Trailer towing:- B and B+E licence rules explained

[R0G]

If its your trailer then simply contact the trailer manufacturer and get it down plated from 1500 to 1400

That will reduce the trailer load potential from 950 to 850 kg

[R0G]

Simon832 said:

Depends when you passed your test too. If it was after 1997, then the combined actual weight of the car + trailer must be less than 3500kg so you might be OK. If you passed after 19th Jan 2013 then the MAM of the car + trailer must be less than 3500kg.

ETA: source - https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car

Edited by Simon832 on Wednesday 5th August 08:38

OP stated B licence

[R0G]

BMW343 said:

Hi all

Hopefully you can help me
I'm looking to buy a trailer and looking for advice / guidelines

I have a cat B license held since September 1997

I have a Defender 110 which will be used as the tow car

What I'm looking for advice is what is the maximum trailer size / load I can tow with this combo

I know I can have a small trailer up to 750Kg but they are a little on the small size.

But I'm looking for a double axle trailer with sides and brakes to take rubbish so the dump and that type of stuff . General garden waste. i.e. home user not a professional hauling large lawn mowers or the like

So I'm trying to maximize the trailer / load size while staying with the rules of a cat B license. I'm not in position at the moment to take the Cat e exam.

Land Rover Defender details
EEC Kerb Weight 2020 Kg (I think closer to 1887kg)
Gross Vehicle weight 3050
Gross Train Weight 6550Kg

Any guidance is most appreciated

Many thanks

T.

Max trailer plated MAM for you = 750kgs on a B licence

you need a vehicle with a lower GVW

[R0G]

Cost depends on experience and competency of the driver

[R0G]

SUPERVISING A B+E LEARNER
In April 2010 new rules were introduced for those supervising certain learner drivers but they only affected those supervising VOCATIONAL categories such as C1 C1+E D1 & D1+E where the supervising driver had those categories given to them for free when they passed a pre 1997 car test.
They do not affect those with a pre 1997 B+E licence who wish to supervise a B+E learner.

All B licence holders have B+E provisional on the paper part of their licence and can tow an empty or loaded trailer on all roads including motorways.

The usual rules apply when a learner is driving -
The supervising driver must be aged over 21
The supervising driver must have held a B+E licence for at least 3 years
L plates must be fitted to the front of the vehicle and the rear of the trailer
Correct insurance for a B+E learner
The supervising driver does not need to be insured unless they are driving

[R0G]

adamfraser said:

Another one for you Rog.

Got license in 2009 not sat B+E test yet.

Vehicle - VW LT35 158 TDI LWB
GVW 3500kg
GTW 5500kg

So can essentially tow 2 tons on the back. Now from what I can see on the .gov site, it states that -

You can also tow a trailer with a MAM greater than 750kg as long as the combined weight of the category B vehicle and trailer doesn’t exceed a MAM of 3,500kg.

With the van being 2115kg minimum kerbweight, time i put the trailer and car on the back it's well over 3.5t. Take it that means i'm headed towards C1+E?

GVW 3500 means you can tow a trailer with a max plated MAM of 750 kgs on your B licence

With B+E you can tow an actual weight of 2000 kgs as long as the trailer is plated to at least that weight

C1+E only applies if either the vehicle or trailer is plated at more than 3500 kgs

[R0G]

mattydoh said:

Can anyone clarify I am reading this correctly - I currently tow a 1300kg MAM trailer behind a 1800kg MAM tow car as I believed I had to be under 3500kg MAM train weight. A quick check of the gov.uk website has revealed the following (I passed my normal car test February 2009 - no B&E):



Licences held from 1 January 1997

If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can:

drive a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined weight of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg



So therefore, I could tow my trailer which weighs around 900kg laden behind any vehicle that weighs less than 2600kg at the time of towing. Has the law changed regarding this as I'm sure it used to be 3500kg MAM rather than actual?

Assuming you mean vehicle GVW 1800 when you say 1800 MAM tow car and not mean the towing capacity ??

With a vehicle GVW 1800 and a 1300 MAM trailer that it is 3100 total MAM so 400 under the 3500 total plated MAM weight limit for towing

Licences go on plated weights not actual weights but the dumb Gov sites often miss off the word MAM or miss off the caveat stating that all weights are MAM weights

[R0G]

bencollins said:

All went well once id asked a guy at the port how to ratchet the straps in the right way.
The trailer was only a few inches wider than the track and the sides of the trailer only 1cm below the doorline so could have been stuck as leccy windows not working and cabriolet roof dodgy. Got home ok tho.

Does the plate on the trailer match the one on the Van ? = assuming its in the UK

[R0G]

The wording in the RTA has not changed and that is the law not what the dopes put on the websites

Never take Gov websites as always being the law

I looked at a few Gov PDFs on this issue and they all had a caveat stating all weights are MAM weights and it seems some DVLA dope has copied the info in those PDFs across the Gov sites but not the caveats

I have informed them and the DfT many times and they say it is wrong yet nothing has changed !!

[R0G]

hman said:

So am I ok to tow a 2002 RAV4 behind a 2010 xc90 on a 4 wheel trailer with a b+e licence?

Give me the weights and I'll tell you

[R0G]

lewisco said:

I have also been really confused by the weights on the gov.uk website.

I have a 1999 Range Rover, its weight is 2145KG and GVW is 2780KG.

