Thread: NZ towing laws and practices are making my head hurt, help!!??

It's correct that it's an ADR requirement - this is the issue as the towing vehicle requirements are the ADR spec as manufacturer's original equipment for the towbar and manufacturer's design towing mass for the vehicle so this is where the rule on the towing vehicle comes from.

Trailer rules are different and do not align with the towing vehicle rules - although as people have said it is very rarely picked up on. I've only ever seen it picked up once at VTNZ and that was I think due to the towing vehicle and the trailer going through wof at the same time.

Max unbraked on the trailer rules are 2000Kg, but the towing vehicle can't pull it in alignment with the laws and original manufacturer ratings if the trailer weighs over 750Kg without brakes. There has been a review on in LTNZ for a while on brakes but there isn't much happening with it as far as I'm aware, probably as it's going to create a hell of a mess whichever way they go if they try to get everything aligned in terms of trailers meeting the ADR rules.

Originally Posted by mikee

I'm not sure it has just 750kg (but I am usually wrong ) is the most often quoted "un-braked max weight" by manufacturers of many vehicles so has become a bit of a "defacto" thing?

NZ is one of the few countries where vehicle/towbar ratings don't line up with trailer weight braking rules. It was on the hit list with NZTA a while back & I attended a two day meeting with key trailer & towbar manufacturers at the ministries offices in Wellington. It was a workshop on how to fix this problem & address a few other issues around the trailer / towbar rules with safety being the top priority. As far as I know, it is still a document awaiting some funding and more input & drive to get it to parliament. That was about 5 years ago....

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Originally Posted by Mathias

NZ is one of the few countries where vehicle/towbar ratings don't line up with trailer weight braking rules. It was on the hit list with NZTA a while back & I attended a two day meeting with key trailer & towbar manufacturers at the ministries offices in Wellington. It was a workshop on how to fix this problem & address a few other issues around the trailer / towbar rules with safety being the top priority. As far as I know, it is still a document awaiting some funding and more input & drive to get it to parliament. That was about 5 years ago....

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Hopefully they'll include standard trailer light plugs as part of the WoF for any vehicle with a towbar. The number or cars and/or trailers out there with incorrect wiring is ridiculous.

Subaru florists...not recommended for towing. Trailer must be less than 150% weight of tow vechille. 90 KMPH maximum speed. It's why lots of folks have a old heavy wagon for towing n bugger all else.

You guys are more helpful than you’ll ever know. I despise it and it’s all a scam but in the states there are laws…on top of laws…but you can always find the answer, eventually.
Here it seems like it takes a team of local experts with a world of experience to find the top 3 or 4 answers as it always seems up to interpretation to one degree or another.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING MY TEAM OF EXPERTS!!!

Originally Posted by MB

...and what about all the brand new boat/trailer combos in the dealerships. Nearly all "illegal".

And y’all wonder why I’m constantly in a state of confusion!!

Originally Posted by Joe Schmo

And y’all wonder why I’m constantly in a state of confusion!!

It's no different for anyone else if they think about these things. Thinking is not encouraged

Its the no insurance bit that will fk ya more then any fine if it all goes to shit

I have never heard of anyone being denied insurance unless they were actually towing an illegal combination.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I have never heard of anyone being denied insurance unless they were actually towing an illegal combination.

Thats what i mean bro like the fine isn't that much to worry about but insurance denying the claim is the scary part of pushing your luck.

Originally Posted by 199p

Thats what i mean bro like the fine isn't that much to worry about but insurance denying the claim is the scary part of pushing your luck.

Yeah, wait till your florists wagon + unbraked 2 T boat trailer goes all pear shaped on you and takes out a Rolls Royce... could end up having you sell your house to pay for the damages

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I have never heard of anyone being denied insurance unless they were actually towing an illegal combination.

I have heard of someone getting absolute arse for it, but the cops were not too happy with the deal either and the loading of the vehicle was called into question. It was a boat, but with all of the holiday crap in the car and the toys filling every space in the boat. Gross overloading, and the coupling decided to stop cooperating and the 'safety' garden ornament sized galv chain lasted just long enough to go PING. That was probably what saved the world as the boat ended up in the ditch no real harm to that, trailer not so happy and mum and kids giving dad a seriously good frowning. I think if dad got to wear the bill for towing the trailer away and repairing it, he got off cheap on that one as the trailer flailing about on a chain on the back of your car could have gotten quite exciting!!!

Originally Posted by No.3

I have heard of someone getting absolute arse for it, but the cops were not too happy with the deal either and the loading of the vehicle was called into question. It was a boat, but with all of the holiday crap in the car and the toys filling every space in the boat. Gross overloading, and the coupling decided to stop cooperating and the 'safety' garden ornament sized galv chain lasted just long enough to go PING. That was probably what saved the world as the boat ended up in the ditch no real harm to that, trailer not so happy and mum and kids giving dad a seriously good frowning. I think if dad got to wear the bill for towing the trailer away and repairing it, he got off cheap on that one as the trailer flailing about on a chain on the back of your car could have gotten quite exciting!!!

See the things I hate thread as our caravan did just that today, big safety chain kept everything under control and we were definitely Not overloaded as we had a lot less in it than when we got it weighed before Christmas and found we had been over by 40Kg then.

Bugger me, that's a bit more than a pop off the ball. That coupling has disassembled itself on you - they aren't meant to do that... Be interesting to find out what failed and how to let it do that.

We had to go to AKL International Airport yesterday. Heading north on the long decline from the top of the Bombay Hills onto the flat, I was in the left lane with cruise control set on 100km/h, watching in my mirrors the approaching abomination coming down the hill behind us in the right hand line.

We were overtaken by a blinged up Ranger towing a decent sized boat on a two wheel trailer. Ute tray was chocka. Not a small boat. 8m? At least. Decent 4 person cabin and two large outboards. It went past us at speed. Like 25-30kmh faster. Fastest thing that over took us all day.

What towing laws.