Single Horse Trailers and Towing without needing to do your test?!

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EquestrianFairy

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Question A)

Single horse trailers, are they any good in regard to safety and sturdiness? A CHEVAL LIBERTE is the one im looking at in particular as its lighweight and ive not got a big load to work on (1650kg)

Question B) Is it true that single horse trailers generally mean you dont have to take the 'trailer test'? Anyone know where i can find out this info for sure?

Thankies
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[ QUOTE ]
Question A)

Single horse trailers, are they any good in regard to safety and sturdiness? A CHEVAL LIBERTE is the one im looking at in particular as its lighweight and ive not got a big load to work on (1650kg)

<font color="blue">i've never seen the point of single trailers TBH </font>

Question B) Is it true that single horse trailers generally mean you dont have to take the 'trailer test'? Anyone know where i can find out this info for sure?
<font color="blue"> you still need to take your test</font>


[/ QUOTE ]
 
it is the gross weight of the towing vehicle and trailer that is the limiting factor. You can tow lightweight trailers on your licence if you have done your test post 1999.

there is some info here:

http://www.autow.co.uk/smmt/trailer_restrictions/driving_licence.aspx

I think that most trailers, with the weight of the horse and the towing vehicle will be over the limit.

Personally I don't like single horse trailers - they always look very rocky when they are towing.
 
Ive come to the conclusion i am going to have to buy a single trailer- or be without transport for the forseeable future.

Unless i can find a double trailer that weighs the same as a single.. which is unlikley plus- i couldnt pull two horses anyway with the capacity i have available.

I can pull one horse (horse in question is only 15hh) and a lightweight (single it seems) trailer easily within my limit.

I had come across a forum where someone was saying they dont need the test because the MAM was under the limit- looks like they were wrong! Typical.
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FB- that website was brilliant!

It does show that i can legally tow without taking a trailer test which is good news- however this doesnt mean i wouldnt take up some training as i most definatly would (it just wouldnt cost me the expense a trailer test does!)

I'm still going to phone and double check it though!!
 
No they're not wrong it is all about the weight when it comes to towing/trailer test - you need to check out the exact figures for yourself but when I looked into it I found that it was possible to tow a single trailer without taking the trailer test - provided that the towing vehicle wasn't an overly heavy one. If you only have one 15hh horse to tow and this solves your transport problem then go for it. Its very easy for people to dismiss singe trailers but they are safe (or they wouldn't be legal) and provide a viable option for some people.
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p.s the Ifor Williams website gives some info about it all if I remember rightly.
 
Nicked this from another forum............
confirmation of law regarding weights when towing

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http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repo...&amp;id=486b0ff012


* Trailer gross weight MUST be equal to or below the tow cars maximum towing capacity.

* Then trailers unladen weight + contents must be equal to or below the trailers maximum capacity.

Basically, that is the law as enforced by VOSA. If you dont heed this, and you get stopped or are in an accident you will be liable for a fine and invalidating your insurance. Your vehicle's max towing capacity will be in the manufacturers handbook on or a plate , often inside your door. Trailer weights can be found on the plate near the towhitch.

Dont bother asking the DVLA for clarification, they deal with licensing... they are also giving a lot of people the wrong info, as are some local police! Some people are gretting it wrong as they are going by the unladen weights of their trailers - you must go by the gross weight, even if its empty.

------------------------------------

You can have your trailer plate sent away by for eg, an ifor dealer and have it derated to a lower maximum weight, for a very small cost.

EG. 4x4 max towing capacity 2 tonnes
Double ifor HB505 max weight 2340kg, unladen weight 905kg.

As it is this it not a legal combo to tow. However, have the plate on the trailer derated to 2tonnes and you are now legal.... and you still have just over a tonne of load capacity... fine if you are towing say one horse (500kg) and hay/water etc. The only problem with doing this is if you intend to use the box for say 2x 16.2hh each 550-600kg as you would end up over weight.

You must also make sure you have category E on your license, and will need to sit a test if you passed since 1997. This is where the DVLA CAN advise you http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...les/DG_4022564

Not sure if it helps?
 
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so you passed your test before 1997 then?

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I wish, wouldnt things be so much easier! I passed in 2003 but it states that:

A vehicle with an unladen weight of 1250kg and a MAM of 2000kg, towing a trailer with a MAM of 1000kg could be driven by a category B licence holder (Post 1997). This is because the combined MAM of the vehicle and the trailer does not exceed 3500kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the vehicle.

