VauxSport - Vauxhall advice and chat forum

tommygards · Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 5:38 pm Post subject: details on a towing licence?

i am aware this has been talked about before but i cant find the relevant link, and the dvla website is a bit unclear to me what the requirements are. As far as I understand, then in order to tow my car I require an additional test for towing. However I am unclear as there is also something about if the total of the towing car + trailor + car is less than 3.5 tonnes then i dont require a licence. The car i tow with also has to be heavier than the weight of the trailor + car. Is this correct? It would be great if someone could clear this up for me.

don · Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 10:43 pm Post subject:

yes and you cant exceed the towing capacity of the vehicle is that is lower

You cant take more than 3500kg gross train weight on a normal B licence

This is the way I understood the information I found on the DVLA site although its not all that clear to be honest, and I was chatting to a traffic copper on monday night (whilst I was with my car, which had the car trailer on the back) and he believed this to be correct.

If you had your licence before 1997 you can take up to 8250kg
_________________
VauxSport Stickers Here

alistairolsen · Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 10:55 pm Post subject:

you cannot exceed manufacturers towing limit

you cannot exceed 3500 gross train weight. This is the gross weight of the car + gross weight of trailer, so an empty trailer is still counted as full.

Your trailer cannot exceed the unladen weight of the car. Again, the maximum authorised mass of the trailer, so the fact its empty is irelevant.

the trailer obviously must not be overloaded.

This limits you to things like a volvo 850 (which is about 1450 empty and 2000 max) towing a 1500kg gross weight trailer (which will weigh about 500 being twin axle) leaving you a tonne of track car on top.

Rich_j_Williams · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 6:38 am Post subject:

I have looked into this recently and ali is bang on.

Your car and trailer will have a plated limit on firstly what the car can tow and secondly the maximum authorised mass your trailer can take. Which means you need a trailer with a low MAM. Which in car trailer terms is impossible almost.

I also asked about unplated trailers, to which they also have a way of calculating the what the plated MAM based on a number of things such as, loading your towing hitch can take, what the brakes are capable of, the load rating on the Tyres, if it's single or twin axle etc

most actual car trailers are twin axel which almost certainly means the MAM is 3tonnes.

However, I got this info from ringing a training company that do all manner of towing courses, he reckoned that lessons are in the region of 60-100 and the test is about 80, there is also a small theory test too.

I am going to be doing mine soon hopefully, just have notchad time recently

hope this helps

cheers
_________________

tommygards · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 9:23 am Post subject:

that is great. thanks for all the feedback. How many lessons should you expect to take before the test? Obviously it wont be as many as a car test. Im just trying to work out roughly how much it will cost and how long it will take to pass.

Thanks again for all the feedback

dewismotorsport · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 9:50 am Post subject:

tommygards · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 10:09 am Post subject:

oh trust me ive already tried that. They will only do it if it has any use to you in the work place. Being an EngO then I couldnt really think of any particular time I would be driving a trailor lol. Good idea though

alistairolsen · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 10:41 am Post subject:

chip · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:26 am Post subject:

IF you do go for the full test, you can still run into problems.

IVe not weighed the trailer I rent and the nova on it, but I suspect that technically I may be falling fould of Gross Train Weight limits for the calibra when I tow it, despite the fact my license itself is fine with me driving a train weight MAM up to 8250kg
_________________
Under 400bhp makes baby jesus cry.
(so my boost leak at the jamsport day must have had him sobbing like rich j williams watching a chick flick)

www.totalvauxhall.co.uk

Nova - 457bhp - Mid Engine - RWD - GT35 - Autronic SM4

alistairolsen · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:39 am Post subject:

Yeah, as an example I know, dads saab 900 is limited to towing 1600kg which is VERY high for a car of its class. Cavalier is lower again.

So even once you get the full test and lose the need for the trailer MAM to be less than the unladen weight of the car, and lose the 3500 limit off your license, you may still need to consider a dedicated tow vehicle or a big daily.

chip · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:57 am Post subject:

It really is all a bit of a legal minefield, short of buying a discovery just to tow with Im pretty much fucked either way if I want to just tow a normal car on a normal trailer rather than purpose make a light one.
_________________
Under 400bhp makes baby jesus cry.
(so my boost leak at the jamsport day must have had him sobbing like rich j williams watching a chick flick)

www.totalvauxhall.co.uk

Nova - 457bhp - Mid Engine - RWD - GT35 - Autronic SM4

Rich_j_Williams · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:43 pm Post subject:

alistairolsen · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:47 pm Post subject:

your average copper doesnt know the law any better than you do lol

Rich_j_Williams · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:57 pm Post subject:

alistairolsen · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 1:00 pm Post subject:

* one does....

better?

Rich_j_Williams · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 1:09 pm Post subject:

feel less singled out now PMSL

but i still agree with your first statement..lol i know nothing Nod

_________________

tommygards · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 1:11 pm Post subject:

well seeing as i have so much crap to hall around constantly and am in need of a towing vehicle then i am going to purchase a new shape nissan navara and rid of my vectra, so no problems with the MAM for the vehicle as its 2 tonnes+ The only thing i am worried about is that it says it cannot handle more than 750kg unbraked weight. Do most twin axle car trailers have brakes? if not then il have to look into more detail about it.

alistairolsen · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 1:33 pm Post subject:

you cannot tow more than 750kg without brakes legally in this country anyway.

yes they will have brakes.

Watch your navara, it will most likely be ~1500 empty, but you wont be able to tow a 1500kg trailer with it as its MAM will be in excess of 2 tonnes.

chip · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 1:43 pm Post subject:

New shape navara is more likely to be 2 tonne + for kerb weight, if its a double cab.

Ideal for towing with if you have a trailer test.
_________________
Under 400bhp makes baby jesus cry.
(so my boost leak at the jamsport day must have had him sobbing like rich j williams watching a chick flick)

www.totalvauxhall.co.uk

Nova - 457bhp - Mid Engine - RWD - GT35 - Autronic SM4

tommygards · Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 2:04 pm Post subject:

kerb weight is 2160kg so am definately looking to take the trailer test. Its lot of weight but you can fit so much in the double cab ones which is what im looking at. 2.5td pushes out 170hp and with 6 gears can do 35mpg+ Will be able to go to track days in comfort rather than turn up in a track car with bleeding ears and a ride harder than a wrong turn in amsterday. Also can save the 2k+ that it costs to keep the track car road legal every year. Whats the rules with cars that are on trailers when parked? Im guessing you cant park a trailered car on the road without tax + mot?