I must point out to you that both VOSA and the Police will 'weigh' a caravan without disconnecting it from the towing unit. There is a reason for this and it isn't H&S.
But will the police / VOSA or insurance company weigh the damaged caravan with the towcar attached if they suspect the caravan was overweight prior to the accident.
This was discussed on another forum and where the gross train weight of the car exceeded the limits, you are done and get points on your licence and cannot carry on towing and the trailer has to be disconnected from the towing vehicle!
Quote: Originally posted by emmitdb on 11/8/2011
Greetings,
I got the information from the fact that I was at the 'pointy end' of law enforcement for thirty years.
What you've got to understand is that the caravan is in fact a vehicle in it's own right and when it is attached to a car (for instance) although it has it's own weight limits some of that is superimposed on the towing vehicle.
That part of the load, so superimposed can't be in two places, (Caravan and car) so it's on the car.
That's why, for instance the maximum load on the axles of a vehicle added together comes to more than the load allowed for the whole vehicle. So long as you don't go over the load on any axle then your outfit is lawful. Its the same with a motor vehicle towing a caravan.
Hi emmitdb,
Thank you for the explanation. I could see the logic in your original post but it was the first time I had came across this definition of MTPLM. I can also see where surfer01 is coming from as well.
In another post you say:
"I must point out to you that both VOSA and the Police will 'weigh' a caravan without disconnecting it from the towing unit. There is a reason for this and it isn't H&S."
Can you say what the reason is?
Greetings Artel,
The reason that the police do not disconnect the caravan is because it has no significance to the issue.
The weight of the caravan (as far as they are concerned) is that load imparted BY THE CARAVAN on the road.
The other weights they will check are the axle weights of the towing vehicle (both front and back) and they should not be exceeded either. They will also be able to calculate the overall train weight of the whole unit.
As a sidenote,
The noseweight of the caravan is imparted onto the rear axle and could, assuming a full load of passengers and significant load in the boot (especially one with a long 'overhang') create circumstances where the rear axle load is over the cars limit.
In addition and to reply to Surfers last comment, I have never suggested that by the imposition of the noseweight this would lead to the Gross Train Weight being exceeded.
I would suggest that the addition of a noseweight to a vehicle would not go anywhere near the maximum train weight of a vehicle. It would however, in the circumstances I have outlined above create the commission of an offence of overloading a rear axle, but not the train weight.
It is for each individual to calculate his own weights.
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Quote: Originally posted by emmitdb on 11/8/2011
The noseweight of the caravan is imparted onto the rear axle and could, assuming a full load of passengers and significant load in the boot (especially one with a long 'overhang') create circumstances where the rear axle load is over the cars limit.
Thanks again emmitdb. I had thought I had the various weights relating to towing a caravan clear in my head but obviously not. If what you say is correct, and it seems from what you say that you have been in a position of practical experience in these matters, then a lot of the information I have gathered is either erroneous or not applicable in the real world. For example until reading this thread I was sure MTPLM was total laden weight of caravan as it stood including noseweight and that would be the basis of any roadside VOSA check. I was also under the impression that it was better to take heavy items out of the van and load them into the rear or boot of the towing vehicle, again it seems that by doing this it might not only be unnecessary but also overload the rear axle.
Regarding axle weight limits can some one tell me where I can find out the maximum axle weights for my car. A look at handbook and specifications only appears to give kerbweight,max laden weight,max towing weight, and Gross train weight, nothing about specific axle weight
Axle weight is usually on a plate in the engine bay attached to the bulkhead, providing it is a european manufactured vehicle (vehicles imported from Japan only have the gross train weight)
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Topic: weigh bridge
