Towing a trailer...

Does anyone "in the know", know the licence required to tow a trailer, or rather a bike trailer?

The DirectGov website seems to be contradictory on the subject and I'm unclear whether I can tow anything at all. Some pages state that I need B+E to tow anything, but then other pages say that I can tow up to 3.5 under category B.

Any help much appreciated.

Cheers
Tazdaz

[maviczap]

Depends what year you passed you test and what do you have on your licence

I can tow anything above 3.5 cos I've got C1+E on my licence. But guys who work with can't because they didn't pass their test until after 1992 I think

Not much help I'm afraid

Ah, well the cutoff date was 1997, but I passed in 2006 so I only have B on my licence.

[_Stretchie_]

Can o worms..

If you passed your driving test on or after 01 January 1997 then you are subject to the differing entitlements. If you passed before just tow it.

If you passed after 01 Jan 97 then it's like a sliding rule, with the right set up you can tow upto 750kg (fully loaded including the trailer) AS LONG AS the combined mass of the vehicle you are driving, all it's contents and the trailer and all it's contents do not exceed 3.5 tonne (or therabouts).

However if you are driving a 1.2 Corsa then you are allowed to tow considerably less as it is to do with combined weights of the vehicle and the trailer.

I passed after 01 Jan 97 and have a Land Rover so I am allowed to tow the maximum of 750kg trailer (including it's contents). If my 1.5 Civic had a towbar (which it doesn't) then I think The maximum I can tow with it is 250kg or 500kg (this is just to illustrate how the amount changes depending on the vehicle, I've not looked in to it for the Civic as it doesn't have a tow bar and I'm not fitting one on it)

Have a butchers here at a thread I started asking about the same thing

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

Hope it helps. There was another thread started about towing and this entitlement a week or so oafter mine so have a butchers around



**EDIT** The bit in bold and italic is wrong, see my next post further down with quotes from DVLA

bysie bye

[maviczap]

Well, I know my colleagues don't have to pass an extra test to tow our big trailer, because we were going down the route of a DOT test, but we found out they don't need to.

Our dept wants them to do a trailer driving course, just so they don't do something stupid.

I'll see if I can find out from work tomorrow, if you haven't got an answer

Originally Posted by TazDaz

or rather a bike trailer?

Is it a bike trailer you are actually looking for advice on?

[_Stretchie_]

Here is a starter for 10.. What car are you using?

Have a look at this

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring...es/DG_10013073

Originally Posted by DVLA

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to eight passenger seats

Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.



For example:

• a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle

Whereas

• the same vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes when coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.5 tonnes would fall within category B+E. This is because although the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer is within the 3.5 tonnes MAM limit, the MAM of the trailer is more than the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle
• Vehicle manufacturers normally recommend a maximum weight of trailer appropriate to their vehicle. Details can usually be found in the vehicle's handbook or obtained from car dealerships. The size of the trailer recommended for an average family car with an unladen weight of around 1 tonne would be well within the new category B threshold.

Ok, so this is my understanding.

So basically I can tow anything, provided that the combined MAM is within 3.5tonnes and that the MAM of the trailer is less than the MAM of the car, otherwise I need to do the test to obtain B+E entitlement.

I've just been finding the wording a bit contradictory. It was this page which confused things.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...les/DG_4022564

"
Car driving licence first obtained since 1 January 1997

Drivers who passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 are required to pass an additional driving test in order to gain entitlement to category B+E and all larger vehicles. In addition to the new driving tests, drivers of vehicles which fall within subcategories C1, C1+E, D1 and D1+E also have to meet higher medical standards."

Cheers btw.

before i got my hgv licence and have'n only passed my car test in 98 i to only had the B entitlement i looked in to hiring a trailer to take my mini to a rolling road to be set up, the bloke at the hire centre got out sum sort of dvla bible which lead him to the conclusion that the combined weight must not exeed 3.5t. i was driving a mk3 cav 1.5t-+, towing a 1t-+ trailer with a 750g-+ mini straped to it. he happy to let me hire it....

but then ive heard others say you can only tow those lil ali box trailers you get from halfords!!

[7755matt]

One of the important things to remember is to use the Maximum Gross Weight of the trailer involved. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking its the actual weight, hence a lot of horse trailers being towed by unsuitable cars