towing capacity

Disco84

Hello there,
I'm just trying to find out the towing capacity of my jeep. Its an 02 toyota hilux crewcab. I'm currently building a trailer and want to have it built that it can be towed relatively easily. The trailer is going to be around 18 feet long, not including hitch bar. Its basically going to be a 7ft high box built onto a reinforced caravan chassis.
Any help or advice would be great.
Thanks.

Jomcc

As far as I know, towing capacity of a 02 Hi-Lux is 2300kg. Should be in the owners handbook. Remember, that is capacity of the jeep, and not the trailer so weight of trailer must be taken into account when loading.
The nose load is 100kg.

Eric Cartman

2.5 or 3 litre ?

assuming 3 litre - 2300kg braked , 750kg unbraked

Disco84

Sorry, its a 2.5 litre. Ya I know I must take into account the weight when loaded, There could be around a 1000kg in it when loaded, (3 motorcross bikes, gear, fuel etc) so realistically, in order to be able to tow the trailer across the country comfortably I'll have to keep the trailer very light.

Is nose weight the amount of weight on the hitch from the trailer?

Eric Cartman

Disco84 wrote: »

Is nose weight the amount of weight on the hitch from the trailer?

yes , if you balance out the trailer or get a double axle trailer youll have an easier time, i think the rated towing on the 2.5 is 1900kg

snowman707

Disco84 wrote: »

Sorry, its a 2.5 litre. Ya I know I must take into account the weight when loaded, There could be around a 1000kg in it when loaded, (3 motorcross bikes, gear, fuel etc) so realistically, in order to be able to tow the trailer across the country comfortably I'll have to keep the trailer very light.

Is nose weight the amount of weight on the hitch from the trailer?

depends totally on how well the trailer is balanced , I have in the past towed well in excess of 2000kgs with a primera 2.2 dsl ,, YESSSSSSSSSS I know maybe not legal

just remember towing is one thing stopping is another modern cars/jeeps with abs need to have efficient trailer brakes

CiniO

Do you know, that for any trailer with GVW more than 750kg, you need extra category of licence - EB

Slidey

Just a point to note and this has been dealt with many many times in the 4x4 forum.

There is a vehicle manufacturers plate on your vehicle with 4 weights on it.

1) is the DGVW of the pickup on its own
2) Is the train weight.*
3)Front axle gross weight
4)Rear axle gross weight


Number 2 is the important one. This is the maximum weight than cannot be legally exceeded by the combined weight of pickup and trailer. Legally if this is over 3500kg you will need to hold an EC1 licence and should also have a tachograph fitted. Believe it or not but that is the truth.

So if you Hilux weighs 1800kg you may subtract that from your train weight along with the weight of your trailer and go from there

CiniO

Slidey wrote: »

Number 2 is the important one. This is the maximum weight than cannot be legally exceeded by the combined weight of pickup and trailer. Legally if this is over 3500kg you will need to hold an EC1 licence and should also have a tachograph fitted. Believe it or not but that is the truth.

That's not true.
If you hold EB licence, you can drive a car with GVW 3500kg, and a trailer of weight specified as a maximum by car manufacturer.

The whole thing's weight might be even over 6t no problem.

Slidey

Slidey wrote: »

I have posted this here before but will do it again in case people havent seen it.

This is a VIN plate from a 07 Transit. The transit is under 3.5t so can be driven on a car licence and does not require a tachograph.



This vehicle is part of a major fleet and because it regularly tows a combined weight of more than 3.5t has had a tacho fitted.




Legally it is now allowed a combined weight (van and trailer) of 6t with the right equipment.

.

O.A.P

Slidey wrote: »

.

I take it that tractors dont come under this law?

Slidey

I wouldn't think so, I would think most large 4 wheel drive tractors would be over 3.5t on their own.

