25-03-2014, 10:08 AM
I'll explain the post 1997 regs. I'm not well up on the very recent changes so I won't go into them. Your total gross weight cannot be over 3.5t unless the towing vehicle gross is 3.5t then you're allowed 750kg gross for the trailer. Also the gross weight (mam) of the trailer cannot exceed the kerb weight of the car. Keep within that and you're fine.
Danny, when you say 900kg Max, I suspect you've got this from the manual or something. This is Peugeot's recommendation. The legal limit is the gross train weight less the actual weight of your car. For example, my Peugeot 405 recommended towing weight is 1200kg. However, my gross train weight is 2850kg, my car is roughly 1000kg (roughly) so legally I can tow upto 1850kg. It's something I regularly take advantage of and go upto 1500kg (any more would be silly and start being unsafe). Bear in mind I'm an HGV class 1 driver so I don't have licence restrictions.
There are other recommendations saying the gross weight should not be over 85% of the kerb weight of the car. This is if you're not used to towing. It's a rough guide though. Size, density, load distribution are all factors. For example a 1000kg caravan will be harder to control than 1200kg of bricks
Danny, when you say 900kg Max, I suspect you've got this from the manual or something. This is Peugeot's recommendation. The legal limit is the gross train weight less the actual weight of your car. For example, my Peugeot 405 recommended towing weight is 1200kg. However, my gross train weight is 2850kg, my car is roughly 1000kg (roughly) so legally I can tow upto 1850kg. It's something I regularly take advantage of and go upto 1500kg (any more would be silly and start being unsafe). Bear in mind I'm an HGV class 1 driver so I don't have licence restrictions.
There are other recommendations saying the gross weight should not be over 85% of the kerb weight of the car. This is if you're not used to towing. It's a rough guide though. Size, density, load distribution are all factors. For example a 1000kg caravan will be harder to control than 1200kg of bricks