Loading, weight distribution, dimensions and permissible masses
Masses you must respect
- MAM (najveća dopuštena masa) is the manufacturer's limit, not what the vehicle happens to weigh that day.
- In category BE the trailer's MAM may reach 3,500 kg, and the combination may exceed 3,500 kg in total.
- The car's own limits still bind: gross train mass, rear axle load and the coupling's permitted vertical load.
Distribution
- Aim for 5–7% of the trailer's actual mass on the coupling, never above the car's limit.
- Put the heaviest items over or just ahead of the trailer axle and keep the rear light to reduce snaking.
- Secure the load front, back and sideways; a 1,000 kg load at 50 km/h carries enormous energy.
Dimensions
- Usual outer limits: 2.55 m width, 4.00 m height and 18.75 m for the combination. Loads projecting far to the rear must be marked.
- Anything wider than the car needs extended mirrors.
Worked example
Car MAM 1,900 kg plus trailer MAM 1,300 kg gives 3,200 kg - legal on a B licence. Loaded, the trailer weighs 1,200 kg, so 5–7% is 60–84 kg. The car's coupling allows 75 kg, so load to 60–75 kg. The 300 kg toolbox goes over the trailer axle, not on the rear panel.
Traps that cost marks
Loading to the trailer's MAM and forgetting the car's rear axle; negative nose weight causing sway; unmarked rear overhang; assuming the trailer's plated mass equals what it really weighs.