[Lets have a go]

Don't know if this will be rea as its an old topic, but I think it needs some clarification.

Its quite simple, if your tow vehicle has a max towing weight of 2000kg, this is what should be the max gross weight of the trailer, regardless of contents; eg.

horse box weight     900kg
Horse 1                    500kg
Horse 2                    500kg

Total                        1900kg

As long as the trailer is plated as less than 2000kg, the Freelander can tow it, but as its more likely to be 2500kg or 2700kg, it can't, even if its empty.

Think of it like tthis;

You get pulled over and VOSA weigh the trailer and you're under the 2000kg, how do they know that you are not going to unload and load up with heavier items/horses . . . ?

Now that VOSA have clamped down on farmers and lorry drivers, and in doing so, these have got all (most) of their vehicles and trailers legal, they are aiming at horseboxes, caravans and normal trailers!

[greenbeast]

You get pulled over and VOSA weigh the trailer and you're under the 2000kg, how do they know that you are not going to unload and load up with heavier items/horses . . . ?

I can't comment on the rest of your post but that logic is crazy. The point would be that you are not committing an offence at that time despite having the equipment to do so.

The VOSA officer in your example could impound your vehicle because although it's empty now, it could easily carry more than it's plated for at some future time....

[Womble]

Indeed the logic IS crazy, but I believe it's correct (thanks for the clarification Lets have a go - this is one hell of a confusing topic).


It's not the weight of the vehicle or trailer that counts, it's the "Maximum Authorised Mass" for that combination (see this thread and the links in it for more details!). That's what has stuffed me up for buying a new trailer - I'm going to have to sit a B+E test before I can use it  .


Edit - I've just gone back and re-read the rest of the thread. Why on earth can't these rules be made simpler? 

[greenbeast]

Yes i have indeed read that too, and seen many an argument for both interpretations. But the idea that you would be in trouble because you could later go and overload is ridiculous.