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I have a 2005 Honda CRV sports ( 2.4 cc )and want to buy a boat + trailer which weights 800 kg. because it is a relative small size boat the trailer comes with no brake.
Honda CRV manual indicates the maximum towing weight is 600 kg with no brake and 1500 kg with brake trailer. ( strangely civic towing weight is 600 kg as well)
my question is whether my honda CRV can tow the boat?
if you look at the trailers plus boat on the road, 800 kg is relative small size ( 4-5 m boat) and I am sure on the road most of these trailers carried no brake.
AA web page indicates the trailer weight below 2000kg generally needs no brake. my question is what is the solution is for those trailers between 600kg to 2000 kg ?
many thanks.
regards
Ye Yu
You've misunderstood the wording relating to 2000kg trailers. While WoF regulations require brakes on all trailers over 2000kg, the vehicle still needs to be suitable to tow such a trailer, and it would be a very heavy vehicle (truck) that was capable of towing a load of 2000kg unbraked. Your CRV is not such a vehicle. Honda rates this vehicle to be able to tow up to 600kg unbraked, so you shouldn't really exceed that.
Boat trailers are not necessarily manufactured to suit a particular vehicle and can legally be manufacturerd without brakes up to 2000kg. It's your vehicle's rating that's the problem, not really the trailer's, although it would be preferable to have brakes on your trailer as it is overweight according to the vehicle manufacturer.
However, the legal requirement is that the vehicle must be able to stop within 7 metres from 30km/h, so as long as you are able to meet these conditions, while the manufacturer of the vehicle states a maximum of 600kg, you are not breaking the law. But I'd have to say that from a safety perspective, you may be stretching the limits of the vehicle as to whether you could complete an emergency stop within the legal boundaries safely and in a straight line without fish-tailing or jack-knifing.
thanks a lot for great reply.
So the 600 kg maximal towing weight is not the honda CRV 's maximum towing capacity but it is a safety indication when towing on the road. Surely Honda CRV ( 2.4) can tow more than 600 kg trailer but it may become unsafe when coming across an urgent stop if the trailer is not braked.
Correct. The CRV is rated to tow up to 1500kg, but only if the trailer has brakes, in order for it to be able to stop safely in an emergency.