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BanditPat
17-03-10, 11:27 PM
If I passed my car test in 2009 am I allowed to tow a caravan or do I have to do the trailer test as well?
Luckypants
17-03-10, 11:28 PM
Trailer test.

EDIT: That was a bit short. If you passed your test after April 2000 (maybe 2001) then you can only tow an unbraked trailer up to 750KG GVW. Anything more than that you need a trailer test. Pretty certain all caravans will be over that limit.
BanditPat
17-03-10, 11:31 PM
Oh well looks like i need to spend even more money then.
punyXpress
17-03-10, 11:33 PM
. . . or get lightening that 'van?
BanditPat
17-03-10, 11:50 PM
:O 115 quid to do a car and trailer test. what a rip off
DarrenSV650S
17-03-10, 11:51 PM
Caravans are bad
BanditPat
18-03-10, 12:12 AM
Caravans are bad

Noooo there good :D

Something I was wondering about was my license has code 118 (Start date is for earliest entitlement) Don't entirely understand that? And my mate (who did his car test around the same time as me but his bike test a year and a bit later) has code 119 (Weight limit does not apply) on his. Why don't I have it and why does he not have 118?
Bibio
18-03-10, 02:54 AM
tiz all a bit confusing, but from what i can gather small trailers and caravans still come under the new category B. so i asume its safe to tow them.

i think what the other difference from the old licence is that the old licence entitle holder to drive vehicle and large trailer (rigid 3.5ton lorry + trailer up to 8 1/2ton combined laden)

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_10013073

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/index.htm
2hys
18-03-10, 05:22 AM
when i passed my car test in 1999 i got B and B1 so i could drive up to 3.5 (sprinter vans), i did once tow a hired car transporter trailer before i got my C+E , the bloke chceked my licence relising i didn't have the +E bit at the time, said that as long as the combined weight did not execed 3.5t then i would be ok (mk3 camels ear, one ton trailer + striped out mini) dont think it was right all as trailer must not exceed 750 kg!
7755matt
18-03-10, 05:51 AM
The trailer can not be heavier than the kerbside weight of the car (so I can be over 750kg), provided the whole combination does not exceed 3500kg dgw. It's important to remember that it is maximum weights on everything, not weight it is actually running at.

Say the gross is 2500, kerbside is 1500 and the caravan is 1100kg mgw
The caravans gross weight is under the car kerbside but combination is over 3500.

It's all pretty complicated. My caravan takes the combination to 3530kg. I can drive it but the wife can't, all because of 30kg. I'm trying to find how to downplate it by 35kg then she can take it and I can ride the bike
coombest
18-03-10, 08:05 AM
Having had this issue myself, I have looked into it quite a lot a while back.
There didn't seem to be anything suggesting there was anything alse than the 2 different types of licence, depending on when you passed.

Therefore:

You can drive any vehicle up to and including a gross weight of 3.5 tonnes - PLUS a trailer not exceeding 750kg.

OR

A vehicle and trailer combination not exceeding 3.5 tonnes.

The combination has to meed varying standards, maximums and all sorts else but that's the basics...

Have a look on the caravan club's website. They've got a section on it that's very helpful.
_Stretchie_
18-03-10, 08:43 AM
:O 115 quid to do a car and trailer test. what a rip off

And that's if you know how to tow a trailer, otherwise you'll have to shell out a couple £100 on training too, and doon't forget the trailer rental on top of that (unless you have a mate who has a trailer as below and will tow it to the testing/training centre and back for you), the test is done with a twin axle horse box.

Which you cannot go and pick up from a rental shop unless you have the license for it. I would think most training places will go with you to pick it up though.

Here's my thread about it a while ago
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=146718
yorkie_chris
18-03-10, 09:25 AM
So if I passed my car test say yesterday morning... could I drive a 3.5 tonner?
BanditPat
18-03-10, 12:59 PM
Looking at the page bibio posted it looks like that if my cars unladen weight was 1350kg with a kerbside of weight of about 1800kg then I could tow a caravan that weighed up to 1350kg, Or have a misinterpreted it? I read something on a caravan site then that seemed to support this and a decent sized caravan doesent seem to weigh a ton or much over whicih is good good.
BanditPat
18-03-10, 01:01 PM
when i passed my car test in 1999 i got B and B1 so i could drive up to 3.5 (sprinter vans), i did once tow a hired car transporter trailer before i got my C+E , the bloke chceked my licence relising i didn't have the +E bit at the time, said that as long as the combined weight did not execed 3.5t then i would be ok (mk3 camels ear, one ton trailer + striped out mini) dont think it was right all as trailer must not exceed 750 kg!

I thought B1 was a quad or a trike with a max unladen weight of 550kg?
2hys
18-03-10, 06:24 PM
I thought B1 was a quad or a trike with a max unladen weight of 550kg? so it is! i thought it was the 3.5 limit, you learn something everyday. i know new licences only have B on them, yes YC you can drive up 2 a 3.5t after you pass your test.