towing

[goonerboy]

i have a catering trailer but my peugeot 1.9t cannot tow it as it's too heavy. does anybody know of any item i can buy to test the weight of the trailer? i'm gonna have to buy another vehicle to tow it & have no idea what to buy.. please help if you can? thanks

[Grunty]

To weigh your trailer, there will be a public weighbridge in your area, probably at the gatehouse of a local company.  The staff will weigh it for a small fee.  The police traffic department or the trading standards dept of the local council will be able to tell you where it is.  That means that you have to tow the trailer there.  There are portable weighbridges that go under the wheels, but I have no idea whether you can hire them.  Perhaps a plant hire company could help.

[ianess]

Good answer from Grunty.
It's not law, but the major caravanning clubs don't recommend towing anything that weighs more than 85% of that of the towing vehicle. Once you get the trailer's weight, add on 20% and that will give you an idea of the size of towcar you'll need.

[KebabMeister]

You sure there isn't a chassis plate for the caravan that states the curbside weight?

[karimi]

You could use vehicle scales. They are available at refuse transfer stations, highway weigh stations and commercial truck stops. Make sure you confirm that the weights are available for weight testing before you go.
http://4wheelonline.com/towing/Reese.177038