What can I tow on a "B" license

[msportpanda]

Bit confused as people keep telling me conflicting info.

Gov website says:

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

Just for clarity, am I legal to tow a car on a trailer provided that - tow car + trailer + car on trailer has a mass in running order of 3500kg?

[boombang]

Max or gross of towing vehicle plus max or gross plated weight of trailer must be less than 3500kg.

Load on trailer must be less than allowed on plate but is otherwise irrelevant for calculation.

Is legal to downplate a trailer if helps achieve above. I did this to tow a nice big Brian James behind an A4 with a Westfield (plated so whole train was 5kg less than limit)

Edited by boombang on Thursday 2nd September 18:44

Edited by boombang on Thursday 2nd September 18:45

[R0G]

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=11...
That link should explain everything you need to know

[msportpanda]

Thank you very much both. Much appreciated!

[QBee]

Who decides what the plate on the trailer says?

[944 Man]

Can open: worms everywhere.

[R0G]

QBee said:

Who decides what the plate on the trailer says?

The manufacturer - that is the law

[BertBert]

R0G said:

QBee said:

Who decides what the plate on the trailer says?

The manufacturer - that is the law

Presumably the manufacturer decides the max that it can say and as above you can downplate it?

[QBee]

BertBert said:

R0G said:

QBee said:

Who decides what the plate on the trailer says?

The manufacturer - that is the law

Presumably the manufacturer decides the max that it can say and as above you can downplate it?

Just interested because my trailer started out as a small caravan, with an Alko chassis.
At some point the caravan was scrapped and the chassis was retained, and a flat bed was mounted on it for use as a car trailer.
The plate says 1700 kg, and that makes sense as a car trailer - it is big enough for an MX5 or similar, and the trailer weighs about 300 kg.
So total trailer and load is about 1400 kg the way I use it.
Do I have any issues?

[R0G]

BertBert said:

Presumably the manufacturer decides the max that it can say and as above you can downplate it?

CORRECT - down plate is done by the manufacturer

[R0G]

QBee said:

Just interested because my trailer started out as a small caravan, with an Alko chassis.
At some point the caravan was scrapped and the chassis was retained, and a flat bed was mounted on it for use as a car trailer.
The plate says 1700 kg, and that makes sense as a car trailer - it is big enough for an MX5 or similar, and the trailer weighs about 300 kg.
So total trailer and load is about 1400 kg the way I use it.
Do I have any issues?

Not that I can see because it is the same basic frame and wheels/tyres which are designed for 1700

I assume you have B+E on licence?

[paulrockliffe]

R0G said:

QBee said:

Just interested because my trailer started out as a small caravan, with an Alko chassis.
At some point the caravan was scrapped and the chassis was retained, and a flat bed was mounted on it for use as a car trailer.
The plate says 1700 kg, and that makes sense as a car trailer - it is big enough for an MX5 or similar, and the trailer weighs about 300 kg.
So total trailer and load is about 1400 kg the way I use it.
Do I have any issues?

Not that I can see because it is the same basic frame and wheels/tyres which are designed for 1700

I assume you have B+E on licence?

Doesn't this depend who put the plate on and when? If it's the Caravan plate and the conversion to a trailer was done today then it requires an IVA and a new plate doesn't it?

[QBee]

paulrockliffe said:

R0G said:

QBee said:

Just interested because my trailer started out as a small caravan, with an Alko chassis.
At some point the caravan was scrapped and the chassis was retained, and a flat bed was mounted on it for use as a car trailer.
The plate says 1700 kg, and that makes sense as a car trailer - it is big enough for an MX5 or similar, and the trailer weighs about 300 kg.
So total trailer and load is about 1400 kg the way I use it.
Do I have any issues?

Not that I can see because it is the same basic frame and wheels/tyres which are designed for 1700

I assume you have B+E on licence?

Doesn't this depend who put the plate on and when? If it's the Caravan plate and the conversion to a trailer was done today then it requires an IVA and a new plate doesn't it?

That's rather what I was asking, as I don't know. I bought the trailer off a geezer in Birmingham on Ebay, who converted them in his garage, and then upgraded the tyres etc to make it comply with the plated 1700 kg max weight. It has brakes and they do work. Oh, and I do have the full licence, as I passed my test in 1970.