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What is the maximum weight we can tow?
I have a 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser. Its weight is 2.2 tonnes and the listed towing weight is 3.0 tonnes. We tow a horse box.
Half of our friends say the all up weight of the trailer cannot exceed the weight of the vehicle. Others say it is the maximum towing weight that matters.
We want to upgrade to an Equi-Trek box that is nearly 3 tonnes loaded
Who is correct?
Half of our friends say the all up weight of the trailer cannot exceed the weight of the vehicle. Others say it is the maximum towing weight that matters.
We want to upgrade to an Equi-Trek box that is nearly 3 tonnes loaded
Who is correct?
Asked on 10 May 2022 by steve Hill
Answered by
Dan Powell
Your friends are correct, the trailer must not exceed the weight of your car. Otherwise, it may result in poor stability when cornering or attempting to navigate a steep hill.
In my opinion, the towing capacity of your car should not be more than 85 per cent of your vehicle's kerb weight. The individual and combined weights of the vehicle and the trailer are among the most important things you need to know before towing. It’s vital that you stick to them; exceed them, and you’re breaking the law.
The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) tells you how much a vehicle or a trailer can legally weigh in order to be used on the road, while the Gross Train Weight (GTW) or Gross Combination Weight (GCW), is the total, permitted weight of the vehicle, the trailer and everything it’s carrying. You can find these figures on the van or trailer’s chassis plate, in the handbook and sometimes on the V5C registration certificate.
In my opinion, the towing capacity of your car should not be more than 85 per cent of your vehicle's kerb weight. The individual and combined weights of the vehicle and the trailer are among the most important things you need to know before towing. It’s vital that you stick to them; exceed them, and you’re breaking the law.
The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) tells you how much a vehicle or a trailer can legally weigh in order to be used on the road, while the Gross Train Weight (GTW) or Gross Combination Weight (GCW), is the total, permitted weight of the vehicle, the trailer and everything it’s carrying. You can find these figures on the van or trailer’s chassis plate, in the handbook and sometimes on the V5C registration certificate.
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