Catch 22 LBDR Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Can anyone clarify for me the towing capacity of a Reynolds Boughton 44 please? I was looking for a medium sized military vehicle that could tow my Ferret to shows and maybe have room in the back to sleep. The RB44 looked perfect but when I did a bit of research I found it could only tow up to 2200kg! Surly this is wrong. the vehicle is much larger and more powerful than a Defender and it is rated at 3500kg's I also considered a Landrover 101 but I think it also has a towing capacity of 3500kg's. The Pinzgaure has a fantastic towing capacity of 5000kg's but are very expensive. Is there a reason the RB44's ability to tow is so poor. It has a powerful enough engine and weighs 3000kg with a load capacity of 2250kg's. Could it be down to it's poor braking history and if so can this be remedied? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 The towing capacity of an RB44 has come up recently on another thread and it seems you are correct in assuming that it is 2200kg. The towing capacity of a Land Rover at 3500kg is the maximum legal weight of a trailer fitted with overrun brakes but I am fairly sure they can tow a heavier trailer if the trailer is fitted with hydraulic or air brakes which are linked to the braking system of the towing vehicle. If you were towing a Ferret it would be classed as a trailer and would need to have it's brakes linked to the braking system of the towing vehicle. I would suggest that if you want to tow the ferret then you need to look closely into the regulations as the above info is only my take on the regs the last time I looked into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catch 22 LBDR Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 So does that mean if the trailer is fitted with hydraulic or air brakes the RB can tow it? My questions are more aimed towards the Vehicles ability than the law at this point. If the RB can handle that weight then I can look into what I need to do to make it legal latter. I was concerned that it might damage the vehicle if the load was too heavy I read a bit about the RB's braking problems and thought that might be the reason for the low towing capacity. Can you point me towards the other thread you mentioned please. I wouldn't mind having a look. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 The thread in question was titled 'Universal Carrier ownership' and can be found under the Tracked Vehicles heading. The reason the RB44 can only tow 2.2 tonnes is explained in that thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topdog Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Its not clear whether you mean to tow the Ferret on a trailer or with wheels on ground. It will ruin the internals unless you disconnect the driveshafts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catch 22 LBDR Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Its not clear whether you mean to tow the Ferret on a trailer or with wheels on ground. It will ruin the internals unless you disconnect the driveshafts. It will be on a trailer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 (edited) I read somewhere that one of the main factors that determine a vehicles towing capacity is it's ability to stop and restart on a certain gradient (can't remember how steep) fully laden. So permanent FWD vehicle with low range box such as a LR has a big advantage over a part time Hilux, the RB may not meet this challenge over 2250 kg. Edited June 17, 2014 by gritineye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 According to the aforementioned thread the (gross) weight of an RB44 is 5.3t, train weight 7.5t.which only leaves 2.2t for trailed load. If the vehicle was unladen perhaps the towing weight would be increased but I doubt it would be enough to tow a trailer loaded with a Ferret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Johns Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 (edited) A Ferret weighs about 4 tons, it varies a bit depending on model, so add the weight of suitable trailer its then nearly up to 5 tons towed load ! So its not feasable to tow behind any medium size MV, the RB44 would exceed its 7.5t train weight and be overloaded, the 101 & Defender etc have max 3.5ton towed load. A trailer designed to carry over 3.5t gw would need to have independent air brakes and be VOSA tested too. Its really only legal to tow such load is behind a larger commercial vehicle, something like a Bedford MK/MJ or Leyland DAF 4 tonner, but then you would need an HGV licence to drive truck and loaded trailer even for private use, same goes for an exempt historic towing vehicle which would have to be tested as you would be pulling a laden trailer. Refer to the previous mentioned thread of carrying similar weight bren carrier on a 7.5 ton truck Edited June 18, 2014 by Nick Johns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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