towing width

[petelee]

hi

can anyone please verify for me that the max width of a caravan is 2.3m as we are about to buy a hobby 650 and someone just mentioned that it is too wide at 6.5 to be towed in the uk

 

[rayc]

Pete, on PC home page under towing law it says 'max width up to 3500kg 2.3m, over 3500kg 2.55m. Ray

 

[354]

It is my understanding that anything over 2.3 m wide requires a commercial vehicle to tow it. Worth verifying for insurance purposes.

 

[RogerL_5041474]

There is a trailer width limit of 2.3 m for any towing vehicle which is under 3500 kg UNLADEN weight. In the UK this means that a commercial LGV is needed to tow a caravan wider than 2.3 m.

There are US giant pickups which exceed 3500 kg unladen but these aren't imported although they could be imported personally.

 

[Lutz]

The requirement for the towing vehicle to exceed 3500kg if the trailer is more than 2.3m wide does NOT apply to its unladen width but to its gross vehicle weight. The way I interpret the law, this means the actual gross vehicle weight and not the maximum permissible gross vehicle weight.

 

[petelee]

in leymans terms would i be able to tow a hobby prestige 650 with a 2.2 5 door frontera

 

[Lutz]

To my knowledge, the maximum GVW of a Frontera is around 2300kg, so you'd be way short of the necessary 3500kg even with it fully laden.

 

[Damian]

Pete, there are no "family" cars, including 4x4 varieties, such as Land Rover, FRontera, Kia etc which are heavy enough to legally tow the van you describe.

Whilst they may actually be able to move it, if you get stopped for a routine police check, you will be prosecuted, if you are involved in an accident, your insurance wil be invalidated.

The kind of size vehicle you are looking at tolegally tow this size van is something like the Mercedes Sprinter van.

 

[Lutz]

The big Toyota Landcruiser has a GVW of 3260kg. It may be possible to get it uprated to 3500kg. You'd have to get in touch with Toyota and ask them. That would be just about the only legal alternative if you don't want to tow with a commercial van.

 

[petelee]

hi

thanx just read the buyers guide in the mag and it clearly states on the hobby van reviews to keep within the legal limit of 2.3m just seems a shame as we thought we'd hit on a real bargain and another seller told me an 8' wide one is legal also having seen these vans its difficult to lower our expectations as we are limited to around

 

[Lutz]

Maybe the wider vans that you saw being towed by a car or 4x4 were foreign registered. The UK is the only European country with a 2.3m limit. Last year, I wrote to the Vehicle Standards and Engineering Division of the Department of Transport and they indicated that there were no plans at present to bring UK law regarding vehicle width into line with EU regulations.

Holidaymakers from the Continent with wider 'vans are, however, exempted despite the restriction.

 

[RogerL_5041474]

Lutz, I'm unsure about the rest of Europe but in the UK the UNLADEN weight has to be greater than 3500 kg to tow any trailer wider than 2.3 m.

Until the EU forces us to abolish all UK law from the last 1000 years we're still allowed to have different rules!

 

[Lutz]

I'm afraid you are wrong about the unladen weight having to be over 3500kg. It is the GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT that counts. Please refer to the following webpage from the Department for Transport (you can't get much more official than that):

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_506866.hcsp
The EU Regulations make provisions for local deviations like the one in this case but I really don't see what purpose this particular restriction in the UK serves. What has trailer width to do with weight of towing vehicle? If it were trailer weight I could understand, but width?!!

 

[Michael_5068145]

I'm afraid that "Jonny Foreigner" is alowed to tow that carvan in his country, and in the UK, with his car, but you must use a comercial vehicle here in the UK.

This is a subject where we could all benefite from EU law being introduced in to the UK. These caravans, whilst only a few inches wider than ours, seem MUCH roomier. I would love one.

Perhaps Practical Caravan would organise a campaign, enabling people to write to their MP's and MEP's urging a change in our law.

I am sure that it could suceed, but only if we all pull together.

Any takers ?

Michael

 

[jacky3]

Maximum sizes for towing

Towing vehicle under 3500kg GVW

Length (excluding the coupling and drawbar)

7.0 metres

Maximum width

2.3 metres

Towing vehicle over 3500kg GVW

Length (excluding the coupling and drawbar)

12 metres if at least 4 wheels

Maximum width

2.55 metres

Length of towing vehicle & trailer combined

18 metres

Maximum overhang of load from rear of trailer

3.05 metres