Towing Weights

Lakesailor

Lakesailor

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Further to Duncanmac's warning about vehicles possibly needing tachographs I spotted this News Item which infers that if the vehicle and trailer/load's combined weight exceeds 3500kg a tachograph will be required.
Does this apply in non-commercial towing instances? It's not clear.
 
nothing has surfaced on this topic in the farming press. A tractor and trailer easily reach 20 tonnes, and a Landrover and trailer peak at 5300kg - I jolly well hope we don't have to install tachs in the tractors.
 
most 2 litre cars weigh around 2000kgs laden,add 1800 for the trailer and bingo £200 up your skirt.
frightening thought.
I wouldn't worry if I was a farmer,the tractors don't even have to be tested here,not sure of postion in UK
 
sarabande said:
nothing has surfaced on this topic in the farming press. A tractor and trailer easily reach 20 tonnes, and a Landrover and trailer peak at 5300kg - I jolly well hope we don't have to install tachs in the tractors.
Click to expand...

Update on that is that farmers/agricultural contractors will retain the exemption on tachos that they now have i.e. not more than 50 km from base. Over that and they do/will.
 
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Lakesailor said:
Further to Duncanmac's warning about vehicles possibly needing tachographs I spotted this News Item which infers that if the vehicle and trailer/load's combined weight exceeds 3500kg a tachograph will be required.
Does this apply in non-commercial towing instances? It's not clear.
Click to expand...

Phil,
That was one of the points I was trying to make. Thank you for making it again!

Actually, I've just remembered someting germane to this (shocking memory)

If your towing vehicle has a maximum allowable mass (MAM) on the plate of over 3500kg and it has a towbar with ball/jaws fitted then you need a tacho and the LGV licence C1+E.
This as long been the case but will be prosecuted more vigorously in future as the "dual purpose" confusion will no longer exist.

Waah, this is me 2000th post.
 
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alexr - any source pleas ? This is slightly worrying as we often have mixed private and business loads coming back from a market, using a Landrover as the tow vehicle.
 
sarabande said:
alexr - any source pleas ? This is slightly worrying as we often have mixed private and business loads coming back from a market, using a Landrover as the tow vehicle.
Click to expand...

Try This Page
If it doesn't come up at the right spot, click on Section 2, Tachograph Chart

This is suggested reading from a page on the DfT site
 
alexrunic said:
providing it's for personal use you do not need a tacho or be govened by the rules for driving times etc.
Click to expand...

I understood that if the vehicle weight [MAM] was over 3500 kg you had to have a working tachograph fitted but, if the journey was a personal one i. e non commercial ,you did not have yo use it.
thats certainly the interpretation here and I assume its all Big Brother Brussels calling the shots
 
Lakesailor said:
Read the link I gave
In the chart vehicles not used for hire or reward or commercial carriage of goods are exempt.
Click to expand...

I had this problem when putting my small lorry through the Test.even though it only carried my horses it had to have a tachograph.not the garages interpretation of the rules,I took it up with the relevant authorities.
it had to have a tachograph fitted as the gross weight exceeded 3500kg but I did not have to use the tacho when using the lorry for my own personal use.
the article refered to was a bit ambiguous but I took it to read that the MAM refered to the weight of towing vehicle with or without trailer so that if one or both together
exceeded 3500kg then the tacho requirement would cut in.
 
I see your point, and would probably read it that way. However, even the DfT admit that these are interpretations of the rules and need to be tested in court.
 
drawkins said:
I had this problem when putting my small lorry through the Test.even though it only carried my horses it had to have a tachograph.not the garages interpretation of the rules,I took it up with the relevant authorities.
it had to have a tachograph fitted as the gross weight exceeded 3500kg but I did not have to use the tacho when using the lorry for my own personal use.
the article refered to was a bit ambiguous but I took it to read that the MAM refered to the weight of towing vehicle with or without trailer so that if one or both together
exceeded 3500kg then the tacho requirement would cut in.
Click to expand...

When you take any vehicle over 3500kgs for it's annual HGV test apply and fill in the tachograph exemption form if it is for privet use only or your own goods.
Also if the vehicle is post 2004 you have to now fill a mirror exemption form.
NB if you intend to pull a trailer over 3ton privet or otherwise it needs a taco in full operation and you have to keep to all the regs that come with it..
 
duncanmack said:
Update on that is that farmers/agricultural contractors will retain the exemption on tachos that they now have i.e. not more than 40 km from base. Over that and they do/will.
Click to expand...

It will probably further encourage the misuse of tractors using red diesel and trailers being used for general haulage. We get them round Shropshire and Cheshire blocking the roads up on very long trips.
 
Old salt,
NB if you intend to pull a trailer over 3ton privet or otherwise it needs a taco in full operation and you have to keep to all the regs that come with it..
Click to expand...

Is it only towing 3t of privet or does it apply to any hedging shrub?

Sorry couldn't resist.
 
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