Is This Legal?

[HunTheBun]

Hypothetical - I don't want you to think I'm actually considering this as a viable option, I purely want to know whether its legal.

If a car towing a trailer with a pony in was to break down, could another car tow the two (providing they are within the weight restrictions)?

Many thanks.

 

[Luci07]

That's interesting. I would think it would be incredible unsafe but was trying to think around it. Probably better to involve the police and be safely cordoned off, unhitched trailer ( hence may need the police if need to unload the horse) and hitch up the outer vehicle. I know that only specialist vehicle removal will move broken down vehicles with livestock.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

Nope - because there is no car (or even 4x4 landy type vehicle) that is capable of doing it safely (and would struggle immensely to pull it all to start, let alone deal with stopping), and I think the police will have something to say to see a hitched trailer being towed.

 

[ecrozier]

I'm not sure that is true Nugget La Poneh... For example if you had an estate car pulling a single trailer with a lightweight horse/pony in, I reckon the train weight might come in under 3.5 t? Which a proper 4x4 can tow. However I think it would be very dangerous for stopping/braking!!

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I'm not sure that is true Nugget La Poneh... For example if you had an estate car pulling a single trailer with a lightweight horse/pony in, I reckon the train weight might come in under 3.5 t? Which a proper 4x4 can tow. However I think it would be very dangerous for stopping/braking!!

Didn't say it couldn't be done - just not safely.

And it is a fine line on cars towing ponies in trailers as it is, without putting an extra link in (literally)

 

[ROG]

Nope - because there is no car (or even 4x4 landy type vehicle) that is capable of doing it safely (and would struggle immensely to pull it all to start, let alone deal with stopping), and I think the police will have something to say to see a hitched trailer being towed.

To tow it legally weight wise is possible but to control the whole set up would be almost impossible
Emergency only to the nearest safe place

Xtrail towing a HB403 with a 500 kgs horse would likely be an absolulte max actual weight of 3500 and some bigger 4X4s are designed to tow that

 

[alainax]

There are some interesting pages in towing double. Ofc the weight is a huge concer, but also the fact you now are double jointed.Effectively becoming a train I'm guessing it would be similar as to pulling two trailers, considering the middle car wouldn't be doing any driving - I found this


"Towing 2 trailers is only permitted if the tow vehicle is a goods vehicle registered with DVLA as a Showman's Vehicle which is a taxation class. You'd have to show them that you were a circus/fairground owner/operator. AFAIK it used to only be permitted at certain times and days even with the showman's plate-though that may have changed.

Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (c. 22)

"showman's goods vehicle" means a showman's vehicle which—
(a) is a goods vehicle, and
(b) is permanently fitted with a living van or some other special type of body or superstructure forming part of the equipment of the show of the person in whose name the vehicle is registered under this Act,
"showman's vehicle" means a vehicle—
(a) registered under this Act in the name of a person following the business of a travelling showman, and
(b) used solely by him for the purposes of his business and for no other purpose,"


So no, a car can't tow 2 trailers( or a car plus trailer presumably), but a goods vehicle with a particular exemption could.


Could get away with car on the back of the recovery truck and the truck pulling the trailer though

 

[smellsofhorse]

I would think it is unsafe to control.

So dont THINK it would be legal,
Whether it is or not, i dont know.

As smeone said.

if a car/4x4 breaks down.
The police will assist all they can nd will close roads etc to rehitch a trailer safely.
Sometimes they will unload other times obviosly not.

 

[navaho]

Well....i have to hold my hands up & admit we did this, not through choice i might add though. LWB Nissan Terrano had broken down (clutch had gone) at night, with an old rice front unload trailer on the back with horses in the back. The plan was to unhitch the trailer & re-hitch to ours & tow to a safe place. However, we soon discovered there was no jockey wheel & no way of unhitching the trailer (we did try jacking the hitch up but our jack wasnt tall enough). So in the end we ended up towing the whole lot, have to say our shogun Sport did us proud that night.
I wouldnt recommend anyone did it as a rule but sometimes needs must.