L plates on trailer

martin1512 · Jul 5, 2012

dnorkett said:
Whys that??..a diso is rated to tow 3.5ton an it weighs about 2.5 ton, so it can't be true.

I think the law is any cat B can tow 3.5 tons as long as it is within the gross train weigh of the vehicle/manufactures specification

No. with a B licence you cannot tow any trailer that exceeds the unladen weight of the towing vehicle irrespective of whether or not it falls within the 3.5 ton limit. Once you have B+E, you can tow any combination that does not exceed the maximum gross train weight specified by the vehicle manufacturer. So with a B+E licence you can tow a 3.5 tone trailer behind a Discovery, but with a B licence you can't.

dnorkett · Jul 5, 2012

No. with a B licence you cannot tow any trailer that exceeds the unladen weight of the towing vehicle irrespective of whether or not it falls within the 3.5 ton limit. Once you have B+E, you can tow any combination that does not exceed the maximum gross train weight specified by the vehicle manufacturer. So with a B+E licence you can tow a 3.5 tone trailer behind a Discovery, but with a B licence you can't.

Its not true to my knowledge where did you get your information from?? are you thinking of the guidance issued by some caravan club? to stop caravan owners causing havoc on motorways?

with a B licence you can tow 750kgs max.....if you want to tow more you need a B+E simple as that.

martin1512 · Jul 5, 2012

dnorkett said:
Its not true to my knowledge where did you get your information from?? are you thinking of the guidance issued by some caravan club? to stop caravan owners causing havoc on motorways?

No. I am quoting information issued by VOSA and given to me by my missus who is a practicing solicitor.

dnorkett · Jul 5, 2012

well i would love to see it, its pretty simple, ill say it one more time, correct me if I'm wrong.

cat B you can tow up to 750kg's unbraked, but if the towing vehicle weighs 3.5tons you can't tow anything.

B+E you can tow up to 3.5 tons as long as the towing vehicle is rated to tow that amount. i.e. a Disco.

I work as a DSA instructor for HGV, Car and fleet and do a lot of car and trailer training amongst many other things...

martin1512 · Jul 5, 2012

dnorkett said:
well i would love to see it, its pretty simple, ill say it one more time, correct me if I'm wrong.

cat B you can tow up to 750kg's unbraked, but if the towing vehicle weighs 3.5tons you can't tow anything.

B+E you can tow up to 3.5 tons as long as the towing vehicle is rated to tow that amount. i.e. a Disco.

I work as a DSA instructor for HGV, Car and fleet and do a lot of car and trailer training amongst many other things...

You are wrong, and I suggest if you are a DSA instructor you learn the regs fairly quickly. The rules are actually very simple. A category B vehicle which is a vehicle with a MGW not exceeding 3500kg and with no more than 8 passenger seats, may be coupled with a trailer weighing 750kgs (giving a GTW of 4.25 tons) It may also tow a trailer in excess of 750kgs provided that the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle and the total weight of the tow vehicle+trailer combination does not exceed 3500kg. I am fairly sure there is something on the internet that makes this clearer and I will try and find it.

martin1512 · Jul 5, 2012

Found that website. Towing trailers or caravans with vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes : Directgov - Motoring

dnorkett · Jul 5, 2012

well i stand corrected I think?

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to eight passenger seats
Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.

am I reading this wrong? or does it contradict its self?

At work we just tell cat B holders that if they want to tow more than 750kg's just do your B+E

dogsbody · Jul 5, 2012

Sometimes it's good to be old.

martin1512 · Jul 5, 2012

It does not contradict itself. If you are driving a van for example that has a MAM of 3500 kg, then you can tow a max of 750kg. If you drive a vehcile with a MAM of less than 3500 kg for example an estate car which has a MAM of 2000KG and a kerb weight of say 1500kg. Then you can tow a trailer of 1500kg, because it does not weigh less than the unladen car and the combined MAM of the towing vehicle and the weight of the trailer do not exceed 3500kg. All the regulations are based on the MAM and unladen weight of the towing vehicle not the actual weight at the time. The higher the MAM of your vehicle the smaller the trailer you can tow.

R0G · Jul 20, 2012

Does this info help anyone?

SUPERVISING A B+E LEARNER
In April 2010 new rules were introduced for those supervising certain learner drivers but they only affected those supervising VOCATIONAL categories such as C1 C1+E D1 & D1+E where the supervising driver had those categories given to them for free when they passed a pre 1997 car test.
They do not affect those with a pre 1997 B+E licence who wish to supervise a B+E learner.
All B licence holders have B+E provisional on the paper part of their licence and can tow an empty or loaded trailer on all roads including motorways.
The usual rules apply when a learner is driving -
The supervising driver must be aged over 21
The supervising driver must have held a B+E licence for at least 3 years
L plates must be fitted to the front of the vehicle and the rear of the trailer
Correct insurance for a B+E learner

Many will find that passing the once in a lifetime B+E test is their best option so here is some info on that test:-

The B+E test
No medical or theory test required
Read a number plate from a certain distance
VIDEO - Show Me Tell Me Questions - usually 5
The next three can be in any order:-
VIDEO - Reversing Exercise - done in test centre grounds if test conducted from practical test centre - some tests are now being done from training school grounds
VIDEO - Uncouple/couple up - done in test centre grounds if test conducted from practical test centre - some tests are now being done from training school grounds
One hour road drive - includes the independent drive and is done virtually the same as the basic car test

DISCLAIMER - I have no connection to any companies which may be featured in those videos

This is interesting a B licence towing set up can be presented for the B+E test but L plates must be used for the test. So you can train yourself, go to test by yourself, fit L plates, do the test, then, pass or fail, remove L plates and drive away by yourself.
DSA B+E TEST AND VEHICLE/TRAILER REQUIREMENTS

L plates on trailer

martin1512

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