Which reads to me, with me putting my weights in that i can legally tow without sitting the trailer test. I have a B+E on my driving license.
 
Thanks SilverSkye, i *think* im sort of getting it but i will def need to ring for clarification. Is it VOSA i need to speak to if DVLA are advising the wrong information?
 
Spent ages looking at info for a friend ( was a few years ago) and i think we worked out legally she could tow a cheval liberte single horse trailer ( couldn't the ifor as is slightly heavier) off her kia sportage with one horse and just be within the limit, we tried vosa and dvla and in honesty both were pretty useless for help. However i was stopped at the VOSA weighbridge with the trailer and the man there was very aware of the rules to the point they were insisting 1 lorry had to leave a horse behind as it was overweight and wouldnt let them go!! If you have a Vosa weighbridge nearby not sure if you could drive down and ask someone there??
 
There is a weighbridge close to us that you could try. It's up by Corner Park Garage if I remember correctly (hubby did his HGV test and had to go there for something or other).
 
thankyou both silverskye and welshfox, currently i don't have any trailer to weigh but its something i will definately look into. I've worked out the weights myself (although, obv they may not be correct as it is me doing them and i'm rubbish at these things) and it does seem that i'm well within my limit with 400kg to spare for tack etc. Unfort the trailer i need seems to rarely come up 2nd hand. Typical.
 
Wouldn't it be cheaper in the long run, and much more practical, to do your towing test? Then you'll have access to a much wider range of trailers and probably find one much less expensive than the range you're looking at.
 
Hi There

I have an old rice single horse trailer. My OH bought it for me as an exmas present after LOTS of research and spaeking to DVLA i found that the weight of EVERYTHING (trailer, car, horse, equipment) was just under 3 and a half ton and you can pull that on your normal licence after 1999. Go to a weighstation and get it all weighed.It was admin getting it sorted as i needed a car powerful enought but not to heavy to go over the combined weight of 3.5 ton but heavy enough to pull the trailer legally. My horse is 15.3 and he fits in just fine. He actually quite likes it and there and there is a nice big window at the front for him to look out of. Because it was old we had to do lots of work to it and it took ages. also i painted it bright red and put all new flooring in. Im really pleased with it. Sometimes I get some funny looks when i go to shows as its not very posh but i dont care as its safe and i have my independance with my horse and dont have to rely on mum or dad. I would certanly reccomend getting one but if your planning on having more than one horse then probs best to get your test done. I have no problem towing at all im never nervous and i hardly notice its there its so light and im lucky as my boy travels really well. I think of your nervous and your horse moves around a lot i would get some tuition to be on the safe side. Also someone came to my yard the other day towing a double trailer with a convertible car!
 
The only thing you can tow without taking the test is a hobby trailer. It is woefully unclear on the DVLA website, but it boils down to you will need to pass the test. Anyway, it is good to learn to tow properly.
 
Why do people try so hard to avoid taking the tests?.

Single trailers, are expensive and hard to come by second hand, compared to doubles, which you can always find at good value on the second hand market and you would have freedom of choice in getting a good safe sturdy towing car, with a clutch and gear system designed for towing.

3.5t lorries are ridiculously expensive and you'll get crap for your money second hand in comparison to say a 5 or 7.5 ton.

Plus the headache of what you can and can't take to keep the weight down &amp; the fact you'll never be able to take a friend to share diesel costs.

You would save yourself money in the long term by taking the test
 
As always, there is a lot of incertainty over the rule and laws regarding towing without the B+E entitlement! (and, as always, a lot of people looking down their noses at single horse trailers!)

Firstly, regarding the law, in order to tow a trailer without the B+E entitlement on your licence, you must meet the following criteria;

<ul type="square">
[*]Car's kerb weight must be greater than the trailer's MAM and
[*]Car's MAM + Trailer's MAM must be less than 3.5t
[/list]

You can find your car's kerb weight on the V5 sheet (needed for MOTs, tax etc) and it's MAM will be stamped on the chassis plate. It will be the second highest weight printed on the plate. The highest is the gross train weight (maximum laden weight and maximum towing weight combined), then next highest is your car's MAM, then the other two weights are the axel's MAM.

The trailer's MAM can be found on it's chassis plate and this can be changed by the manufacturer to whatever you want, as long as it's between the range stamped on the hitch/coupling. Obviously, you need to be aware of the trailer's unladen weight and how much payload you require.

