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[Miggy24]

Hi all i passed my car test about 6 months ago as iv had a bike licens since i was 17.What i want to know is can i tow a trailer so i can transport my bikes or will i have to do my B+E test

[Darth Loo-knee]

I was under the understanding that if you had a car licence that you can tow.
Sure onre of the Guys or Gals knowing the laws will be along soon to give you the correct info  

[Kevin Wood]

The rules are unnecessarily complex and described here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_10013073. Gut feeling is that a bike trailer would be fine under cat B.

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.

Kevin

[miggcddave]

Hi all i passed my car test about 6 months ago as iv had a bike licens since i was 17.What i want to know is can i tow a trailer so i can transport my bikes or will i have to do my B+E test

if you go to google type in directgov all info about towing there

[miggcddave]

must type faster  

[Markie]

Pretty sure there are restrictions on newer licences ( younger folk) a chap in my office recently couldnt hire a 7.5 tonner due to his licence and i had to do it for him....

So theres definatley restrictions  :-/

By the way Towing is awful - i still cant reverse despite having a trailer for 6 months  

[Kevin Wood]

Pretty sure there are restrictions on newer licences ( younger folk) a chap in my office recently couldnt hire a 7.5 tonner due to his licence and i had to do it for him....

So theres definatley restrictions  :-/

By the way Towing is awful - i still cant reverse despite having a trailer for 6 months  

Yep, that's another restriction of the newer licenses. 3.5 tonnes MAM.

Kevin

[Ian_D]

The way I read it is I can tow anything UPTO the cars max weight limit, since an Omega + the Omegas weight is less than 3.5 ton!

If towing over 750kgs, the trailer MUST be braked.

But the whole towing law is a big grey area, nobody knows for sure!

Cant give an example at the moment as im at work and cant really stay on OOF for too long! So will try and explain better later on!  

EDIT: Im 21 by the way, so only had my licence a few years!  

[Kevin Wood]

The way I read it is I can tow anything UPTO the cars max weight limit, since an Omega + the Omegas weight is less than 3.5 ton!

If towing over 750kgs, the trailer MUST be braked.

But the whole towing law is a big grey area, nobody knows for sure!

Cant give an example at the moment as im at work and cant really stay on OOF for too long! So will try and explain better later on!  

EDIT: Im 21 by the way, so only had my licence a few years!  

You can tow a trailer over 750 Kg as long as its MAM is less than an Omega's unladen weight (approx 1600-1750Kg) and the MAM of the Omega (2200 Kg ish at a guess) plus the MAM or the trailer does not exceed 3500Kg. So, you are looking at a trailer or MAM up to about 3500-2200 = 1300 Kg, which must be braked as you say.

Note that's the MAM of the trailer, so if you were to tow an empty trailer weighing perhaps 500 Kg that has a MAM of 1500 Kg you would still be breaking the law.

Mad, I know, but that's how beaurocrats work create work for themselves.

Kevin

[amigov6]

I'm aware of the 3.5t weight limit on newer licences which means a twin wheel transit or lwb sprinter van etc. in real terms. MANY!!!!years ago we used to pick up Merc 814 7.5 tonners up from Pandahire in Newhaven & you'd go to put your tacho in & find one that was BLACK!!! Folk were hiring these for removals etc not realizing they needed to put a card in!. They are trucks albeit small ones (puddle jumpers) but when something goes wrong they behave like a truck not a van or car so in the wrong hands could get messy!!!
   Regarding the towing issue i know some recent licence holders have had to take a trailer test for horseboxes etc but not sure of all the details.
    Seems things are done a stage at a time now, so despite holding a class one HGV i may not be allowed to tow my caravan??


   Too many chiefs springs to mind!

[Entwood]

I'm aware of the 3.5t weight limit on newer licences which means a twin wheel transit or lwb sprinter van etc. in real terms. MANY!!!!years ago we used to pick up Merc 814 7.5 tonners up from Pandahire in Newhaven & you'd go to put your tacho in & find one that was BLACK!!! Folk were hiring these for removals etc not realizing they needed to put a card in!. They are trucks albeit small ones (puddle jumpers) but when something goes wrong they behave like a truck not a van or car so in the wrong hands could get messy!!!
   Regarding the towing issue i know some recent licence holders have had to take a trailer test for horseboxes etc but not sure of all the details.
    Seems things are done a stage at a time now, so despite holding a class one HGV i may not be allowed to tow my caravan??


   Too many chiefs springs to mind!

No longer exists ...  What you need is..

B+E  = car + trailer

C1+E = LGV (upto 7500 Kg) + trailer
C+E = LGV (over 7500 Kg) + trailer .... this is the artic licence

D1+E = mini-bus + trailer
D+E = coach + trailer

all here ..

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547

[miggcddave]

I'm aware of the 3.5t weight limit on newer licences which means a twin wheel transit or lwb sprinter van etc. in real terms. MANY!!!!years ago we used to pick up Merc 814 7.5 tonners up from Pandahire in Newhaven & you'd go to put your tacho in & find one that was BLACK!!! Folk were hiring these for removals etc not realizing they needed to put a card in!. They are trucks albeit small ones (puddle jumpers) but when something goes wrong they behave like a truck not a van or car so in the wrong hands could get messy!!!
   Regarding the towing issue i know some recent licence holders have had to take a trailer test for horseboxes etc but not sure of all the details.
    Seems things are done a stage at a time now, so despite holding a class one HGV i may not be allowed to tow my caravan??


   Too many chiefs springs to mind!

how much can (we the government) make of the motorist with this one   that sounds more like it

[amigov6]

I'm aware of the 3.5t weight limit on newer licences which means a twin wheel transit or lwb sprinter van etc. in real terms. MANY!!!!years ago we used to pick up Merc 814 7.5 tonners up from Pandahire in Newhaven & you'd go to put your tacho in & find one that was BLACK!!! Folk were hiring these for removals etc not realizing they needed to put a card in!. They are trucks albeit small ones (puddle jumpers) but when something goes wrong they behave like a truck not a van or car so in the wrong hands could get messy!!!
   Regarding the towing issue i know some recent licence holders have had to take a trailer test for horseboxes etc but not sure of all the details.
    Seems things are done a stage at a time now, so despite holding a class one HGV i may not be allowed to tow my caravan??


   Too many chiefs springs to mind!

No longer exists ...  What you need is..

B+E  = car + trailer

C1+E = LGV (upto 7500 Kg) + trailer
C+E = LGV (over 7500 Kg) + trailer .... this is the artic licence

D1+E = mini-bus + trailer
D+E = coach + trailer

all here ..

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547

I know it's called a C+E nowadays but "I'm" still HGV Positive!!!
   As said too many chiefs with pointless non job titles & nothing better to do. It's still the same thing in the REAL world.

[Kevin Wood]

I know it's called a C+E nowadays but "I'm" still HGV Positive!!!
   As said too many chiefs with pointless non job titles & nothing better to do. It's still the same thing in the REAL world.

.. and no understanding of the real world. In my bit of the real world, for example, their wonderful new rules prompt younger glider pilots to use smaller cars to tow their trailers to avoid the 3.5t limit. In what way is that progress?  

Kevin

[djm1964]

I just noticed in the top bit of general chat there is a legal questions part , from a traffice officer , he should know the answer