| Author | Message | ||
     George Wood Member Username: G_wood Post Number: 2 Registered: 04-2013 |
Useful information really appreciated. Thanks to you all. | ||
| Christopher Priestley Member Username: Chrispriestley Post Number: 31 Registered: 04-2008 |
Under grandfather rights, you may tow a big trailer so long as the MAM (Max Authorised Mass - called MTPM on a caravan) of the truck and the trailer added together is not more than 8250kg AND the MAM of the trailer is less than kerb weight of the truck (shouldn't be a problem.) Downrating is when some physical alteration is required to have VOSA approve the new MAM of the truck - this is usually necessary when reducing the MAM of 7.5t vehicles. Downplating is a paper-based exercise, but it is usually only applicable to large HGVs, not 7.5t lorries. A firm called SV tech sell kits for minor downplating adaptations - essentially new suspension bump stops and the necessary paperwork. However, downrating is tricky for some 7.5t vehicles as you won't have much spare mass to play with - SV Tech's website says VOSA tend to get the heebiegeebies about downrating horseboxes which will result in a payload of 2 tonnes or less. If you do wish to downplate, you'd need to start off with a 7.5t lorry with a generous payload so you can afford to loose some capacity - and then go for a small caravan of one tonne or less. e.g. Downplating to 7.25t will take only 250kg off your payload (which may still be too much for some lorries!) and permit you to tow a caravan of up to 1000kg MTPM (the max weight stamped on the manufacturers plate.) This should be enough for a two berth caravan. A C1+E licence will enable you to tow a 12 tonne combination. And probably costs the same as a downrating. But you only have to do it once - assuming you don't fail - whereas you might have to downrate each time you get a new 'box. | ||
| Christine Twigg Member Username: Rosibob Post Number: 108 Registered: 02-2008 |
You need to be careful here - there is more to this than driving licences. As soon as your vehicle combination has a maximum permitted mass (not the unladen weight or the actual weight you are running at) of over 7.5 tonnes you have to consider tachograph and drivers hours legislation. There is a very good booklet which covers vehicle weights, tachographs etc specially for horsebox drivers at http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/A%20guide%20for%20horsebox%20and%20trailer %20owners.pdf | ||
| Daniel Snow Member Username: Snowd Post Number: 28 Registered: 07-2011 |
The longer answer is that if you have “grandfather” rights you may drive up to 7.5 tons untrailered or 7.5 tons + 750kg =8.25 tons with a trailer. It doesn’t matter where your weight is so if you downgrade the lorry to 6 tons you can have a heavier trailer. But Mike is right – you will probably need the extra payload. | ||
| Mike Brown Member Username: Mikebrown Post Number: 6 Registered: 09-2008 |
Just do your C1+E license then you won't have to down rate truck and lose valuable payload! | ||
| George Wood Member Username: G_wood Post Number: 1 Registered: 04-2013 |
Can anyone advise me? I wish to tow a caravan behind a 7.5 ton lorry and have been told to down rate the lorry to 6 ton . How does this work? |