Trailer towing:- B and B+E licence rules explained
Discussion
Leptons said:
Hi, I think I’ve read so much into this subject now I’ve fried my own brain!
I’ve done B+E and now looking to buy a trailer. It’s mainly to tow the car to track days, tow vehicle will be my works Vivaro. The Max Train weight of this is 4790kg.
The Max Gross weight of the Vivaro is 2790kg
Because I’ve got B+E am I correct in thinking I could tow any trailer plated up to 3500kg as long as I don’t exceed The Maximum Gross Train weight of the Vivaro? I.e it goes off the actual weight of the trailer and load rather than the Plated weight of the trailer?
TIA
Max actual weight for the trailer and its load is LIKELY to be 2000 but the log book may say higherI’ve done B+E and now looking to buy a trailer. It’s mainly to tow the car to track days, tow vehicle will be my works Vivaro. The Max Train weight of this is 4790kg.
The Max Gross weight of the Vivaro is 2790kg
Because I’ve got B+E am I correct in thinking I could tow any trailer plated up to 3500kg as long as I don’t exceed The Maximum Gross Train weight of the Vivaro? I.e it goes off the actual weight of the trailer and load rather than the Plated weight of the trailer?
TIA
Quick question.
I would like to collect a car and tow it home on a trailer
I do not have a B+E on my licence.
My dad on the other hand has a B+E on his licence.
If I wanted to drive up there. Tow the car back on the trailer. Can I take my dad with me and put l plates on for it to be legal?
Got a 110 defender and looking to rent a large trailer for the day motorway and a roads mainly)
Thanks
Nick
I would like to collect a car and tow it home on a trailer
I do not have a B+E on my licence.
My dad on the other hand has a B+E on his licence.
If I wanted to drive up there. Tow the car back on the trailer. Can I take my dad with me and put l plates on for it to be legal?
Got a 110 defender and looking to rent a large trailer for the day motorway and a roads mainly)
Thanks
Nick
Too Late said:
Quick question.
I would like to collect a car and tow it home on a trailer
I do not have a B+E on my licence.
My dad on the other hand has a B+E on his licence.
If I wanted to drive up there. Tow the car back on the trailer. Can I take my dad with me and put l plates on for it to be legal?
Got a 110 defender and looking to rent a large trailer for the day motorway and a roads mainly)
Thanks
Nick
Yes you can do that and DAD does not have to be insured unless he actually drives itI would like to collect a car and tow it home on a trailer
I do not have a B+E on my licence.
My dad on the other hand has a B+E on his licence.
If I wanted to drive up there. Tow the car back on the trailer. Can I take my dad with me and put l plates on for it to be legal?
Got a 110 defender and looking to rent a large trailer for the day motorway and a roads mainly)
Thanks
Nick
Make sure you inform your insurer that you are doing that = usually no extra cost
R0G said:
Too Late said:
Quick question.
I would like to collect a car and tow it home on a trailer
I do not have a B+E on my licence.
My dad on the other hand has a B+E on his licence.
If I wanted to drive up there. Tow the car back on the trailer. Can I take my dad with me and put l plates on for it to be legal?
Got a 110 defender and looking to rent a large trailer for the day motorway and a roads mainly)
Thanks
Nick
Yes you can do that and DAD does not have to be insured unless he actually drives itI would like to collect a car and tow it home on a trailer
I do not have a B+E on my licence.
My dad on the other hand has a B+E on his licence.
If I wanted to drive up there. Tow the car back on the trailer. Can I take my dad with me and put l plates on for it to be legal?
Got a 110 defender and looking to rent a large trailer for the day motorway and a roads mainly)
Thanks
Nick
Make sure you inform your insurer that you are doing that = usually no extra cost
If he does, then presumably they can't take the motorway route back with the 'L' plates on.
jeremyc said:
ut does he need 'L' plates when driving accompanied by Dad? I can only assume not.
If he does, then presumably they can't take the motorway route back with the 'L' plates on.
Yes he does need L plates when accompanied by DAD and can legally use the motorway using L platesIf he does, then presumably they can't take the motorway route back with the 'L' plates on.
S100HP said:
what a minefield this is! I passed in 2000, have a 2007 XC70 D5.
Towing capacity according to this site is 1800kg, meaning I can tow a caravan up to 1700kg?
You need the TWO important figures -Towing capacity according to this site is 1800kg, meaning I can tow a caravan up to 1700kg?
GVW of vehicle
MAM of trailer
Need those two numbers to see if you can tow on a B licence (no B+E)
R0G said:
You need the TWO important figures -
GVW of vehicle
MAM of trailer
Need those two numbers to see if you can tow on a B licence (no B+E)
I have B+E so I don't usually need to know this.GVW of vehicle
MAM of trailer
Need those two numbers to see if you can tow on a B licence (no B+E)
Am I right that for him as a B licence holder his limit is 3500-GVW of Volvo XC90?
(Assuming that this number is smaller than the towing capacity of the Volvo)
Jimmy Recard said:
I have B+E so I don't usually need to know this.
