Advice on buying T6 for towing

[revdecal]

Hi all.

I have a Highline 180 DSG Kombi. Does anyone know the approximate towing weight capability of the van?

I have a leisure trailer that should be around 1200kg loaded which I'm sure it can easily tow. It is more a question of being legal.
I took a look on the internet and nothing obvious is popping up.

thanks in advance
Ryan

 

[revdecal]

2500kg?

 

[Stevefrs]

My t30 150 is rated to tow 2500kg. Lookimg in the handbook it shows all the bigger engined vans with the same( lower outputs are 2200kg). Talking of legal this also assumes your licence has b&e entitlement.

 

[revdecal]

My t30 150 is rated to tow 2500kg. Lookimg in the handbook it shows all the bigger engined vans with the same( lower outputs are 2200kg). Talking of legal this also assumes your licence has b&e entitlement.

Thank you. Yeah, licence all covered on that front. I should be well within my limits then which is good.

 

[Keeff]

Has your trailer got brakes if it all ok but only 750 kg without brakes.

 

[Alan Walsh]

I tow a caravan with mine and can barley notice it and a twin wheel drop bed trailer with a scissor lift on it, these vans tow really well. (the 4motion helps on hill starts.)

 

[Pauly]

Lists 100kg nose weight on the trailer also so assuming this is the max

 

[revdecal]

Has your trailer got brakes if it all ok but only 750 kg without brakes.

Yes, braked trailer.

 

[DaveyB]

This is what it says on the GOV website

Licences issued from 1 January 1997
If you passed your car driving test on or after 1 January 1997 you can:

• drive a car or van up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
• tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

(MAM is the limit on how much the vehicle can weigh when it’s loaded.)

You have to pass the car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.

Licences issued before 1 January 1997
If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you’re usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg MAM.


Therefore if your trailer is over 750kg, and so long as the nose weight does not exceed the 100kg maximum stated by VW, you should be fine.

 

[revdecal]

This is what it says on the GOV website

Licences issued from 1 January 1997
If you passed your car driving test on or after 1 January 1997 you can:

• drive a car or van up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
• tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg

(MAM is the limit on how much the vehicle can weigh when it’s loaded.)

You have to pass the car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.

Licences issued before 1 January 1997
If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you’re usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg MAM.


Therefore if your trailer is over 750kg, and so long as the nose weight does not exceed the 100kg maximum stated by VW, you should be fine.

Thanks for this. I passed before 97 so I should be good to go. Great help guys, really appreciate it.
Ryan

 

[mhill]

Yep 2500kgs.

I find that anything over the 1000kgs mark on the back of the van is really noticeable straight away and sucks the fuel compare to any other vehicles I drive or have had in the past.

 

[Rick]

Just found out that if you tow for work if mam weight is over 3500 kg vehicle has to have a tachograph
But not required for private use

 

[BiTurbo]

No issues what so ever dragging this from Chester to Northampton and back. Awesome motor to tow with.

 

[Rick]

If there is one area of van fleet management that causes more confusion than any other, it must be that of towing and the law.

The rules are relatively simple, but it seems that many operators are either ignorant or wilfully dismissive of the law regarding tachographs and who is allowed to drive vehicles with trailers.


This is a surprising fact bearing in mind the legal consequences in the event of a crash.

Next time you walk past a 3.5-tonne gvw van with a trailer, see if there’s a tachograph fitted.

The chances are the dashboard will be bare – and in that case the van you are looking at is more than likely breaking the law.


It is reckoned that of all the vans on UK roads with towbars fitted, less than 1% have a tachograph.

Exceptions to the rule
The law states that the weight of the trailer must be added to the gross vehicle weight of the van.

So if the van has a gvw of 3.5 tonnes and it’s towing a two-tonne trailer, the vehicle effectively weighs 5.5 tonnes and must have a tachograph – and you’ll need an O-licence to operate it too.

There are exceptions to this rule and the main two that may apply to Fleet Van readers are:

• If the vehicle is not being used for hire and reward
• If the vehicle doesn’t travel more than 50km (33 miles) from its base.

Van fleet operators could also fall foul of the law if they don’t adequately check drivers’ licences too.

Staff who passed their tests before January 1, 1997, will be allowed to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes gvw on their ordinary licences, but those who passed after that date are limited to 3.5 tonnes.

Therefore, if a 3.5-tonne van has a trailer fitted, it will go over that limit and the younger person won’t be entitled to drive.

The regulations stipulating which drivers are qualified to tow trailers were amended in 1997 so that anyone who passed their driving test since requires a Category B or BE entitlement.

Changes to the rules from January 13, 2013, will further restrict the weight that drivers qualified after 1997 can tow without a separate qualification.

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

• 

If there is one area of van fleet management that causes more confusion than any other, it must be that of towing and the law.

The problem is the lack of publicity to draw attention to these significant changes to the law resulting in drivers not complying with legislation through ignorance of the goal posts being moved.

 

[Rick]

Isn't that the truth,I have a t32 so I can't even use my small trailer 550kg for carrying crap for work unless I say it's private and not business.
But for private use I can tow a 1500kg caravan up to 60 mph

 

[T6 Dave]

Hi all, another government minefield, one of which I certainly wasn't aware of! Although I tow with a LR Defender 90. So as far as I can work out at the moment, to not fall foul of the weight/tacho restrictions, if you own a T6 t32 kombi , you can tow for leisure only with no weight restriction other than the manufacturers? Any business use needs a tacho? (Passed my test pre '97 )

 

[mhill]

We work on the local rule, only time I go further is if it's a break down and towing another van back.
I seem to remember reading that it's been changed from 50k to 100k recently.

 

[BigJ]

Good evening All, can anyone help on a few towing problems.
My T6, T30 140, has a max towing of 2500kg
Gross vehicle weight, 3000kg ( kerb 1872 + payload 1128kg)
If I tow a caravan MTPLM of 1600kg
My max train weight would be 4600kg

What is the max ( Train Weight) of my T6 )
I have spend hours searching the net,
Thanks for all the your help
Kind regards Jonathan

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

@BigJ The MTW of a T30 SWB 140ps is 5300kg for the DSG or 5200kg for the manual gearbox according to the July 2015 brochure. I would suggest the MTW for the LWB is the same. Hope that this helps as you should be well inside.