A couple of questions about the towing test....

georgiegirl

georgiegirl

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Can someone give me a rough figure as to how much the towing test costs and how many lessons are generally required before you do it?

I tow on L plates with mother in the car so I am more than happy towing and pretty nifty at reversing etc. B ut, as with driving, you have to learn to pass the test so to speak!

Also, My driving licence is for manual and automatic cars however my current tow car is an automatic - if I do the test in this will it mean I can only ever tow using an automatic car?

Thanks!
 
The test is £125 or so and I took 16 hours of lessons (at £40 an hour) but I hadn't ever towed at all before I started learning.
 
Sorry I can't help you with the cost of the test or details etc as I am old. I am sure someone will be along shortly who can.

However, I hate to tell you that if your mum can tow on 'grandfather rights', this doesn't actually qualify her to co drive you towing. You are supposed to be codriven by someone who has also passed the test :(.
 
jesstickle said:
The test is £125 or so and I took 16 hours of lessons (at £40 an hour) but I hadn't ever towed at all before I started learning.
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Yikes - bloody hell I had better get saving!!!

Out of intrest.... is the rule of having someone with you who can tow and you driving with L plates still acceptable? I fit is, I might carry on the way I am for a while yet!
 
They have changed the rules so that only a driver who has passed the trailer test can supervise someone towing on L plates - as said above, those with grandfather rights are no longer allowed to supervise.

I had done a lot of towing prior to my test - I took 3 x 2hr lessons prior to the test just to get all the 'how to pass' stuff in my brain. Also, my test took place in a busy city centre, whereas I was mainly used to towing on country roads and A-roads, so the lessons gave me a chance to familiarise myself with the area I would be taking my test.

I was lucky that my company paid for the training and test, so not sure how much it cost precisely, but I think that the training and test came to around the £700 mark, although this included them hiring the trailer from the training centre.

I am not sure whether it would affect your licence if you took the test in an automatic tow vehicle, but I am guessing it would, as one of the tick boxes on my test sheet referred to gear changes. It would be best to check with the DVLA though.
 
I may be wrong but I thought the new "Grand father rights" rule only applied to those driving 7.5t lorries not those towing trailers ?? May be wrong but thats how I rememebered reading it :S

As for lessons, I did mine in 2003 - the company I used did a free assessment where they sat in with you towing and said how many lessons you would need so you knew how many hours to budget for. Like you, I had towed lots on L plates so just needed the minimum of 1/2 day to get to grips with area and test order etc.

I would phone your local company and see if they do similar :)
 
The test is currently £115 (I checked yesterday for myself). Didn't realise grandfather rights for co drivers had been revoked already, damn it....
 
Grandfather rights are still completely valid for towing trailers.

Its only driving lorries that they have expired for.

Or that's what I was told when I took lessons anyway!
 
Grandfather rights still applies for trailers, its only lorries where you need a person with the test sat with you, found this on web site:

Training for the test

You are permitted to practice, on the road, with a laden or unladen trailer provided you display ‘L’ plates to the front and rear of the towing vehicle and trailer and are accompanied by a person who has either passed their driving test pre-1997, or held their ‘B+E’ licence for over three years.

:)
 
hollyzippo said:
Grandfather rights still applies for trailers, its only lorries where you need a person with the test sat with you, found this on web site:

Training for the test

You are permitted to practice, on the road, with a laden or unladen trailer provided you display ‘L’ plates to the front and rear of the towing vehicle and trailer and are accompanied by a person who has either passed their driving test pre-1997, or held their ‘B+E’ licence for over three years.

:)
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Ok, so from reading this it sounds as if Im ok to carry on the way I am doing ie having someone next to me with a pre 97 licence and displaying L plates?

argh its so confusing!

I will do the test eventually though. I never go competing without mum with me anyway on grounds of safety but its annoying having to find soeone for little things like taking them up the road to the vets for jabs etc and this wek I have to find a willing volunteer to come with me to get the thing serviced!
 
I'm just in the process of sorting mine out.
I rang the instructor and he recommended I do a 2 hour assessment with him (£35/hr) and he'll assess all my driving, reversing etc, tell me what he reccommends I need to pass the test, but said most people only really need a 1 day course (6hours) + the test, so £210 + test fee. He will also give me a sheet to take away with what I need to practice on it and then I can always do 1 or 2hr sessions with him, rather than full day intensives.
I thought I'd need a 3 day course plus test, which was going to cost around £700!:eek: So am hoping this way will be cheaper.
 
just to add, If you pass the towing test in an automatic car, you'll definitely only hold an automatic towing license.

I did a 3 day course (2.5 days of instruction and the test on the 3rd afternoon) which worked out at about £600.
Unfortunately I failed the first time so had to pay for a re-test and to hire the car/trailer again. :(

Worth every penny now I can drive myself about!
 
Yep- you are fine with someone sitting with you that is pre 97 licence. :)

Its just for driving lorries you need a test passer sat with you I gather.

Have fun, I went miles with my (older friend sat with me on L plates- she had never towed but I was very competent so felt fine and was ok on the insurance), We used to go about 3-4 hrs away eventing- just had to avoid motorways which was a pain!!

:)
 
Splish & Masons mum said:
just to add, If you pass the towing test in an automatic car, you'll definitely only hold an automatic towing license.
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Rubbish. The test you are doing is to ascertain whether or not you are capable of connecting a trailer to the back of your vehicle and towing it safely. The type of car you drive does not come into it...this is what I was told by the DVLA :)
 
Weezy said:
Rubbish. The test you are doing is to ascertain whether or not you are capable of connecting a trailer to the back of your vehicle and towing it safely. The type of car you drive does not come into it...this is what I was told by the DVLA :)
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When I sat my test three years ago it was definitely the case that passing it in an automatic entitled you to only tow with automatic. 100% but that might have changed. The examiner advised me about it at the start of the test too to make sure i was aware.
I sat it once with my auto and failed so spoke to an instructor about getting some lessons. He advised me to do it in a manual vehicle so that i had more options and not be tied to only towing with an auto.
 
Can't find it anywhere on DVLA sites etc but on most trailer test trainers sites it says something like this
"IMPORTANT: Please note if you take your test in an automatic vehicle you are not licenced to tow with a manual vehicle. But, if you take your test in a manual you are licenced to tow with either a manual or an automatic."

or in their FAQs
Question I passed my driving test in a manual vehicle but now have an automatic car to tow my caravan. If I take the towing test in my automatic, will I be able to tow using a manual vehicle in future?
Answer No! You will only be able to tow using an automatic vehicle. However, if you pass the towing test in a manual vehicle, you may tow with either.
 
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