Changes to legal towing capacity

Still waters

Hi, new here and looking to get the right story, I was talking to a neighbour that got pulled going into Ennis mart last week, he was talking to traffic corp guard and he said to him that there was changes coming in the new year about towing weights, now I'm thinking my neighbour took whatever the guard said up wrong, any one hear anything as my job requires me towing very near the 3.5 ton weight capacity a lot of the time, so any changes would impact me and I dont really want to go down the road of buying a truck because of insurances,testing 2 vehicles etc etc, many thanks.

TrailerBob

Haven't heard anything in relation to that. Not sure how you can change the rated towing capacity of the existing fleet. Only way it could change would be with licences, but still don't see why it would change

CiniO

Irish towing capacity/licencing laws are based on EU directives and are generally common all over EU.
I strongly doubt any changes would be coming up, without long notice.
And we haven't heard anything so far.

Still waters

Ok thanks, he obviously took the guard up wrong, thanks for the replies

traco

What did he say the changes were?

You can only tow what the towing vehicle is rated to tow, so if it rated to tow 1,750kg then 3,500kg would not be legal and if there was an accident I wouldn't be surprised if you experienced insurance issue.

Wishbone Ash

traco wrote: »

..You can only tow what the towing vehicle is rated to tow,

It's not that simple.

1. You may be limited by your driving licence.
2. Some vehicles are rated to tow greater loads than the law permits.

Alkers

traco wrote:

You can only tow what the towing vehicle is rated to tow, so if it rated to tow 1,750kg then 3,500kg would not be legal and if there was an accident I wouldn't be surprised if you experienced insurance issue.

The 3,500kg is the maximum permitted combined mass of vehicle and trailer

Wishbone Ash

Simona1986 wrote: »

The 3,500kg is the maximum permitted combined mass of vehicle and trailer

It's not clear from the OP's post but he/she may have a BE licence which would be good for 7,000kgs.

Still waters wrote:

...requires me towing very near the 3.5 ton weight capacity...

Do you mean 3.5 tonnes of mass trailer weight or combined weight of vehicle+trailer?

Still waters

Hi, yes I have the artic license so I'm covered for 7500 combined weight of trailer/jeep, he didn't say what the guard said exactly, just that there was changes coming affecting towing and weights, now it's second hand info and whatever the guard said must have been taken up wrong.

Del2005

Still waters wrote: »

Hi, yes I have the artic license so I'm covered for 7500 combined weight of trailer/jeep, he didn't say what the guard said exactly, just that there was changes coming affecting towing and weights, now it's second hand info and whatever the guard said must have been taken up wrong.

Since a lot of Gardaí think you need a 4x4 to tow a twin axle trailer I'd take anything from the Guards with a large pinch of salt

Wildly Boaring

Del2005 wrote: »

Since a lot of Gardaí think you need a 4x4 to tow a twin axle trailer I'd take anything from the Guards with a large pinch of salt

On one well organised site we had a matrix of who could tow which trailers while driving the different vehicles.

I made it up.
Had to as we had numerous trailers and vehicles with different towing capacities and operatives on different licences.

Worked well

Once made took it down to garda station to go through. May as well have asked the wall!!

Boys hadn't a notion.

In fairness a traffic core guy called to yard about something else and foreman told me he saw matrix and was pretty up on the rules.

nim1bdeh38l2cw

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

On one well organised site we had a matrix of who could tow which trailers while driving the different vehicles.

I made it up.
Had to as we had numerous trailers and vehicles with different towing capacities and operatives on different licences.

Worked well

Once made took it down to garda station to go through. May as well have asked the wall!!

Boys hadn't a notion.

In fairness a traffic core guy called to yard about something else and foreman told me he saw matrix and was pretty up on the rules.

Parlez vous anglais?

aaakev

Did he mention tachographs? There has been talk of them being introduced for a few uears now for towing if combined weight is over 3.5 ton like in the uk. Iv sold a few vans across the water with tachographs for that reason.

Still no mention of it over here though