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

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Captain Answer said:

Passed my B+E yesterday, after doing a course over 2 days with Carl

4 minors and I had to take both shunts to get into the garage, but I got it in and got the result

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Most of the info in this thread will become obsolete in Autumn so perhaps it is time to un-sticky it ???

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Ivan stewart said:

Yes thanks Rog , just one question can the misus now tow a trailer behind her horse box? 7.5 ton lorry,trailer over 750 kg .
Her license is pre 97 !!

No changes to that

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bobski1 said:

What happens in autumn? What if I want to do B+E after that? Currently I can tow 3.5kg max

If you can tow 3.5 now behind a cat B vehicle then that is B+E so you do not have to do it because you have it

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bobski1 said:

Rules I have on my licence are:

[i]a car or van up to 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (up to 4,250kg in total)
a trailer over 750kg MAM, as long as it is no more than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle (up to 3,500kg in total)[/i]

the way I read it is can tow up to combined 4.25Tn but if the trailer is over 750Kg the car needs to be heavier i.e. if I towed a trailer with a car on it (2tn combined) The car would need be heavier than 2tn but no more than 4.25tn otherwise it will be heavier than the limit required?

And there is no longer B+E, now its straight to C1+E?

as long as it is no more than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle = that bit was scrapped in 2013
You need to look at the current laws not the old laws

there is no longer B+E, now its straight to C1+E? - there is still B+E so I do not know where you got that idea from

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eltax91 said:

Does anyone know what the enforcement date for the changes are? Got a track day on November 11th. I’m B+E, friend isn’t. I can’t supervise. Wondering if we can share the driving.

Nov 15 is the likely date

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bobski1 said:

with the rules now delayed is it worth going for a B+E now?

Testing for B+E is no longer happening
Lots are now in limbo

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https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-rules-for-towing-a...

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Coog said:

I did my B&E a number of years ago and was, at the time, pretty clued up on all the regulations but seems they're pretty fluid and have changed since. I've searched but perhaps not done a very good job of finding out what I need to know.

Normally I tow a car transporter plated at 2700kg MAM (actual weight is 600kg & track car is c. 900kg) behind a Cayenne with a 3500kg capacity, and so haven't really needed to think too much about weights for a number of years.

Recently I bought a Hiace Van which can tow up to 2000kg. My trailer with the track car comes in at around 1500kg actual weight total so I was thinking I might use the van for towing the odd time as it's within it's capacity and would be better suited to trackside duties.

Are these capacities OK or will I trip up at the MAM hurdle given the trailer has a MAM that exceeds what's permissible with the van.

As long as you never load more than 1400 onto the trailer then it is 100% legal

There is no law or rule that states the trailer MAM cannot be more than the max towing capacity of the vehicle or that the combined MAMs cannot be more than the GTW

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Captain Answer said:

Quick double check really....

If a braked trailer is unplated (i.e. really old) then it's max capacity inc trailer weight (MAM) would be the equivilant of the tyres max load? So a twin with two tyres of 500 would be a max of 2000kg including the trailer as an example?

YES - that is the way the authorities do it

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BE remains as long as you have B