Towing capacity and electric brakes

[werner]

Can somebody explain where I stand with insurance if involved in a crash with my boat and trailer at 1500kg but no electric/hydrolic brakes but the car rated as 3t with brakes.
By law I dont need brakes up to 2000 kg but the car is rated for 3t braked according to manufacturer.
Technically I am insured as they state only for the trailer to be "braked " and it does have a hand brake.
Does my wife then count as a second hand brake...............
How does the trailer builders get past the safety inspection if a trailer will obviously take a boat of far more than 750 kg ?

[mrberry]

In NSW every trailer over 750kg must have brakes irrespective of the capicity of the towing vehicle. I dont know which state you are in or what their rules are though.

[brett]

If it has a handbrake then it probably has mechanical over rider brakes which is ok and as said must have in NSW for over 750kg

[jawk]

The pajero itself is rated at 750kg unbraked. On top of Vic & NSW law requiring brakes over 750kg.
Cheers
Gary

[mrbitchi]

By law I dont need brakes up to 2000 kg

Fail. If over 750KG you MUST have brakes on the trailer.

[Avanner]

Doesn?t matter what State you are in. We now have the ?Australian Road Rules?

To register a trailer it must comply with the ?Australian Design Rules?

The GTM (Gross Tare Mass) includes the load

Your insurance can be voided by your insurer if you are not complying.

Trailers up to and including 750 kg GTM do not require brakes. Minimum trailer brake requirements
are as follows:

? trailers not over 2000 kg GTM must have an efficient braking system operating on the wheels
on at least one axle;
? trailers up to and including 2000 kg GTM are permitted to have over-ride brakes;
? brakes (other than over-ride) must be able to be operated from the driver?s seated position;
? trailers over 2000 kg GTM require a brake system (breakaway brakes) that automatically
applies if the trailer becomes detached from the towing vehicle; and
? trailers over 2000 kg GTM must have brakes operating on all wheels.

[Yonnee]

Fail. If over 750KG you MUST have brakes on the trailer.

And that's AUSTRALIA wide!

Your rated towing limits, whether they be Mitsubishi or the towbar manufacturer, will be "750Kg un-braked & 3000Kg braked".

[gaz1]

The GTM (Gross Tare Mass) includes the load

I think the ADR definitions for load are something along the lines of:

ATM (aggregate trailer mass) = total trailer weight including load and any weight on the towball

GTM (gross trailer mass) = the weight that is carried on the wheels and axles

Tare = the total weight of the empty trailer, including any load imposed on the towball.

[werner]

Tailer brakes

The QLD transport rules are above 750kg brakes and below 2000 this means my manual handbrake on trailer is legal according to manufacturer as my GVM is 1600kg.

[gaz1]

Not sure what you mean by 'manual handbrake on trailer' but unless it is activated by either the footbrake of the tow vehicle, or by an over-ride mechanism on the trailer (that automatically applies the trailer brakes when the tow vehicle slows down), then it will not comply with ADR 38.4.3 which reads:
"4.3. The ?Brake System? on trailers with a ?Gross Trailer Mass? up to 2 tonnes may be actuated for both ?Service Brake System? and ?Secondary Brake System? by the over-run of the trailer."

ADRs supersede State regulations.

[mrbitchi]

Not sure what you mean by 'manual handbrake on trailer' but unless it is activated by either the footbrake of the tow vehicle, or by an over-ride mechanism on the trailer (that automatically applies the trailer brakes when the tow vehicle slows down), then it will not comply with ADR 38.4.3 which reads:
"4.3. The ?Brake System? on trailers with a ?Gross Trailer Mass? up to 2 tonnes may be actuated for both ?Service Brake System? and ?Secondary Brake System? by the over-run of the trailer."

ADRs supersede State regulations.

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