Can I drive a 3.5tonne van/box?

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laurenletherby1990

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I've read mixed reviews about who can and who cannot drive a 3.5 tonne horsebox/van. I passed my test in 2008, and have a full UK license. I'm 21. I've read that I can drive a vehicle weighing up to 3.5tonnes on this license. If I am to drive anything heavier I have to do another test. Now - I don't want a horsebox as they're not worth keeping unless you use it a lot. I want to rent one whenever I feel like going to a competition or somewhere else to ride. A lot of the companies who rent out boxes say I can drive a 3.5 box on a normal license ... others say I can't. It's the same with trailers. On the Ifor Williams website it says I need a B+E license to drive a trailer, except on the single horse/mother and foal trailer.

Can anyone at all clear this up for me???
 
I think you can drive a 3.5t box on normal licence but I don't know if they're easy to come by to hire, or financially viable. If you have a success story with hiring and driving please share as will gee me up to look into it more.
 
It depends on the model of horsebox. Pretty much all the 3.5 tonne boxes around only have a payload of about 1100Kg to include, horses, driver, passengers, tack, water etc etc. So if you are looking at only travelling one horse or 2 ponies then you are licensed to drive a 3.5 tonne box. The other thing with rental companies maybe to do with age, for insurance purposes they may not hire out to people under a certain age.
 
Yes you can. As long as the vehicle is licensed to carry 3.5t and you make sure you don't exceed that weight as that isn't a licensing issue, that's just breaking the law!
 
Monkers said:
Yes you can. As long as the vehicle is licensed to carry 3.5t and you make sure you don't exceed that weight as that isn't a licensing issue, that's just breaking the law!
Click to expand...
Not carry 3.5 tonnes - total weight of 3.5 tonnes which is the empty weight of the vehicle then adding the load

Your 2008 car test pass allows you to drive ANY vehicle which has a maximum MAM/GVW of 3.5 tonnes and has less than 10 seats in total

If you are ever unsure then either look in the handbook or at the specifications online for the GVW of the vehicle
 
laurenletherby1990 said:
I passed my test in 2008, and have a full UK license. ...... It's the same with trailers. On the Ifor Williams website it says I need a B+E license to drive a trailer, except on the single horse/mother and foal trailer.
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To tow a trailer over 750gks MAM with a van you WILL in 99+% of cases need a B+E licence
 
ROG said:
Not carry 3.5 tonnes - total weight of 3.5 tonnes which is the empty weight of the vehicle then adding the load

Your 2008 car test pass allows you to drive ANY vehicle which has a maximum MAM/GVW of 3.5 tonnes and has less than 10 seats in total

If you are ever unsure then either look in the handbook or at the specifications online for the GVW of the vehicle
Click to expand...

Sorry, that's what I meant by carry 3.5t! I meant it's load plus itself must not exceed 3.5t!
 
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