Thread: The Discovery 4 is a second rate tow vehicle

Originally Posted by Redback

Tell that to the Police in Hurstville, who refused one of our drivers from proceeding while driving the Disco 3 and trailer combination of over 5 tonne at our work, a driver with an MR Licence had to be sent to retrieve the vehicle and trailer, loaded with a street sweeper and gear.

He stated that the combined weight (GCM) of the car and trailer exceeded 4.5t and as such exceeded the max weight a person with a car licence can operate.

Which means it is illegal.

Baz.

It means that the officer thought it was illegal. I'd say that the officer should therefore give me a ticket and I'd see him in court if it got that far before an officer who actually knew the regulations intervened. If he arrested me then it would be sorted out at the station very quickly.

Edit: Actually because I have an HC licence he would have let me go anyway.

Originally Posted by Redback

OK I rang the RTA, they state they you can tow up to the WHATEVER THE MANUFACTURER state as their GCM (eg) if LR state their GCM is 6000kg, then that's the max allowed as a combined weight allowed for that vehicle and loaded trailer

Yes, my earlier comment regarding 1.5 times the tow vehicle tare weight is the rule in the absence of a manufacturer's maximum. My RRC can tow 4T. LR reduced the limit to 3.5T for vehicles fitted with ABS.

A lot of the big Chev Silverado's dually's were down graded to a GVM of 4.499 t so that they could be driven on a standard car licence. Still able to tow a 4.5t trailer on same licence. Max 9 t GCM

Originally Posted by Graeme

It means that the officer thought it was illegal. I'd say that the officer should therefore give me a ticket and I'd see him in court if it got that far before an officer who actually knew the regulations intervened. If he arrested me then it would be sorted out at the station very quickly.

Edit: Actually because I have an HC licence he would have let me go anyway.

Doesn't really affect me either as I have HC licence as well, I'm not saying the combination isn't legal, which it obviously is legal, but can it legally be driven by a holder of a standard car licence, because it doesn't state (that I can find) that it includes combinations of over 4.5t (ie) car and trailer combinations, it just says you can't drive vehicles weighing more that 4.5t on a car licence, which means it's one of those grey areas.

Baz.

Baz,
I gather you've been here: A national system of driver licence classes has been introduced in NSW.
Whilst it doesn't mention trailers being towed by the class C licence vehicle, the other licence classes spell out what they cover and they're all for when a vehicle's GVM exceeds 4.5T, with trailer GVMs seperately noted. It would help if the RTA mentioned trailers with the class C vehicles to avoid ambiguity, both for the public and surprisingly for some police officers too. I don't know if the note "All States and Territories in Australia have a uniform driver licence system" helps or not.

Originally Posted by 33chinacars

A lot of the big Chev Silverado's dually's were down graded to a GVM of 4.499 t so that they could be driven on a standard car licence. Still able to tow a 4.5t trailer on same licence. Max 9 t GCM

WRONG VERY WRONG.

A car lic. Allows 1 to drive to a MAXIUM weight of 4.5t.. GVM AND GCM Regardless of it's tow capabilities. If u wish to drive OR tow Anything over 4.5t u must have the Correct license for that weight division.
Example: if 1 was to have a HC lic. (single trailer combination or truck and dog combination where the trailer can carry more mass of then towing truck) but was driving a truck with a GCM 140 (3 trailer road train)t just doesn't mean he can just put on those 2 extra trailers " just " cause the truck they are driving is ABLE as he doesn't have the required MC lic.

Just cause something stated that it has a tow weight of ...... Doesn't just mean YOU can drive it.
Cheers Joe

Licence classes, codes and conditions (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

"C (car)
a moped (2 or 3 wheeled motor vehicle)
a motor vehicle (other than a motorbike) of not more than 4.5 t GVM, built or fitted to carry no more than 12 adults, including the driver, with or without a trailer
a specially constructed motor vehicle† of not more than 4.5 t GVM, with or without a trailer."

From Queensland Transport. To me that says the car can be 4.5T and still tow a trailer.

From vic law.

A light ridged lic can not exceed 8t.GCM.. So WHY then would a standard car lic be able to have a GCM of 9t Which is GREATER then a light rigid lic. just because it can tow that weight ... that does not make any sense. I'll keep looking but I am certain (just looking for it in blaxk and white ) that a standard car lic may not ecxeed the GCM of 4.5 t