Towing lessons in the North West?

[rforsyth1984]

Sorry, 3rd towing post today! I have inspired myself with my own posts hahaha!

Anyway, I am struggling to find towing lessons in the North West (Lancs/Merseyside border), can anyone help?

Do people who have passed recommend an intensive course or weekly lessons?

How many lessons did it take you to pass? I have towed, but not great at reversing or hitching up on my own!

Did you learn/do the test in your own car or not?

Does it matter if you take the test in an automatic? I read somewhere that if you do the test in an automatic you cant then tow in a manual gearbox car?

What is the reversing manoevre/task on the test? I want to set up some cones and practice?

Thanks if anyone can advise/help on any of those!

 

[diggerbez]

this is where i did both my class 2 and my towing test. they were great and really friendly. i did towing test with their car and trailer over a week's intensive course. they are in bolton

http://www.hgvnorthman.co.uk/1.html

 

[somethingorother]

Ive seen learners from Myerscough college out and about practicing. I don't know if they are on some kind of proper course there or not but might be worth a ring as they have a good reputation for everything else.

 

[jezabell]

I have just found this web page it tells you all you need to know about the towing test.http://www.dubschool.co.uk/towing.html




Towing Tuition

Did you know that if you passed your driving test after the 1st January 1997, then there are restrictions on your licence that prohibit you from towing with certain vehicle & trailer combinitions.

The law is quite complicated to understand, and is available for you to read in full on the direct.gov.uk website. But we will try to explain it in an easy to understand way here.

First of all, here are some terminology that will be used when talking about towing and the vehicles used.
MAM - Maximum Authorised Mass. This is the maximum permissible weight that either the trailer or your towing vehicle is allowed to carry.
Gross Weight - Another term for MAM. Also known as Permissible Maximum Weight.
Unladen Weight - The weight of a vehicle or trailer when it is not carrying any cargo.
Curb Weight - Another term for Unladen Weight
Train Weight - This is the combined MAM of your towing vehicle and your trailer.

Where can you find this information? Usually, there is a metal plate attached to your vehicle under the bonnet with numbers stamped on it. These are the weight limits of your car. Refer to your vehicle handbook or car manufacturer for help if needed. On your trailer or caravan, there should also be a stamped or engraved plate detailing the weight limits.

The Rules

If you passed your test prior to 1997, then you retain your existing entitlement to tow trailers. You are generally permitted to drive a vehicle and trailer combination of up to 8.25 tonne MAM.

However, if you passed after the 1st January 1997, then you may need to take a B+E test depending on what you plan to tow.

If your Train Weight exeeds 3.5 tonne, then you will need a B+E licence, unless the trailer you are towing is less that 750kg MAM. This means that if you have a vehicle whose MAM is 3.5 tonne, you can add a trailer of up to 750kg MAM to give you a train weight of 4.25 tonne. You can not however, have a vehicle that has a MAM of 3 Tonne and pull a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonne.

If your trailers MAM exceeds the Curb weight of your vehicle, then you will also require a B+E licence. It is recomended that with caravans, you limit your caravans MAM to 85% of the Curb weight of your vehicle.

In order to try and make it easy to understand if you need the extra catagory on your licence, follow these few simple questions:
I would love to post a photo of my diddy horses,but do not know how.I have got as far as to put them on photo bucket,after them I am stuck.

 

[miketdt]

Come down to sunny Devon for 3 days and I will put you through. www.topshamdrivertraining.co.uk

 

[rforsyth1984]

Your prices are quite reasonable too! I could be tempted hehe!