence with the earlier rules are likely doing so illegally, whether they are aware of that or not. You know it's bad when as Allan says, even those supposed to enforce the rules don't fully understand them.

 

Me? I use an A-frame which is a whole different subject of (il)legality and misunderstanding of the rules...

[Cameron 16]

There's one point that you forgot Cam, and that's that the MAM of the trailer cannot exceed the unladen weight of the tow car.

 

Your example with a 1700kg MAM trailer would risk falling foul of that on a typical medium saloon/estate

 

It's also not quite true saying that it's nothing to do with the weight of what you're towing, because naturally what you're towing must be within the rating the trailer.

 

Basically, the towing laws on a new licence are a minefield and like I said, a pain to do so legally if you're towing cars. Most people that you see towing who aren't old enough to have a licence with the earlier rules are likely doing so illegally, whether they are aware of that or not. You know it's bad when as Allan says, even those supposed to enforce the rules don't fully understand them.

 

Me? I use an A-frame which is a whole different subject of (il)legality and misunderstanding of the rules...

 

True.

 

I was just giving you a taste of your own medicine Peterson, as you are the fecking champion at being a forum arse, not nice to get a stupidly aggressive reply to your posts, is it?

 

I'm never agressive in my responses, any agression is purely thought up in that thick head of yours. Meet me in real life (not that I hope we ever do) and you'll realise you're a poor judge of character.

 

(Ok with the obvious exception of that last sentence, but frankly you're being a knob so you deserve it.)

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

I'm never agressive in my responses, any agression is purely thought up in that thick head of yours.

 

Obviously not much of a "thick head" seeing as I can spell "aggression" correctly.

[welshpug 1,657]

I think we need Nik to add this smiley....

 

 

[Cameron 16]

Obviously not much of a "thick head" seeing as I can spell "aggression" correctly.

 

I was going to leave the fact that you spelt my name wrong alone as I'm not that childish, but if you want to go there, then.. Fail.

[Tom Fenton 1,541]

Sorry, I have just checked with some contacts at Ford, it should be Petersen, my distinctly insincere apologies for spelling a non mainstream word incorrectly.

[Anthony 1,003]

For crying out loud the pair of you, quit your bickering and keep this thread on topic

[Cameron 16]

Well if you're going to the trouble of snooping around for my surname so you can talk down to me then I'm surprised you didn't go to the trouble of checking the spelling too.

[Anthony 1,003]

Right, I'd told you to quit it - consider this a warning...

[Tesstuff 222]

The correct English is - Right, I told you to quit - consider this a warning.

 

You are swapping tenses mid sentence.

[Cameron 16]

Are you gonna warn Tom too?