Does anyone tow a trailer on a post-1997 license? Or any towing advice please!

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FleabittenT

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Does anyone tow a trailer on a post-1997 (Category B) license? If so, what car/trailer combination do you use?

After wading through all the legislation, I *think* I can tow a lightweight (Cheval Liberte) trailer with a lightweight 4X4 or a estate car or on my current licence (passed test 1998).

If I'm wrong, please do tell me! ;)

This is based on a the MAM (maximum authorised mass) of the trailer not exceeding the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination of the two not exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM. But I'm not sure which cars / 4x4s would fit these criteria?

Have looked at 3.5t box as an alternative but can't find anything with sufficient payload to carry two 15.2hh horses. Other option is to take Cat E test, but I hear it's fairly pricey?

Thanks! Any thoughts much appreciated, just want to be safe but it's all such a minefield! :)
 
I did my E test,

its about £100 ish for the test but I did have training beforehand. But tbh am pleased I did because it means I am a much better tower than my mother ;) so that I would be happy to tow it anywhere :) so imo it was worth every penny to do it. :D I dont think you are going to be under the weights towing 2 15.2s.
 
I have a Nissan XTrail, post 1997 license and can tow 1,5t with it - I don't tow horses but do tow livestock in a Bateson livestock trailer:) For horse trailers it would have to be either really lightweight one or a single.
 
I dont think you can tow. Im just doing my training at the moment and my instructor said all you can tow without a licence is literally a box trailer, that only fits a tiny lawn mover in! If were you i would do the test because if you get caught youl get 6 points and a hefty fine (which will prob be more than the test itself!!!) Sorry!xx
 
I did the trailer test last year. Passed first time. Now have the freedom to trailer my horses to where I want - best feeling ever.

However prior to doing the test, I drove my Pajero/trailer on "L" plates with someone with a pre-1997 driving license sat besides me.
 
You certainly can't put 2 15.2hh horses in a trailer and tow it with an estate car (most estate cars can tow a max of 1600-1800 kgs, certainly more than a trailer and 2 horses!), and I'd be very careful about which small 4x4. I can't believe you can do it with a large enough small 4x4 and stay under the 3.5 tonne combination limit.

I tow with someone who passed before 1997 sat next to me on L plates. But you're not going to be able to do that much longer. I'm planning on taking the test.
 
To be honest, I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed, our big Ifor weighs 1 tonne empty, + 2 x 500kg (ish) horses, and already you're up to 2 tonnes, which means with a 1500kg car, (most 4x4's weigh much more than this) you're already at the limit. Add water, tack, passengers etc, and you will be way over.
if you can get someone to drive with you on L plates for the general getting used to the road part, and then maybe have a day with a proper instructor who can teach you the proper coupling/decoupling procedure, and the reversing then it shouldn't cost you too much.
good luck!
 
jonesds said:
To be honest, I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed, our big Ifor weighs 1 tonne empty, + 2 x 500kg (ish) horses, and already you're up to 2 tonnes, which means with a 1500kg car, (most 4x4's weigh much more than this) you're already at the limit. Add water, tack, passengers etc, and you will be way over.
if you can get someone to drive with you on L plates for the general getting used to the road part, and then maybe have a day with a proper instructor who can teach you the proper coupling/decoupling procedure, and the reversing then it shouldn't cost you too much.
good luck!
Click to expand...

and more importantly.... you trailer will weigh more than your car!! Totally illegal and VERY dangerous!

Martlin, like any exam there's a certain order/technique you have to use to pass the exam! Doubt it means any other way is wrong! lol!
 
reverse (obv)

check light cable attached
give brake cable a good yank to check attached
check all wheels attached to trailer by wobbling them by hand ;)

reverse

connect brake cable
couple together
connect light cable

and then in reverse

so that basically the brake cable is the first and last thing on.

check lights.

think thats it!
 
Ah, right... so generally the proper procedure is to make sure you don't drive off without the trailer whilst ripping out the electrics then?:D:D:D I might fail lol!
Does going backwards in your car in roughly the direction of the trailer until your tow bar hits the hitch count as OK?:D No? Thought not... must practice more:D
 
It is preferable not to hit the trailer with the car, though I dont think its a fail! basically you go back till you are reasonably close, do all the preflight checks, then reverse back slowly jumping out of the car at frequent interval. You also use a light box trailer that you can swing about a lot easier than our horse one :D

friend failed his for not checking his wheels were attached ;) :)
 
Hi FleabittenT

I have seen similar threads on here before and there is lots of conflicting advice - but as far as I understand (from the DVLA website) and as you have correctly already said:

The MAM (i.e. fully laden weight) of the trailer must not exceed the kerb side (i.e. un-laden weight) of the car. If you are driving on a post 1997 licence these combined weights must not exceed 3.5 T.

I'm afraid this limits you to light weight single trailers only. Many people think you can tow a double trailer but with only one horse in it with the post 1997 licence but I believe this is illegal as it is the MAM of the trailer that counts - not what you happen to have in it at the time.

I just about get by with a single trailer with a MAM of 1590 kgs and a new ford mondeo with a kerb side weight of 1600 kgs. The car copes fine with the towing but we do have to be carefull because it's only 2 wheel drive it can get stuck on wet/ muddy show grounds.

I think even if I pass the test my car still limits me to single trailers anyway?

I hope that helps.
 
I took my trailer test just to be on the safe side... I don't think that you can realistically get a suitable vehicle (weight wise) to have enough grunt to tow a trailer (how ever light) safely.

I tow an IW 510 with 1x 650kg horse, and wouldn't want to tow with anything less substantial than my P reg disco TDI.
 
Thanks all, glad I posted now! :) So much conflicting advice around, just want to be sure I'm safe & legal.

Another question, I'm afraid ;)

If I decided to buy a small lorry rather than a trailer, up to 7.5T, could I just sit a C1 test (rather than B+E)? Has anyone done this?

On DVLA website, it says:

Category B+E - Motor vehicles with a MAM of up to 3,500 kg, no more than eight passenger seats, with a trailer weighing more than 750kg

Category C1 - Vehicles weighing between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg, with or without a trailer (weighing no more than 750kg).

Any info much appreciated :)
 
yup so the C1 is like your cat B.

cat B means if you have a 3.5 tonne vehicle you can tow a 750kg trailer

if your vehicle is less than 3.5tonnes you can tow the difference up to 3.5 tonnes.

so c1 means you can drive up to 7.5 tonnes and if you want to stick a 750kg trailer on the the back you can :)
 
ester said:
yup so the C1 is like your cat B.

cat B means if you have a 3.5 tonne vehicle you can tow a 750kg trailer

if your vehicle is less than 3.5tonnes you can tow the difference up to 3.5 tonnes.

so c1 means you can drive up to 7.5 tonnes and if you want to stick a 750kg trailer on the the back you can :)
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks, wish the DVLA would explain things so clearly!

Will ring my local training centre after work for some more info on costs etc, it'll all be worth it in the end :)
 
Re coupling decoupling procedure from earlier - only one or 2 things to remember but you need to do them in the right order or you fail!
cable brake needs to be on before you even think about plugging in electrics or releasing the handbrake on the trailer when coupling up, and same is true for reverse, handbrake needs to be on before you take the cable brake off.
Also, when you have lowered the trailer onto the towbar, you need to turn the handle back the other way to raise the trailer, making sure the car comes with it to check it's properly attached.
If you're thinking about doing a C1 test, you might consider doing C1+E instead (up to 7.5tn + trailer over 750kg) as I don't think it costs any more, and you automatically get the B1+E entitlement in case you want to downgrade back to a trailer later on. something to think about!
 
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