Lightweight Trailer??

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tanyajade

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Hi,
Can somebody tell me the make of a lightweight trailer please?
I'm looking to buy something 2nd hand, doesn't have to be flashy. Ideally to carry two horses. So a lightweight trailer that's also strong! With a MAM of about 1700kg or under.
Thanks
 
Batesons and Chevals are both very lightweight. I have a Cheval as I don't have a 4x4 so needed something lightweight and it tows beautifully.
 
Its the 1700 (or less) kgs MAM I do not get .....

I suppose it could be for B licence towing but I cannot think of any vehicles with a GVW of 1800 that would tow 1700 kgs
 
I'm assuming is for driving without having to take trailer test as that's why I opted for lightweight.

If that is the case it's also worth remembering that a full tank of fuel, tack, people (10stone person = 63kg) and the 3.5ton allowance soon mounts up. That's why I ended up with a single trailer as once I'd accounted for all the extras I would of been way over the limit.
 
Taken from .Gov wesbite. First paragraph refers to GVW, second paragraph refers to unladen/kerb weight. Which is right? I've been calculating from the kerb weight now grr!! And I thought the trailer MAM outweighing the vehicle rule had been revoked. .Gov isn't very clear!

1st

Licences held from 1 January 1997
You’ll need to take a practical test to get a B+E entitlement on your licence if you passed your driving test after this date and hold a category B (car) licence.

You’ll need to do this if you want to tow a trailer or caravan heavier than 750 kilograms (kg) when the combined maximum authorised mass (MAM) of the towing vehicle and the trailer or caravan is more than 3,500kg.

MAM means the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely when it’s being used on the road. This is also known as gross vehicle weight.



2nd

Licences held from 1 January 1997
If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can drive either:
• a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500 kilograms (kg) Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (with a combined weight of up to 4,250kg in total)
• a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as it is no more than the unladen or ‘kerb’ weight of the towing vehicle (with a combined weight of up to 3,500kg in total)


Which paragraph is true?
 
Frosty89 said:
I'm assuming is for driving without having to take trailer test as that's why I opted for lightweight.

If that is the case it's also worth remembering that a full tank of fuel, tack, people (10stone person = 63kg) and the 3.5ton allowance soon mounts up. That's why I ended up with a single trailer as once I'd accounted for all the extras I would of been way over the limit.
Click to expand...

If the trailer has a MAM of 1400 kgs then the vehicle max GVW would be 2100 kgs
If either the trailer MAM or the vehicle GVW are exceeded then that is illegal
 
I have a Bateson Derby. Super little trailer and very lightweight (675 kg). I bought mine 2nd hand from ebay for a bargain price (just over £1000). Its light inside, has a low floor so tows really well and on a suitable surface I can move it on my own.
The downside would be it has no side ramp but mine all reverse off with no problem and that always adds to the weight. Also you have a height restriction of about 15.2hh, again not a problem for me.
 
tanyajade said:
Taken from .Gov wesbite. First paragraph refers to GVW, second paragraph refers to unladen/kerb weight. Which is right? I've been calculating from the kerb weight now grr!! And I thought the trailer MAM outweighing the vehicle rule had been revoked. .Gov isn't very clear!

1st

Licences held from 1 January 1997
You’ll need to take a practical test to get a B+E entitlement on your licence if you passed your driving test after this date and hold a category B (car) licence.

You’ll need to do this if you want to tow a trailer or caravan heavier than 750 kilograms (kg) when the combined maximum authorised mass (MAM) of the towing vehicle and the trailer or caravan is more than 3,500kg.

MAM means the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely when it’s being used on the road. This is also known as gross vehicle weight.



2nd

Licences held from 1 January 1997
If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can drive either:
• a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500 kilograms (kg) Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (with a combined weight of up to 4,250kg in total)
• a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as it is no more than the unladen or ‘kerb’ weight of the towing vehicle (with a combined weight of up to 3,500kg in total)


Which paragraph is true?
Click to expand...

The 'kerb' weight rule was revoked on 19/01/2013 so that is out of date

The rest is ok but written badly so this is how I put it in plain english ....

The EXTRA rule for B licence towing where the trailer is over 750 kgs plated MAM is ...
The vehicle GVW added to the trailer plated MAM must not be more than 3500 kgs when totalled

All other rules are the same as for B+E licence towing


So.... why the 1700 MAM figure ?
 
Yes it's for that reason! Thank you. I keep reading different things, from the official sources too. One used gross vehicle weight, one used unladen weight.
I might be best buying a single trailer like you, double was just handy for when I want to take someone hacking, I don't like going on my own :( x
 
When I spoke to DVLA I was told..

The combined weight of the car and trailer can not exceed 3.5ton, that includes horse, passengers, tack, fuel, so on.. The car must also be heavier than the trailer and be within the towing capacity.
 
