Towing without b+e query!!

[pinkypug1]

Hi folks can some smart cookie help me out?
I have a Kia Sportage 1.7 and am wondering if I can legally tow without B+e as I passed my test in 1999

Gross weight 2000kg
Max trailer load braked 1400kg
I want to tow an ifor Williams single trailer at 767kg + horse no more than 550kg

Is it possible & legal?? I will only be going to local events so max 30 mile journeys once per month. If you need any other vehicle stats I can give them too you if it helps work it out

 

[Annagain]

In theory, yes but you'll need to downplate the trailer.

With a B only licence, the most you can tow (using the car's gross weight and the trailer's maximum allowable weight or MAM) is 3500kg. The other consideration (on any licence) is you can't exceed the car's towing capacity (actual weight applies here, MAM only applies to licencing and not to the vehicle's capacity) So, with a car weighing 2000kg, you can tow a trailer with a MAM of 1500kg as long as the actual weight of trailer +horse does not exceed the 1400kg you mention above.

The 403 has a MAM of 1600kg, so you would need to downplate it to 1500kg (contact Ifor Williams to do this) to be legal in terms of your licence. This is a slight red herring here though as your car cannot tow the 1500kg it can only tow 1400kg. As the trailer weighs 767kg and your car's towing capacity is 1400kg you can then put up to 633kg of horse on it (1400kg-767kg). That should be plenty for your horse if he's 550kg, but I'd check his weight to be on the safe side, they can weigh a lot more than you think.

 

[ROG]

ANSWERED HERE IN POST NUMBER 2729 = https://forums-secure.horseandhound...-to-HHO-Towing-Clinic&p=13240622#post13240622

 

[pinkypug1]

Hi, many thanks for that. I should prob just bite th bullet & take the test as I have driven with a trailer quite a bit in the past (tut tut I know) but I only need & want a single box so if I can get away without it I will my mare is a compact 16hh Irish sport horse, not too chunky so hopefully she's not over but I will get the weigh tape out tonight

 

[ROG]

Did you see my post which was posted at the same time as your reply ?

 

[LouisCat]

I have a 14.2 Connemara who weighs 518kg (weighed on a horsey WB not weigh tape) so I would expect a 16hh ISH to weigh a fair bit more

 

[pinkypug1]

Thanks for that. I've got 600kg+to play with so hopefully be ok

 

[Shay]

Watch out for the weight of humans, water, tack etc. That will take a good 150Kgs+ of your remaining weight. I have the same car - I'm afraid I would not tow with it. Even if it is just inside the legal line on a weighbridge - the safety element would put me off. I just don't think I'd have the heft to get out of trouble. (That said I do normally tow with a defender so maybe I'm spoilt!)

 

[epeters91]

I would say bite the bullet and take the test. I did mine recently 1 day training and test the next day, passed first time and feel very confident about manoeuvring the trailer and reversing if I need to. It takes out all the worrying about the weights and might give you some extra confidence or teach you something you may not have known

 

[ROG]

Watch out for the weight of humans, water, tack etc. That will take a good 150Kgs+ of your remaining weight. I have the same car - I'm afraid I would not tow with it. Even if it is just inside the legal line on a weighbridge - the safety element would put me off. I just don't think I'd have the heft to get out of trouble. (That said I do normally tow with a defender so maybe I'm spoilt!)

I do hope humans are NOT going into the trailer !!!!

The car has its own GVW max weight and so does the trailer

Example

car kerb/empty/unladen 1500
car GVW 2000
500 can be loaded into the car

Trailer empty 800
Trailer MAM 1500
700 can be loaded into the trailer

 

[ROG]

I would say bite the bullet and take the test. I did mine recently 1 day training and test the next day, passed first time and feel very confident about manoeuvring the trailer and reversing if I need to. It takes out all the worrying about the weights and might give you some extra confidence or teach you something you may not have known

good advice but you still have weight restrictions which is the lower of either the vehicle towing capacity or the trailer MAM

 

[epeters91]

Haha I realised that as I hit send thanks for the correction ROG!