Am I right that for him as a B licence holder his limit is 3500-GVW of Volvo XC90?
(Assuming that this number is smaller than the towing capacity of the Volvo)
Lets say GVW of Volvo is 2500kg then the most the trailer/caravan etc can be plated at is 1000kg MAM / MTPLM / GVWAm I right that for him as a B licence holder his limit is 3500-GVW of Volvo XC90?
(Assuming that this number is smaller than the towing capacity of the Volvo)
Thanks for all this info, really useful
Suspect I know the answer but I have just picked up a Outlander PHEV with a towbar and as such would like a trailer to tow my daft track cars about (a Reliant Ss1 and Mx5)
Now I know the Outlander has a towing capacity of 1500kg and a GVW of 2340kg.
By my reckoning (passed test post '97 no b+e) this means I can tow a braked trailer with a MAM of 1160kg. I'm guessing, therefore that no trailer exists that has that sort of MAM that can carry the vehicles I'm planning on carrying.
Am I right in thinking that and that I'll have to do a b+e?
Suspect I know the answer but I have just picked up a Outlander PHEV with a towbar and as such would like a trailer to tow my daft track cars about (a Reliant Ss1 and Mx5)
Now I know the Outlander has a towing capacity of 1500kg and a GVW of 2340kg.
By my reckoning (passed test post '97 no b+e) this means I can tow a braked trailer with a MAM of 1160kg. I'm guessing, therefore that no trailer exists that has that sort of MAM that can carry the vehicles I'm planning on carrying.
Am I right in thinking that and that I'll have to do a b+e?
Merry said:
Thanks for all this info, really useful
Suspect I know the answer but I have just picked up a Outlander PHEV with a towbar and as such would like a trailer to tow my daft track cars about (a Reliant Ss1 and Mx5)
Now I know the Outlander has a towing capacity of 1500kg and a GVW of 2340kg.
By my reckoning (passed test post '97 no b+e) this means I can tow a braked trailer with a MAM of 1160kg. I'm guessing, therefore that no trailer exists that has that sort of MAM that can carry the vehicles I'm planning on carrying.
Am I right in thinking that and that I'll have to do a b+e?
How heavy will the trailer load be?Suspect I know the answer but I have just picked up a Outlander PHEV with a towbar and as such would like a trailer to tow my daft track cars about (a Reliant Ss1 and Mx5)
Now I know the Outlander has a towing capacity of 1500kg and a GVW of 2340kg.
By my reckoning (passed test post '97 no b+e) this means I can tow a braked trailer with a MAM of 1160kg. I'm guessing, therefore that no trailer exists that has that sort of MAM that can carry the vehicles I'm planning on carrying.
Am I right in thinking that and that I'll have to do a b+e?
Merry said:
Thought as much. Looks like I'll be forking out or taking my dad to every track day!
Anyone know somewhere decent to do the training/test around Manchester?
Best ones are usually LGV training schools who also do B+EAnyone know somewhere decent to do the training/test around Manchester?
Never go through a broker always visit the trainer before paying any money
@ROG
Sorry if this is already answered in your thread somewhere.
I was researching towing just over a month ago as I was heading off doing some towing. Category B only license.
I can't find the webpages I was using, but documented the rules I found. I'm sure it was somewhere on the .gov site.
The main rules where:
-if the trailer is over 750kg, then the combined MAM of trailer and tow vehicle cannot exceed 3500kg
-the trailer MAM cannot exceed the unladen/kerb weight of the tow car
I built a spreadsheet with these formulas so I could check different vehicles and trailers.
However I've just been informed on another thread that the MAM of the trailer doesn't need to be less than the kerb weight of the tow vehicle anymore.
Are you able to confirm this?
The .gov site is a little light on info:
tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg
https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car
For a practical comparison:
With the rule of the trailer MAM not exceeding the unladen weight, I got a tow figure of 1298kg
However without this rule the tow figure would now be 1380kg.
Is this correct?
Thanks.
Sorry if this is already answered in your thread somewhere.
I was researching towing just over a month ago as I was heading off doing some towing. Category B only license.
I can't find the webpages I was using, but documented the rules I found. I'm sure it was somewhere on the .gov site.
The main rules where:
-if the trailer is over 750kg, then the combined MAM of trailer and tow vehicle cannot exceed 3500kg
-the trailer MAM cannot exceed the unladen/kerb weight of the tow car
I built a spreadsheet with these formulas so I could check different vehicles and trailers.
However I've just been informed on another thread that the MAM of the trailer doesn't need to be less than the kerb weight of the tow vehicle anymore.
Are you able to confirm this?
The .gov site is a little light on info:
tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg
https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car
For a practical comparison:
Unladen | Tow Rating | GVW | |
---|---|---|---|
Land Rover 88 | 1298 | 2000 | 2120 |
With the rule of the trailer MAM not exceeding the unladen weight, I got a tow figure of 1298kg
However without this rule the tow figure would now be 1380kg.
Is this correct?
Thanks.
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