Trailer DGVW

CiniO

As I fitted towbar to my car, I started getting interested in trailers.

My car DGVW is 1890kg, so it looks like on my B licence, I can tow a trailer of DGVW of up to 1610kg (so the sum is not bigger than 3500kg).

Unfortunately, I realised that virtually no one describes DGVW of the trailer anywhere.
From all trailer ad's on donedeal, I don't think there is single one which would specify trailer DGVW.
I had a look at few trailers I spotted, and I didn't even see a plate with DGVW indicated.

I know trailers up to 3500kg in Ireland are not due registartion like they are in other countries - they are not issued logbook. And this is probably reason for weight being unknown.
But this looks mad to me.

If I rent a trailer from a garage, how am I supposed to know if I can tow it legally.
How will a garda know on the side of the road when he pullls me, if trailer I'm towing is withing weight limits for my licence?

Anyone with any experience on that?

wotswattage

They'll make you drive to the nearest public weighbridge and weigh car + trailer.

CiniO

wotswattage wrote: »

They'll make you drive to the nearest public weighbridge and weigh car + trailer.

That won't reveal DGVW of either car or trailer, so it won't show if I'm legal to drive it or not, except in case when trailer is fully loaded.

Chiorino

CiniO wrote: »

I know trailers up to 3500kg in Ireland are not due registartion like they are in other countries - they are not issued logbook. And this is probably reason for weight being unknown.
But this looks mad to me.

If I rent a trailer from a garage, how am I supposed to know if I can tow it legally.
How will a garda know on the side of the road when he pullls me, if trailer I'm towing is withing weight limits for my licence?

Anyone with any experience on that?

This is due to change with a separate registration system on the way. The introduction of type approval legislation was the first step towards this.

Simple answer is don't buy/use/hire anything that isn't plated. Any reputable company that sells or hires trailers will only have type approved, plated models. As for Done Deal, there is a lot of junk but don't be prepared to settle and you will eventually find something decent. At least you've made an effort to get informed and know what you should and shouldn't be towing.

CiniO

So summarising:

On the one hand we have a law allowing B licence holder to tow a trailer of 750kg DGVW or heavier under condition that sum of vehicle and trailer DGVW is not greater than 3500kg.

On the other hand, we have plenty (if not majority) of trailers on out roads, which are home made, not plated, with all the weights unknown, and they can be legally used.

So how is this meant to work. Am I missing something?

Chiorino

CiniO wrote: »

So summarising:

On the one hand we have a law allowing B licence holder to tow a trailer of 750kg DGVW or heavier under condition that sum of vehicle and trailer DGVW is not greater than 3500kg.

On the other hand, we have plenty (if not majority) of trailers on out roads, which are home made, not plated, with all the weights unknown, and they can be legally used.

So how is this meant to work. Am I missing something?

It doesn't work at the moment and won't until the mandatory testing comes in which in turn can't happen until the registration system is introduced. The type approval is the first step in this three stage process.

As I have said to many people, the current law is vague, confusing and very open to interpretation, so much so that you cannot get definitive, consistent answers from either the gardai or RSA. I believe it will probably take a challenge in court to sort out properly.

CiniO

Chiorino wrote: »

It doesn't work at the moment and won't until the mandatory testing comes in which in turn can't happen until the registration system is introduced. The type approval is the first step in this three stage process.

As I have said to many people, the current law is vague, confusing and very open to interpretation, so much so that you cannot get definitive, consistent answers from either the gardai or RSA. I believe it will probably take a challenge in court to sort out properly.

Any idea when is the new system coming in?
What kind of registration system are we talking about? Will every trailer be awared it's own number plate, or is it something simpler?

I know in Poland, every trailer must be registered, and it has it's own VRC (vehicle registration cert) and separeate registration number.
VRC shows all weights - DGVW and unladen weight.
And trailers over 750kg DGVW must undergo roadworthiness test every year.

So if police pulls you over on the side of the road, you are meant to show you trailer VRC and they know if you are towing legally or not.
Obviously except from case when trailer is overloaded, but I'm sure they have ways to check this as well.

Chiorino

CiniO wrote: »

Any idea when is the new system coming in?
What kind of registration system are we talking about? Will every trailer be awared it's own number plate, or is it something simpler?

I know in Poland, every trailer must be registered, and it has it's own VRC (vehicle registration cert) and separeate registration number.
VRC shows all weights - DGVW and unladen weight.
And trailers over 750kg DGVW must undergo roadworthiness test every year.

So if police pulls you over on the side of the road, you are meant to show you trailer VRC and they know if you are towing legally or not.
Obviously except from case when trailer is overloaded, but I'm sure they have ways to check this as well.

No date officially set yet but from the (limited) information we have gotten it will be pretty much along the lines of what you mention, separate number plate, VRC etc. Despite all this being the norm in Europe for years, in typical Irish fashion it will probably take an age to be (badly) implemented.

Bpmull

CiniO wrote: »

So summarising:

On the one hand we have a law allowing B licence holder to tow a trailer of 750kg DGVW or heavier under condition that sum of vehicle and trailer DGVW is not greater than 3500kg.

On the other hand, we have plenty (if not majority) of trailers on out roads, which are home made, not plated, with all the weights unknown, and they can be legally used.

So how is this meant to work. Am I missing something?

It would want to be a seriously rough homemade trailer not to be able to handle 750kg not exactly a lot of weight. If you want a trailer with a label on it with weight capacity etc you will have to buy a branded one such as ifor Williams, nugent etc. these all have the plates on them fe an ifor Williams double axle trailer is 2.5ton capacity while a tri axle is 3.5ton capacity. Obviously all them bigger trailers will be of no use when towing with a car but you get the idea.

Chiorino

Bpmull wrote: »

It would want to be a seriously rough homemade trailer not to be able to handle 750kg not exactly a lot of weight.

To be honest, the likes of these are often the worst offenders. The larger trailers usually fall down on the grounds of poor maintenance but are rarely of the homemade variety. The smaller ones are regularly poorly built angle iron heaps with a slap of hammerite and some old escort hubs and wheels. That's without getting into the amount of trailer builders over the years whose welding skills would be "questionable".