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The car places its own limitations
on towing a trailer. In many cases it is the vehicle weight
that determines the type of trailer that can be hooked
onto it and the type of driving license required for driving
the tandem vehicle. In addition, the vehicle and hook
manufacturers may have set other restrictions.
Brakeless trailer
The vehicle category of a brakeless
light trailer is O1. Its highest total weight is no more
than 750 kg. Winter tyres are never required on such trailers,
nor do they have to be inspected technically every year.
The total weight of an O1-class
trailer may not exceed a half of the weight of the towing
vehicle. Note that the vehicle manufacturer may have limited
the towing weight to a smaller figure. Even in many large
vehicles, the towing weight for a brakeless trailer is
surprisingly small, which is due to their safety accessories.
The matter can be checked from the registration extract
in which the towing weight is usually indicated.
Braked trailer
A trailer weighing more than 750
kg but less than 3500 kg belongs to vehicle category O2.
Trailers in this category must be braked and inspected
technically every other year by the end of the calendar
year. This means that their inspection time does not depend
on their adoption date or license plate number.
Winter tyres must be used on braked
trailers in the same way as in passenger cars and vans.
It is also worth noting that if the towing vehicle has
winter tyres, they must also be mounted on the trailer.
The total weight indicated in the
trailer’s registration certificate may exceed the vehicle’s
weight, but the actual trailer weight may not. The trailer
may also be wider than the towing vehicle, in which case
it may be necessary to use extended mirrors, or caravan
mirrors, in order to provide enough visibility to the
rear. Effective mirror width (measured from centre to
centre) must be at least as large as trailer width at
the height of the mirrors.
Special attention must be paid
to loading the trailer. If the load is placed too much
to the front or rear, the trailer easily begins to sway
and makes it impossible control the vehicle. The load
must be placed in such a way that at least 25 kg is placed
on the towbar. It must be strapped properly in order to
prevent it from moving or falling during the ride. A 1-metre
rear overhang is permitted without a warning sign. A 2-metre
rear overhang is also permitted if a red flag – or in
dark a red light - is attached to the load. Side overhang
is not permitted at all except for boat transports where
the largest permitted boat width may be 2,60 m even if
the trailer was narrower.
And one other thing: the trailer
registration certificate. You must have it with you even
if you had borrowed the trailer. Also remember that maximum
road speed with a trailer is 80 km/h. Finns are fond of
trailers, at least if you watch traffic to holiday cottages
in summer and autumn – almost every other car is towing
a trailer! The popularity of trailers is due to a purely
Finnish phenomenon: brakeless trailers. They are inexpensive
and do not require regular technical inspection. This
means that they are care-free but their carrying capacity
is not very big.
Source: Light transport
equipment |
