B+E test trailer length

[R0G]

These rules apply to all B and B+E category drivers no matter when the test was passed

B category
Vehicle not more than 3500 kg plated GVW

B category towing
A trailer of 750 kg max plated MAM may be towed by a B category vehicle making a possible total plated MAM of 4250 kg
If a trailer over 750 kg plated MAM is towed by a B category vehicle then the plated GVW of the vehicle added to the plated MAM of the trailer (MTPLM of a caravan) must not total more than 3500 kg

B+E category
Towing a trailer with a B category vehicle where the trailer is not over 3500 kg plated MAM

To tow a trailer over 3500 kg plated MAM the category needed is C1+E

[rewc]

R0G said:

rewc said:

The duty Sergeant was correct as learner drivers cannot drive on the motorway ....

The duty sergeant was NOT correct

Many thanks for the correction it is much appreciated

[R0G]

Clivew said:

That is interesting. I was taking my car and trailer to my son's the other day and thought it would be a good opportunity to let him have a bit of experience towing. As most of the journey would involve motorway driving I phoned the local traffic department and asked if he could tow on the motorway whilst being supervised and the answer from the sergeant on duty was a definite "No".

Where, on the internet, will it tell me the correct answer?

Do you have the name of that officer and the number he can be reached on please?

[Clivew]

Thanks for the replies.
I'm not sure what you mean by MAM???
My son passed his test in 2004 and therefore cannot tow unless supervised. The car is a Range Rover (2780kg) and the empty weight of the trailer is 650 kg with a gross weight of 3,500 kg.

[Clivew]

R0G said:

Do you have the name of that officer and the number he can be reached on please?

I thought I had but can't find it at the moment. I called Police Scotland and was answered in Dundee. When I called I asked to be put through to the Traffic dept but the girl on the phone told me there was nobody there and could she help. When I asked her the question, she put me on hold and when she came back she said the traffic sergeant told her it was illegal. I asked his name and all she gave was his number which I wrote down, but cannot find it at the moment.If I do I'll let you know.

[R0G]

Clivew said:

Thanks for the replies.
I'm not sure what you mean by MAM???
My son passed his test in 2004 and therefore cannot tow unless supervised. The car is a Range Rover (2780kg) and the empty weight of the trailer is 650 kg with a gross weight of 3,500 kg.

Range rover GVW 2780 and trailer MAM 3500 = total MAM of 6280 kg so well over the 3500 max for B licence towing

GVW MAM MTPLM all have the same meaning - the maximum permissible legal weight something can be when fully loaded

[R0G]

Here is just one legal towing set up for a B only licence holder ....

http://carleasingmadesimple.com/business-car-leasi...
Skoda Octavia 4x4 1.6 diesel
GVW 1998 kg
Towing capacity 2000 kg


http://www.tamartrailercentre.co.uk/p/trailer-sale...
BLV1585 trailer
•Gross Weight Kgs: 1500
•Unladen Weight Kgs: 500

The total MAM is 3498 kg

[dirty_dog]

I was trying to use my car for the test but realised it wasn't worth it. My car I tow with is auto which means I can only tow with auto from then on. The rules for trailer type and ballast etc are tricky and you can't use a caravan anymore as they don't have a big enough payload.
I used a guy from Kent and paid for test and car/trailer rental for the day, he was totally set up for the test and it made much more sense, he even had mirrors fitted to help hitching etc. I did a lot of miles that day with training all morning until about 1pm for the test. Pretty intense day but done now

One thing to check is the cone spacing for the reverse manoeuvre! Know what length your combination is and what cone spacing it requires, my instructor and I spotted it had been laid out for rigid combinations not articulated so was much shorter. I had to get the examiner to check and correct before we started, thought that might get us off on the wrong foot but he was very good about it.

Not sure where you are but happy to recommend the guy I used.

