Towing, am I legal???

[shawn9914]

I have been told by my Solis dealer that I cant tow my solis 26 on my trailer with my VW Tiguan as it has a maximum towing capacity of 2200kg but the trailer is plated at 2700kg. The trailer and tractor weigh just over 2000kg so I'm within my cars  limit but the trailer is plated heavier at 2700kg so he is saying I'm illegal.

But I'm not sure he is right as i found this on the internet from a horse box company

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by shawn9914
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[243deer]

I think the dealer is wrong and I would crack on. Always having a trailer rated for exactly the weight you are towing would be ludicrous in the extreme.

You have everything right using a trailer with a greater than needed capacity and being 200kg below your max towing weight.

[shawn9914]

Just found this on the department of transport website so it does look like the dealer is wrong if you scroll down to the last paragraph. 

 

Published: 15/09/2021
On 14 September 2021, DfT announced an update to the guidance for towing a trailer with a car or van.
The weight and size of trailer that you can tow depends on at least 7 key factors. Any maximum weight specified under any of these cannot be exceeded - even if other criteria seem to permit a higher weight.
Technical terms in bold are explained in section 7.

1. The capability of the towing vehicle
The chassis plate on the vehicle (see table in Section 7) states the maximum weights allowed - the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and the Gross Combination Weight (GCW).
The vehicle handbook will either repeat what is on the chassis plate, or for convenience, might directly specify the maximum weight of trailer (eg 750kg) which is allowed to be towed. The V5C registration certificate often shows this too, under sections O1 and O2 (depending on whether trailer has brakes or not). Exceeding any of the above weights is likely to be construed as using a vehicle in a dangerous condition.
Where the sum of the maximum plated weights of the towing vehicle and of the trailer added together exceed the plated GCW of the towing vehicle, this is not a problem as long as the ‘actual’ weights of the vehicle and trailer (which may not be fully laden at the time) do not exceed the plated GCW.

[scarecrow243]

i would use a motor with a higher towing capacity as you very close to yours this is not good for the motor if your motor had a higher towing capacity then that would be fine

[miki]

There is the 85% rule (a guideline rather than law) which sates that you shouldn't tow more than 85% of the car's kerb weight.
Your Tiguan wieghs 1650kg (?) so in real tems you shouild only be towing a max wieght of 1400Kgs...

The manufacturer gives the max towing limit based on the cars mechanical capabilities e.g. braking clutch engine power etc. A Landrover Defender (2.25T) can tow 3.5T ... I have tried and it didn't feel that safe to be honest.
Similarly the trailer will have a rating which is relative to the mechanical capabilities of the trailer.

I am tending to side with the dealer here as the trailer and load should not exceed the kerb wieght of the car ... you break that rule (I think) so "No"

http://www.towingcapacity.co.uk/towing-capacity-calculator.html
 

 

[Stonepark]

Likewise, if the unladen trailer is within your towing capacity you are good to go.

 

If the normally (partially) laden trailer is within your towing capacity you are good to go.

 

If the fully Laden trailer is greater than your towing capacity, you need a bigger vehicle.

[Agriv8]

I would air on the side of caution depending on distance and terrain you intend to tow over !

I have towed trailer with car’s close to plated limit and when the trailer starts steering the car you need some balls !

if you are heading up some hills you may find that the car can’t do the beans !

motorways can be fun in your situation 

Agriv8 

[bigroomboy]

With the old licence system this applies to what you could tow. Eg without a licence you could only tow a trail MAM of 750 unbraked or a braked trailer MAM a proportion of the tow vehicle (almost impossible to achieve without getting the trailer replated). That no longer applies as the have scrapped the trailer licence and everybody can tow up to 3500kg but there are some differences over total vehicle and trailer weight still. The actual trailer weight and tow vehicle capacity are your responsibility to be within permitted limited but the trailer MAM can't exceed 3500kg.