Towing on a C licence, different to a B?

[Webley]

I'm very new to H&H, hoping you guys can answer a couple of questions the DVLA can't. Sorry if youve been asked before. I'll keep it quick:

I have my C licence. No E part.
I have an Ifor Single Horse Trailer HB403 2013, plated 1600kg, weighs 767kg
I want to tow with an Nissan Xtrail 4x4 Columbia 2006, can tow 2000kg, weighs 1525kg (I think)
Horse weighs 550kg absolute max.
2 people, plus tack and equipment all comes under 3.5t.

Questions: what can I tow, if anything on my C licence? Entered my details into the government website and it contradicted itself with my B and C.
Will I have to downplate my trailer?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Don't want to tow illegally or overweight/underpowered!

 

[Under-the-radar]

I think it depends on when you did you car licence for towing with a car.

Current categories, from the www.gov.uk website:

Large vehicles
Category C
You can drive vehicles over 3,500kg (with a trailer up to 750kg).

Category C+E
You can drive category C vehicles with a trailer over 750kg.

 

[Webley]

Hi, passed my B licence after 1997 and my C licence 4 years ago. I'm hoping all this falls under the B licencing for a total of 3.5t for vehicle and trailer. Without having to do my E licence to tow.

 

[Mike007]

Yes .The fact that you have a C license does not alter your rights as a B license holder.

 

[Webley]

OK thanks guys. So that just leaves my last question: can that combination be driven on my b licence legally, will it need to be downplate?

 

[Annagain]

The Gross Vehicle Weight (not the kerb/unladen weight you mention above) of your tow car and the Maximum Allowable Mass of your trailer cannot exceed 3500kg. I suspect the X Trail has a GVW of about 2000kg (check on your V5) which means you'd have to downplate your trailer's MAM to around the 1500kg mark to comply. Easily done and you'd still have more than enough capacity for a 550kg horse.

 

[ROG]

The two top links below in my signature may be helpful to you

Max plated trailer on C = 750kg MAM

Different rules for B on towing and they go on plated weights - not actual weights

GVW of vehicle added to MAM of trailer must not total more than 3500 kg
To lower that total many down plate the trailer to conform but lowering it too much may mean you cannot load what you need to into it
only the trailer manufacturer can down plate it

 

[ROG]

I'm very new to H&H, hoping you guys can answer a couple of questions the DVLA can't. Sorry if youve been asked before. I'll keep it quick:

I have my C licence. No E part.
I have an Ifor Single Horse Trailer HB403 2013, plated 1600kg, weighs 767kg
I want to tow with an Nissan Xtrail 4x4 Columbia 2006, can tow 2000kg, weighs 1525kg (I think)
Horse weighs 550kg absolute max.
2 people, plus tack and equipment all comes under 3.5t.

Questions: what can I tow, if anything on my C licence? Entered my details into the government website and it contradicted itself with my B and C.
Will I have to downplate my trailer?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Don't want to tow illegally or overweight/underpowered!

GVW of Xtrail = ??????? ok lets guess its 2100 kg
MAM of trailer = 1600 but with GVW at 2100 it would need to be down plated to 1400 leaving a max trailer load of 633 kg

 

[Webley]

Thank you everybody! You are stars! Should have just come to this forum and not bothered ringing the DVLA!

 

[ROG]

Thank you everybody! You are stars! Should have just come to this forum and not bothered ringing the DVLA!

This is why the HHO TOWING CLINIC was set up as a sticky on this site - mainly for me to be able to help but others do contribute - because the DVLA and the Gov sites often give or show out of date info and in a way not easy for the general public to understand

I like to make it simple and give straight forward answers in plain English along with examples

 

[Webley]

That's excellent, thank you. Although I've yet to find out the gvw for the 2006 2.2 columbia diesel, can't find it for that exact model. The DVLA even sent me to VOSA (or whatever they are called now), who very abruptly sent me back to the DVLA I called Ifor who said I could tow whatever I wanted so long as it wasn't over 3.5t altogether, but I knew there had to be more to it than that! You're help is much appreciated. Thanks guys

 

[ROG]

That's excellent, thank you. Although I've yet to find out the gvw for the 2006 2.2 columbia diesel,

Easy - its the top of the four figures on the weight plate which is usually hidden under the bonnet or in a door frame - it is also the max permissible mass figure on the V5 keepers doc