Towing a trailer- weight distribution.

Muddy32

Muddy32

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I have a legal (UK and EU ) 4 wheel trailer plated for 2,600 kgs.
My car can tow 2000kgs. Boat is 1250kgs and trailer 550kgs.
So far so good. 1800kgs.

Is it better to load car with the "insides" Outboard, Avon dinghy, food and UK fuel,etc Approx 120kgs,or........... OK in the boat. ???

Ferry Plymouth to Roscoff, then down to Arzal to launch and enjoy Brittany for 3 months.
 
If you can spread out the boat stuff in the boat and keep the towhook weight correct ... and have it secured - then why fill up the car ??

Food / clothes - I would put in the car .... take care about food .... if found - can be confiscated

I would check up on the fuel bit ... Ferrys don't like cans of Gasoline and some countries are not too happy if you bring own for the 'holiday' ..
 
Careful. As far as I was told, the law / rules apply to the plated trailer weight, even if the actual loads is lighter. Hence you may not be able to legally pull that trailer ?
Worth checking, as I know a few people who were checked by Police at motorway services and not allowed to proceed.

PS. For stability I always tried to put the heaviest things in the tow car, ideally ahead of the rear wheel line.
 
dunedin said:
Careful. As far as I was told, the law / rules apply to the plated trailer weight, even if the actual loads is lighter. Hence you may not be able to legally pull that trailer ?
Worth checking, as I know a few people who were checked by Police at motorway services and not allowed to proceed.

PS. For stability I always tried to put the heaviest things in the tow car, ideally ahead of the rear wheel line.
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Place the weight as close to the trailer wheels as possible and sligtly forward to reduce the pendulum effect. Snaking can become destructive. keep the tow ball weight correct as Refueler has said.
 
Dunedin is right, if you are checked by Plod or Gendarmerie that trailer is too heavy for your car, even running empty. Its the capacity of the trailer not the actual weight that matters. Makes it easier for Plod because the weights are on the car's VIN plate and on the trailer plate. If they dont match, you are legally overloaded and are unlikely to be allowed to continue your journey. Going overseas that could prove very expensive! French Plod are very very hot on overloaded Brit cars and target anything that looks at all suspect. My Sister married into the Gendarmerie, and BiL warned me they take overloaded UK vehicles very seriously over there.

As for loading, as others have said, keep the weight as central as you can. There should not be more than around 70-75kg download on the trailer ball. Make sure the load is properly secured. If a boat shifts in an emergency stop for example, you could have a serious problem getting it back where it should be, apart from the risk of having it come through the back window of your car! In any case, again if plod thinks its not properly secure thats an offence, and you would not be allowed to continuie your journey until it is secure. But then with an overweight trailer they will not allow you to move anyway.

Sorry, but unless you are willing to chance the very real and likely risk of serious and costly trouble with the Law either side of the Channel, that trailer is not fit for purpose. Here on the S Coast Police run regular stop and check points on caravans and trailed boats during the summer.
 
I would imagine the gendarmes will work on the rated max load of the trailer as related to the car on the basis that they can not weigh your trailer on site. If you go ahead it might be well to have a weigh bridge document showing actual boat trailer weight.
As I understand it the tow bar weight should be 10% of total trailer weight Google Search
This is essential to avert fish tailing when slowing down. Assumes the vehicle can take the weigh on the tow ball. Might need helper springs on car to keep it level for headlight angle. This might also indicate extra weight should be in front of trailer. ie less in back of car and more on tow ball. ol'will
 
William_H said:
As I understand it the tow bar weight should be 10% of total trailer weight
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That's nonsense - that would be 350kg on a 3500kg trailer - utter madness. Vehicles have maximum hitch weights in their specifications - largely depending on how long the rear overhang is - between 50-80kg usually. I've happily towed 3500kg with 60kg nose weight.

Getting a bit of weight in the vehicle (ahead of the rear axle as others have said) helps prevent the trailer driving the vehicle - much more comfortable - hence my initial question about vehicle and passengers.

I can't comment on the trailer v gendarmerie - it'd be worth checking if they will accept a weighing certificate.
 
KevinV said:
That's nonsense - that would be 350kg on a 3500kg trailer - utter madness. Vehicles have maximum hitch weights in their specifications - largely depending on how long the rear overhang is - between 50-80kg usually. I've happily towed 3500kg with 60kg nose weight.

Getting a bit of weight in the vehicle (ahead of the rear axle as others have said) helps prevent the trailer driving the vehicle - much more comfortable - hence my initial question about vehicle and passengers.

