Towing cars on car trailers

xalent · 01-09-2006, 04:07 PM

Went to Heathcote last weekend. This is how we got there

Anyway, almost home1150 kms done, 10km to go, get pulled into a heavy vehicles defect station on the side of the freeway just shy of Mt Barker. It appeared to be cadet training day, five very fresh young cops and one older guy. The young cops were asking my mate about my coop, i.e is it street registered (yes) does it get driven on the steet (we said no) why has it got a full on stereo system if its not driven on the street (told them it was occasionally driven on street in different config i.e no slicks etc etc). Usually I tow with borrowed or hire trailers running hydraulic brakes. This time I borrowed my brothers boss's trailer with electric brakes and had installed an electric brake controller the day before we left. Basically was explained to me that because the weight of the vehicle pluss the weight of the vehicle was greater than two tonnes the trailer required brakes on both axles (only had one axle braked) and required a breakway box i.e trailer comes detatched from tow vehicle and trailer brakes lock up. Fair enough, I was unaware of the two tonne rule.
Heres where it gets interesting. Because he didn't have the facilities to actually weigh the combined mass of the trailer and coop, he couldn't actually do me for overloading. The trailer did not have a unladen mass or laden mass on the rego sticker, just that it was homemade. He had to take my word on approx vehicle weight. So what does he he do? He says he's doing me a favour by not doing me for overloading re fines and demerits and chooses instead to defect the trailer "Check trailer brakes" was all that appeared on the defect notice. One of the young coppers actually said 'How can we be sure that it's even got brakes on it?" So basically as soon as the coop was removed from the trailer at home, it was once again legal. I then took the trailer back to my bros boss who was less than happy (obviously) and now has to take the trailer for an inspection to clear a defect that was never actually there......

So with the new trailer rules coming into effect soon, it may pay to check your loading laws.
Interestingly he didn't inspect the effy at all and didn't even do a lamp check which was lucky coz the indicator fuse blew about half an hour before getting pulled

:

I guess I got of pretty lightly....

The trip was well worth the effort although stopping the petrol pump at $200 at ST Anaud was an experience I wouldn't like to repeat every day! The effy sips premium.... and I managed to get into the eleven's knockin nearly 0.3 of my 1/4 mile time.

And I got to take my brother and a couple of mates for a trip down the strip for some low 12's so they were stoked as well.

blownba · 01-09-2006, 04:28 PM

nice coop mate. Nice paint. Love the squat on launch. Wicked reaction time, awesome time overall. well done.....

dansedgli · 01-09-2006, 04:35 PM

Wow nice car!

I tow regulary as well and had no idea about that rule. I picked up my EA from forster NSW which was a 3800kms round trip but we didnt get pulled over. Lucky i guess.

Dazza XLT · 01-09-2006, 04:43 PM

I sold 4 x 10x6 Trailers 18 months ago, and it they all had the Electric breakaway setup, Both axles had brakes too.

AlbertM · 01-09-2006, 08:09 PM

Current rules (in NSW anyway) say you only need breakaway brakes for GVM of 3500Kg an over. There is no way that trailer car combo would weigh that much. Also New trailers must be fitted with all wheel brakes. Old trailers that are already registered with single braked axle are legal.

How much weight a trailer can carry is subject to axle width, springs, wheels and tyres. Even basic bogie trailers can carry 1500Kg.

MrFlibbles · 01-09-2006, 09:43 PM

the way most people figure out how much weight a trailer can cary is to load it till its full then add some more....
then hey presto the trailer can carry that weight!