Can I tow a trailer or not?!

[Paul the 6th]

Tried numerous times to decipher the Direct.guff website for info as to whether I can tow a trailer on my licence.

Some people have said I'll need to obtain one of the goods vehicle categories to be able to tow anything.... where as other people have said I can tow an unbraked trailer upto 750kg inclusive of it's load. Then someother people have said I can tow a trailer providing the trailer & vehicle combination don't exceed 3500kg..

I passed my car test on 4th July 2003 - can I tow anything or not?

From DVLA....

If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary Category B licence, you can drive either of the following:
a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kilograms) maximum gross weight towing a trailer of up to 750 kilograms maximum gross weight (up to 4,250 kilograms in total)
a trailer over 750 kilograms maximum gross weight as long as it is no more than the unladen or 'kerb' weight of the towing vehicle (up to 3,500 kilograms in total)
For anything heavier you need to take a Category B + E driving test.

[andrewsmith]

Paul

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=146718

HTH

[Paul the 6th]

nice one... next question = bike trailer, build or buy?

scrapheap challenge vs. non-swearing challenge

[andrewsmith]

How much time you got?
Got a Yorkie close by?

I'd look at buying you may hit lucky on a flatbed, that would need a Bump stop welded/ bolted to it

[Paul the 6th]

hmmmmmmmmmmmm..... didn't consider a flat bed.. Would prolly weigh more but would allow for toolbox/boxes of bits to be thrown in with bike(s) I guess.

YC isn't far away, got my own mig welder and appropriate metal working bits. Just a case of time & swearing vs. money & overall better quality. But like you say a flatbed with mods to take a bike would be just as good. Gonna do some research. Will report back later

[Kenzie]

I think you can tow a braked trailer as long as the trailer gross weight doesn't exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, but not many meet that requirment. You can tow a trailer with a gross weight of upto 750kg on a B licence. To tow a greater weight up to 3500kg gross you need to do B+E.

May be a bit easier to understand

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/law/driving_licences.aspx

There is a bloke in work selling a bike trailer that can take up to 2 bikes , in great condition and he wants £400 for it , looks like a primo bit of kit as well Paul

[Paul the 6th]

good work badger - still in the R&D stages of trailer challenge as all my money has gone on the gsxr but will be on the look out in the new year if I haven't sorted anything by the time better weather arrives

Put it this way , the guy has more money than sense and I reckon it won`t sell at that price and may well come down . It is a nice bit of kit though .