I just want to check that I am right in what I'm thinking with regard to towing and the law
I just have a normal B car license (passed test in 1999 so after the cut off date of Jan 1997).
Gov.uk quotes the following:
So with point one there, with the disco, I can pull a trailer as long as it's MAM is 750kg or under (and assuming the total weight of the 2 combined doesn't exceed 3500kg).
Thanks in advance
15th Aug 2017 9:52 pm
L319
Member Since: 14 Dec 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 2083
I read that as , if the trailer is 750kg or less it can be towed with a vehicle weighing up to 3500kg MAM, total max train weight of 4250kg.
If the trailer is over 750kg, max train weight is 3500kg
Thanks. I did actually think that too but then I thought the max permissible on cat B license was 3500 kg total so I wasn't sure.
That's good then as I can load the car right up and still pull trailer or even a tiny caravan as long as it's MAM is max 750kg. Annoyingly there are a few caravans which whilst they weigh less than 750kg in themselves, their MAM is greater than 750 which I think would still be illegal even if you didn't put any load in it at all
15th Aug 2017 10:48 pm
Northanys mike
Member Since: 08 Feb 2017
Location: Northampton
Posts: 33
Yup. 4.25t train weight.
What's the maximum loaded weight of the disco?
16th Aug 2017 7:03 am
UNG
Member Since: 20 Jun 2008
Location: Lancs
Posts: 773
Not sure where some you are getting the 4250Kg from
If you passed your car driving test on or after 1 January 1997 you can: drive a car or van up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass ( MAM ) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM. tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg.
Towing with a car - GOV.UK
https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car
You may be getting confused with a pre 97 licence where the maximum vehicle weight is 7500Kg and can tow a trailer up to 750Kg which would give a combined MAM of 8250Kg"Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag'em down to your level. It's cheaper".
Last edited by UNG on 16th Aug 2017 7:37 am. Edited 1 time in total
16th Aug 2017 7:32 am
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20855
Without a B+E, you can tow a caravan upto 1800kg, or an unbraked trailer upto 750kg (with a gross train weight of less than 3500kg), both loaded. Any trailer above 750kg, legally, should be braked
You cannot tow a braked trailer, as you then have the ability to tow more than the legal limitMy D3 Build Thread
Member Since: 14 Dec 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 2083
Just pulled this off the Caravan Club Website:-
Driving licence gained from a car driving test from 1 January 1997 and before 19 January 2013
Your car driving licence will permit you to drive vehicles in category B, including:
•A vehicle (including a motorhome) with a MAM not exceeding 3,500kg
•The above vehicle towing a trailer not exceeding 750kg.
•The above vehicle towing a trailer in excess of 750kg providing the combined MAM of tow vehicle and trailer does not exceed 3,500kg.
This seems to confirm my original thoughts on the subject
16th Aug 2017 7:52 am
J@mes
Member Since: 10 Nov 2008
Location: Bomber County
Posts: 4547
[b]
Disco_Mikey wrote:
Without a B+E, you can tow a caravan upto 1800kg, or an unbraked trailer upto 750kg (with a gross train weight of less than 3500kg), both loaded. Any trailer above 750kg, legally, should be braked
You cannot tow a braked trailer, as you then have the ability to tow more than the legal limit
I'm interested in where you have got this information from?
•drive a car or van up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
So in essence you can drive a transit plated to 3500kg + a trailer of no more than 750KG
•tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg
So you could drive a combination of a car with a 2000KG MAM and a trailer with a 1500KG MAM
Can't see anything about 1800KG caravans or not being allowed to tow braked trailers?
There used to be a clause about the MAM of the trailer not exceeding the kerb weight of the towing vehicle if using a B licence only but I can't see that on the .Gov website.
16th Aug 2017 8:24 am
Pelyma
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Patching, Sussex
Posts: 15496
Disco_Mikey wrote:
Without a B+E, you can tow a caravan upto 1800kg, or an unbraked trailer upto 750kg (with a gross train weight of less than 3500kg), both loaded. Any trailer above 750kg, legally, should be braked
You cannot tow a braked trailer, as you then have the ability to tow more than the legal limit
That is just about every caravan on the market which clearly isn't the case.DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
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16th Aug 2017 8:28 am
Northanys mike
Member Since: 08 Feb 2017
Location: Northampton
Posts: 33
Ok... as stated on the .gov website you can tow a trailer up to 750kg wether it has brakes or not. (Any trailer above 750kgs needs to be braked) you can tow this trailer with a 3500kg mam vehicle so the total train weight is 4250kgs.
Completely separately you can to a combination of car and trailer as long as the total train weight is below 3500kgs and the MAM of the trailer is less than the unladen weight of the tow vehicle. So if your car MAM is 2000kgs you can tow a 1500kg MAM trailer.
Hope this helps
16th Aug 2017 8:49 am
L319
Member Since: 14 Dec 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 2083
Remember there is also the vehicle manufactures VIN plate with the axle and train weights which must also not be exceeded. The various VOSA, Gov. sites use different formats which can be confusing as one seems to be able to find a set of towing rules for pre1997 licences, another for 1997 to 2013, and lastly, post 2013 licences . I have just renewed my licence at the age of 70 and decided to have the medical so I kept all my pre 1997 entitlements
From gov.uk the 2 points do seem to be independent points,
i.e. the second point states can have a trailer over 750kg (braked) as long as the combined MAM of the towing vehicle and trailer is no more than 3500 kg
And the first point, towing vehicle can have a MAM of up to 3500kg with a trailer up to a MAM of 750kg (which would give a train weight of 4250kg).
Now one is wondering if you can down rate the MAM on a trailer plate to 750kg. Going back to the point that some very small caravans weigh less than 750kg but have a MAM more than this, one could put a new pate on the caravan which stated that its MAM was 750kg and this would keep you legal right? Of course it would have to actually weigh less than 750kg if you got pulled but it would if you loaded the car instead of the van.
I know one could add the additional category to their licence but its a considerable cost to pull a trailer (which weighs less 750kg anyway, but with a manufacturer's MAM of over 750kg) once in a blue moon
16th Aug 2017 9:36 am
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20855
Quote:
Unlike the situation in section 1 above, driving licence entitlement is calculated on potential weight - Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) - rather than actual weight. So if your entitlement allows you to tow a trailer with MAM 750kg, you cannot tow a trailer with GVW of 1,500kg that is unladen, and so only weighs 500kg. You can only tow a trailer with GVW 750kg.
Quote:
If you have a Category B licence obtained on or after 1 January 1997 you can drive:
Towed outfits: drivers restricted to a combined MAM of 3,500kg and the trailer MAM must not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle (85% ratio remains strongly recommended). If this MAM is to be exceeded, an additional E Test pass is required.
Member Since: 05 May 2014
Location: worksop
Posts: 244
As I see it from some who has his D+E hgv1 you can tow a trailer upto 750kg braked or unbraked on your B licence but if you wish to tow anything heavier you need to gain an E entitlement to your B ( car licence ) that's why we see learner drivers towing a trailer gain there E entitlement
16th Aug 2017 11:52 am
J@mes
Member Since: 10 Nov 2008
Location: Bomber County
Posts: 4547
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