160 [HP ?] to Tow a Diesel Yaris - 'Toad' (1 Viewer)

[davidallan]

Our '56 Twin rear wheel Transit Durashift MH wants to tow the above Yaris.....
We had the Transit chipped recently., [It was 125/350T] Now its 160/350T.
Obviously the Yaris is quite a bit heavier than the present Smarty 'toad'.

Will we be ok with such a thought....any help most welcome

 

[chatter]

and your transit told you this did it




mmmmmmmm


is this a case of 'I hear voices':rollonfloor:






sorry i cant help with your question
but i couldnt help myself just had to post something - knightrider springs to mind

 

[Landy lover]

Are we on the ball this morniing or what Maggie

In answer to your question davidallan I would start off by looking at your plated weights and your normal running weight bearing in mind that in law it is not the actual weight of the vehicle that you will be towing it is the plated gross weight of the trailer (in this case your toad). IMO it is never good to be always running at maximum weights all the time the fact it is 160bhp does not necessarily mean it has the capability it is the torque band and gear ratios that will dictate the ease with which it pulls a load.

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[Dodgey]

Hijack:Blush:

Plated weight, if you've got an A frame on a car hitched up and say the car for arguments sake had a gross weight of 2ton but actually weighed 1.5 tons including the frame and you plated the A frame as 1.5 ton, is that legal, notion being if the car plus A frame is regarded as a trailor as long as the frames plated and the 'trailor' doesn't exceed the plated weight.....?

 

[Landy lover]

Hijack:Blush:

Plated weight, if you've got an A frame on a car hitched up and say the car for arguments sake had a gross weight of 2ton but actually weighed 1.5 tons including the frame and you plated the A frame as 1.5 ton, is that legal, notion being if the car plus A frame is regarded as a trailor as long as the frames plated and the 'trailor' doesn't exceed the plated weight.....?

My take on that from what I have gleaned from VOSA is that the tow gear must relate to the weight involved, they are always working on the gross possible weight so although you are only on the road @ 1.5 tonnes you could be at 2 tonnes - to give you an example a farmer on Exmoor the other day was given an £800 fine for a technical overload towing an empty 3.5 tonne trailer with a L200 truck - both were empty the truck had a maximum rated tow of 2.2 tonnes the empty trailer was weighing at 1.1 tonnes - hope this helps

 

[slobadoberbob]

tip of the iceberg

My take on that from what I have gleaned from VOSA is that the tow gear must relate to the weight involved, they are always working on the gross possible weight so although you are only on the road @ 1.5 tonnes you could be at 2 tonnes - to give you an example a farmer on Exmoor the other day was given an £800 fine for a technical overload towing an empty 3.5 tonne trailer with a L200 truck - both were empty the truck had a maximum rated tow of 2.2 tonnes the empty trailer was weighing at 1.1 tonnes - hope this helps

This is just the tip of the iceberg.. I have a long list of cases in my Wilkinsons Traffic Offences re towed vehiles. i.e what is a trailer and what is not let alone the contruction rules of weights and build.

VOSA are getting hot on trailers and towed cars. Even on my wheelchair trailer I have had to had extra lights fitted to cover the wheel arches and not just on the drop down board. Plus when overseas I have had to put a 90 sign on the back as I am over 3.5 tons (Winnebago) plus the long vehilce sign board due to how long I am with the trailer (just over 30').

What about fog lights? or the other dozens of issues of trailers and we have not got on to what is legal to tow a car or not on an A frame (read braking issues). Very complex but a lot of people are getting hauled into court and have been for a number of years, but as it is little reported, on the whole motorhome owners are not aware of the problems. Like it is illegal to tow a car in France unless it is on a trailers. Or that in Portugal the trailer has to have it's own number plate. What is legal or we get away with in the UK does not apply on the other side of the channel despite being all in the EU. Having said that it seems we are now getting a harder time in the UK than we were.

Speaking from the legal point of view as a retired lawyer I have found it is a case of people do not check the rules and just because they see a motor home pulling a car they think they can and of course there are many companies selling the A frames as you can see in the MMM each month. But how many people actually check the regulations before they part with there cash I wonder? But why complain, plenty of lawyers making a living apperaing in the magistrates courts defending drivers that have not bothered to check the rules. That is why I end up paying £300 for extra lights to be fitted because I do not need them, just it seems to comply with the law? Just the same laws that say I stop at red lights. Would I go through them if everyone else did? may be in parts of South Africa I would and have, but this is the UK and I do not just do my thing.

Sorry if I am not singing the prases of towing a car, but I have spent to many years reading the law books and see so many silly people that cannot understand why they find it hard to stop when being pushed by a car being pulled along that is a similar weight to the car that is towing it. Down right silly in my books, but that is my view.

Bob:Angry:

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