trailer test- hitching and unhitching?

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Llanali

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HI all,

For those of you who have taken the test, could you confirm a question about the hitching unhitching process?

I have read that you have to take the number plate off the trailer when you unhitch, but I can't see that being correct, adn most of the websites say nothing about that!!

Any further info or tips much appreciated. Have been driving trailer on L plates for months, adn biting bullet to take test!
 
Thought not- thanks! Read it on another forum....which is why I didn't trust it straight away, as none of the 'expert' sites mentions it.

What if anythign did you find very tricky? I'm told you have to drive faster than u would with your horse?
 
I think personally they do expect you to drive quicker than you would with your horse, I think I had a mark down for undue hesitation at a junction, but wouldn't of been able to pull away that quick with a horse in which they don't seem to understand :)

I found the driving part was worse as it seemed to go on forever. But i'm pretty good at reversing trailer etc anyway so that didn't cause me any problems :)
 
in my training they were always on to me about catching up with the speeds quicker (would have not gone up to speed so quiclky with horse on board) but on the test i had very few minor marks but the examiner did say watch my speed, i was chasing the limits to quickly!! so think about finding a happy medium for not chasing speeds to much but not taking to long to get up to the limit! i found it quite easy, passed with 5 minors and aced the reverse park :)
just remember its a trailer towing test and not a traveling horses test! so they dont really mark u as if you had a horse, more if you were towing a caravan!
good luck!!!!
 
No you don't have to take the number plate off, however my instructor told me once I had unhitched to tell the examiner I would then remove the number plate. Once I had hitched back up, to tell examiner I would then put it back on. Did feel a bit of a t*t but I guess its a case of covering all angles.

Re driving, you have to do the speed limit, I was told that it is like an advanced test, you are not learning to drive as you have already done that, so should be confident and competant. I drove confidently, did the limit and made sure I pulled away as quickly as possible where it was safe to do so - would I drive like that with a horse in the back, no, but I wanted to pass my test so I did what was required and will amend my driving accordingly for when I do have a horse on board. Thankfully I passed first time :-)

I was most worried about the whole unhitching and hitching bit, in case I got muddled up and did something in the wrong order!!
 
I agree with alsxx...worst bit was remembering the right order of hitching and unhitching! I had to say it out loud to myself lol. With regards to numberplate I had to sya that I woudl take it off after unhitching and check it was correct and on when hitching up. When hitching up remember before you do anythign that handbrake is on, you work around and check tyres (I pretended to kick them a bit and look at them for cuts and bulges.....didn;t really kno what I was doing lol). Then check that all doors are secure etc and at same time check numberplate is on before checking all lights. When hitching, first thing you do is put handbrake on. And at end say numberplate off.Also drive as if you haven't got a horse in it...be confident but don't speed!

Good luck! Was the best thing I ever did :)
 
I didnt have to take number plate off either. I just found something on the trailer, that lines up with somewhere on the back windscreen to know how far back to go about. You are allowed to get out and look and realign, so I remember
 
Stupid question, but whats with the whole number plate thing? We dont take ours on & off our trailer everytime we use it & neither does anyone else i know.
 
No you don't have to take it off. You have to check it matches the vehicle and you might need to tell them that you'd take it with you when you left the trailer and would have it with you when you arrive. You have to pretend it's your job to drive the stupid thing and that it doesn't live on your yard with you and your number plate all the time!

And yeah, don't drive like you have a horse on board or you'll get stung for hesitation. I think the actual driving is the hardest. You're marked just like a normal test so it is constant mirrors all the time, signal for stuff you wouldn't usually bother with, things like that! The mirror thing drove me nuts. Mirror before you brake, mirrors before you speed up, mirrors three times on a roundabout at least. Pain in the proverbial!!

You'll be fine though. The reversing manoeuvre is pretty easy and as long as you learn the hitch/ unhitch that's ok too.

I took mine last month. Completely worth it :D
 
navaho said:
Stupid question, but whats with the whole number plate thing? We dont take ours on & off our trailer everytime we use it & neither does anyone else i know.
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It's for people who are picking up a trailer for work purposes which may not belong to them or is used by many other people at the company. Think builders etc :)
 
navaho said:
That makes sense, never thought about that :)
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That's because it is utterly retarded for people taking the trailer test solely tow a horse box to need to do it! As are many things about that test but I can't be bothered to have a rant as its the holidays. I'll just breathe deeply and forget all about it!
 
I took the trailer test this year and did an intensive training course beforehand. According to the people who trained me for the test and the examiner you do need to remove the numberplate. I was told I did not have to do this physically, just tell the examiner that I would do it and then remember to put it back on (tell examiner you would put back on) once you have hitched again. The reason they make you do this is that the numberplate belongs to the car and not the trailer. We all know that most of the time we tow our own trailer with our own car but they want you to do things by the book.
 
I pass my trailer test with just one minor :D (got confused on a sneaky 5 lane roundabout :rolleyes: ) and not a word was mentioned about numberplates on my 3day intensive course.

OP - are you doing the test without any training? I would seriously recommed you get at least a one day course! There's so much that has to be down in the correct order at the right time and it's a passing the test is a skill - you have to do things THEIR way, not the way all other sensible people do it.
 
In australia, trailers have their own numberplates, much better :D

I need to take my test, but really ought to have a lesson first. I can drive with a trailer as if it's not there (try towing a $30,000 header comb in the middle of harvest... do or die!) but need to learn the "testers" way... same as my driving would probably fail too!
 
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