3.5t trailer help

TiltyShaun

TiltyShaun

Well-known member
Doesn't count as in if say 150kg is "transferred" to the towing vehicle then you could have 3650kg in the trailer? What happens if they ask you to unhitch and weigh it?
Lock the trailer on and don’t carry the key is one answer!!!
I did find this. How relevant to van and trailer I don’t know but clearly there is a little wiggle room if you are close enough to the limit!!

 
craig

craig

Well-known member
I have a gh106 and unless you really want to be able to put something 6ft wide in it- I put classic tractors in mine- I'd get the gh1054.
I find the extra width really noticeable on country roads/roads with lines of parked cars, even though its not actualy a huge amount wider than my lm146 flatbed. Left side wheels and tyres are always getting a hammering from the edges of country roads 😒
I`m the same (except a GH126), if its only carrying a digger go GH1054.
GH1054 660kg unladen I think, probably the best mix of capacity/price/resale/build, out at the minute.
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
Hi all,

I am new to the forum and a genuine beginner.

I am looking at trailers and wondering about the 3500kg towing capacity of any towing vehicle listed as capable of towing 3500kg, it seems most that are capable of 3500kg require a braked trailer, my 2017 L405 Range Rover states "trailer with over run brakes" in Land Rovers datasheets. Are trailer over-run brakes the same as braked trailers?

Firstly, do all "plant trailers" already have brakes as I see most vehicles (including 7.5t tippers) still require a braked trailer "if" towing over 750kg?

Secondly, the reason I would like a trailer is to truck a Volvo E27D excavator about. The manufacturer literalure states that the E27D transport weight is 2,715kg. This leaves a trailer weight of 785kg, I have not seen many sub 800kg trailers.
Isn't the point of a 2.7t excavator to be towable, is Volvo not thinking straight or are there trailers available weighing sub 785kg?
750kgs is the max permissible weight that can be towed unbraked, by any vehicle - provided the towing vehicle's mass is twice that or more -
so a towing vehicle of say 1200kgs can only tow 600kgs unbraked (or it's max stated towable/train weight, if braked [usually more than the unbraked capacity] - say 1350kgs for example).

(there was a move afoot in the '90s (euro-crap) to make the max braked towable weight 90% of the tow vehicle, but never came in (thank ****) !!

as for nose weight - this is a long running discussion on here ...
but as said if you're stopped and they want to weigh the trailer AND load to establish if you are at or under the 3500kg max permissible trailer weight, you will be made to uncouple the trailer and it will be weighed in its own right --
there is no allowance for any transfer of weight through the TOW bar --
it is designed purely for drawing (towing) the trailer and not carrying any imposed load, as is the draw (tow) bar on the vehicle...

the (max) nose weight is specified in order to maintain a forward loading onto the attachment point, to prevent (or minimise) the risk of the trailer snaking, due to neutral or negative loading of the attachment point (ball or jaw)

now where's my tin hat ?? :unsure:
 
D

Duke147

Member
Hi again, can I also ask what you guys think for towing options.

It looks like landrover have two options, identified in the Blue and Green ovals.

The Blue one seems the obvious choice as it would allow the square receiver which would then take various configurations that can be bolted onto the "multi-height" plate. So for example I could attach a ball or pin or ball and pin or even a nato hitch to the metal plate, allowing versatility.

Whereas a Ball only as imaged in the Green Oval would only be for Ball attachments. But this may be more preferable for stability and possible less rattling?

Generally speaking, is the ball the "smoother" option as there is no movement, unlike a pin which would have a tad more play?

Trailer Hitch Options.jpg
 
craig

craig

Well-known member
Hi again, can I also ask what you guys think for towing options.

It looks like landrover have two options, identified in the Blue and Green ovals.

The Blue one seems the obvious choice as it would allow the square receiver which would then take various configurations that can be bolted onto the "multi-height" plate. So for example I could attach a ball or pin or ball and pin or even a nato hitch to the metal plate, allowing versatility.

Whereas a Ball only as imaged in the Green Oval would only be for Ball attachments. But this may be more preferable for stability and possible less rattling?

