Check what you know
Did you know?
Best practice tips
Check what you know
Did you know?
Towing with a van could:
- mean you need different driving licence categories
- require use of EU drivers’ hours rules and tachographs (although there may be exemptions you can use)
- overload the towing vehicle beyond its legal and / or physical capabilities
Vans with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of up to 3500kg can tow trailers up to seven metres long and 2.55 metres wide.
Trailers with a GVW of 751kg or more are required to be fitted with independent brakes.
No part of the load in the trailer should overhang by more than 3.05 metres, not exceeding a width of 2.9 metres – and it must all be secure. If your load overhangs the trailer, please check the guidance on overhanging loads at www.gov.uk
Any trailer used must be subject to the same pre-use checks as the towing vehicle.
Trailers and couplings can differ, so always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Best practice tips
Make sure you know how to hitch the trailer correctly and how to connect the emergency brake cable, making sure it is secure.
- Evenly distribute the weight of the load in the trailer.
- Make sure any load in your trailer is properly secured.
- The trailer being towed must display the same number plate as the van.
- Ensure the nose weight of the trailer is within the manufacturer’s recommendations of the towing vehicle.
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- If the trailer starts to swerve, slow down gently.
- If the trailer is wider than the van, then towing mirrors will need to be fitted.
- There is a towing speed limit on motorways and single carriageway roads – please check the speed limit guidance at gov.uk/speed-limits
The chassis plate or sticker fixed by the manufacturer specifying the maximum weights allowed is often found on a front door sill. The weight and size of trailer that you can tow depends on at least five key factors:
- driving licence categories.
- the capability of the towing trailer.
- the weight capacity of the trailer.
- the brakes on the trailer.
- gross weight of towing vehicle and size of trailer.
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