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[w3526602]

Hi,

I now have a box trailer. Tyres look a bit "tired", but I'm very happy with it.

I have not yet noticed a MGW label on, or close to, the draw-bar .... a legal requirement. Again not a problem, as I have a set of number stamps, although paint would be legal.

The trailer will be towed by Barbara's Hyundai ix20. which according to Google has a KERB weight of 1253kg. I presume the UNLADEN weight is less? Google says this car can tow unbraked trailers up to 750kg (Is that ACTUAL LADEN weight?)

But the LAW seems to say it cannot tow unbraked trailers weighing more than 625kg (ACTUAL?) laden weight. Does the VIN plate (which I haven't looked for yet) over-rule the "unbraked trailer" legislation? Or am I missing something?

Has anybody any comments or advice?

To bring this ON TOPIC, my first new chassis rebuild had an S1 88" body with full hard-top, S2 running gear, and a Marsland S3 HD galvanised chassis. A local factory (Pontadawe Industrial Estate) had a weighbridge in the road, which suggested that my project weighed 1460kg, so would not be allowed to tow a 750kg ALW trailer.

I read somewhere, that when being check-weighed by men in white coats, allowance should be granted for any rain-water collected en-route.

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OT. A traveller at London Airport was challenged at hand baggage weighing, being nearly half a pound overweight. So he opened the bag, extracted a Salami sausage .... and ate half of it.

[autorover1]

In the EU and still in UK ,the 750 Kg  is the max total  laden weight a trailer can be towed with no brakes and that is a bit of stand alone legislation. .  The VIN on a vehicle will show the max train weight from which one can work out what a vehicle can tow and I understand that is absolute .  My Fiat Panda shows 800 kg as the max trailer weight . .  I think my previous Hyundai i10 had a 400 kg limit  and my Skoda Citygo had no stated train weight  and no type approved towing bracket available. 

[Gibbo103]

John, the law allows a maximum laden weight of 750kg for an unbraked trailer, but another consideration is the load rating of the tyres- have you checked that yet?

[Porkscratching]

OT. A traveller at London Airport was challenged at hand baggage weighing, being nearly half a pound overweight. So he opened the bag, extracted a Salami sausage .... and ate half of it.

Lateral thinking at its best, love it!

[diffwhine]

Continuing OT... There are also plenty of anecdotal stories of people wearing as much clothing as possible to avoid excess hand baggage.

[Genem]

Hi John.  Are you thinking about that old myth, that a car can only tow 1/2 its weight ?  Its not true... 

According to Tinterweb your car can tow a braked trailer of 1300Kg ....but the article warns that ...

"However, we’re not so keen on towing with the ix20. Although stable enough at motorway speeds, the van took charge too readily in the lane-change test. Performance is just about adequate, but you’ll need to work the engine hard, and that means putting up with too much racket.
The handbrake held the outfit on our 1-in-6 hill, but lots of revs and clutch slip were needed to get moving in first gear and reverse".

https://www.thetowcarawards.com/tow-car/hyundai-ix20/

[w3526602]

Hi Gibbo,

I'd already considered alternative wheel and tyre sizes. Reliant Robins (I think) at 10", and also 10" trailer wheels (possibly with zero off-set),

12" wheels from Hillman Imps, and I think Austin Metros.

13" from BMC A30/A35 & A40 Marinas, Spridgets and Vauxhall Vivas, and maybe Del Boy's Reliant Trike. (Mr Bean might be able to find me a trio of wheels of a certain blue Reliant trike).

14" from a Morris 1000 Midwife.

I'm guessing that INDESPENSION and other trailer specialists can supply "trailer" wheels (zero offset?) in 10" thru 13" diameters.

The MGW of a tyre should be embossed on the sidewall, so there is no excuse. It's also worth looking at the date of manufacture, tubed/tubeless, etc.

I once met a TVR Grantura that was running on 15" VW Beetle wheels, that had been "cut and shut" ... fitted with A35 13" wheel centres.

OT. There is a firm, can't remember their name, but somewhere not too far from me, who can supply wheels with Land Rover stud pattern, in 1" decrements down to 10" dia. Excellent prices, complete with tyres .... and then I noticed they were trailer tyres. Even so, if I could find an adaptor to fit Land Rover wheels onto Mini hubs ....

Hey, that reminds me, I once had an elderly double horse trailer, with 4-stud hubs that would accept Morris 1000 wheels. I think the original wheels were 16". Hmmm ... a couple of tons of horse on 3/8"dia wheel studs. I never actually put any of my horses in it.

I collected my first equine, an "entire" and very annoyed Shetland stallion, in a borrowed Cortina estate. He stamped his feet, and screamed in Barbara's ear (she was driving, I was in the back with Horrible Hector) all the way home ... she could feel her hair standing up. I had to park the car on a hill, and hose it out, before returning it to it's owner, later a Principal at DVLC.

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[gvo416j R.I.P.]

Hi John.  Are you thinking about that old myth, that a car can only tow 1/2 its weight ?  Its not true... 

According to Tinterweb your car can tow a braked trailer of 1300Kg ....but the article warns that ..

Hi,

I now have a box trailer. Tyres look a bit "tired", but I'm very happy with it.