I can't comment on the trailer v gendarmerie - it'd be worth checking if they will accept a weighing certificate.
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Most cars and towbars are are rated at around 75 -100kgs noseweight. It should be in the vehicle manual/specs. If the trailer and tow vehicle are leaning towards each other when connected up then the noseweight is too high.

Bear in mid that the Gendarmerie has no great love for 'les Anglais' (apart from my Sister!) and are quite happy to spoil your day if they think something is wrong.

Getting the trailer downrated with a new plate sounds plausible, but Makers may not like doing it, and a non standard plate will be obvious to anyone used to checking them.
 
About weighing, Gendarmes often have weight mats to check on the spot. I know two people who got done for overweight in vans. One, by mistake and not much, allowed to continue after forking out 750 euro. The other, way over, had to offload before moving on (Plus a hefty fine) .
 
Muddy32 said:
I have a legal (UK and EU ) 4 wheel trailer plated for 2,600 kgs.
My car can tow 2000kgs. Boat is 1250kgs and trailer 550kgs.
So far so good. 1800kgs.

Is it better to load car with the "insides" Outboard, Avon dinghy, food and UK fuel,etc Approx 120kgs,or........... OK in the boat. ???

Ferry Plymouth to Roscoff, then down to Arzal to launch and enjoy Brittany for 3 months.
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I hope you are aware of the new , 2025, requirement for uk trailers over 750kg gross being taken to the EU needing to be registered and displaying a trailer registration plate. Register your trailer to take it abroad
 
I know nothing about the law regarding plated weight v actual weight, and certainly hadn't heard of Plum's requirement, but I have done a fair bit of towing.

My experience tells me that the heavy stuff should be in the towing vehicle. The heavier the towing vehicle is, up to its maximum weight, compared to the trailer, the less likely the trailer is to get unruly, and you really, rally don't want the trailer taking over.
 
Stemar said:
I know nothing about the law regarding plated weight v actual weight, and certainly hadn't heard of Plum's requirement, but I have done a fair bit of towing.

My experience tells me that the heavy stuff should be in the towing vehicle. The heavier the towing vehicle is, up to its maximum weight, compared to the trailer, the less likely the trailer is to get unruly, and you really, rally don't want the trailer taking over.
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No, really do not want the trailer taking over the steering!
I used to tow cars on a heavy recovery trailer behind a long wheelbase Land Rover and it never got away from me because we had a good weight on the hitch.
But I also used to do suspended tow and with the car on the jib sticking out a couple of feet behind the tailgate that was a totally different situation. Going down hill was sometimes terrifying as the whole rig would start to snake uncontrollably, using all 3 lanes on a motorway sometimes. Never lost it but came close a few times.
 
Plum said:
I hope you are aware of the new , 2025, requirement for uk trailers over 750kg gross being taken to the EU needing to be registered and displaying a trailer registration plate. Register your trailer to take it abroad
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Unfortunately in France we have to register trailers with gross weight over 500 kg. I am not sure how this might be applied to visitors but it has been very inconvenient for me. I built a trailer in UK to carry my Lomax 3-wheeler. The car weighs 420 kg and the trailer was about 150 kg. I could not use it here, sold it and bought a replacement at considerable cost, nowhere near as good as the one I built.
 
vyv_cox said:
Unfortunately in France we have to register trailers with gross weight over 500 kg. I am not sure how this might be applied to visitors but it has been very inconvenient for me. I built a trailer in UK to carry my Lomax 3-wheeler. The car weighs 420 kg and the trailer was about 150 kg. I could not use it here, sold it and bought a replacement at considerable cost, nowhere near as good as the one I built.
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Yep DIY, especially with car bits, is a no-no here now. Both my box trailer and my Oughtred fearing trailer predate the regs, so unlikerly to cause probs. My new build at about 500 kg, a 'slight prob'. I have bits from a 750kg older trailer, so 'modding' it.
Since my first job was building trailers, lots of them, up to 4 + tons. Bit frustrated. Looked about for a suitable one, but, either far away, or rubbish.

Of course, I could build a new one, but need to get it homologated, which would far exceed the cost of buying an 'off the shelf 'one
At least in the UK, you can get them inspected and passed, like DIY cars. Not here.. Seen several 'Lotus 7s' that are new non Lotus kits, but have faked papers..

Slightly horrified at some of the DIY ones that turn up at the local B&Q, but seems less so now. Can understand the legal attitude, not to mention the insurance aspect if things break...
 
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