North Coast road blocks - Beware

[WAJ]

So, it begs the question - what was the OP towing, and with what vehicle?

[CornellMans]

So with all this rain that we are having in Gauteng, my venter's license disc is smudging. would that be a problem?

[supersunbird]

So, it begs the question - what was the OP towing, and with what vehicle?

My money is on a boat trailer.

[Tedx2]

Go to your tow vehicle and trailer/caravan and read the license discs.
Is the trailer gvm figure higher than the tare of the tow vehicle? Then a nono.

Here an article from Carmag explaining the above issues.

https://www.carmag.co.za/technical/t...-the-law-says/

Thanks very much, I'm concerned. I'm in Australia, my Hilux is in Zimbabwe, my Bushlapa is in South Africa. According to what I can see online the tare of my vehicle is 1,770kgs and my vans GVM is 1,800kgs. I've asked people looking after them to verify. I assume if these figures are accurate I'm illegal.

[Gungets Tuft]

So with all this rain that we are having in Gauteng, my venter's license disc is smudging. would that be a problem?

Take the original license form with you - the one from which you cut the disk. Should be fine.

[HannoK]

So with all this rain that we are having in Gauteng, my venter's license disc is smudging. would that be a problem?

I normally stick see through tape on front and back of my trailer licence disk when I renew it. Leave a bit of overlap on the outside and stick together as well. It helps a lot to keep it from smudging.

[HugoNotte]

Sounds sensible, although I don't recall ever having read that in any sales brochure or road test. I'll go check my manual (although I'm terrible at reading the manual, until AFTER I've needed the info )

You won't find it in any sales brochure nor in your owner's manual. It's national law, that your trailer's GVM may not exceed the tow vehicle's tare, in case of a trailer with run in brakes. Read the rod traffic act, there you would find it.
The manufacturer's limit might be more limiting though. E.g. you got a vehicle with a Tare of 2000 kg, the manufacturer says you may tow 1500 kg. In that case the manufacturer's limit being the more limiting would apply and not the limit of the road traffic act.

[stephenplumb]

So, it begs the question - what was the OP towing, and with what vehicle?

Am towing a Ski Boat with GVM of 3500Kgs with Amarok of Tare 1874Kgs. Actual trailer mass is around 1900Kgs without Fuel and Rods etc.

Anyway this is the combo that literally every Ski boat uses and I have just spent 27K upgrading to a disc braked oil filled axle. This is mostly a case of our traffic laws being drafted in about 1902 and never updated. This is why Nissan can confidently tell you that their 1 star NCAP hardbody meets all required safety legislation, or why the OEMs had to motivate endlessly for LED daytime running lights etc.

Braking systems have moved on a little since the days of the 1956 Landrover Series 2, but the laws have never been amended.

Anyway, anyone now towing a ski boat, car trailer are for sure illegal. I have done some pretty exhaustive searches on coupled brakes and there are no local options that I have been able to uncover.

There is a fellow that has imported a controller from the US and fitted it to his boat trailer. Seems a bit sketchy as it runs on internal battery and is all electronic which is a bit questionable going into the sea!

I tend to agree with Heinz that the overrun brakes are the most consistent system that actually work on a vehicle and the two mooted alternatives are potentialy unreliable it would seem.

[Estee]

My kop is alweer te plat

The Hummer H3 has a GVW of 6 001 lbs or @ 2 722kgs.

Kerb weight is 2 206kgs

What weight would I be legally allowed to tow?

[vnitos]

My kop is alweer te plat

The Hummer H3 has a GVW of 6 001 lbs or @ 2 722kgs.

Kerb weight is 2 206kgs

What weight would I be legally allowed to tow?

@Estee, the kerb weight of 2 206kgs is the one that is used.

What people forget is that the if the GVM of the trailer / caravan exceeds the tare/kerb weight of the towing vehicle insurance companies could consider repudiating claims.

[vnitos]

One of my boat trailers’ GVM is indicated as 2500kgs - I have towed this boat on different occasions with the Range Rover and the Discovery - although the Range Rover’s tare is indicated as only 98kgs more than that of the Discovery (2634kg vs 2536kgs) - the towing experience with the Range Rover is much better and more relaxed than the Discovery.

[Estee]

One of my boat trailers’ GVM is indicated as 2500kgs - I have towed this boat on different occasions with the Range Rover and the Discovery - although the Range Rover’s tare is indicated as only 98kgs more than that of the Discovery (2634kg vs 2536kgs) - the towing experience with the Range Rover is much better and more relaxed than the Discovery.

