Tow Car

[Paul]

Would an Octavia VRS make a good tow car?

Can I tow my nova+trailer approx 1tonne on my current license?

Cheers

Paul

[AlexW]

750kg iirc on your license, unless the towing car can tow a certain amount more.

Cant think of the numbers so im not a lot of help. I know a pajero can tow legaly more than 750kg on the same license.

[ade]

when did you pass your test?

if before 1997 then you should be okay - otherwise youre limited to ickle trailers - a Nova on a trailer would be a No go (I'm caught as only passed in 1997 and cant tow an ifor williams horse box)

[Spudly]

I cant see a reason as to why it would not bud, but as to your licence that all depends as to when you passed your test these days, you will have to look at the categories on the back of your photocard as it will have little pictures of say, a car and trailor, a van and trailor, that type of thing, i would have to do a trailor test iirc as mine only has cars vans and lgv's on it:cry:

[Paul]

passed in jan 2004

[djbrowney]

Good thread hear about it mate, quite a lot of bull **** as normall but hay ho http://www.vauxhallsportforum.com/phpBB2/nova-track-car-t9471,highlight,%2520+trailer.html

[Paul]

from DVLA:

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to eight passenger seats

Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.
For example:

a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle

Whereas

the same vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes when coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.5 tonnes would fall within category B+E. This is because although the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer is within the 3.5 tonnes MAM limit, the MAM of the trailer is more than the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle
Vehicle manufacturers normally recommend a maximum weight of trailer appropriate to their vehicle. Details can usually be found in the vehicle's handbook or obtained from car dealerships. The size of the trailer recommended for an average family car with an unladen weight of around 1 tonne would be well within the new category B threshold.

[Hobbit]

^ didnt know that, and i really should

Octavia VRS Unladen weight is 1395k, towing weight is 1400k so going by the above as long as you keep your trailer under 1395k you'll be fine on just a cat B licence.

Because the combination would be 2790k maximum authorised mass? (well a bit more with you and tools in the car)

think i worked that out correctly but i've had a few Nastro Azzurros lol

[scott.parker]

The towing law is stupid!

But yeah the octavia would do it, thought about a passat?

[General Baxter]

the towing law is very stupid lol

even if the car can tow 1.2tons, your capped at 750kg no matter what,

my troll can tow 8ton braked, but this comes into LGV thus would need a taco, iv got a taco card but my troll dont have a taco thingy lol


most coppers dont know the law, just go for it lol

[AlexW]

Baxter is right, most coppers dont have a clue, but certainly around here the coppers have started to learn and have been pulling people over who are towing trailers like wild fire.

[mikey14sr]

It is a minefield but I'll have a go at trying to explain it using my vectra as an example,

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/mickyd79/SRI%20140/HPIM2348a.jpg

Unladen weight according to the owners manual is 1350kgs. So you'd assume that a trailer upto 1300kgs GVW (aka MAM) would be ok under a cat B licence, and it would as the GCW or combined MAM would be 3150kgs.

But here's the cincher, see that GCW figure on the chassis plate? Gross combination weight, aka train weight, aka combined MAM. This is the maximum combined weight that the vehicle is approved for, With a 1300kg trailer I'd be going over this figure, which is a major no-no (going beyond type approval specifications), so the maximum this car can take is a trailer upto 1200kgs GVW, and that can be done on just a cat B licence.

If the GCW on the car's chassis plate was higher, lets say 3500kgs, then under a cat B licence a 1300kgs trailer would be fine (as it's less than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle), and with a B+E licence I could tow a trailer of upto 1650kgs GVW.

This 750kgs limit is a grey are tbh, but it is as high as you can go without having brakes on the trailer.

Baxter, if you have C1+E (vehicles upto 7.5 tonnes MAM/GVW with trailer upto 750kgs, or combinations under 8.25 tonnes) then you can tow upto the 'trolls limit for personal use (ie not in connection with any business) perfectly legally without needing to fit a tacho. If you were using it in connection with a business then you would need a tacho fitted.

One thing the police and VOSA are really cracking down on around the country is trailers without any ID or weight markings on them. All trailers should have an ID plate that shows make, serial number, GVW and maximum axle weight. If it hasn't got this then they can take it off you right there and then, and give you a fine on top.

[Hobbit]

could you not have a heavier trailer if your vectra wasnt at its gvw?

Unladen weight of vecta 1350k + you and a bit of crap 200k = 1550k

so then you could have your 1300k trailer as it would be less than your combined of 3050k

But then you have to start thinking axle weight lol

[mikey14sr]

I think a lot of people see it that way (caravaners) but you would need B+E to be legal (gvw of trailer exceeds ulw of towing vehicle), and you would have to keep the combined axle weights under the GCW.

Now seeing as I have B+E I'd be fine doing that, but Paul will only have B, so if he were driving my vectra he'd have to stick to a trailer of less than 1200kgs gvw, or go out and do the trailer test to obtain B+E.

Tbh though I'd prefer to keep the combined GVW's under the GCW with this car (and thus stay within cat B). If the GCW was higher (3.5T or more) then I'd happily pull a 1.6T trailer about.

[sulphur]

You going for the 2.0 TDI? 170bhp and 260lb/ft torque..should manage to pull nova + trailor effortlessly. Nice cars.

[Hobbit]

I think a lot of people see it that way (caravaners) but you would need B+E to be legal (gvw of trailer exceeds ulw of towing vehicle), and you would have to keep the combined axle weights under the GCW.

Now seeing as I have B+E I'd be fine doing that, but Paul will only have B, so if he were driving my vectra he'd have to stick to a trailer of less than 1200kgs gvw, or go out and do the trailer test to obtain B+E.

Tbh though I'd prefer to keep the combined GVW's under the GCW with this car (and thus stay within cat B). If the GCW was higher (3.5T or more) then I'd happily pull a 1.6T trailer about.

The unladen weight of the vectra was 1350, so as long as the trailer was under that you could drive it on a class b licence.

[mikey14sr]

The unladen weight of the vectra was 1350, so as long as the trailer was under that you could drive it on a class b licence.

That would be possible only if the GCW stamped on the car was higher, it's this that is the limiting factor for the vectra.

GCW - GVW = maximum towing weight
3050 - 1850 = 1200

[Cle]

My dads skoda octavia pulls the nova on a trailor fine but going up steep hills with a corsa on a trailor was pretty exciting lol