The 85% rule when towing? What is it and how important is it?

[PortuguesePony]

85% of what for a start? The vehicle unlaiden weight, the gross vehicle weight or the towing capacity?

Thanks to the help of ROG all my other figures work and I am all safely and legally within the limits for my towing combo but now I’ve just heard about this which has thrown a spanner in the works potentially.

Help! (Pretty please )

 

[mynutmeg]

Never heard of it, so far as I'm aware weight wise basically the weight of the towing vehicle must be greater than that of the laden trailer

 

[Dave282B]

The 85% rule is the trailer and contents must not be over 85% of the towcar. This is an advisory figure for your average driver towing trailers and is a good rule of thumb to stick to. I think legally you can go up to or even over 100% but obviously this is more tricky should things start to go wrong.

 

[NeverSayNever]

there is no 85% rule

it was a guideline issued by the caravan club donkeys years ago that still confuses people

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Sorry, just browsing this thread...... but can someone tell me what "ROG" is????

 

[meesha]

Some say he is....part human part robot.....sorry got carried away...actually he is the resident expert on all things towing etc on the forum...

 

[alainax]

Some say he is....part human part robot.....

Some say he was born pulling a trailer! Others say he knows the unladen weight of every car and trailer known to man... all we know..is he is called the ROG

 

[PortuguesePony]

it was a guideline issued by the caravan club donkeys years ago that still confuses people

Well mission accomplished caravan club!!

The 85% rule is the trailer and contents must not be over 85% of the towcar. This is an advisory figure for your average driver towing trailers and is a good rule of thumb to stick to. I think legally you can go up to or even over 100% but obviously this is more tricky should things start to go wrong.

According to the rule that you use/have heard of Dave282B – is that the fully laden trailer weight should not exceed 85% of the vehicle’s unladen/kerb weight? Or the Gross Vehicle Weight? Or the actual weight of it that day?? And why do they say you should? What happens if you don’t stick to this? Obviously I don’t want to do anything that could risk my animals during towing.
My plated gross trailer weight is 1400kg, with horsey in we’re looking at roughly 1300kg laden weight and the vehicle kerb/unladen weight is 1403kg so the car is still always going to be slightly heavier than trailer plus neddy but not within the 85% rule

Some say he was born pulling a trailer! Others say he knows the unladen weight of every car and trailer known to man... all we know..is he is called the ROG

LMAO!! Very good alainax!

 

[meesha]

Hehe

 

[ROG]

85% of what for a start? The vehicle unlaiden weight, the gross vehicle weight or the towing capacity?

Thanks to the help of ROG all my other figures work and I am all safely and legally within the limits for my towing combo but now I’ve just heard about this which has thrown a spanner in the works potentially.

Help! (Pretty please )

The 85% towing ADVICE, not rule, if for towing CARAVANS only

The caravan club (CC) suggests that newbies towing caravans should not exceed 85% of the vehicle actual weight

As the actual weights of the caravan and vehicle will vary depending what is loaded into them then the CC use the MPTLM (MAM) of the caravan and the listed kerbweight of the vehicle to make it easy for the worst case senario where the vehicle is empty and the caravan fully loaded

Example - kerbweight of vehicle 1000 kgs would mean a caravan MPTLM of 850 kgs

Experienced caravanners ignore this advice as they know it is not generally accurate for their set ups


If this advice was applied to horse trailers then most would have to go out and buy a much bigger vehicle to tow with as a trailer with a plated MAM of 2600 would need a vehicle with a kerbweight of around 2300 !!


Put the 85% thing in the bin where it belongs

 

[ROG]

I saw those ROG comments ........ cheeky monkeys

 

[KarlyHT]

You are a legend Rog! Keeping the towing community safe!

Rog you are fairly local to me, do you know anywhere that would check over a wooden floor on a trailer and all the metal work underneath to ensure its totally safe?

 

[ROG]

You are a legend Rog! Keeping the towing community safe!

Rog you are fairly local to me, do you know anywhere that would check over a wooden floor on a trailer and all the metal work underneath to ensure its totally safe?

Not my bag

 

[tallyho!]

Ha ha! Top gear has The Stig.... HHO has "The ROG"!

I love it! Legendary... Why has he still not been mentioned in the mag yet?? Or got his own column????

 

[PortuguesePony]

You are a legend Rog! Keeping the towing community safe!

You are indeed ROG Yet again you have completely put my mind at ease, thank you very much for your kind advice. And a massive PHEW! Thank [flip] for that!!!

 

[ROG]

If this advice was applied to horse trailers then most would have to go out and buy a much bigger vehicle to tow with as a trailer with a plated MAM of 2600 would need a vehicle with a kerbweight of around 2300 !!

Dopey me .... the 2300 and 2600 should be the other way around !!! DOH