Maximum length confusion

[sion_374369281]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking to buy an Abbey Spectrum 520, which has a length of over 23ft. I'm told that my car (a new shape modeo zetec tdci) would be illigal to tow this length of vehicle because it's under 3500 kg's. However, there seems to be a lot of caravans over this 23ft threshold and I'm wondering what vehicles peole are using to pull them. Cars and 4x4's over 3500kg are pretty rare and were even rarer in 1996 when the caravan I'm thinking od buying was built. The caravan dealer says the car's perfectly legal to tow it (the weight ration is fine), but I'm a bit wary that he's more concerned with his profit margin than any argument I may find myself in with a VOSA guy and his tape-measure. Any comments would really be appriciated.

 

[Dave_374330759]

Maximum Dimensions

Towing vehicle under 3500kg maximum gross weight

Length - (excluding the drawbar and coupling) 7.0 metres

Width Maximum 2.3 metres

Towing Vehicle over 3500kg maximum gross weight

Length - (excluding the drawbar and coupling) 12 metres

Width Maximum 2.55 metres

Combined length of towing vehicle & trailer 18 metres

Maximum overhang of load from rear of trailer 3.05 metres

Therefore assuming that the body of the van is 5.2 metres (generally van manufactures use the body length in the model number- ie Spectrum 520)it's a lot less than 7 metres (23 ft) max that you are allowed so you should be OK.

 

[Lutz]

The 7m (roughly 23ft) legal limit does not apply to the overall length, but to the length excluding coupling and drawbar.

 

[geoffh]

The 7m (roughly 23ft) legal limit does not apply to the overall length, but to the length excluding coupling and drawbar.

Lutz

I live in france do you know what the limits are here and eslewhere in the eu I fancy a hobby caravan

thanks

geoff

 

[geoffh]

Lutz

I live in france do you know what the limits are here and eslewhere in the eu I fancy a hobby caravan

thanks

geoff

 

[Lutz]

I believe the UK is an exception in the EU limiting the length of trailers behind cars to 7m. To my knowledge, none of the other countries differentiate between cars and heavy commercial vehicles towing trailers so the max. length in France (and everywhere else except the UK and Sweden) is the standard 12m. It would be best to check elsewhere to confirm, but that's the information that I have.

 

[geoffh]

thanks lutz

its about time things like this are made standard across the eu

 

[Chrisbee]

The EU won't make this standard as the French already have it.Why change anything to that will only benifit the UK?

 

[Lutz]

It IS already the EU standard.

 

[RogerL]

12 x 2.5m may be a EU standard but the 7 x 2.3m limit will continue to apply in the UK to smaller vehicles until the EU have harmonised the population density per hectare across all member states.

The UK is a small heavily-congested island which doesn't have the same space as the rest of the EU.

 

[Lutz]

The argument that the UK deviation from the EU standard is due to the country being a small heavily-congested island is not valid. If it were, it would have to apply to commercial vehicles, too. There are lots more of those on the road in the UK than there would ever be of large caravans over 7m long or 2.3m wide. The odd large caravan would go almost unnoticed among all the big trucks.

 

[RogerL]

The congested island argument is still perfectly valid - the fact that politicians ignore it for commercial vehicles but retain it for leisure purposes is a fact of life.

 

[Lutz]

It may be a fact of life, but doesn't make sense to discriminate against caravanners compared to other road users. As for the absolutely absurd law requiring the towcar to have a GVW greater than 3.5 tonnes if the width of the caravan is over 2.3m, that really takes some beating. What the weight of the towcar has to do with the width of the caravan is totally illogical.

 

[Chrisbee]

Of course it's illogical, it's a UK regulation.

 

[Dustydog]

How about those blokes who tow their gliders in a massively long test tube thing behind a Ford Mondeo?

Cheers

Alan

 

[Oldfogey]

I believe that the way a glider is towed is that the glider and the casing are legally the "load", which sits on a technically seperate trailer.

Hence:

Trailer - 7.0 metres

Drawbar - 1.0 metre

Rear overhang - 3.05 metres.

Total length 11.05 metres. - 36 feet. Long enough for a glider.

No weight problem, as gliders are incredibly light - or they wouldn't work.

 

[geoffh]

So If I come over with my French car could i tow a French registered caravan which is 2.5m wide in england?

 

[Earlybird]

Geoff h Yes as long as it is towed by a French Reg not British reg it is OK William

 

[geoffh]

thanks william

some laws are just plain stupid

Geoff

 

[Lutz]

Earlybird has given incorrect information. I live on the Continent, too, and enquired at the Department for Transport as to what the legal position regarding foreign registered vehicles is in the UK. Their reply was that no exception is made for visitors to the UK. However, in practice, I suspect that the powers-that-be will not take any action if you tour the UK with a caravan wider than 2.3m. Besides, there is currently no process whereby it can be enforced.