Generally speaking, is the ball the "smoother" option as there is no movement, unlike a pin which would have a tad more play
Is the green one an electric fold away one? one more thing to go wrong imo
 
D

Duke147

Member
Is the green one an electric fold away one? one more thing to go wrong imo
No, the electric deployable one is far too expensive. Green one is just the static ball, not sure if it is removable which might be tidier, but need to ask LR if it does remove.

Actually on second look, you could be right about the green one being the electric one, I hadn't realised if so.
 
S

Smiffy

Well-known member
No, the electric deployable one is far too expensive. Green one is just the static ball, not sure if it is removable which might be tidier, but need to ask LR if it does remove.

Actually on second look, you could be right about the green one being the electric one, I hadn't realised if so.

Those removable swan neck ones are designed to take your caravan out a couple of times a year. Well documented them wearing prematurely and failing with daily towing at full weight. There is a third option of a permanently fixed multi height plate with considerably more bracing. That is the one for towing machines with but the square receiver will be the next best option
 
D

Duke147

Member
Those removable swan neck ones are designed to take your caravan out a couple of times a year. Well documented them wearing prematurely and failing with daily towing at full weight. There is a third option of a permanently fixed multi height plate with considerably more bracing. That is the one for towing machines with but the square receiver will be the next best option

Thanks Smithy, I don't want the permenant plate welded on and so the removable box section will be the way to go for me then.

But for the trailer side of things then, what is the most reliable/prefeered coupler for 3500kg?
 
S

Smiffy

Well-known member
Thanks Smithy, I don't want the permenant plate welded on and so the removable box section will be the way to go for me then.

But for the trailer side of things then, what is the most reliable/prefeered coupler for 3500kg?

For personal trailers ball hitch. Much smoother as ring hitches bang and crash around although They wear and can jump off. Each time you attach the trailer wind the the jockey wheel down once attached amd make sure it lifts the weight of the trailer to check for wear . Pin hitches are great when you can't rely on employees to carry out the test as they are pretty fail safe or you want to tow the trailer with a dumper at times.
 
Lancs Lad

Lancs Lad

Well-known member
Hi again, can I also ask what you guys think for towing options.

It looks like landrover have two options, identified in the Blue and Green ovals.

The Blue one seems the obvious choice as it would allow the square receiver which would then take various configurations that can be bolted onto the "multi-height" plate. So for example I could attach a ball or pin or ball and pin or even a nato hitch to the metal plate, allowing versatility.

Whereas a Ball only as imaged in the Green Oval would only be for Ball attachments. But this may be more preferable for stability and possible less rattling?

Generally speaking, is the ball the "smoother" option as there is no movement, unlike a pin which would have a tad more play?

View attachment 61638
Ignore the blue oval not technically legal in UK on a car as not type approved.
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
go for the max option choice
my P38's removable ball was a PITA so cut it off and replaced it with a multiple choice option :giggle:
WP_20230401_16_51_28_Pro.jpg

my D1 Disco had no bar when I acquired it so made up this multiple choice job :giggle: --
jaw has a ball pin and have another slider with a NATO option ;)
WP_20230401_16_50_48_Pro.jpg

me Sportage's towbar .. still looking for a.n.other to cut the ball off and do a P38 mod to :rolleyes:
WP_20230321_17_52_39_Pro.jpg
WP_20230322_11_21_45_Pro.jpg

wanted and ordered a fixed bar for it which had a plate to bolt a jaw/ball to ... ended up with this removable for the same cost as they didn't have a fixed bar available:(:mad:
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
Ignore the blue oval not technically legal in UK on a car as not type approved.
hardly think so ..... that's J/LR's page we're looking at :rolleyes: .. would be my choice and let J/LR argue any subsequent consequences if there were problems
 
Lancs Lad

Lancs Lad

Well-known member
hardly think so ..... that's J/LR's page we're looking at :rolleyes: .. would be my choice and let J/LR argue any subsequent consequences if there were problems
That's the current situ in UK...
Class M needs Type approval ,class N1 (commercial pickups etc) don't.
Trust me I did a lot of research before I imported them and now be fitted by Ford at factory .
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
Also to note, not all tow bars are rated to the full 3.5t on certain landrovers, some are of lower ratings.
pretty sure all the 'proper' RRs/Discos were 3.5t .. not sure about the original sports though ... as for the newer stuff -- I've given up trying to keep up with what is what - all badged RR as that on it's own sells them :rolleyes:
 
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