Tachographs - trailers

[firestarter]

I was talking to a customer today about towing trailers .He was going to buy a Nissan Navaro and tow a trailer for business use but it seems that it would go over weight and require a tacho which can't be fitted to this vehicle .
this got me thinking about the club's van ,do we need a tacho ? as if we had a car on a trailer behind it it would go over the 3500kg limit . I checked on various forums but its not clear ,this is one of them www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk/index.php?/topic/41963-legislation-on-tachographs-and-trailers/ (http://www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk/index.php?/topic/41963-legislation-on-tachographs-and-trailers/)
From what i can work out ,if your not a business you don't need one ,which the NSRA is not .This would also be OK for any of you guys towing your cars on trailers as long as the tow vehicle is not registered to a business.
This may also affect traders at our shows ,as just a Transit van or big 4x4 with a trailer would go over weight .
Does any body have any first hand experience of this or know what their talking about ?
Thanks Mick

[kennyrodg]

I'm fairly certain that's it's for hire or reward over 3500kg gross train weight.
It's pretty stupid legislation tho'. Read the comments about horseboxes on the link above and you'll see why.

[bergy]

so does a mate whos a self employed mechanic with a transit and 2 wheel car trailer need a tacho? i still dont understand all this!!

[kennyrodg]

If the gross train weight is over 3500kg then I'd say yes. I suppose it would depend on the weight of the vehicle on the trailer. I saw one of those traffic cop programmes on the TV the other week. A guy got pulled for not having a Tacho in a RangeRover pulling a twin axle car trailer loaded with another RangeRover. If it were a Fiat Punto for example I guess he would have been OK. 2 Rangerovers and the trailer would be way over the 3500kg.
I could be of the mark here but it's how I understand it. For Business use ie, hire or reward over 3500kg and a tacho is needed.

[Paul]

does this mean your average "traveller" with a Shogun and massive twin wheel caravan needs a tacho...after all they seem to be professional travellers?

[Paul]

just had a quick read.....another typical badly thoughout regulation that has no benefit to anyone

[Matts33]

What Kennyrodg says is basically correct. I use a Nissan Pathfinder (I can't see why one can't be fitted to a Navara as it's the pick up version of the same vehicle) for work and tow trailers up to 1800kg's. As soon as the combined weight is above 3500kgs and it's being used for business use (hire or reward) a tacho has to be used. There are certain exceptions (which is where the major confussion comes in. i.e. recovery vehicles within a certain distance of their base etc) but that's the law in a nut shell. And also don't forget that every vehicle has a max towing weigh and nose weight which shouldn't be exceeded. The Range Rover towing a Range Rover on a trailer would be very close to this.

[firestarter]

so does a mate whos a self employed mechanic with a transit and 2 wheel car trailer need a tacho? i still dont understand all this!!

It depends on what size Transit it is and how big the car on the tralier is .A long wheel base Transit ,4 wheel tralier and mid sized car will go over wieght

[eeb43]

What Kennyrodg says is basically correct. I use a Nissan Pathfinder (I can't see why one can't be fitted to a Navara as it's the pick up version of the same vehicle) for work and tow trailers up to 1800kg's. As soon as the combined weight is above 3500kgs and it's being used for business use (hire or reward) a tacho has to be used. There are certain exceptions (which is where the major confussion comes in. i.e. recovery vehicles within a certain distance of their base etc) but that's the law in a nut shell. And also don't forget that every vehicle has a max towing weigh and nose weight which shouldn't be exceeded. The Range Rover towing a Range Rover on a trailer would be very close to this.

doubt that, my range rover has got a gross train weight of 6500kg a range rover weighs less than 2000kg so i can probaly tow a trailer with 2 range rovers on it if it wasnt too long

[firestarter]

doubt that, my range rover has got a gross train weight of 6500kg a range rover weighs less than 2000kg so i can probaly tow a trailer with 2 range rovers on it if it wasnt too long

It does not matter that you have a train wieght of 6500kg ,if you go over 3500kg including tow car ,tralier and car being towed ,for comercial use, your in trouble

[eeb43]

i only use it for personal use

[34 Kev]

Guys you have to be very careful on this, Vosa are pinging every vehicle that is pulling a trailer, then they go through the whole procedure when they pull you, we cant pull our tow a van behind the vito anymore because of no tacho, to fit one in a normal car or van is around 1500 quid

[al57]

Any commercial over 3500 towing a trailer for hire or reward req a tachograph if its private use only it does not.
You can tow with commercial vehicle within a 30mile radius of base of vehicle without a tach as long as its not for hire or reward.

[Roymck]

It also applies to small lorries, what it comes down to is if its your vehicle you are towing on a trailer then you are ok, if its sombody elses then its not ok.
A 7.5ton lorry doing a home removal, if its your home you are ok, if it somebody else home then no.