single axle vs twin axle trailer

mengele

Currently have a 7ft (single axle) trailer which takes my ride on too and from my parents house. The ride on will need replacing soon and all the newer ride ons are a bit over 7ft long. so I now need to buy a new trailer as well (will be going for an 8ft).

So I can get the 8ft single axle for €1450 or 8ft double axle for €2350 (both Murphy trailers) with proper plates. I don't have a double axle trailer licence but could apply and get it if needs be. Is there much point in getting the extra axle. Other jobs the trailer would do is draw coal, timber, .5 tonne bags of sand and other odd jobs like that. Never felt lacking with the single axle. But nowadays nearly all new 8fts around seem to be double axle. Should I bite the bullet and go for the double axle and get the licence?

kay 9

What are you towing with, car, van or jeep etc? If you think single axle will do then I'd go with that. Much easier pull as well.

vincenzolorenzo

The number of axles has nothing to do with the BE license, it all comes down to the weight. If the trailer and its load is <750kg then you're fine on a B license. If its over then you more than likely need a BE (there is a loophole). That applies no matter how many axles are on the trailer

Del2005

mengele wrote: »

Currently have a 7ft (single axle) trailer which takes my ride on too and from my parents house. The ride on will need replacing soon and all the newer ride ons are a bit over 7ft long. so I now need to buy a new trailer as well (will be going for an 8ft).

So I can get the 8ft single axle for €1450 or 8ft double axle for €2350 (both Murphy trailers) with proper plates. I don't have a double axle trailer licence but could apply and get it if needs be. Is there much point in getting the extra axle. Other jobs the trailer would do is draw coal, timber, .5 tonne bags of sand and other odd jobs like that. Never felt lacking with the single axle. But nowadays nearly all new 8fts around seem to be double axle. Should I bite the bullet and go for the double axle and get the licence?

There's no such thing as a single, double, triple or more wheel trailer licence. There are weight limits based on the MAN/DGVW of the trailer and tow vehicle.

On a B licence you can tow a trailer with a MAN of 750kg or a total combination of .5t. With EB you can tow a trailer with a MAN of 3.5t. The tow vehicle must be rated to tow the MAN of the trailer not the weight in the trailer, so you can't tow an empty trailer with a MAN of 3.5t behind your average car even if you have an EB licence.

4odh4n

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

The number of axles has nothing to do with the BE license, it all comes down to the weight. If the trailer and its load is <750kg then you're fine on a B license. If its over then you more than likely need a BE (there is a loophole). That applies no matter how many axles are on the trailer

The number of axles has nothing to do with it alright, but I always assumed the plated weight the trailer can carry will determine what licence is needed... i.e. single axle might only be plated for 500kg and weight 200kg, so would be fine, the double axle could be plated for maybe 1000kg or more, so will need EB licence even if you only ever intend carrying 100kg in the double axle trailer.

I could be wrong with the above, but I just done the test to be covered as the trailer we have is plated for 2500kg, but would never come close to carrying weight like that for what we use it, only ever carrying bulkly light material

Del2005

4odh4n wrote: »

The number of axles has nothing to do with it alright, but I always assumed the plated weight the trailer can carry will determine what licence is needed... i.e. single axle might only be plated for 500kg and weight 200kg, so would be fine, the double axle could be plated for maybe 1000kg or more, so will need EB licence even if you only ever intend carrying 100kg in the double axle trailer.

I could be wrong with the above, but I just done the test to be covered as the trailer we have is plated for 2500kg, but would never come close to carrying weight like that for what we use it, only ever carrying bulkly light material

The likes of boat trailers could need 2 or 3 axles to support the length of the boat but the boats weigh very little, Olympic row boats not deep sea trawlers. Then you could have a generator on a single axle that weighs 3t.

You are correct that you need EB for your trailer as even empty it can't be towed on B.

Green farmer

Del2005 wrote: »

. The tow vehicle must be rated to tow the MAN of the trailer not the weight in the trailer, so you can't tow an empty trailer with a MAN of 3.5t behind your average car even if you have an EB licence.

