Urgent Help - am I over weight

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Lorian

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BEDFORDSHIRE
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Hi

Im meant to be taking the horses on holiday on friday but now im worried im overweight to tow.

I have a land rover discovery R Reg 2.5 Diesel.
I tow an Ifor Williams HB505
In the trailer will be a 15 hand lightweight arab - approx 400kg
and a lightweight TB 15.2 around 500kg

We will have 2 people in the car (around 10 stone each) tack and a suitcase each.

Will we be over the towing weight for my car?

I cant find any information on the web that makes any sense to me.
Does anyone know the unladen weight of a hb505?
Does the weight im allowed to tow have to include the weight in the car?

Any information appricated.
Im really scared as a friend of a friend said they were pulled over with their ifor trailer towing 2 horses with a discovery and they were over weight! (
 
i would be very suprised if you are overweight for a disco! they're set to tow 3500kg.

if you are in doubt go to a public weighbridge or to a grain merchant and ask to borrow theirs!

ETA - BUT, does your licence cover you to tow over 750kg? you either need to have passed your test before 1997, or have category B+E on your licence
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the replies, I have passed my trailer test so that is ok.

I always thought it was just the weight of the trailer plus the horses that mattered and with our two small horses I would be fine.

However then I just got confused as I was told that the extra weight in the car (saddle/suitcase/people etc) would be added to the total weight I could tow. After reading your replies I think what I was told is wrong.

I feel much calmer about towing to Norfolk now. Thanks guys :)
 
Lorian said:
Thanks for the replies, I have passed my trailer test so that is ok.

I always thought it was just the weight of the trailer plus the horses that mattered and with our two small horses I would be fine.

However then I just got confused as I was told that the extra weight in the car (saddle/suitcase/people etc) would be added to the total weight I could tow. After reading your replies I think what I was told is wrong.

I feel much calmer about towing to Norfolk now. Thanks guys :)
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you should be fine the towing weight is what you can pull however there is something called gross train weight which means everthing combined= car its load and the trailer so unless your going to try carrying a ton of bricks or something in the boot as well as towing then you will be well under :D
 
As others have said, the 3.5 tonnes is the weight you can tow with the Disco. Again as said, unless you are going to load your car with bricks or iron ore, then your train weight will be fine :cool:
 
Your discovery is plated to tow 3500kgs trailer weighs 970ish (same model as mine- will look out weighbridge ticket one day!!) horses are 900kgs = 1800kgs this leaves you with 1700kgs ish (my maths is ****!) to play with!!

If you look at the VIN plate under the bonnet there are a couple of guides

the long number is your chassis or vehicle ID no.

then you have the kerb weight

then the max, towing limit

the the GTW THIS is the important one, the gross train weight, this is car, load, trailer, passengers etc combined which you must not exceed.

example my fourtrack:

17384849499409404083737838 blah!! = vin

1750kg - kerb weight

3500kg - towing capacity

5250kgs - GTW (gross train weight)

So well within the limits of what you want to tow!! - disco has same towing capacity.

My Vectra

1200kg - kerb weight
1400kg - towing capacity

2600kg - way over!! if you consider horses, passengers, tack, trailer etc!!

and I'd be well over the towing capacity of this car - hence it doesn't posses a towbar lol!!

Also the caravan club 85% "rule" isn't the law!! it's a recommendation for family cars towing caravans - not 4x4's and livestock movement!! It never fails to cause confusion!!
 
Godknows said:
Moses06

Doesn't the vehicle towing have to be heavier than the trailer laden?
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No not unless you only have a post 97 licence and haven't taken a trailer test, if you have then you can tow up to the manufactures maximum recomended weights and load the trailer to not exceed its weight rating ...
 
Its considered to be the ideal that your trailer (laden) does not weigh more than about 85% of your towing vehicle, so that the "tail doesn't wag the dog" but the figure to go by is the maximum towing weight as stated by the car manufacturer. The way you drive, so long as you are within your legal limits, is pretty crucial. I think with a discovery you should be pretty safe.
 
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