A couple of months ago there was an, at times, controversial discussion regarding what is meant by 'braked towing weight'. Reference was made to a DfT Information Sheet "Requirements for Trailers" which made, to my mind, contains some misleading statements. I agreed to get in touch with the DfT so I sent them the following email:
The above information sheet (weblink: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/info_trailers.pdf) contains two errors which could have serious implications for people towing trailers close to the legal limit.
It makes the following statements
The above information sheet (weblink: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/info_trailers.pdf) contains two errors which could have serious implications for people towing trailers close to the legal limit.
It makes the following statements
:
For M1 category vehicles (motor vehicles used for the carriage of passengers and comprising not more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat) the maximum permissible trailer weight may be quoted by the vehicle manufacturer. Alternatively, the vehicle manufacturer may provide a maximum gross train weight (the laden weight of the trailer plus the laden weight of the towing vehicle).
Both of these statements are incorrect.
Per EU Directive 95/48/EC the vehicle manufacturer specifies the maximum permissible 'towable mass' and this, according to paragraph 2.6 of the same directive, is defined as ‘the mass of the trailer towed excluding the vertical load on the coupling point of the towing vehicle'. In other words, what the vehicle manufacturer specifies is NOT the total laden weight of the trailer.
The laden weight of the trailer includes the 'vertical load on the coupling point of the towing vehicle' (using the terminology of the EU Directive) or 'noseweight', as it is commonly referred to. However, this noseweight is also part of the laden weight of the towing vehicle when then trailer is attached to it. Therefore, by adding the laden weight of the towing vehicle to the laden weight of the trailer the noseweight has been counted twice and the result is therefore NOT the gross train weight. It would be correct to add the weight of the laden towing vehicle (which includes the 'noseweight') to the total axle load of the trailer.
At last, they have finally responded with the following reply:
I am sorry that the advice is not precise enough for you. Your comments are correct, however the purpose of the fact sheet is to help people who have no conception of how the legislation works and who contact us about specific vehicles asking how much they can tow. It would be ideal if everyone looked up the exact legislation like yourself, but because that is not the case, we have to simplify a certain amount. The idea we are trying to convey, is that for people who wish to know how much they can tow, the information is freely available –marked on the vehicle’s VIN plate, listed on the V5C and/or in the handbook.
I find their reply a bit non-commital. One seems to have difficulty in stating quite clearly and in as many words that one has made a mistake, but hopefully they will revise the text in the information sheet before issuing the next edition.