Thread: Why ??..

Originally Posted by Strom

So let me get this right all electric brakes have breakaway ?..

Not exactly, all Trailers from 750kg to 2000KG can have any type of braking system.

But once you go over the 2000KG mark all trailers must be fitted with a system that can maintain a braking pressure for 15mins or more if the trailer was to detach itself from the towing vehicle.

And to add more confusion to the matter, your combined towing vehicle and loaded trailer must not exceed 4500KG if you hold a Car license.

So going on that basic, if you hold a normal car license and depending on what Cruiser body you have, you're limited to towing a loaded trailer of 2000kg to 2500kg as most cruisers weight between 2000kg and 2500kg unladen.

It'd pay to check with your local Vehicle Authority before you go too far down the path as I'm mainly going on regulations for the State of Victoria.

Ohh..
This is a first...
Thanks Woody...This is news to me..
Yonnee can you throw any light on this issue ?..
After a quick search the Cruiser HZJ75 specs are -
T-2160
A-3035
G- 5535
How heavy of a trailer can I be towing with a class C licence
In South Oz ??

Did a search for SA Regs and found this which was accessible from here

So according to your class C license, your combined vehicle and trailer must not exceed 4.5t but if you were to hold a LR license you could have a a combined vehicle and trailer of 5535kg going on your specs for the cruiser.

License specs for SA can be found here

As I said before, the best way to check this is with your local Vehicle Authority Board which is http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/index.asp

strom electric brakes up to 2000kg have a controller mounted in vehicle over 2000kg you have the same controller in vehicle and you also need a breakaway unit mounted on trailer to hold brakes onif it becomes departed with tow vehicle

yeh the electric brake controller and the break away system are completly seperate but related issues.

unless you are taking the dodgy way out all electric brake systems have a brake controller in the vehicle.....apart from a few exceptions most of the brake controllers are compatable with most of the brakes on the trailer.

then there is the break away system...which is simply a means of applying the brakes hard if the trailer should become seperated,

this limitation of the car licence is an interesting wrinkle......I wonder how many people are aware of this one.....I'll have to check the QLD regs.

cheers

Originally Posted by Strom

Ohh..
This is a first...
Thanks Woody...This is news to me..
Yonnee can you throw any light on this issue ?..
After a quick search the Cruiser HZJ75 specs are -
T-2160
A-3035
G- 5535
How heavy of a trailer can I be towing with a class C licence
In South Oz ??

Still haven't seen Yonnee yet...??


I'm having trouble working out the abbreviations...
'T' - I get, and would expect the Tare to be 2160Kg.

'A' - I haven't figured out yet, but would've thought that 3035Kg would be close to your GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass).

'G' - I would've thought to be GVM, but at over 5 and a half tonne, this is way beyond your standard car license limit of 4500Kg.


And the links that DJ put up, are a little vague, and could be read two ways;
Either you can only drive something that weighs 4500Kg TOTAL, on your standard car license...
Or, (and the way I read it), you can drive any vehicle with a GVM less than 4500Kg, and in addition to that, tow a trailer to the maximum of either the vehicle's maximum tow rating, or 1.5 times the Tare if no towing rating stated by the manufacturer, or the trailers rated limit, whichever is the least.

The reason I read it this way is because the reg's talk about GVM, and not GCM (Gross Combined Mass) that the total of the tow vehicle and trailer would be measured.

GVM applies to the vehicle only as i understand it. If not then I would imagine there are a lot of illegal setups out there, amongst caravanners, who have cruisers and huge caravans.

Nev

certainly as I can find out in QLD, the GVM licence restriction applies to the towing vehicle only.... but from mumbles on tis board it may apply to the whole combination in southern states.

cheers