Towing rules.....
Turbo Mini Forums

Car and trailer practical driving testIf you passed your car driving test on or after 1 January 1997 and you now want to tow a caravan or trailer you will have to take a specific practical test.





Just came across this by accident. I've towed numerous trailers over many 1000's of miles and it looks like all this time i've not legally been able to do so! Oops!! (passed my test 03/99)

Not sure whether everyone knew this as i know its a grey area..

link from


"Car licences obtained before 1 January 1997
All drivers who passed a car test before 1 January 1997 retain their existing entitlement to tow trailers until their licence expires. This means they are generally entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8.25 tonnes maximum authorised mass (MAM). They also have entitlement to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750 kgs MAM.


Car licences obtained on or after 1 January 1997
Drivers who passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 are required to pass an additional driving test in order to gain entitlement to category B+E (car with trailer) which allows them to tow caravans and trailers. "

oops too (passed mine 06/97)

it does say B+E on my driving license though

the way i understand it is if you passed after 97 you can tow a max weight of 750kgs or up to your cars weight aslong as the total weight doesnt exceed 3500kgs

i.e you cant tow more than your cars weight

thats why ive got the navara, i think that weights in at around 1800kgs

mini and trailer probably 1000kgs

so thats a total weight of 2800kgs, which is below 3500kgs, and the mini and trailer are well below the weight of the nav

I go under similar logic to Nic.

Range Rover = 2 tons.

Trailer = 500kg.

205 = 870kg.

Therefore total weight of car and trailer is 1370kg, which is comfortably less than the 2000kg the towing vehicle weighs.

In addition, the gross train weight (GTW) at 3370kg is less than the 3500kg it states on my license I am allowed.

Whether all this would stand up in court I have no idea. However, a rule of thumb I use is that if the combination on the road "looks" right, you are unlikely to get a tug. A Range Rover towing a Brian James trailer with a light hatchback on the back is going to arouse a lot less suspiscion than if I were towing a large estate car for example, on a shoddy old trailer, behind a small hatchback.

I have in actual fact looked in to trying to take an additional test, the only way I could find to do it was to take a LGV test, and then a LGV + trailer test, all at a cost of £££££££££££. So I am sticking to the way I have interpreted it. In addition, I have previously had a conversation with a copper and an AA driving examiner on the subject, and neither of them could give me a definitive answer.

passed my test on the 4th dec 96 so just scrapped it, but to be honest the test doesnt sound hard anyway i rekon tom and nic have the right idea.

no longer a series, but still 1.3 turbo.

have you ever seen me try and reverse a trailer??? i would bet my car on me failing

this help, alyhough mine says b but not e yet according to this i can tow a trailer http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/vehicle_cat...er%20Categories

i tend to use the same theory as nic n tom! as long as the gross combined wieght dont exceed 3.5tonne or the trailer isnt heaver than the towing vehicle the im fine! Reversing a trailer is fine, just remember to keep slow and the steering is always opposite! i.e left lock on steering wheel means trailer goes right and vice versa!

it may b small but it purfectly formed
http://photobucket.com/albums/v340/1976_mi...roject%20turbo/

My licence has category D1E Minibus with Trailer and codes 101 and 119 associated with it.
101 means I am not allowed to drive the Minibus for Hire or Reward.
119 means that the weight limit does not apply.
Does this mean that I can drive a minibus which is towing a trailer and no weight limit would be imposed?
Seems a very confusing area.
I have looked into the relevant limits on DVLA's web site and am more confused than before I started.

I've phoned the police Iain, expect them to be waiting when you get home.

Maybe you coud direct them to Dans afterwards.

haha.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

Cheers wil

Although ill deny all as there is no trailer or vehicle with a towbar at my house

Ha ha, foiled again!

its okay the towcar is registered in my gf's name!

So im safe if i passed my test after 1997 and am about to tow my mini on a trailer(1000kgs) with a transit van say(1700kgs) and am going to tow my mini to avon?

Back once again like a renegade master

The way I understand it your allowed:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Drive...cles/DG_4022521

Just don't get caught by any speed cameras :)

Hi,
Yeah, watch out for speed cameras as you can get nicked for doing over 40 when towing in a national speed limit!
Cheers,
Gavin :)

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I saw an RAC driving school astra towing a box van a few weeks ago. The signage on the van indicated it was for trailer training

i thought it was as long as the MAM of both the car and the trailer didnt exceed 3500kg us young un's were ok..
IIRC when we looked into me and Nick driveing the Primera with the Mighty Mini on the back the Primera was a MAM of 1250kg and the trailer was 1500kg so we were fine...

its not the combined weight of both the car and the trailer that matters. the rule regards the maximum authorised mass of the trailer regardless of weather there is anything on it, the mam of the trailer must not exceed the unladen weight of the towing veichle and the combo must not exceed 3.5t

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Drive...les/DG_10013073

it also says max towing speed is 60 mph, fook that ,it'll take all weekend to get anywhere, or maybe they mean minimun speed, the only way i'd be towing as slow as 60 is if i was using a 2.5 v6 audi as tow car,lol

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