Towing MR2 to trackday and in general

[MartG]

just for comparison, i passed in 93 and here is what i can drive
B, BE, C1, C1E, D1, D1E, f, k, i, n, p

Ditto ( except mine says l instead of i - there isn't an i category listed on the DVLA site ) - and before Tim replies again, yes, I'm even older - passed in '81

List of categories if you passed after 1 Jan '97 is here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dr ... DG_4022547

If you passed before then, the list is here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dr ... /DG_180694

[Quigonjay]

just for comparison, i passed in 93 and here is what i can drive
B, BE, C1, C1E, D1, D1E, f, k, i, n, p

Ditto ( except mine says l instead of i - there isn't an i category listed on the DVLA site )

i didnt squint hard enough

[Bender Unit]

>Cars with a maximum authorised mass of no more than 3500kg, having no more than eight passenger seats, towing a trailer up to 750kg.<

This means you can drive a vehicle with a GROSS (laden) weight of 3500kgs & tow a 750kgs trailer – meaning a total train weight of 42500kgs.


>A car and a trailer, where the total maximum authorised mass of both is not more than 3500kg and the maximum authorised mass of the trailer is not more than the unladen weight of the car.<
This means the total gross weight (laden) of the tow car and trailer and no more than 3500kgs and the gross weight of the trailer is less than the unladen weight of the tow car.

So for example –
Tow car – Merc 280 E class estate, unladen weight is 1800kgs, gross weight (as plated on the Vin) is 2000kgs.
Brian James trailer – with a 500kgs unladen weight, and a gross weight of 1500kgs
Car on trailer – 900kgs.

The 900kgs car on the trailer is within the trailers plated 1500kgs gross weight (900kgs car weight + 500kgs trailer weight). The tow car weighs more unladen (1800kgs) than the trailers gross weight (1500kgs) and combined the total gross weight of the both the trailer and the tow car is less than 3500kgs.

Working on the basis that’s using a light trailer, and also a light car – stick a MK2 on there and you are going to be over the weight limit you can safely tow.

>A car with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a maximum authorised mass of 2 tonnes towing a trailer with a maximum authorised mass of 1.25 tonnes could be driven under category B entitlement as the maximum authorised mass of both is not more than 3.5 tonnes and the maximum authorised mass of the trailer is not more than the unladen weight of the car.<

This is pretty much repeating the point above – but based around using smaller tow vehicles like a Vectra / Mongdeo.


Ideally you want to tow 85% of the tow cars unladen weight for safety, but you can tow up to 100% of the cars unladen weight if required (although not safe)

Sadly Ant, based on this you will need to do the test to tow the Mr2.

[cantfindausername]

Yeah thats kinda where I was guessing I'd be. Never mind, just have to make sure the car is drivable to and from a track/event

[Quigonjay]

as clear as the law may seem, never heard of anybody getting done for being overweight towing a car with a trailer
probably just one of those many non enforced laws

[Bender Unit]

They are really clamping down on it now, if suspected you will be pulled and then escorted to a weigh station, if you are even marginally over your in big trouble.

Also just from a saftey point of view - you do really want to make sure you have the correct weight ratio as you stand to loose the tow car, trailer and car on the trailer if you get it wrong.

[dai21t]

I've towed my mr2 with my diesel Galaxy with no problems at all, not sure on weights etc, but as I passed in '91 don't think its so much of an issue.

[Rustyracing]

I used to tow my old non-road-legal Mk1 to track days until i bought my Mk2. I think its category BE on your license. Thats for Car plus trailer.

Brain James/Ifor Williams twin axle trailer with runners and winch will easily be around the 450Kg mark.

I've used a 98 Passat 2.8 Estate and a Passat TDi Estate as tow cars for the Mk1 on a few different trailers. Decent tow cars, especially with 4WD which really helps up steep hills and muddy fields. Now have an Audi A4 TDi quattro, another decent tow car.

Ideally you want a tow car with plenty of torque so you're looking at big petrol or reasonably modern TDi engine. The further up the engine and drivetrain range, the higher the (official) tow capacity.

I personally wouldn't worry that much about towing a Mk2 on a trailer with any of the above, or equivalent big engined Beamer/Merc/Disco etc they should all have pretty massive towing capacity and would certainly manage it fine even if the numbers aren't quite right.

[Quigonjay]

always fancied a toyota hilux surf myself as a tow car, 3.0 interwarmed turbo diese, about 250 lb ft (200 ish with non intercooled)
weighs nearly 2 tons so should have a pretty good towing capacity

[Rustyracing]

always fancied a toyota hilux surf myself as a tow car, 3.0 interwarmed turbo diesel, about 250 lb ft (200 ish with non intercooled)
weighs nearly 2 tons so should have a pretty good towing capacity

2200Kgs.

Although if it weighs nearly 2 tonnes you'd only be able to (legally) exploit 1.5 tonnes of that capacity. Which actually makes it less useful than a potent estate car.

[Rogue]

I've towed many, many race cars with a 2.2 turbo diesel Lucida, which has been brilliant. The key to towing an MR2 is to reverse them onto the trailer to get the weight distribution right. I'm currently using a 2.4 diesel Hiace (normally aspirated) which is frankly gutless.

My weapon of choice is the race team's motorhome which has a 7.4l V8 petrol engine. Unless you're on a particularly steep gradient you don't even know the trailer is there!

[greeny]

I've towed many, many race cars with a 2.2 turbo diesel Lucida, which has been brilliant. The key to towing an MR2 is to reverse them onto the trailer to get the weight distribution right. I'm currently using a 2.4 diesel Hiace (normally aspirated) which is frankly gutless.

My weapon of choice is the race team's motorhome which has a 7.4l V8 petrol engine. Unless you're on a particularly steep gradient you don't even know the trailer is there!

[matt-mr2]

sorry if this has been explain but how does the law stand with the towing frames like the a frames and the car dollys like the rac use as im going to need to tow my 2 to and from the tracks and not much space for a car trailer

[MartG]

DVLA stance is that if it's got one wheel on the road, it needs to be taxed and insured

[matt-mr2]

ok thanks i better get a trailer then

[monkeyra]

If you come across a super narrow trailer per chance, that'll fit in a single garage, let me know! I could do with the same