[tehguy]

I was going to use my own car to do B+E, until I realised I'd be restricted to automatic if I did. So in the end I used a local instructors car and trailer, and passed in that. It was the first time I had driven a manual car in 2 years, and in the 18 months since passing I have not driven another manual car. Towing with an auto is so much nicer.

It's possible to have a combination of vehicle and trailer, even with the new 'real weight' requirements, which is legal to drive without B+E. So you can drive yourself to the test, slap on L plates, and regardless of whether you pass you can take the L plates off and drive home alone.

PS. for those saying that the weight requirement for the trailer used on test should be much higher, that's stupid. Before 1997 you didn't have to take ANY test to tow a trailer, or drive a minibus, or a lorry, yet you could do all of these things after passing a car test. For the C1 test you only have to have a vehicle with a MAM of 4000kg. Yet once you pass you can drive upto 7500kg.

[rewc]

tehguy said:

It's possible to have a combination of vehicle and trailer, even with the new 'real weight' requirements, which is legal to drive without B+E. So you can drive yourself to the test, slap on L plates, and regardless of whether you pass you can take the L plates off and drive home alone.

PS. for those saying that the weight requirement for the trailer used on test should be much higher, that's stupid. Before 1997 you didn't have to take ANY test to tow a trailer, or drive a minibus, or a lorry, yet you could do all of these things after passing a car test. For the C1 test you only have to have a vehicle with a MAM of 4000kg. Yet once you pass you can drive upto 7500kg.

7

Do you know of a licence group other that B+E where the test can be taken in a vehicle/combination of a 'lower' category?
Are we all a lot safer than when the situation prior to 1997 was as you described?

[R0G]

rewc said:

Do you know of a licence group other that B+E where the test can be taken in a vehicle/combination of a 'lower' category?
Are we all a lot safer than when the situation prior to 1997 was as you described?

Try this to answer your question ...

Using a 4x4 Octavia with a GVW of 1998 kg and a towing capacity of 2000 kg
.....Towing a ....
Box trailer which is 500 kg empty and has a MAM of 2500 loaded with either 600 kg sand bags or a 1000 litre IBC filled with water
That is a B+E set up

NOW down-plate the trailer from 2500 to 1500
That is a B set up

Same car and trailer for both set ups so what's the difference apart from the plated weight

[tehguy]

rewc said:

Do you know of a licence group other that B+E where the test can be taken in a vehicle/combination of a 'lower' category?
Are we all a lot safer than when the situation prior to 1997 was as you described?

Like I said, the minimum required GVW for a vehicle taking the C1 test is 4000kg. There is no requirement for a load, and I'm pretty sure there are some Ford Transit and similar vans which have a 4000kg GVW but weigh much less than 3000kg unladen, so it would be just like driving a van (and less than the 3500kg GVW you can legally drive on just category B). The rules seem stupid, but they do somewhat make sense, after all anyone doing tests for vocational licences are likely to have some interest in driving, and will be well aware that a vehicle and trailer combination weighing 7 tonnes all-up will handle much differently than the Ford Focus and 1 tonne trailer they are doing their test in. Also, if instructors / training providers were forced to use vehicles which were right on the weight limit for the category they are teaching, they would make next to no profit because their fuel costs etc would be so high. There would be hardly anyone in the profession. Have you ever seen someone doing BE training or on a test? I did mine in a Ford Focus and I don't believe there are any of those which can tow 3500kg.

I don't think we're safer than the pre-97 situation personally. The training and test teach you next to nothing, and most people who have the need to do such tests are generally the ones who have an interest in driving and know what they're doing. I could safely hitch up and trailer and tow long before I passed the BE test. I reckon I could probably do it much better than most people twice my age. You don't get taught what to do when the trailer starts swaying when you're doing 60 on a motorway, or anything like that. Just how to do hill starts and reverse around a predefined course which you're probably never going to encounter in real life. You don't even have to do an emergency stop any more.

Edited by tehguy on Thursday 16th October 13:53