The trailer will be towed by Barbara's Hyundai ix20. which according to Google has a KERB weight of 1253kg. I presume the UNLADEN weight is less? Google says this car can tow unbraked trailers up to 750kg (Is that ACTUAL LADEN weight?)

But the LAW seems to say it cannot tow unbraked trailers weighing more than 625kg (ACTUAL?) laden weight. Does the VIN plate (which I haven't looked for yet) over-rule the "unbraked trailer" legislation? Or am I missing something?

Has anybody any comments or advice?


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There is a mix up here regarding the law on UNBRAKED trailers.

Genem is correct in that the belief that a car can only tow a trailer up to half the towing vehicle's mass is a myth if you are talking about a BRAKED TRAILER -- the limit for a braked trailer is either 3500 kg, or the amount stated as the train weight on the VIN plate for a more modern vehicle.

How ever the law for an UNBRAKED TRAILER is completely different.

Whatever the kerb weight of the towing vehicle {even a HGV/LGV}, except for agricultural vehicles and oddballs like traction engines, the absolute maximum gross mass of an unbraked trailer is 750 kg.

There is then a lower gross weight for lighter towing vehicles. This is stated as the LOWER of 50% of the mass of the towing vehicle, OR any lower mass if such is recommended by the vehicle manufacturer in the construction and use regs. for trailers.

[w3526602]

Hi GVO,

I can't disagree with anything you say.

When younger, I used to look for the loopholes. Nowadays, I make very sure that I am aware of potential wrong doing. (In 1964 I was clocked over one mile ... minimum 72mph, maximum 80mph ... on the A1. I was driving a well laden, bog standard, 850cc Austin minivan.

I attended court, claimed that the 40mph GOODS VEHICLE speed limit did not apply, as my van had been fitted with rear seats, so was a motor car. The Van had been assessed for Purchase Tax (The bill arrived soon after ... £25).

The Clerk of the Court looked up the relevant legislation. Apparently the term Motor Car differed between the Excise Legislation, and the Road Traffic Acts. The latter required both seats AND windows. Forty mph over the speed limit.  The "Beaks" fined me £2, and apologised for the endorsement, but said they had no choice.

That's my only fine (not even a parking ticket) in 58 years. Er ... I did once receive a NIP, for driving through a level crossing gate, causing the Scotland to London express to do a crash stop. British Rail Police weighed up the evidence, and withdrew their NIP. My only damage was a broken head-lamp glass, so I didn't bother counter-claiming.

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[Porkscratching]

I collected my first equine, an "entire" and very annoyed Shetland stallion, in a borrowed Cortina estate. He stamped his feet, and screamed in Barbara's ear (she was driving, I was in the back with Horrible Hector) all the way home ... she could feel her hair standing up. I had to park the car on a hill, and hose it out, before returning it to it's owner, later a Principal at DVLC.

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We just about managed to fold up and stuff a leggy foal in the back of a SWB 2a hard top and took it thru the Dartford tunnel to the vet college at potters bar once.. Provided someone held on to it and talked to it, it was fine..

[w3526602]

We just about managed to fold up and stuff a leggy foal in the back of a SWB 2a hard top and took it thru the Dartford tunnel to the vet college at potters bar once.

Hi PS,

I learned later, that it is illegal to carry an "equine", including donkeys and Shetlands, without at least 7ft headroom.

I used to have the SI covering Movement of Animals.

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[diffwhine]

OT - I watched a farmer force a large billy goat into the boot of a Mercedes 230E while in Albania in September. The goat was not impressed - kicked five bells out of the boot interior then left copious offerings all over the boot interior after its 5 minute journey from a road side bar to the chap's farm. I did point out to him that he could have saved a lot of bother by just roping it and leading it down the hill, but the farmer was too lazy to walk. Serves him right - the goat got its own back.

[w3526602]

Hi,

The HMSO publication "Movement of Animals Act" is quite an interesting read. If I still had my copy, I'd donate it to the Club Library.

Pigs require an Animal Movements Record to be filled in. I had such a book, obtained from HMSO, but I forget the price, other than it was more expensive than I felt warranted.

There are various "marques" of animals that must not be mixed, in the container, unless they have been reared together.

The container must be disinfected after every journey.

And much more, that I have forgotten. Maybe Google knows more?

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[w3526602]

Hi Gibbo,

Yes, I have considered the tyres. A casual glance suggests that I would like to replace them as they look "tired", (walls full of hairline cracks), but maybe not this week, as Barbara is frowning at the way I'm spending our money ... like a planned circa £300 for supply and fitting of towbar.

In "Days of Yore", I would have cobbled a tow-bar from 50x50x3mm angle, and hung it off the rear bumper brackets. Barbara's Hyundai is still a "one owner" car, FSH, just had it's first MOT at 10,000ish miles, and still on it's original tyres (despite regularly making road smoke when exiting roundabouts). I think its worth paying for a proper tow-bar to be fitted, to keep it's value up. It is booked to be collected for it's annual service, and its second MOT on Thursday.

I just Googled TRAILER VIN PLATES, and decided I'm not paying that much, when I have a set of number stamps. I like the suggestion to use a yellow registration plate (maybe a smaller motor-cycle rear plate ... doh! ... bikes don't have front plates nowadays. MGW 750 KGS should fit.

Doh! My ladies have arrived. 07.00hrs.

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