Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: serek on 08 August 2011, 12:20:47
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as above what sort of car licence I need for towing caravan ??
I pass my test on 1999 and have got B on it
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as above what sort of car licence I need for towing caravan ??
I pass my test on 1999 and have got B on it
Depends on the size of the caravan you want to tow. As long as the gross train weight is less than 3500kg you can tow the caravan on your licence. But as I passed my test 30 odd years ago I've never really studied it all in detail. :-/
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as above what sort of car licence I need for towing caravan ??
I pass my test on 1999 and have got B on it
Depends on the size of the caravan you want to tow. As long as the gross train weight is less than 3500kg you can tow the caravan on your licence. But as I passed my test 30 odd years ago I've never really studied it all in detail. :-/
I thought the trailer had to be no more than 750kg on a B? Above which I thought you needed B+E. I could be wrong though :-/
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as above what sort of car licence I need for towing caravan ??
I pass my test on 1999 and have got B on it
Depends on the size of the caravan you want to tow. As long as the gross train weight is less than 3500kg you can tow the caravan on your licence. But as I passed my test 30 odd years ago I've never really studied it all in detail. :-/
I thought the trailer had to be no more than 750kg on a B? Above which I thought you needed B+E. I could be wrong though :-/
Wait till Nige gets back from holiday. He knows all about MPTW, kerb weights, gross weights etc etc.
Your answer is far too simplistic though. ;) ;)
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http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_4022564
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547
Some info here, but it's all very confusing what you can & can't tow. Also it's not the actual weight of the trailer that counts, it's the Max Authorised Weight that counts. So you could have the rediculous situation that if you towed an empty car trailer weighing 1 ton but a MAM of 2.5 ton and then towed it with a car with a kerb weight of 2 ton you're over the 3.5 ton limit because of what the trailer could have carried. To me, that's like prosecuting a driver of speeding because his car could do 150 mph :-? :-? :-?
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a 2 minute search found the answer:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_10013073
We were both half correct Andy :y
Edit: beat me to it >:( ;D
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Yep. If you can understand it, you can bet it's not the definitive DVLA advice. ;)
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.
Category B+E: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM towing trailers over 750kgs MAM
Category B+E allows vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM to be combined with trailers in excess of 750kgs MAM. In order to gain this entitlement new category B licence holders have to pass a further practical test for category B+E. There is no category B+E theory test. For driver licensing purposes there are no vehicle/trailer weight ratio limits for category B+E.
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If his caravan is less than 750 kerb weight and the MAM does not exceed the vehicle MAM or 3500kg (which on an Omega it wont) then he can do so on his B. If the Caravan KW is higher than 750kg but the combined MAM of both vehicle and caravan do not exceed 3500kg then he needs B+E. If the Combined MAM goes over 3500kg then he is getting into C1 and C1+E territory :y
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The first example they give on that page contradicts the preceeding paragraph. Oh the DVLA, unless c................
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The first example they give on that page contradicts the preceeding paragraph. Oh the DVLA, unless c................
See.. Even they can't understand the drivel they generate. ;D
Drivel which results in drivers choosing lighter tow cars to stay clear of the 3.5 tonne limit. (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26795734/Smilies/bangshead.gif)
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If his caravan is less than 750 kerb weight and the MAM does not exceed the vehicle MAM or 3500kg (which on an Omega it wont) then he can do so on his B. If the Caravan KW is higher than 750kg but the combined MAM of both vehicle and caravan do not exceed 3500kg then he needs B+E. If the Combined MAM goes over 3500kg then he is getting into C1 and C1+E territory :y
thanks for all replays
caravan it more then 750kgs
so I need B+E :y
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thanks for all replays
caravan it more then 750kgs
so I need B+E :y
Only if the MAM of the caravan takes you over 3500 kg. ;)
MAM of an Omega is, at a guess, around 2200 kg so you should still have room for up to 1300 kg.
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http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/practical-advice/general-advice/having-the-right-licence-to-tow/
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migs can tow 1700 kg , thats the limit
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i passed my test in '99 and have been towing with a '04 frontera olympus ( sadly p/x ) and 4 berth elddis. i got pulled into a check stop on the m5 last year. only thing they were worried about was if the unit was stolen, i was using red diesel and not over weight (i always tow to regs of car and van) nothing was ever mentioned about licence. they did do a driver check and said nothing. dont think they knew regs!
when i checked with DVLA i was told my unit must not weigh more than 3500 kg nothing else! best place for advice is the caravan club legal department. what they dont know about towing and licences is not worth knowing. not got a van atthe moment so not towed with omega. hope 2.5 TD manual is up to job.
