End of the trailer test

[Jacob100]

Now confirmed that the trailer test and B+E restrictions for non-grandfathers are getting scrapped later this year.

Towing with a car

Towing trailers, caravans and horseboxes with a car, including the weight and size limits, and what licence you need to have

www.gov.uk

 

[Steve Wright]

Due to the shortage of HGV drivers,Trevor still passed his test

 

[BobMurphy]

I've read the Government blurb three times and I still don't understand it.

Under the new regulations one can tow a trailer up to 3,500 kg (MAM) without taking a separate test - but it doesn't say what the Gross Train Weight (GTW) limit is - is it still 8,250kg ??

An unladen Amazon weighs-in at 2,800kg, add four people and a load of kit and its up to 3,500kgs before you know it, add a plant trailer with a digger on it and you're up to 7,000kg GTW - so what is the new GTW limit - is it determined by the VIN Plate of the towing vehicle ??

Towing law was always a minefield, maybe this will simplify it once we understand it.

Bob.

 

[Jacob100]

As I understand it this means that "younger" drivers (1997 was a while ago by now) will automatically receive BE rights and the max weight of the trailer will be determined by the below.

Category BE​

You can drive a vehicle with a MAM of 3,500kg with a trailer.

The size of the trailer depends on the BE ‘valid from’ date shown on your licence. If the date is:

• before 19 January 2013, you can tow any size trailer
• on or after 19 January 2013, you can tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3,500kg

 

[RichC4]

I've read the Government blurb three times and I still don't understand it.

Under the new regulations one can tow a trailer up to 3,500 kg (MAM) without taking a separate test - but it doesn't say what the Gross Train Weight (GTW) limit is - is it still 8,250kg ??

An unladen Amazon weighs-in at 2,800kg, add four people and a load of kit and its up to 3,500kgs before you know it, add a plant trailer with a digger on it and you're up to 7,000kg GTW - so what is the new GTW limit - is it determined by the VIN Plate of the towing vehicle ??

Towing law was always a minefield, maybe this will simplify it once we understand it.

Bob.

The maximum weight for the towing vehicle is 3500 kg as per the normal B licence limitations. The limit for the trailer under the new rules is 3500 kg also (unless the towing vehicle has a maximum train weight, in which case it is the lower of the two). So your maximum train weight is 7000 kg at most.

As I recall under the old pre-97 rules you could drive a vehicle up to 7.5t on a B licence, hence the train weight being set for a 7.5t truck with a 750 kg trailer.

A 200 series LC has a gross vehicle weight of 3350 kg, so your effective maximum is 6850 kg (which is also the listed maximum train weight for that vehicle as it happens). If you load your LC to 3500 kg you are strictly overloaded even without a trailer.

 

[BobMurphy]

This is the VIN Plate from my 2001 '100' (4.2 litre diesel, Auto):

Am I right in thinking that:-

6,760kg is the GTW.

3,260 is the max vehicle weight - and within this the individual axles mustn't exceed 1 & 2 (1,630 & 1,950kgs).

(6,760 - 3,260) = 3,500 = the max towing weight (with a fully-laden car).

So one can't load both axles to their maximum without exceeding the max laden weight of the vehicle as that would come to 3,580kg.

3,500 is the maximum legal load one can have on a 50mm towing ball anyway (what about my 32mm clevis hitch ?) so heavier trailers don't come into the equation usually.

So, even with an Amazon, one has to watch what goes into the car if you're towing 3.5 tons !

Bob.

 

[Jacob100]

Looks like these changes have finally come into effect.

Towing with a car

Towing trailers, caravans and horseboxes with a car, including the weight and size limits, and what licence you need to have

www.gov.uk

 

[Tractionman]

If this has caused some confusion with us, I can see a complete ba**s up coming with the average plod in any roadside checks.
As an ex hgv1 driver, many did not understand weights then, even asking me the driver, what the various weights on the affixed ministry plate meant on more than one occasion and being diverted to local weighbridge to confirm that plated weights matched weight carried or less.