I thought it was revoked too, but that's still on the .Gov website now. It is really poorly written! Well I've been looking at vehicles with kerb weight of around 1750kg (tow capacity of 2000kg)
So I wanted a MAM trailer of around 1750kg or less. But You're saying it's NOT the kerb weight, it's the GVW. Which is around the 2000kg mark. ******!!
 
Frosty89 said:
When I spoke to DVLA I was told..

The combined weight of the car and trailer can not exceed 3.5ton, that includes horse, passengers, tack, fuel, so on.. The car must also be heavier than the trailer and be within the towing capacity.
Click to expand...

They did not tell you everything because that could be misinterpretted as actual weight but the law for licencing works on potentiial weights such as GVW and MAM or MTPLM = that all mean the same thing which is the maximum legal weight something can be

This is why B licence towing goes on potential max legal weights with vehicle GVW added to plated trailer MAM


To the OP -
You need to find the GVW of your vehicle then deduct that figure from 3500 which will then giive you the max for the plated trailer MAM if towing on a B licence
 
tanyajade said:
I thought it was revoked too, but that's still on the .Gov website now. It is really poorly written! Well I've been looking at vehicles with kerb weight of around 1750kg (tow capacity of 2000kg)
So I wanted a MAM trailer of around 1750kg or less. But You're saying it's NOT the kerb weight, it's the GVW. Which is around the 2000kg mark. ******!!
Click to expand...

You misinterperetted the rules completely especially the kerb weight one - you aint the only one !

You have used your vehicle kerb weight added to trailer MAM instead of using vehicle GVW and trailer MAM
 
I'm starting to worry now you've said that ROG *runs off to find vehicle documents*

My cars GVW (I'm assuming that's gross weight) is 1930kg my trailer weighs 655kg unladen and my horse is 520kg and from looking on Chevals website I think my trailer MAM is 1400kg, am I okay? I gave my insurers all the details and they never questioned it.
 
tanyajade said:
GVW 2080kg. No way I'm going to find a double trailer with a MAM of 1420kg. It'd have to weighabout 450kg unladen!
Click to expand...
You got the rules sorted = good for you

1 average weight horse (600 max) with a trailer weighing max 800 empty with a MAM of 1400 is what you are looking for

One example would be an IFOR HB401/403 with an unladen weight of 770 and a MAM of 1600 which can be down plated to 1400 by contacting IFOR and then being directed to one of their dealers for the plate to be changed at little or no cost
 
Frosty89 said:
I'm starting to worry now you've said that ROG *runs off to find vehicle documents*

My cars GVW (I'm assuming that's gross weight) is 1930kg my trailer weighs 655kg unladen and my horse is 520kg and from looking on Chevals website I think my trailer MAM is 1400kg, am I okay? I gave my insurers all the details and they never questioned it.
Click to expand...
1930+1400=3330 so 170 to spare for B licence towing

655+520=1175 so 225 spare for the trailer

1930 does sound like the GVW for a car and as long as the vehicle towing capacity allows for the actual weight of the empty trailer plus its load then you are fine
 
tanyajade said:
Well the two horses I'd want to tow around both around 460kg each. How accurate is weighing tape anyone?
Click to expand...

Not very, they are only a very rough guide, it depends on the build of your horse. I took mine to the vets to use the weight bridge, although I think they can bring them to the yard as well.
 
tanyajade said:
Licences held from 1 January 1997
If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can drive either:
• a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500 kilograms (kg) Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (with a combined weight of up to 4,250kg in total)
Click to expand...

Sorry to hijack this thread, but does this mean I can tow a trailer with a 3.5t horsebox?

Thanks x x
 
AlexHyde said:
Sorry to hijack this thread, but does this mean I can tow a trailer with a 3.5t horsebox?

Thanks x x
Click to expand...

If only got B licence then the max trailer plated MAM would be 750 kgs and that can be useful if needing to tow a small caravan for cooking/kipping in etc at events

If got B+E licence then you will be restricted by what the vehicle and not your licence says can be legally done
 
ROG said:
If only got B licence then the max trailer plated MAM would be 750 kgs and that can be useful if needing to tow a small caravan for cooking/kipping in etc at events

If got B+E licence then you will be restricted by what the vehicle and not your licence says can be legally done
Click to expand...

I have just a B licence, but didn't know this!

hmm might have to take a nosy at some small caravans! Will the usual unladen and gross weights apply to the trailer of 750kgs, so if I wanted to store tack and water in it I will still have to look what it can legally carry.

Thank you so much x x
 
AlexHyde said:
I have just a B licence, but didn't know this!

hmm might have to take a nosy at some small caravans! Will the usual unladen and gross weights apply to the trailer of 750kgs, so if I wanted to store tack and water in it I will still have to look what it can legally carry.

Thank you so much x x
Click to expand...
Caravans have a MIRO (empty weight) and a MTPLM (max loaded weight)
If MIRO is 600 and MTPLM is 750 then 150 can be loaded into it
 
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