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migs can tow 1700 kg , thats the limit
That's the answer to ...... what's the max weight of trailer an Omega can tow.
But the original question was re weight you can tow if you passed your driving test after 1997 :y :y :y
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(i always tow to regs of car and van) ..
But you could tow within the 'regs of car & van' but still be outside of the law if you passed after 97 eg 2.5 ton car towing a 1.5 van :y :y
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i always make sure the unit is taken to our local weigh bridge and check the total weight. thus making the total weight under 3500kg. never have i towed or intend to tow over weight. to the first poster, if you are un sure of what you are towing find your local weigh bridge and check every thing. if you know your unit is under weight you should be fine. contact DVLA direct and speek to an advisor, if they can send you information in writing then you you are legal.
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i always make sure the unit is taken to our local weigh bridge and check the total weight. thus making the total weight under 3500kg.
It's not the actual weight that matters, it's the combined MAM of car and caravan. You might be under 3500kg with an unladen car and van. If you are checked, the plates on car and van will be checked and if the two add up to over 3500kg it doesn't matter what it actually weighs.
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migs can tow 1700 kg , thats the limit
That's the answer to ...... what's the max weight of trailer an Omega can tow.
But the original question was re weight you can tow if you passed your driving test after 1997 :y :y :y
I DID NOT read it properly and when i passed my test you could tow a tank if the car was up for it ;)
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.... and when i passed my test you could tow a tank if the car was up for it ;)
you can get an idea of when I passed my test, my instructor's car was a MK I Escort (YTC144L)
:y :y :y
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.... and when i passed my test you could tow a tank if the car was up for it ;)
you can get an idea of when I passed my test, my instructor's car was a MK I Escort (YTC144L)
:y :y :y
We must be of a similar vintage Andy as my instructors car was also a 1300XL mk1 Escort,red in colour but I don't remember the reg :y
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.... and when i passed my test you could tow a tank if the car was up for it ;)
you can get an idea of when I passed my test, my instructor's car was a MK I Escort (YTC144L)
:y :y :y
We must be of a similar vintage Andy as my instructors car was also a 1300XL mk1 Escort,red in colour but I don't remember the reg :y
Some years later SWMBO started lessons in Gosport using a MK I Fiesta. After a few weeks the instructor had to use her back up car ...... a MK I Escort. SWMBO had her lesson in it & commented on how much better a car it was to drive than the usual Fiesta. :y :y :y
PS It'll be a 'significant' birthday next time :-? :-? ;)
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.... and when i passed my test you could tow a tank if the car was up for it ;)
you can get an idea of when I passed my test, my instructor's car was a MK I Escort (YTC144L)
:y :y :y
We must be of a similar vintage Andy as my instructors car was also a 1300XL mk1 Escort,red in colour but I don't remember the reg :y
Some years later SWMBO started lessons in Gosport using a MK I Fiesta. After a few weeks the instructor had to use her back up car ...... a MK I Escort. SWMBO had her lesson in it & commented on how much better a car it was to drive than the usual Fiesta. :y :y :y
PS It'll be a 'significant' birthday next time :-? :-? ;)
Significant enough that you'll be getting a telegram from the Queen? ;)
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Significant enough that you'll be getting a telegram from the Queen? ;)
Cheeky tw@ ;D ;D ;D
Half way though :y
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Significant enough that you'll be getting a telegram from the Queen? ;)
Cheeky tw@ ;D ;D ;D
Half way though :y
;D ;D When you said significant, my honest first thought was 60.. but the opportunity for pisstaking was too good to pass up :D
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... my honest first thought was 60.....
I didn't have that big a paper round! :-?
;D ;D
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... my honest first thought was 60.....
I didn't have that big a paper round! :-?
;D ;D
;D Well I didn't think about when L reg would have been, really, just the 'significant' part ;) 1974ish?
