Towing 2 trailers in tandem with an BE licence

offwego89

Here is a question I have struggled to find an answer to.
Can you tow 2 trailers in tandem one behind the other so long as the combined weight is not over 3.5tonne.
EG: A plant trailer with a towable mixer behind it when the plant trailer is full of stuff so the mixer couldn't be put in to the trailer. The plant trailer already has a towball fitted to the axle.

Del2005

For such an obvious combination I'd be going to the RSA with this and not random people on the internet.

One potential issue is how would a trailer by rated as a tow vehicle? Your trailer plate will only have it's MAM on it and nothing about train weight, so how can it legally tow the mixer.

The "free" 750kg is only on a vehicle.

TrailerBob

It can be done with tractors, but I believe it only applies to transfer or delivery of empty trailers. Broughan's over the road often send out silage trailers in tandem from the factory during the busy season.

I can't see how it would be legal to do, mostly because it will likely be over your train weight, then there's lighting, and brakes.

Hypothetically....Lights can be overcome easily but brakes are a different story. If you brake hard with a trailer with any brake imbalance, it may articulate slightly behind you, that will be amplified to the tandem making things potentially interesting. You could have issues with turning at junctions as the tandem trailer trailer axles will turn further inside the track of the tow vehicle.. unless the first trailer has a long tail swing itself and then you've more ssues with clearance... I can't see the RSA allowing it.

But contact them for clarification, before we see you on the Garda Traffic Twitter feed

CJhaughey

If the second trailer didn't articulate then it might work, using the towball as the drawbar and two struts as lockouts to stop the second trailer pivoting would make it into a long trailer but everything would still function as a single unit.
Not sure how you'd get around the rear axle being so far back from the front two axles.
Might be easier to get a tri-axle with longer load bed.

mad-for-tar

offwego89 wrote: »

Here is a question I have struggled to find an answer to.
Can you tow 2 trailers in tandem one behind the other so long as the combined weight is not over 3.5tonne.
EG: A plant trailer with a towable mixer behind it when the plant trailer is full of stuff so the mixer couldn't be put in to the trailer. The plant trailer already has a towball fitted to the axle.

Has been done by looks of it....
https://www.facebook.com/841629168/posts/10157292554939169?s=734365995&v=i&sfns=mo
:pac:

TrailerBob

OP, do you drive a Pajero?

hi5

Once all components are certified and it comes in under with weights and lenghts, I don't see why not.

Would it be all that much different to this?..

TrailerBob

That's one trailer unit, one hitch, one set of brakes, and designed to follow as a steerable drawbar. (Try reversing it though.. a lesson in itslef!)

Two separate trailers raises all sorts of questions about mounting the towball on the first trailer, brakes, and so on... It's not a big issue for a small second trailer, but as ever, you have to legislate for the fella who'll put a 12ft flatbed behind a cattle box if he was let..