andybb wrote:

crikey, glad i'm not towing, sounds a bit of a minefield.

Character, sounds like you might be the one to answer this :
Is it possible / easy to remove the plastic inserts from the rear windows of a D3 commercial?
I thought it might give a bit more "all-round" vision

Believe me very easy, to describe the quality of the fitting... you know on christmas morning your children get a toy enclosed within a cardboard box which has a clear plastic front to display the contents, image ripping that clear front from the inside, they actually just sit inside the frame of the window, not attached, just sat in there and are so flexible that the moment you put an awkward load in and catch the panel, it will split!!! or even worst, smash the window glass as the D3 Commercial has normal glass, not like the old TD5 Commercial which has toughened glass with vinly black out film covering it.

yaugher wrote:

I have an ifor williams 3.5 ton plant trailer that I tow behind the new D3 auto HSE....(before that the Disco II W 2000) I often carry bales of hay on it and tractors farm machinery etc.....Not for Hire or reward....so where do I stand..(I must admit till reading this post I wasnt even aware of the new rules of 4 2007!!!)

Bill Wright wrote:

Character

Presumably all these R&R that you have mentioned ONLY apply to cases of Hire and Reward? If i want to take my trailer and load up two or three tons of logs am I in the mire now?

Bill Wright

yea your fine if the vehicle is being used for personal use although just watch the wieght limits on the trailer and D3 axles cos our VOSA friends may pick on you coz you look overweight and they carry mobile weighing scales!!

You see them on motorways, VOSA are the guys in the FORD GALAXY's with high vis graphics. Not to be confused with Highways.

sidney wrote:

Excuse my lack of intelligence here but.... I am self employed and have a minidigger I tow round on a trailer (1.5t digger, trailer 1/2t). Am I right in saying If I was taking the digger to use on one of my own projects I would be ok, but if I was either delivering my digger for someone else to hire, or getting paid to to a job on it for someone else I would have to have a tacho fitted??

The golden rules is this: If the train weight (ie the towing vehicle plus trailer plus load plus 1x 75kg for the driver) is over 3.5 tons you have always needed a tacho.

If the unladdened trailer weighs any more than 1020kg then in addition you would need an Operators Licence as well.

In your case and from what you have said, your "train weight" is over 3.5 tons and under 7.5 tons AND YOU NEED A TACHO AND HAVE ALWAYS NEEDED ONE! (I assume your towing vehicle weighs more than 1.5 tons unladdened/kerb weight with 0.5 tons for trailer, plus 1.5 tons for the mini digger)

The issues about your employment status being self employed only relates to The Working Time Directive on tacho useage (EU Legislation) but you are subject to UK tacho rules (ie 9 hours driving in any period, increased to 10 hours driving twice a week, with breaks between working days of 11 hours reduced to 9 hours providing the break is then added to the following weeks breaks)