Eric Cartman

as far as I was aware with an EB licence you can drive any vehicle up to 3500KG GVW and a trailer up to the train weight of the vehicle, if you were limited to 3500kg train weight on an EB licence everyone driving a D-Max and new l200 with a trailer would be driving illegally ,

Slidey

Indeed you may be right, I am not 100% but I'd be interested to know why the tachos were fitted to those Transits so. It doesn't bother me too much, I have a full artic licence but maybe someone might email the RSA and ask for an official answer

Eric Cartman

the tachos are probably fitted to the transits for employee monitoring or making sure that any of the lads on site etc.. with only a B licence dont chance it and get the van impounded or crashed. it would seem a bit odd as 90% of the d-max's and l200s have towbars but id be hard pushed to find one with a tachograph

BrianD3

It may be the case that a tacho is needed for any combination over 3.5 tonnes. However it's incorrect to say you need an EC1 licence for any combination over 3.5 tonnes. Once the towing vehicle is in category B (which a 3500 kg GVW transit would be) then you need an EB licence, not an EC1.

everyone driving a D-Max and new l200 with a trailer would be driving illegally ,

Many of those only have a B licence in which case they are driving illegally if towing heavy (say 1500+ kg) GVW trailers.

PS a 3500 kg GVW transit can tow a <750 GVW trailer on a B licence

Slidey

Eric Cartman wrote: »

the tachos are probably fitted to the transits for employee monitoring or making sure that any of the lads on site etc.. with only a B licence dont chance it and get the van impounded or crashed. it would seem a bit odd as 90% of the d-max's and l200s have towbars but id be hard pushed to find one with a tachograph

They are owned by a large rentals company and leased to a company that subs for Eircom so I doubt that it is the reason.

I would also be of the opinion that most people with a B licence would not even know what that square box that looked like a radio does.

Slidey

I emailed the licence division in Ballina and got a very fast reply today

Dear <snip>,



Your category B (car) Licence limits you to a combined weight of 3,500kg.



Definition of an EB Licence from



Extract from the Road Traffic( Licensing of Drivers Regulations ) 2006. Part 2 Section 6.

Combinations of Vehicles with drawing vehicle in Category B and where the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer is greater than 750kg.



As you can see it doesn’t mention a limit to the weight you can draw, however you must bear in mind that the towing vehicle –Jeep, car, must be designed and capable of towing the trailer you have in mind.



Kind regards



Mary <snip>

Driver Licensing Section

Eric Cartman

Slidey wrote: »

I emailed the licence division in Ballina and got a very fast reply today

so since the unladen weight of all these crewcabs is most likely below 2.7 tonnes all the crewcabs can tow a 750kg trailer on a B licence , but if you want to tow anything over 750KG you definitley need an EB Licence , and the max train weight of anything should never be exceeded , although considering the train weight on the likes of the Isuzu D-Max is 6.5 tonnes i dont think it will be a problem

R.O.R

Eric Cartman wrote: »

so since the unladen weight of all these crewcabs is most likely below 2.7 tonnes all the crewcabs can tow a 750kg trailer on a B licence , but if you want to tow anything over 750KG you definitley need an EB Licence , and the max train weight of anything should never be exceeded , although considering the train weight on the likes of the Isuzu D-Max is 6.5 tonnes i dont think it will be a problem

GVW of the D-Max is close to 3.5Ton to qualify it for €50 VRT, so if you stick a tow-bar on the back of it, techincally you'll need a tacho as it takes the GTW over 3.5Tonnes.

At least that's what I think!

I used spec vans like Slidey mentions. 3.5Ton LWB Transits with a Tow Bar.

Slidey

Well the email I sent asked the question; What is the maximum combined weight that can be pulled using an EB licence

Eric Cartman

R.O.R wrote: »

GVW of the D-Max is close to 3.5Ton to qualify it for €50 VRT, so if you stick a tow-bar on the back of it, techincally you'll need a tacho as it takes the GTW over 3.5Tonnes.

At least that's what I think!

I used spec vans like Slidey mentions. 3.5Ton LWB Transits with a Tow Bar.

the gvw of it IS 3.5 tonnes, but from the response slidey got it looks like the combined laden weight cannot exceed 3.5 tonnes so if you take the unladen weight of the d-max , add whatever you as a driver weigh and then whatever is left over from 3.5 tonnes is what you can tow, if you actually start putting things in the d-max then you would need an EB licence, the d-max does not weigh 3.5 tonnes but has the potential to when fully laden