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.... and when i passed my test you could tow a tank if the car was up for it ;)
you can get an idea of when I passed my test, my instructor's car was a MK I Escort (YTC144L)
:y :y :y
We must be of a similar vintage Andy as my instructors car was also a 1300XL mk1 Escort,red in colour but I don't remember the reg :y
Some years later SWMBO started lessons in Gosport using a MK I Fiesta. After a few weeks the instructor had to use her back up car ...... a MK I Escort. SWMBO had her lesson in it & commented on how much better a car it was to drive than the usual Fiesta. :y :y :y
PS It'll be a 'significant' birthday next time :-? :-? ;)
that was almost 2 years ago for me :'(
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My Interpritation of this from owning a car transporter trailer with a stock car on the back is
on my B licence
the mig can tow 1700kg so the trialer and contents can go up to this no problem but if the plate on the trailer say otherwise EG 2000kg thne that willbe 3700KG which is Catagory C land even if the trailer is empty!
i relised this when i first hired a trailer a brain James model the plate said 2000kg even though i had a toyota carina on the back which the whole load came to about 1600kg to the law I am towing illegaly
Also if the towing vehicle weight is 1400kg but could have a capacity to tow 2000kg you would need B+E licence
But on Class B licence i can tow a maximum of 1400kg with the same car used above
Hope this helps to understand the DVLAs Drivel
Also Did you know that on a catagory B licence you can now drive a minibus up to 16 passengers with out a class c licence as long as its not for hire and reward :y
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My Interpritation of this from owning a car transporter trailer with a stock car on the back is
on my B licence
the mig can tow 1700kg so the trialer and contents can go up to this no problem but if the plate on the trailer say otherwise EG 2000kg thne that willbe 3700KG which is Catagory C land even if the trailer is empty!
i relised this when i first hired a trailer a brain James model the plate said 2000kg even though i had a toyota carina on the back which the whole load came to about 1600kg to the law I am towing illegaly
Also if the towing vehicle weight is 1400kg but could have a capacity to tow 2000kg you would need B+E licence
But on Class B licence i can tow a maximum of 1400kg with the same car used above
Hope this helps to understand the DVLAs Drivel
Also Did you know that on a catagory B licence you can now drive a minibus up to 16 passengers with out a class c licence as long as its not for hire and reward :y
So many errors in this, giving people duff info.
Anything above 3.5t but below 7.5t is C1. Anything above 3.5t, upto.....too high for it to matter to most.... is C.
Anything with a 1 at the back is restricted.
You can't carry more than 8 passengers i believe on B license. More than 8, upto 16 is D1. More than 16 is D.
Class C is LGV, nothing to do with carrying passengers, which is D1 or D.
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i did say its my translate of what I understand it to be!
this i what ithought but this is taken from the direct gov site about minibuses :
Exempted passenger carrying vehicles
Holders of a full category B (car) driving licence may drive any of the vehicles listed below:
a passenger carrying vehicle manufactured more than 30 years before the date when it is driven and not used for hire or reward or for the carriage of more than 8 passengers
a minibus with up to 16 passenger seats provided the following conditions are met:
i. the vehicle is used for social purposes by a non-commercial body but not for hire or reward
ii. the driver is aged 21
iii. the driver has held a car (category B) licence for at least 2 years
iv. the driver is providing the service on a voluntary basis
v. the minibus maximum weight is not more than 3.5 tonnes or 4.25 tonnes including any specialist equipment for the carriage of disabled passengers
vi. if the driver is aged 70 or over, is able to meet the health standards for driving a D1 vehicle
When driving a minibus under these conditions you may not receive any payment or consideration for doing so other than out of pocket expenses or tow any size trailer; you may only drive minibuses in this country. Drivers aged 70 or over will need to make a special application, which involves meeting higher medical standards.
Holders of a full category D (PCV) driving licence can also drive a passenger carrying recovery vehicle. This is defined as a vehicle (not being an articulated goods vehicle combination) which:
has an unladen weight not exceeding 10.2 tonnes
is being operated by the holder of a public service vehicle (PSV) operator's licence and, is being used for the purpose of:
i. proceeding to, or returning from, a place where assistance is to be, or has been, given to a damaged or disabled passenger-carrying vehicle
ii. giving assistance to or moving a disabled passenger-carrying vehicle or moving a damaged vehicle
Minimum age
You must be aged 21 or over to drive:
exempted passenger carrying vehicles
any vehicle that weighs more than 7.5 tonnes
How are vehicles classified for driver licensing purposes?
Categories of vehicles and their descriptions can be found on the link below.
DVLA cannot give legal advice on how vehicles are classified but, generally speaking it depends on the weight of the vehicle or the number of passengers it can carry.
Any queries should be directed to the DVLA on 0300 790 6801. Lines are open during the following times:
Driver and Vehicle General lines - Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 7.00 pm; Saturday 8.00 am to 2.00 pm