Stupid confusing legal towing weights post 97 question

LauraBR

LauraBR

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Grrrrr.

So, if the MAM can not exceed 3.5 tonnes for car and trailer combined does that mean the trailer MAM plus the car's gross weight, or kerb weight? Assuming it is gross weight, can't seem to find MAM details for cars.

Can anyone confirm?

Damn the stupid confusing rules... just as you think you have escaped the dreaded test some confusing ridiculous detail snatches it all away....
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Its unladen kerb weight of the car plus MAM of the trailer. The cars unladen kerb weight must also be more than the MAM of the trailer to drive on a post 97 licence so basically you cant drive with a horse trailer!! Believe me i have looked into this to try and avoid the test but you cant!!! I have a Defender and Ifor Williams and cant tow it.
 
If it is unladen kerb weight I think I have found a combination... or am I missing something?

Single horse Cheval Liberte= 1400kg MAM
SWB Pajero= unladen kerb weight 1750-1900kg
 
I've never understood why they can't set out the rules clearly and straightforwardly - it causes so much confusion! The way I understood it, is that its the MAM of the combination of trailer & car to be under 3500kgs, so the gross weight of both, rather than the unladen weight.

From DirectGov site:
[ QUOTE ]
maximum authorised mass (MAM) of vehicles and trailers. This should be taken to mean the permissible maximum weight, also known as the gross vehicle weight.

Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM .

[/ QUOTE ]

But its about as clear as mud
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That's what I thought
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It makes me cross though how confusing they make it. I bet there are LOADS of people out there thinking they are towing legally when they are not
 
my trailer weighs 650kg, my pony weighs 250kg and i use my mums estate to tow them. laden weight doesnt exceed 3500kg, so do you think im ok for towing? i thought i was but as you say its as clear as mud!
 
To be honest... I would just take a deep breath and do the test!

That way, you are not having to worry about your laden weight (including horse, tack, water etc etc) and the lessons will give you a much better understanding and the confidence to drive the trailers. I would NEVER have managed my Equi-Trek without the lessons because it made me so much more aware of things to look for when driving the trailer.

The test was not as bad as some people have made out... I didn't find it too difficult, and did the week intensive lessons and the test on the Friday.
 
if you dont mind me asking how much did the intensive course cost and how much was the exam? did you use your own car/4x4 and trailer? you can pm me if you want? thanks
 
I used my own car, but then a flat bottomed trailer provided by the training centre. I'm sorry, I can't remember how much the course cost me, it was two years ago
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If you find an HGV training centre and give them a call, they will be able to help you and give you some advice regarding costs.
 
I have no idea about what is right and what is not but I rang the DSA and asked to speak to someone in technical as I was completely fed up of not knowing the FACTS! I was working on the premiss that I could avoid the test and costs by getting a juicy swb pajero/shogun and a 404 single trailer.... long and the short of it was that it was way more sensible for me to sit the test and be done with it then I could always take company for Darce and it just made more sense for me. Plus it guaranteed that I would be legal if I did. My friend 'heard' that he wasn't legal towing his 16.1h in a single with a shogun so we bit the bullet and did the test.

Test was £89
training was £400 for 2 full days with the test on the last day.
It's about 80% normal driving skills and then three exercises off road- this website is for the people that I did it with but the info is so thorough that it's the same for everywhere... trailer training information- LOTS!

You can sit the test in your own vehicle with your own box but I was strongly advised against doing this as it indicates that you've had no tuition. Indeed, the first time I did it I had had no tuition so it was no surprise when I failed!
I then stupidly failed for a reversing exercise error which was totally stupid and a driving error- NB- I drove with the trailer the same way I would for a car but with the trailer you have to use different exit lanes from roundabouts which I didn't know and this was an automatic fail!
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Then I finally passed.
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ETS: You have to drive totally correctly with all the observations, signals etc the same as for passing a driving test, it's more like taking your car test again with a trailer on the back.
 
Yeah... have resigned myself to the fact I'm going to have to do the damn test.

Thanks for all the info, would be good to try and get it done in a few days. Ouch at the cost.

At least now my choice of trailers is wide open!

In fact... going to ring the local trailer lesson place and see about getting something booked now.
 
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