Towing weights

[HONEST AL]

Ref the thread a few days ago(maybe longer)on towing,and I said that I thought the towed vehicle should weigh NO MORE than 95% of the towing vehicle?.well this afternoon I was in Hanley nick(Stoke)and thought I would ask the gentleman on the desk for some info.What he said totally surprised me.
Firstl he asked to see my drivers license to ascertain my age,he came back about 5 minutes later and said that if I were a lot younger I would need to take a test to qualify to tow(this I did not know)
What really surprised me was he said I was able to tow up to 8.5 tons on the license I had(this 8.5 tons included the towing vehicle).So with a surf I would be able to tow legally weights up to around 6.25 tons.Surely that cant be right,and if you take it to a stupidity level then I could tow around 7.5 tons with a MINI.
Answers on a postcard please!!!!!

He also told me to keep my eyes open as the rules about towing were due to change in January 2013

So beware!!

[bullet513]

I'm 24 and passed my test in 2007. I work for a breakdown company and had to take a towing test to be able to recover vehicles with the fold out dolly's you may have seen. As far as I'm aware you can tow up to 8.5 tons if the lead vehicle is capable. So a mini wouldn't be able to tow 7.5 tons as the breaking capacity wouldn't be enough

[Sammyk]

We all know you need the licence, however; it's all about the car thats doing the towing. It will have 2 max towing rates, braked or un-braked trailer. The surf on uk specs can tow 2002 kg braked.

[Sancho]

We all know you need the licence, however; it's all about the car thats doing the towing. It will have 2 max towing rates, braked or un-braked trailer. The surf on uk specs can tow 2002 kg braked.

I don't think everyone knows about the test. If you got your licence more than something like ten years ago, you don't need a towing test. Lots of people on here have been surprised by that in the past.

Anyway, to the OP, yes, you could tow up to 8.5 tons but you still (essentially) need a vehicle that weighs more than whatever is being towed.

[Surf01]

I think you may be thinking of the 85% guideline for towing, but either way you cannot tow a trailer that has a MTPLM of more than what the vehicle is regulated to tow if the trailer is braked.
Even if you only got your licence last year, you can still tow a combination with a gross weight up to 3500kgs as long as you do not exceed the gross train weight of the towing vehicle. I think the rules were changed in about 1998.

[shokenore]

Many many changes are planned for 2013,and towing weights and restrictions are but a small part of what will be effected.
These changes are part of the EU's plans to make our roads safer.
Google EU Road Safety (other search engines are available),makes for some interesting reading.

On my recently attended speed awareness course we were informed that new speed limits and restrictions would be introduced among many was the plan forcing anything over 3.5T to have a 65 mph max speed and preventing them from using lane 3 on the motorways.

[Surf01]

Many many changes are planned for 2013,and towing weights and restrictions are but a small part of what will be effected.
These changes are part of the EU's plans to make our roads safer.
Google EU Road Safety (other search engines are available),makes for some interesting reading.

On my recently attended speed awareness course we were informed that new speed limits and restrictions would be introduced among many was the plan forcing anything over 3.5T to have a 65 mph max speed and preventing them from using lane 3 on the motorways.

If towing on a motorway you cannot exceed 60mph and you cannot use the outer lane. On a normal A road that is not a dual carriageway your speed when towing is restricted to 50mph.

[Predictable Bob]

Not quite Ian - if it's only a two lane motorway you can use the outside lane

[shokenore]

Not quite Ian - if it's only a two lane motorway you can use the outside lane

Very true
As is the case in all of these regulations ,the wording defines them.

I have a "dual carriageway" ie a stretch of road with more than one lane divided from the other lane by a physical barrier,which also has a series of street lamps ,less than a mile from my house which has a 40 mph limit,and a "normal" A road which has a national speed limit.

Trust me I pay a LOT more attention to road signs now.

[Rustinho]

Even if you only got your licence last year, you can still tow a combination with a gross weight up to 3500kgs as long as you do not exceed the gross train weight of the towing vehicle.

That is partly true but it's much more complicated than that.

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub...wingandthelaw/

The more I look at it the more confusing the rules seem to become!

[Surf01]

That is partly true but it's much more complicated than that.

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub...wingandthelaw/

The more I look at it the more confusing the rules seem to become!

That club is about the last club in the world that I would refer to for advice. LOL!