I few years since I looked at this when I did my eb test and was all the gvw's at the time, but not sure your correct . At the time you could tow up the allowable trailer weight or the vehicle weight, which ever was lower. ie tow a 3.5t trailer with a 2t car as long as the laiden trailer inc its load didn't weight more then 2t.

Del2005

Green farmer wrote: »

I few years since I looked at this when I did my eb test and was all the gvw's at the time, but not sure your correct . At the time you could tow up the allowable trailer weight or the vehicle weight, which ever was lower. ie tow a 3.5t trailer with a 2t car as long as the laiden trailer inc its load didn't weight more then 2t.

The law changed. The only way you can go over a 3.5t combination on a B is if the trailer has a MAN <750kg and you have a tow vehicle with a MAN of 3.5t. It was something like that but to simplify the system they just use the MAN now, which is a fancy new name for DGVW! There used to be a rule where the trailer couldn't exceed the weight of the tow vehicle, but that is covered now by not being allowed tow a trailer with a MAN heavier than the vehicle is rated to tow.

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Your-Vehicle/About-your-Vehicle/Example-of-non-Dup/Trailers-/Advice-and-Checks-for-Trailers-/

Here is a pdf with all the details

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Learner%2520Drivers/Third%2520Directive/Link%25208.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwidz9Gw1YDSAhUBOxQKHcajCNMQFggIMAI&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNFSW7xJbKarxp-rowU7boqViQzBkQ

Green farmer

Del2005 wrote: »

The law changed. The only way you can go over a 3.5t combination on a B is if the trailer has a MAN <750kg and you have a tow vehicle with a MAN of 3.5t. It was something like that but to simplify the system they just use the MAN now, which is a fancy new name for DGVW! There used to be a rule where the trailer couldn't exceed the weight of the tow vehicle, but that is covered now by not being allowed tow a trailer with a MAN heavier than the vehicle is rated to tow.

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Your-Vehicle/About-your-Vehicle/Example-of-non-Dup/Trailers-/Advice-and-Checks-for-Trailers-/

Here is a pdf with all the details

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Learner%2520Drivers/Third%2520Directive/Link%25208.pdf&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwidz9Gw1YDSAhUBOxQKHcajCNMQFggIMAI&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNFSW7xJbKarxp-rowU7boqViQzBkQ

Is the last 3 lines of the pdf not just what I wrote, I was talking about the eb licence ?

Del2005

Green farmer wrote: »

Is the last 3 lines of the pdf not just what I wrote, I was talking about the eb licence ?

Sorry I thought you were talking about the B licence.

Green farmer

Del2005 wrote: »

Sorry I thought you were talking about the B licence.

Your grand, it's as clear as mud a lot of the time. before I did the eb test I rang the rsa asking what I could tow on the b licence. i got a different answer every time I rang. in the end was just simpler to do the test.

cute geoge

Simple if your car and trailer plus contents weigh less then 3.5 ton a car licence is all that is needed once the car is plated to carry what weight it is towing . I presume most cars are plated to pull the weight of a two axle trailer plus lawnmower.
The next question is where in the car can you locate this plate to show maximum towing capacity ????

Longford Leader

cute geoge wrote: »

Simple if your car and trailer plus contents weigh less then 3.5 ton a car licence is all that is needed once the car is plated to carry what weight it is towing . I presume most cars are plated to pull the weight of a two axle trailer plus lawnmower.
The next question is where in the car can you locate this plate to show maximum towing capacity ????

The plate is usually on one of the car door pillars at the bottom.

Del2005

cute geoge wrote: »

Simple if your car and trailer plus contents weigh less then 3.5 ton a car licence is all that is needed once the car is plated to carry what weight it is towing . I presume most cars are plated to pull the weight of a two axle trailer plus lawnmower.
The next question is where in the car can you locate this plate to show maximum towing capacity ????

Owners manual.