Blatman Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 GVW is the weight of the vehicle when it is full of fuel, two "average" weight people and IIRC 25Kg's of luggage. That weight will be the plated weight and is the weight used for calculating the weight of the "trailer" that the car has now become if you are using an A frame or a dolly... Quote
Black Shadow Posted April 12, 2006 Author Posted April 12, 2006 Thanks guys for your replies, looks like I'm back to finding a trailer. Anyone know of any cheap trailer hire places in Bucks....... I've looked around using google and yell.com etc but not having much luck. Better still anyone know of any secure places I could store a trailer near Amersham / Chesham area, I'm willing to pay for it. Quote
Blatman Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 Try www.lockupgarages.co.uk, or your local authority who will have garages to rent. You may even find something in the local rag... Quote
The Great Fandango Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 Hello all! It's 3.00am and I've just got back to Leeds from Horsham were I'd bought my "Dolly" on eBay... All I can say is they're a b******d to tow with no car on top! It was jumping around all over the place when I went over even minor bumps in the road. 256 miles with cruise control stuck on 45 mph... you do the calculations! Robin, thanks for the advice. I'm going to see how it goes with this unit. Let's be honest, I was overtaken by at least 20 police today and they didn't bat an eyelid. If I only use it 4 times a year that's a risk I might be willing to take... Bonuses are this is an american style device, so the Westfield literally drives on with no need for ramps. The front wheels of the Westfield will never be more than 3 inches off the ground. The Dolly is 7'6" and guess what, the gate to my drive is 7'6" wide too! Scraped through! - Lucky eh? I'll post some photos tomorrow (or is that today?) Best regards Kyle Quote
samcooke Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 Ever so slightly off topic then: Does the plated weight work the same with a proper trailer? My car has a capacity of 1200kg, the trailer is 500kg and the car 430kg, so comfortablly within the limit, but not if the plated weight is what the fuzz check. Though thinking about it, I've heard of people being driven to weighbridges to check trailer weights so prolly not, but confirmation would be reassuring. Quote
Peter M Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 Your car will have a max gross weight which is basically the empty weight of the car plus its max payload which legally you cannot exceed.Your car would also been given a max unbraked / braked trailer weights this then would be the max you could tow (trailer+ weight of car on trailer) you should also have a max train weight for your vehicle ie tow car +trailer+car on trailer which should not be exceeded. Example my car kerb weight 1175kg max weight 1725kg max tow 1300kg Total train weight 2700kg So you can see i can load the car without trailer to 1725kg but then i have to reduce the load in the car to be able to utilise my max trailer weight of 1300 kg. By the way if the trailer is unbraked then my max towing weight is only 650kg and this is why towing dollys are illegal as Blatman says. Quote
samcooke Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 Yup, get all that. Just wanting to make sure that the weight of car on trailer is the actual weight, not the plated weight. Quote
Martin Keene Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 Let's be honest, I was overtaken by at least 20 police today and they didn't bat an eyelid. If I only use it 4 times a year that's a risk I might be willing to take... But you hadn't got a car on it, therefore it's perfectly legal. It's when you put a car on them it all goes wrong. Quote
Peter M Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 Let's be honest, I was overtaken by at least 20 police today and they didn't bat an eyelid. If I only use it 4 times a year that's a risk I might be willing to take... As Martin says there was no car on it and thats perfectly legal.If you do put a car on it hope V.O.S.A. dont stop you. Quote
Guest Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 invalidating insurance is just not worth it , ok you might not get paid out on a claim , but think just think if said accident included a fatality , your looking at a jail term , surely getting away with it is not worth that risk ,and as accidents are exactly that the risk is impossible to calculate. Quote
Blatman Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 invalidating insurance is just not worth it , ok you might not get paid out on a claim , but think just think if said accident included a fatality , your looking at a jail term , surely getting away with it is not worth that risk ,and as accidents are exactly that the risk is impossible to calculate. Precisely. Tow with a doly/A-frame all you want. Just don't come looking foir help when you do come across a traffic cop who knows his onions (they're out there) or you stuff it and your insurance company (who will be actively looking for a way out of paying) refuse to cover a claim against you, you could be in a worl of pain. Yes the risk is small, but it's a totally avoidable risk... Quote
Blatman Posted April 14, 2006 Posted April 14, 2006 Think getting a tug is unlikely? Read this. I'd say he was really unlucky 'cos he was doing it all properly. All it needs is one clued up copper or VOSA bloke who knows his trailer law, and you're stuffed... Quote
Man On The Clapham Omnibus Posted April 15, 2006 Posted April 15, 2006 bl**** Hell, that's a bit draconian. All with single axle trailers ought to take serious note of that. Quote
Peter M Posted April 15, 2006 Posted April 15, 2006 This web site worth looking at especially the number of people stopped and the offences committed.This site may have been posted before on a previous dolly debate. Towing Rules Quote
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