I believe the Range Rover brief originally included the ability to tow a double horse box with horses. I always found that I forgot I was towing something in the Rangies.

[vnitos]

I believe the Range Rover brief originally included the ability to tow a double horse box with horses. I always found that I forgot I was towing something in the Rangies.

Both the RR and Disco are 2007 models with very much the same technical specifications, i.e. Terrain Response, anti-sway, etc. It was actually very surprising as to up to that point I did not think that there would have been a difference between the 2.

However, according to the books, the Range Rover does have 71kW and 133Nm (Range Rover is Supercharged) more torque than the Discovery - that could maybe a contributing factor in addition to better brakes and the difference in weight.

The thing is that there are very few vehicles currently on the market with a tare/kerb weight in excess of 2500kgs, except the MB GLS, Toyota Landcruiser 200, Lexus LX570 and Nissan Patrol - all the Land Rover products (from 2013) are below 2500kgs.

[Ama-newbie]

So with all this rain that we are having in Gauteng, my venter's license disc is smudging. would that be a problem?

What I did with my boat trailer, or motorbike, is get a colour photocopy of the license disk and then get the copy laminated and used that in the holder. NOT legal!!!! But for the boat I then used to carry the original in the car with me.

On the Dakar I used to ride, my license disk got stolen once (the bastards just snapped off the license holder), so keeping the original was good to have to make another copy. On my scooter (oh, how times have changed!) I keep the license disk under the seat...

I just hope that if I get stopped, I get an understanding spietcop.

[Henris]

I carry a folder with me. In that are all my travel docs. Including the trailer licence.
They understand why disc are not displayed on the trailer.

[HugoNotte]

Am towing a Ski Boat with GVM of 3500Kgs with Amarok of Tare 1874Kgs. Actual trailer mass is around 1900Kgs without Fuel and Rods etc.

Anyway this is the combo that literally every Ski boat uses and I have just spent 27K upgrading to a disc braked oil filled axle. This is mostly a case of our traffic laws being drafted in about 1902 and never updated. This is why Nissan can confidently tell you that their 1 star NCAP hardbody meets all required safety legislation, or why the OEMs had to motivate endlessly for LED daytime running lights etc.

Braking systems have moved on a little since the days of the 1956 Landrover Series 2, but the laws have never been amended.

Anyway, anyone now towing a ski boat, car trailer are for sure illegal. I have done some pretty exhaustive searches on coupled brakes and there are no local options that I have been able to uncover.

There is a fellow that has imported a controller from the US and fitted it to his boat trailer. Seems a bit sketchy as it runs on internal battery and is all electronic which is a bit questionable going into the sea!

I tend to agree with Heinz that the overrun brakes are the most consistent system that actually work on a vehicle and the two mooted alternatives are potentialy unreliable it would seem.

I understand your frustration and I am sure it is shared by many others. But is it really a case of outdated legislation, or does this limitation actually still make sense, seeing that there are many unpaved roads, like sand and gravel, in southern Africa? If a rig gets out of shape on tar, it is probably a lot easier to correct the situation than on a much less grippy surface. Your run in brakes can only work properly as long as the trailer is properly lined up with the vehicle. If the tow vehicle's tail steps out and the trailer will push it more and more to the side, rendering the run in brakes useless. That's where brake controllers come in, that the trailer can be braked on it's own.
In countries with better developed infrastructure and a higher ratio of paved roads this concern might not be applicable and hence a higher tow weight might be allowed by law.

[Henkus]

I'm confused, please give an example with numbers to show what you mean, many thanks

I have posted this on another thread. See below for clarity. This is on the Ford range of vehicles.

[Rustie]

Thanks very much, I'm concerned. I'm in Australia, my Hilux is in Zimbabwe, my Bushlapa is in South Africa. According to what I can see online the tare of my vehicle is 1,770kgs and my vans GVM is 1,800kgs. I've asked people looking after them to verify. I assume if these figures are accurate I'm illegal.

I won't sweat it, you will be fine.

[jelo]

One of my boat trailers’ GVM is indicated as 2500kgs - I have towed this boat on different occasions with the Range Rover and the Discovery - although the Range Rover’s tare is indicated as only 98kgs more than that of the Discovery (2634kg vs 2536kgs) - the towing experience with the Range Rover is much better and more relaxed than the Discovery.

and that is why I reckon people who tow anything more than 1T with a Jimny are not thinking

[Danie Joubert]

I believe he means his trailer GVM was higher than the tow vehicle tare.

True.

That is illegal and rightly so.

But then they should not 'deregister' the trailer?