Towing With Your Toyota: Why Towing Weights Matter Before You Hook Up
Whether you are towing a small trailer, caravan, horsebox, boat trailer or garden machinery, it is very important to understand what your vehicle is legally and safely allowed to tow.
At Curtis Toyota, we can advise on Toyota tow bar options and help you check the manufacturer information available for your vehicle. However, the driver is ultimately responsible for making sure the vehicle, trailer and load are legal, safe and within weight limits.
Towing is not just about whether a tow bar can be fitted. You also need to consider the vehicle’s towing capacity, the trailer’s plated weight, the actual load being carried, nose weight, axle weights and your own driving licence entitlement.
Not every Toyota has the same towing capacity
Even vehicles that look similar can have different towing limits depending on model, engine, hybrid system, body style, drivetrain, trim level and model year.
For example, the vehicle identification plate and V5C registration document can show useful information such as:
- Maximum vehicle weight
- Gross train weight, which is the maximum weight of the vehicle and trailer combined
- Front and rear axle limits
- Braked trailer weight
- Unbraked trailer weight
On the RAV4 example shown here, the V5C lists a braked towing limit of 1,400kg and an unbraked towing limit of 750kg. The vehicle plate also shows the maximum permitted vehicle weight and train weight. This is exactly why customers should never assume that one RAV4, Corolla, Hilux or Proace has the same towing limit as another.
What does “braked” and “unbraked” towing mean?
A braked trailer has its own braking system. This is normally required for heavier trailers.
An unbraked trailer does not have its own braking system and is usually limited to a lower weight. GOV.UK guidance states that an unbraked trailer must not weigh more than 750kg, or more than half the kerb weight of the towing vehicle, whichever is lower. (GOV.UK)
The trailer plate matters too
It is not enough to only check the towing vehicle. The trailer, caravan or horsebox will normally have its own manufacturer plate showing its maximum authorised mass, often called MAM.
You need to make sure:
- The loaded trailer does not exceed the trailer’s own plated limit
- The loaded trailer does not exceed the vehicle’s towing limit
- The vehicle and trailer together do not exceed the gross train weight
- The load is distributed correctly
- The axle weights are not exceeded
- The nose weight on the tow bar is within the correct limit
This is especially important for customers towing plant equipment, livestock trailers, car transporters, caravans or heavy garden machinery. A trailer may look “small enough”, but once loaded it can easily become overweight.
Check your driving licence entitlement
Towing entitlement can depend on when you passed your driving test and what is shown on your driving licence. GOV.UK advises drivers to check their licence information to confirm what they are allowed to tow. (GOV.UK)
Even if your licence allows you to tow a certain combination, the vehicle and trailer must still be suitable and within their own manufacturer weight limits.
Towing safely
Before towing, GOV.UK and NI Direct guidance highlight the importance of checking items such as towing mirrors, brakes, lights, tyre pressures, load security, breakaway cable and correct hitching. GOV.UK also notes that drivers can be fined and receive penalty points if they tow without proper towing mirrors where required. (GOV.UK)
Before setting off, check:
- Trailer lights and indicators
- Tyre condition and pressures
- Tow ball and coupling security
- Breakaway cable or secondary coupling
- Number plate
- Load security
- Nose weight
- Mirrors and visibility
- Trailer brakes, where fitted
- That the trailer is suitable for the weight being carried
Thinking of fitting a tow bar?
If you are considering a tow bar for your Toyota, speak to Curtis Toyota before booking anything in. We can help check what Toyota-approved accessory options may be available for your vehicle and explain what information you should review before towing.
However, because every towing situation is different, we cannot know or predict what a customer will tow in the future. It remains the driver’s responsibility to make sure the trailer, load, vehicle, licence and journey are all legal and safe.
Final reminder
Before towing, always check:
- Your vehicle handbook or manufacturer data
- The V5C towing details
- The vehicle identification plate
- The trailer or caravan weight plate
- Your driving licence entitlement
- The actual weight of the load being carried
- Safety items such as mirrors, lights, tyres, brakes and load security
Towing can be very useful, but it must be done properly. A few minutes checking weights before you hook up can help avoid safety issues, insurance problems, fines or damage to your vehicle.
For Toyota tow bar enquiries, contact Curtis Toyota Ballymena or Curtis Toyota Coleraine and our team will be happy to help.
Curtis Toyota Ballymena and Coleraine
Toyota sales, servicing, parts and accessories.