B Licence Towing

pilgrim_fgau

pilgrim_fgau

Member +
A few weeks back I sold the GT with the intention of buying something sensible and economical for the road and hopefully have another GT for the track. So with the money I got from selling the GT, I managed to snap up a late 01 Mk4 Golf Tdi, brinks tow bar, car transporter and another lower spec GT. :rockon::rockon:

As I was bringing the transporter home when I first bought it, I got stoppped by the police. With me being only 21, he gave me an advice on towing with a B Licence and made me aware that I could only tow up the weight of the towing car... plus a few other points, but this one was my main legal concern that I would possibly not be meeting. He told me "I used to have a trailer like that myself and it weighs between 650 - 700 kgs, and I used to have a Golf aswell which would weigh in around 1100kg, so that would leave you around 400kg left for the car you will have on the trailer, any heavier and you have no licence"

bascially he ranted on for about half an hour...

well... took the golf and transporter to a weigh bridge last night...

1340kg for the golf
370kg for the transporter
leaving me 970kg for the GT :rockon::rockon:

UP YOURS COPPER!! lol
 
A

AdamB

Member +
:haha: he got well done over then ;)

Did you get any form of paperwork for the weights, just incase you get stopped again when you are towing the GT?
 
pilgrim_fgau

pilgrim_fgau

Member +
AdamB said:
:haha: he got well done over then ;)

Did you get any form of paperwork for the weights, just incase you get stopped again when you are towing the GT?
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No it was a self weigh weighbridge so there was only a big screen, but the worst that can happen is be asked to go to a weigh bridge but at least I know I'm legal.

The way the cop was tlking he was really making me think that I wouldn't be able to tow it without a trailer licence or with the golf regardless... so I was starting to think of having to rethink my setup, but now all I hav to concentrate on is getting the car ready for the next trackday :)
 
rab

rab

Lifer
Gtstu said:
you need a B+E lisence to tow over 700kg
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this is true look at the back of your licence you need to have b+e entitlement if you passed your test after july 1997 you have to do another test.

plus if your transporter is a twin axle you have to tow it with a 4wd jeep or twin wheel van

you are lucky the cop was stupid or you could have been done for no licence

rab
 
pilgrim_fgau

pilgrim_fgau

Member +
rab said:
this is true look at the back of your licence you need to have b+e entitlement if you passed your test after july 1997 you have to do another test

plus if your transporter is a twin axle you have to tow it with a 4wd jeep or twin wheel van

you are lucky the cop was stupid or you could have been done for no licence

rab
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The above two posts aren't exactly true I'm afraid, I admit this subject is a minefield but I will try and explain as best as possible.

There are actually two combinations that can be used..

1) the towing car can be up to 3500kg with upto 750kg towed mass giving a total mass of 4250kg

Or

2) the MAM of the trailer cannot be more than than the unladen mass of the towing vechile, and the total mass cannot be more than 3500kg. ( and in my case where the MAM of the trailer is unkown due to not being fitted with a plate containing such details, the actual mass of the trailer+contents is used)

So although you were almost correct on my first point, the second point makes my setup legal.
 
pilgrim_fgau

pilgrim_fgau

Member +
rab said:
plus if your transporter is a twin axle you have to tow it with a 4wd jeep or twin wheel van
Click to expand...

Also, I've never heard of such law, nor can I find any details on it, do you mind showing me where you found it?

The only thing I know off that adds to the complexity of this subject is whether or not there are brakes fitted to the trailer (which in my case there are ) in the case of no brakes being fitted, iirc as well as the other points mentioned above, you can only tow 50% of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle or up to 750kg, which ever is least. As far as I know, more axles are added to add stability to the trailer and also to carry more weight, iirc single axle carries up to 1500kg, twin axle upto 3000kg or sumthing like that

Thanks
 
Texx

Texx

Super Moderator
B category allows you to drive a vehicle towing a trailer/caravan with a combined weight of no more than 3500Kg, however the trailer including it's load must not exceed the unladen weight (the kerb weight of the vehicle minus it's fuel load) of the towing vehicle i.e if the towing vehicle weighs 1200Kg then the trailer including it's load must not exceed 1200Kg even though the combined weight would only be 2400Kg.

If you want to tow more, then you'll need a B+E category on your license.

B category can be automatically upgraded when a test is passed to allow trailer towing of a larger vehicle.

In general, an additional driving test is required for each category or subcategory of entitlement. But there are certain exceptions to this where drivers have already passed one test which involves trailer entitlement for a larger or equivalent sized vehicle.

This means that passing a test for subcategory C1+E or D1+E upgrades category B entitlement to B+E. A test pass for subcategory C1+E upgrades subcategory D1, if held, to D1+E. But a test pass for subcategory D1+E does not upgrade subcategory C1 to C1+E because the trailer size required for a subcategory D1+E test is smaller than that required for a subcategory C1+E test.

Passing a test for category C+E upgrades category B entitlement to B+E and also confers entitlement to subcategory C1 and C1+E and, if category D or subcategory D1 is held, these are upgraded to category D+E or subcategory D1+E. A test passed for category D+E upgrades category B and subcategory D1 to category B+E and subcategory D1+E respectively. But it does not upgrade category C or subcategory C1 entitlements because the trailer size required for a category D+E test is smaller than that required for a category C+E or subcategory C1+E test.
Click to expand...
 
rab

rab

Lifer
pilgrim_fgau said:
Also, I've never heard of such law, nor can I find any details on it, do you mind showing me where you found it?

The only thing I know off that adds to the complexity of this subject is whether or not there are brakes fitted to the trailer (which in my case there are ) in the case of no brakes being fitted, iirc as well as the other points mentioned above, you can only tow 50% of the kerb weight of the towing vehicle or up to 750kg, which ever is least. As far as I know, more axles are added to add stability to the trailer and also to carry more weight, iirc single axle carries up to 1500kg, twin axle upto 3000kg or sumthing like that

Thanks
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thats what ni`s finest told me that if the trailer is twin wheeled it needs a 4wd or large van all i am saying is watch out cause you could get a prick of a cop who will do you for it.

as for the weight issues do your b+e test just to keep yourself right or do what i did a c+e test.
cheers
 
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