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Topic: 7m rule

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martin3520

30/3/2016 at 12:40am
Location: wrexham
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Just wondering what people's thoughts are about the towing laws regarding a caravan over 7m needs to he towed by a vehicle weighing over 3500kg. The website states the 7 metres incudes the a frame.

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/car-towing-weight-and-width-limits

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diesel steve

30/3/2016 at 4:51am
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my adria adora isonzo is 8.2 metres long including a frame and 2.45 metres wide,on a single axle.i tow with a hyundia i800,people carrier, perfectly legal.

JTQU

30/3/2016 at 7:00am
Location: Hampshire
Outfit: Hymer Nova S

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Well, that is a change and makes a whole host of us illegal when towing our caravans.
My Hymer is a few centimetres short of 8 metres but the body is well under 7 metres.

The Caravan Club's handbook Technical information page 654 quotes:

"Overall body length not exceeding 7 mts, excluding drawbar and coupling".

I suspect it is some sloppy work in the Government department rather than the whole UK and continental caravan industries and clubs being wrong.

Edit: I have used the notification link on the page to advise them that they have IMO made an error; hopefully others will do the same. I note the page was updated only on the 14 of March 2016.

Post last edited on 30/03/2016 07:09:55

Opensauce

30/3/2016 at 8:31am
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When those new simplified .gov web pages were introduced a couple of yrs ago they contained several towing law related errors most of which have now been corrected but that one remains.

The law is still that caravans with body length including gas locker of over 7mtres need to be towed with vehicle of over 3.5t gvw not 7mtres overall length including A frame as incorrectly stated on .gov website.

HTH.

AL53HX

30/3/2016 at 9:21am
Location: BLACK((gods)) COUNTRY
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my adria adora isonzo is 8.2 metres long including a frame and 2.45 metres wide,on a single axle.i tow with a hyundia i800,people carrier, perfectly legal.
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Same here,mine is 8.240 no prob's,thought van manufacturers would know the law regarding legal towing lengths

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blueexpo97

30/3/2016 at 10:01am
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Why would it bother the manufacturers, they make the 'van, you have something that can pull it or not.

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XVI yes?

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clbewi

30/3/2016 at 1:09pm
Location: Essex
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Quote: Originally posted by blueexpo97 on 30/3/2016
Why would it bother the manufacturers, they make the 'van, you have something that can pull it or not.

I guess because it would affect sales if you can't tow with a car, and say you would need something that was 3500kgs kinda cuts down their market share

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Claire and Colin

blueexpo97

30/3/2016 at 1:34pm
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There's always one part of the populace that would be all right.

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XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.

Ray Clayton

30/3/2016 at 2:27pm
Location: Ilkeston. Derbyshire
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that puts all the past tow car of the year awards down the drain then.
And dont buy a Skoda it cant pull the van

Be nice to see what the two main clubs have to say on this issue as well.
Be plenty of cheap vans around soon then !!!

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Cheers
Ray

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Rob and Tina

30/3/2016 at 2:39pm
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
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Yesterday I took out Red Pennant Insurance with the Caravan Club and they happily insured a 7.38 metre (shipping length) caravan, if there was a legality problem I would expect them to have mentioned it.

There has not been any mention of this in the magazines of either of the big clubs so I am sure this is just a typo. It would be interesting if we all had to buy commercial vehicles to tow with especially for all those sites that do not allow commercial vehicles.

Rob

PS A similar thread is running on the towing forum.

Ray Clayton

30/3/2016 at 3:01pm
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can one of the mods join this up instead of 2 listings having the same conversation
I have answered in the wrong one once lol
Nothing new there

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Ray

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Ray Clayton

30/3/2016 at 4:14pm
Location: Ilkeston. Derbyshire
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The NTTA site states on trailer law

Maximum Trailer Dimensions

Towing vehicle up to 3500kg GVW

Length (excluding the coupling and drawbar): 7.0m

Width Maximum: 2.55m (was 2.3m up to 2010)

Towing vehicle over 3500kg GVW

Length (excluding the coupling and drawbar): 12m (min 4 wheels

Width Maximum: 2.55m

Length of towing vehicle and trailer combined: 18m

Maximum overhang of load from rear of trailer: 3.05m

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/law/dimensions.aspx

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Ray

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martin3520

30/3/2016 at 4:18pm
Location: wrexham
Outfit: renault master campervan and caravan

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Obviously just a typo on the government website then

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Ray Clayton

30/3/2016 at 5:31pm
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Quote: Originally posted by JTQU on 30/3/2016
Well, that is a change and makes a whole host of us illegal when towing our caravans.
My Hymer is a few centimetres short of 8 metres but the body is well under 7 metres.

The Caravan Club's handbook Technical information page 654 quotes:

"Overall body length not exceeding 7 mts, excluding drawbar and coupling".

Caravan club states on there web site
The maximum length
of caravan that may be
towed on British roads by a car (with a Gross Vehicle Weight
not exceeding 3.500kg) is 7 metres (22 ft 11½ in). The
maximum width is 2.3 metres (7 ft 6½ in).

Quite a few sites state the same with no mention of the draw bar, so puts my last post & information to the nearest dustbin

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Ray

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johnnyfuggles

30/3/2016 at 9:46pm
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OK just found this on the DFT site which clearly shows that the conditions and use of a caravan exclude the coupling device and draw-bar. Hooray, had me worried.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407623/Information_Sheet_Requirements_for_Trailers.pdf

blueexpo97

31/3/2016 at 7:52am
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Quick link.

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XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.

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