My set up is;

Ford Mondeo (2l, 130bhp turbo diesel, very torquey and more than powerful enough), max. towing capability 1800kg, kerb weight 1505kg, MAM 2035kg.

Ifor Williams HB401, unladen weight 770kg, MAM 1450kg (downrated by Ifor Williams themselves and plate changed by Ifor Williams dealer), giving a payload of 680kg, which is plenty for my 15.2 girly and her haynet!

So car kerb weight is more than trailer MAM and trailer MAM + car MAM = 1450 + 2035 = 3485kg which is less than 3500kg.
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The car pulls the trailer brilliantly, has no problems accelerating, braking, up hill, down hill and my mare loads far better into the single trailer than she did into my friend's Bateson Ascot. The space they have in a single is 1.5x that in half a double, so they're actually more spacious for them. Plus, I think she likes knowing that there definitely can't be any other horses squeezed in beside her, she likes her own space!
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I love my trailer and so does my horse. Although in an ideal world, everyone would have brand new big lorries or huge 4x4s to tow with, it's just now practical for everyone and for me this is the only way at the moment to get out and about and enjoy having my horse.

My set up is probably far safer than some of the rusty old lorries or lighter 4x4s towing big, heavy old trailers that are around. Both car and trailer are serviced regularly and I drive according to the road, weather and my set up.

Single trailers are hard to come by second hand and to get one in good nick and not too old, you won't save much on the new price. It's also tricky getting the car/MAM matched up, but as proven above, is do-able.

Good luck with your hunt!
 
Thanks Figjam thats really useful about the list of weights on chassis plate - i have been looking for ages trying to find an explanation of what weight is what!! Where did you get that info from?
 
All I can say is hooray for the single trailer. I have an Ifor and my 16.2 girly goes in and travels just fine. As for people saying how unsteady they are, I'm guessing you've never towed one?
Call me selfish, the single suits me fine because I don't have to worry about people asking for lifts all the time
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I'm really pleased with it. And the reason you don't find many on the secondhand market, is because people just don't part with them!!
 
FigJam- in your post you say 'without a B+E entitlement'

But i have a B+E entitlement.. does that mean i have different weights i can legally tow?

For the second time- i will be getting some extra towing help/training for those who seem concerned.
 
Christmas fairy - are you sure that the B+E is not just showing your provisonal entitlement? So you are allowed to tow on L plates -but not that you are licenced to tow.

Don't forget that when you are considering the weight of the towing vehicle and trailer, that you have to include the weight of the horse in that weight as well.
 
What amazes me though ChristmasFairy, are the people that hold their license from before 1997 and who just seem to think they can hitch up and tow away with no instruction....yet for those that can avoid having to take a test through balancing the weights (post 97 license holders), people seem to give them a hard time about it.

?????
 
Thanks! No nothing in the book, only the maximum trailer weight! I even phoned loads of dealerships to see if they knew, they were none too helpful!!

Sorry for post hijacking btw!
 
[ QUOTE ]
FigJam- in your post you say 'without a B+E entitlement'

But i have a B+E entitlement.. does that mean i have different weights i can legally tow?

For the second time- i will be getting some extra towing help/training for those who seem concerned.

[/ QUOTE ]

ChristmasFairy, if you passed your test 1997 onwards and have not done your B+E test (which I'm sure you would remember doing!
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), then the entitlement will be (as someone else has mentioned) a provisional entitlement and means you can tow a trailer (with no car weight to trailer weight restrictions other than safety and common sense).

However, it must be with L plates on and with a fully entitled driver (with full B+E entitlement on licence) in the car. You cannot drive on motorways in this situation.
 
[ QUOTE ]
What amazes me though ChristmasFairy, are the people that hold their license from before 1997 and who just seem to think they can hitch up and tow away with no instruction....yet for those that can avoid having to take a test through balancing the weights (post 97 license holders), people seem to give them a hard time about it.

?????

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a really good point alsxx, I'd never thought of it that way! Plus, people who have done loads of research into making sure the car/trailer combo match up to "get around" the B+E restrictions are probably way more informed of towing laws than a heck of a lot of folk who have pre-1997 licences and just hitch up and go!

I know I certainly put a lot of effort into making sure I was legal and safe before going out on the roads with my trailer. Probably much more so than if I knew I was just able to tow anything I wanted. I even carry a copy of an official DVLA booklet along with my car's docs which has the explaination regarding car/trailer weight relation in it just in case I get stopped and quizzed!
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