Towing
Capacities
When towing a trailer great care should be taken
and more responsibility accepted. Remember Safety
first! Accidents involving trailers are much worse
with greater consequences than without a trailer.
You vehicle is longer and heavier and all your load
is anchored to your vehicle at one small point.
Like an airline pilot you must regularly check the
condition of your trailer and linkage to make sure
that you arrive safely and with everything that
you had at the start of your journey.
Loading
your trailer or caravan is critical to safe driving
as is the knowledge of your towing weights and capacity
for your vehicle. Getting this wrong can cost you
dearly.
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You can buy towing scales which measure
the total weight of your towed load to make sure that
it doesn't exceed the capacity of your vehicle but equally
important is to make sure that your load is spread evenly.
The following was submitted to CLIC by Ian Willis in answer
to an inquiry about the 85% beginners towing rule. It
was generally thought within CLIC, that Ian's words helped
to clarify the situation as regards to towing in Great
Britain.
85% (or even 100%) rules are not "rules" but guidelines
which have no substance in law. They are designed to ensure
that the outfit will be stable (all other factors being
equal). Exceeding this figure, whilst not illegal in itself,
COULD lead to prosecution if the driver was stopped because
of (say) instability or after an accident as there is
a requirement on the driver to ensure the safety of his
vehicle in the Construction and Use Regulations.
Usually a manufacturer will quote a tow weight which is
far greater than the mass of the vehicle. Generally this
is based on the total train weight (car + caravan) which
can be started on a 12% gradient.
Where this weight (or any other e.g. nose weight) is given
as lower by the manufacturer the user ignores it at his
peril. Insurance could well be void after an accident -
worse, the illegal combination could cause the accident
if the vehicle is unable to handle it.
The big problem we have in the UK is the traffic density,
especially on Motorways, which has caravans in close proximity
to both cars and large goods vehicles at speed. The vortices
encountered can cause trailers to wander if not loaded correctly
and matched to the towing vehicle.