I'm towing a Westfield which chassis plate says:



What should the trailer plate say to keep allow me to tow legally, if I can at all, on a B license obtained after 1997 but before 2013?

No difference in B licence rules depending when it was passed

Total MAM is 3680 so 180 over the B licence towing rules when using a trailer over 750

On your B licence the max is 750 MAM for a trailer
2780 + 750 = 3530 which is ok because the trailer is not over 750

On a B licence you can tow 750 trailer MAM with a 3500 GVW vehicle but the moment the trailer goes over 750 the 3500 total MAM law applies

[R0G]

hman said:

xc90 GVW = 2700kg
Rav 4 = unladen = 1275, laden weight = 1825kg

on this trailer http://www.helpfulhirings.co.uk/equipment/trailers...

Link does not work for me

What I really need for a B+E licence holder is ....
The towing capacity for the vehicle
The empty weight of the trailer
The plated MAM of the trailer
The weight you want to put in the trailer

[R0G]

hman said:

Trailer capacity is 2000kg weight going on it is an empty rav 4 so 1275 no mam details empty trailer weighs 495 kg xc90 is the tow vehicle towing capacity 2250

1275 + 495 = 1770 so well within the 2000 or 2250 capacity
The trailer will need to be plated at 1770 or higher

[R0G]

Having B+E means you can drive a vehicle with a GVW of 3500 kg and tow a trailer with a MAM of 3500 kg making a total MAM of 7000 kg BUT .... the weight you can actually tow will be restricted by the listed towing capacity of the vehicle which can be found in the handbook or on the V5 form

In MOST cases the max towing capacity will be the GTW minus the GVW listed on the vehicle weight plate BUT with vans this is often not the case

Some transit vans are ..
GTW 3500
GVW 2600
GTW - GVW = 900
Towing capacity 1200
As you can see its 1200 not 900 but towing 1200 means the van cannot be an actual weight more than 2300

Many transit vans are
GTW 5500
GVW 3500
towing capacity 2000
In this case GTW - GVW = 2000 so same as listed towing capacity

Dunno about other makes as I only frequent the transit forum

[R0G]

Roo said:

Hi Rog,

Not sure if it's been covered in here but my understanding is that the maximum towable mass on an overrun braked trailer on a ball is 3500kg. That is irrespective of the maximum manufacturer stated figure. So if the manufacturer states a higher figure you can still only tow 3500kg.

That obviously assumes that the tow hitch is EU approved and the towing capacity is listed on the V5c.

I ask because in this thread, http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... , a poster states that he can legally tow considerably more than that. His vehicle won't have an EU hitch and as it would've been IVA tested it won't have a type approved towing capacity.

You are correct - the max plated MAM for a trailer on over run brakes is 3500kg

Any trailer plated over that must have something like air brakes for example

[R0G]

Ben 89 said:

Whilst ringing around enquiring about lessons for my trailer test, I've been told that if i pass my trailer test in an automatic then i can only tow using an auto! is this true.

YES that is correct

A change needs to happen in UK road traffic law but until Govt get around to it then it stays the silly law

Hold B manual ...
pass auto LGV C CE or PCV D or DE and get them in manual
pass auto BE, LGV C1 or PCV D1 = get auto not manual

YUP it is daft !!

[R0G]

No O licence needed but I reckon you need tacho

[R0G]

No O licence as exemption for dual purpose vehicle

Tacho can be fitted by owner but it must be calibrated by authorised centre

Tacho rules go on goods being transferred for commercial reasons not who the goods belong to

[R0G]

Gtom said:

After reading something in general gassing I thought I best come here and ask.

My van is 2900kg max and my caravan is 1350kg max which makes 4250kg so on my normal b licence I'm over, or so I though?

The van takes 1100kg so weighs 1800kg empty and the caravan is 1051kg miro so that makes 2851kg actual weight (give or take a few kg's).

If I passed after 1997 but before 2013 this setup is not legal but after 2013 it is legal?

That's how it reads on the government site?!

Illegal on a B licence

When the trailer/caravan is over 750kg plated weight the 3500 combined max MAM of 3500 applies and in this case the MAM total is 4250 so 750 over

The rules for B licence towing are the same for all drivers no matter when they got it and the only thing that changed in 2013 was the scrapping of the rule which said the MAM of the trailer could not exceed the unladen/empty weight of the vehicle
Gov sites are not done in plain English and often leave old revoked rules on the internet such as the pre 2013 ones

[R0G]

Timbuktu said:

Timbuktu said:

Hi Rog.

I have a B+E licence so no problem towing BUT:

Is it legal for my friend to tow my kit car with my transit, he has no trailer licence and past his test post '97.

Transit weighs 1760KG
GVW 3000
GTW 5000

Trailer Gross cap. 2000KG (MAM?)
Trailer Load cap. 1550kg
Trailer weight 450KG
Kit car 700kg

My understanding is vehicle 1760kg plus trailer 1150 = 2910 so less than 3500kg plus vehicle weighs more than trailer so is ok?

Does trailer MAM plate come into it?

Thanks!

Edited by Timbuktu on Friday 4th March 22:15

Total MAM is 3000 + 2000 = 5000 so 1500 over the 3500 limit for B towing

YOU CAN SUPERVISE HIM UNDER B+E LEARNER RULES

Edited by R0G on Friday 10th June 15:16