New agricultural trailer laws

grass n slurry

What do agricultural trailers made before this year need to have to comply with the new laws? Do they all need to be plated and speed rated no matter what size and speed they will be traveling at?

djmc

Don't think so but they might have different regulations check rsa website and they have videos on YouTube also.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SfitT4JpgIg

Longford Leader

Its gets complicated with the 50 km trailers

At a minimum the 40km trailers will need lights, a parking brake and a secondary coupling (chain) to comply.

If the tractor and trailer combo is longer than 10m then the trailer will need side lights on the right hand side also.

djmc

When they say over 40k does this mean a tractor with a 40k box as my understanding is a tractor with a 40 box will not be capable of towing anything at over 40 kph unless maybe flat out down a big hill
Also does exceeding 40 kph mean 41 kph
So what I'm basically asking is are these rules for 50 and 60 k gearboxes or does a 40k box fall under this category as well even if it can't pull a trailer at over 40 kph.

grass n slurry

A 40k box tractor that does 43k which category of speed is that under, is it still classed as 40k? Will a parking brake with a wire rope on it cover you?

Longford Leader

djmc wrote: »

When they say over 40k does this mean a tractor with a 40k box as my understanding is a tractor with a 40 box will not be capable of towing anything at over 40 kph unless maybe flat out down a big hill
Also does exceeding 40 kph mean 41 kph
So what I'm basically asking is are these rules for 50 and 60 k gearboxes or does a 40k box fall under this category as well even if it can't pull a trailer at over 40 kph.

grass n slurry wrote: »

A 40k box tractor that does 43k which category of speed is that under, is it still classed as 40k? Will a parking brake with a wire rope on it cover you?

A 40km box means the maximum design speed for the tractor as stated by the tractor manufacturer.

The rules for the 40km boxes are simple compared to the rules the 50km boxes and higher have to comply with.

Can't find in the rules what is legally acceptable as a retrofitted parking brake (wheel chocks?)

barnaman

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Revised%20Standards%20for%20Agricultural%20Vehicles%202015%20Nov.pdf

Those are the new rules lads have a read but important to note if the tractor can do over 40kph you have to comply with rules for over 40 cannot say but pulling a trailer cannot etc ....

Below is the law as of 2016 plenty of other changes but this might help lads with the older gear ...

" if your tractor is designed to travel at speeds of 40km/h or less, you can draw a trailer with a laden weight of 5 tonnes or less without brakes. This is only the case if, when laden, the trailer does not exceed three times the tractor’s unladen weight. If your tractor is designed to travel at speeds over 40km/h, you can only draw a trailer with a laden weight of 3.5 tonnes without brakes. However, you should ensure that your trailer is equipped with a secondary coupling – that is, a safety chain, wire rope or other similar connection. Also, if the trailer doesn’t have a parking brake, you should carry wheel chocks which can be used to hold the trailer stationary when it’s uncoupled."

Reggie.

Longford Leader wrote: »

Its gets complicated with the 50 km trailers

At a minimum the 40km trailers will need lights, a parking brake and a secondary coupling (chain) to comply.

If the tractor and trailer combo is longer than 10m then the trailer will need side lights on the right hand side also.

And also a long vehicle sign at the rear

grass n slurry

For 50k do you need air brakes, plating and a speed rating?

Reggie.

grass n slurry wrote: »

For 50k do you need air brakes, plating and a speed rating?

Yes and a breakaway system aswell

grass n slurry

You don't need plating or speed rating for 40k do you?

Reggie.

grass n slurry wrote: »

You don't need plating or speed rating for 40k do you?

Only speed discs on new tractors and plates have to be on all trailers capable of carrying over 19 tonnes

grass n slurry

Reggie. wrote: »

Only speed discs on new tractors and plates have to be on all trailers capable of carrying over 19 tonnes

For a 40k would a handbrake with a wire rope do you or do you need a separate breakaway system? Are you suppose to use a chain as well?

Reggie.

grass n slurry wrote: »

For a 40k would a handbrake with a wire rope do you or do you need a separate breakaway system? Are you suppose to use a chain as well?

Chain only for 40k but a 50k needs chain and breakaway. Not sure about handbrake as an earlier poster said that chocks might do

djmc

From what I can gather there is not much change for up to a 40km box
You can pull a trailer up to 3 times the weight of the tractor without breaks and just a safety chain and blocks for parking
A heavier weight trailer needs brakes
Bale trailers with double axles or more need signage
Anything faster than a 40km box needs signs and air brakes and handbrake and must be plated.
All need lights as was always the case.

grass n slurry

New slurry tankers traveling at 50k, what do they need?

Reggie.

grass n slurry wrote: »

New slurry tankers traveling at 50k, what do they need?

Read up on the rules it's all in there.

Zr105

djmc wrote: »

From what I can gather there is not much change for up to a 40km box
You can pull a trailer up to 3 times the weight of the tractor without breaks and just a safety chain and blocks for parking
A heavier weight trailer needs brakes
Bale trailers with double axles or more need signage
Anything faster than a 40km box needs signs and air brakes and handbrake and must be plated.
All need lights as was always the case.

Anything over 5ton needs brakes.

The 3times the tractor weight rule is what your allowed to pull if either the tractor or trailer is unplated. Still needs brakes once over 5ton irregardless of speed

Reggie.

Zr105 wrote: »

Anything over 5ton needs brakes.

The 3times the tractor weight rule is what your allowed to pull if either the tractor or trailer is unplated. Still needs brakes once over 5ton irregardless of speed

Bloody rules are hard to make out at times

grass n slurry

Reggie. wrote: »

Bloody rules are hard to make out at times

You'd get confused reading the rules and looking at the videos on YouTube ha

vicwatson

Are ALL trailers required to have a registration plate (the one of the tractor pulling it???)

djmc

Zr105 wrote: »

Anything over 5ton needs brakes.

The 3times the tractor weight rule is what your allowed to pull if either the tractor or trailer is unplated. Still needs brakes once over 5ton irregardless of speed

Yes your right their had another look at it
To make it even more confusing the Max you can tow without breaks is 3 times the weight of the tractor and still under 5 ton.
ie. a MF 35 weighing 1.4 ton can tow 4.2 ton Max without brakes.
I hope the upside is plenty good second hand trailers around in a few years.
My worry is how long before they start on old machinery around the farm that never sees the road.Tractor and equipment nct etc.
It's starting with health and safety and testing brakes pto guards and now sprayers ect.
Nct reduced to once a year for 10 year old cars.
Will we have a test for tractors trailers and slurry tanks in another ten years
More jobs for the boys.

Zr105

vicwatson wrote: »

Are ALL trailers required to have a registration plate (the one of the tractor pulling it???)

Think it's always been a requirement just never enforced really. But as far as I know if you have 2tractors you can get away with the plate of either tractor on the trailer

djmc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_hzhCe4rWs

I may have been a bit wrong about a nanny state in my earlier post.
this is why we need the rsa
no load ratings in that video clip.