Trailer towing- who's done the B+E test?

I had to do said test 4 years ago, also being in my 20's, luckily work paid for it including many lessons before the test, i don't know the total cost but i know it was many hundreds. Basically the test is exactly the same as a car test in the things you do, driving normally around a route of their choice, reverse around the corner, emergency stop. Hitching up, safety checks as well as random questions. There does seem to be variation in the examiner strictness, but they are as strict as when you took your car test, which in a way seems barmy. The bigger the trailer the better, you can see what its doing before it goes wrong. If you can afford it its well worth it as it stays with you as long as your licence does, so good for the CV and you never know when you may need it in the future.

I got a load of ticks in the box on my license because I'm old. I can even drive a 7 ton box with a trailer! Mental isn't it?

agew said:

so it's a 12 seat CSW...... Does my 21 yo daughter (now she can drive it at all) need a D+E as a pcv with trailer...? Who wrote these regs....aaaaarghhhhhh.... Thanks A

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It would require a d1 licence or d1e with trailer over 750kg.
Or remove 3 seats

But only if she's using it 'for hire or reward'

Discokids said:

No, but being a similar age I'm always thinking about it. A lot get confused about the law but you seem to understand it. The test companies say if you are towing a caravan etc then you MUST do the test but it's not the case, depends on your vehicle and all the weights, seems strange that I can tow more weight with my little renault than I could with my disco - Legally anyway. I've no real need for it but I suppose it's better to do sooner rather than later.

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Don't forget that the recommended towing weight for a caravan is 85% of the towcar weight for beginners going up to 100% towcar weight for experienced towers (caravan club recommendations). Therefore even if your 'little renault' weighed in at say 1200Kg it doesn't mean you could/should tow a 2300 kg trailer or caravan!

I understand that, and i wouldn't recommend towing such weights with a small car. As for the caravan club - towing an 1100kg caravan is very different from towing say, a trailer with load weighing a total 1100kg. Also, a lot of the rules refer to maximum authorised mass which confuses the situation again. Nobody will hire me a car transporter because I don't have the correct licence? So I can't hire a 750kg trailer to carry 200kg of timber because the trailer is plated to a MAM/GVW of 3500kg. What a load of ****e.

My little renault weighs about 1350, has a MAM of just over 1900, has a max train weight of 3050, so can tow almost 1150kg based on manufacturer recommendation. More if the law supersedes the manufacturers GTW.

My old disco weighed 2250ish, MAM of 2700 so I personally could only tow 800kg based on the law.

I'd prefer to have my 1150kg on the back of a heavy 4x4 than a light family hatch.

Discokids said:

What's she planning to tow?

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Loaded Ifor Williams hoss box

cooltide said:

It would require a d1 licence or d1e with trailer over 750kg.
Or remove 3 seats

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Feared as much......

Discokids said:

But only if she's using it 'for hire or reward'

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Ah, the inevitable 'exception' just when I thought I'd got it.

Thanks for all the replies folks - much appreciated. A