Welcome to HHO Towing Clinic

[ROG]

Thanks! Can I drive this with L plates and my dad/mum in the passenger seat as they have the old license?

YES just inform insurer

 

[HorsesRule2009]

Hi Rog,
I'm looking at doing my b+e test and just wondering if I could tow with my current vehicle?

I've got a Suzuki 3door grand Vitara 55 plate.

Thank you

 

[ROG]

Hi Rog,
I'm looking at doing my b+e test and just wondering if I could tow with my current vehicle?

I've got a Suzuki 3door grand Vitara 55 plate.

Thank you

What is the GVW of the Suzuki ?

If you can locate the weight plate I could do with the top 2 numbers of the 4 listed on it
Plate is usually hidden under bonnet or in a door frame

V5 keepers doc may list max permissible weight and max towing weight

 

[lchloer]

ROG

What would stop you down rating the GVM of a car so you would be able to tow with a B license with a better tow vehicle? For instance a Kia Sorento with a GVW of 2600KG down rated to 2200KG (kerb weight 2075KG). Is this a paper exercise or would you need to change the VIN plate?

 

[ROG]

ROG

What would stop you down rating the GVM of a car so you would be able to tow with a B license with a better tow vehicle? For instance a Kia Sorento with a GVW of 2600KG down rated to 2200KG (kerb weight 2075KG). Is this a paper exercise or would you need to change the VIN plate?

No chance of down plating the GVW of a car

Easy to down plate a trailer if the manufacturer is still trading

 

[Templebar]

Hi just wondering if my car will tow my trailer i have doubts but it doesn't hurt to ask. I have tried to get my head around it but i am struggling a little.

LICENCE
B or B+E = B+E just passed test

VEHICLE
GVW = 1,659
Towing capacity = 1200 (i think, there are braked and unbraked)

TRAILER - Ifor williams 505
Un-laden/empty = 905
MAM = 2,340 (max gross weight)

By my calculations its only ok with 300kg in trailer as otherwise exceeds towing capacity of the vehicle.

 

[ROG]

Hi just wondering if my car will tow my trailer i have doubts but it doesn't hurt to ask. I have tried to get my head around it but i am struggling a little.

LICENCE
B or B+E = B+E just passed test

VEHICLE
GVW = 1,659
Towing capacity = 1200 (i think, there are braked and unbraked)

TRAILER - Ifor williams 505
Un-laden/empty = 905
MAM = 2,340 (max gross weight)

By my calculations its only ok with 300kg in trailer as otherwise exceeds towing capacity of the vehicle.

You are correct - max load for trailer 295kgs

 

[lchloer]

Thanks Rog☺

 

[Templebar]

You are correct - max load for trailer 295kgs

Thanks, i think im getting there. So if the towing capacity was greater, so i need around 1,500kg for one horse or around 2000 for two. What figures do i then need to check to ensure we are legal?

 

[ROG]

Thanks, i think im getting there. So if the towing capacity was greater, so i need around 1,500kg for one horse or around 2000 for two. What figures do i then need to check to ensure we are legal?

Towing capacity of at least -
1500 for one
2000 for two

That's it as you have B+E

 

[KLT]

Hi Rog.
I have a B licence.
I have done the B&E test and failed on the reverse. I was fine with everything else. I will do it again but i’m so devastated to have failed it might take a while to drum up the courage as i’m Awful under test situations.
In the mean time, I only want to travel my dayghter’s 12h pony. We have a 2015 vw tiguan.
I’m struggling to find the exact details but, I think, from the manual;

GVW: 2,230kg
Kerb: 1,840
Towing capacity: 2,200

Is there any light weight trailers that I might be able to use in the short term?
I was thinking Cheval liberte?

Thank you ever so much 😊

 

[ROG]

Hi Rog.
I have a B licence.
I have done the B&E test and failed on the reverse. I was fine with everything else. I will do it again but i’m so devastated to have failed it might take a while to drum up the courage as i’m Awful under test situations.
In the mean time, I only want to travel my dayghter’s 12h pony. We have a 2015 vw tiguan.
I’m struggling to find the exact details but, I think, from the manual;

GVW: 2,230kg
Kerb: 1,840
Towing capacity: 2,200

Is there any light weight trailers that I might be able to use in the short term?
I was thinking Cheval liberte?

Thank you ever so much ��

With something like a Bateson Derby trailer down plated from 1700 to 1250 and weighing 675 empty would leave a max of 575 for the trailer load which will be B licence legal

 

[KLT]

Hi ROG,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.
If I was to put the tack, water etc in the car rather than the trailer, does this change anything with the calculations?

 

[ROG]

Hi ROG,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.
If I was to put the tack, water etc in the car rather than the trailer, does this change anything with the calculations?

Car and trailer have separate weight limits

 

[KLT]

Thanks ROG, you’re a ⭐️

 

[KLT]

Hi ROG,
Sorry to keep asking you questions but as per my previous enquiry I have been looking at the lightweight trailers. After your reply I decided I would see if I could get something that I could also take my elderly horse (500ish kg) in should I need to do a vet visit etc so I have looked at the Bateson derby but have also been considering the Cheval Liberte gold one. This is mainly because we have a Cheval Liberte dealership very close which would mean servicing etc would be far more convenient.
From a maths point of view they could both work but i’m Having conflicting answers from Bateson and Cheval Liberte about down plating. Bateson say that they can down plate to any value I want whereas CL will only down plate to a round amount I.e 1200, 1300 etc. CL state it is to do with EU directives. Do you have any experience with this?

As I see it with the CL, the car is
2230, if I have the trailer down plated to 1200 with an unladen weight of 720 that only gives me 480kg for horse?
If they’d down plate to 1260 that would give me 540kg of horse?

I’ve emailed lots of people whilst researching and been given so much wrong information (from trailer dealers themselves in some instances) especially regarding the unladen weights, that i’m beginning to question everything i’m told. My poor husband is bored witless over my trailer saga!!

Thank ROG

 

[ROG]

Hi ROG,
Sorry to keep asking you questions but as per my previous enquiry I have been looking at the lightweight trailers. After your reply I decided I would see if I could get something that I could also take my elderly horse (500ish kg) in should I need to do a vet visit etc so I have looked at the Bateson derby but have also been considering the Cheval Liberte gold one. This is mainly because we have a Cheval Liberte dealership very close which would mean servicing etc would be far more convenient.
From a maths point of view they could both work but i’m Having conflicting answers from Bateson and Cheval Liberte about down plating. Bateson say that they can down plate to any value I want whereas CL will only down plate to a round amount I.e 1200, 1300 etc. CL state it is to do with EU directives. Do you have any experience with this?

As I see it with the CL, the car is
2230, if I have the trailer down plated to 1200 with an unladen weight of 720 that only gives me 480kg for horse?
If they’d down plate to 1260 that would give me 540kg of horse?

I’ve emailed lots of people whilst researching and been given so much wrong information (from trailer dealers themselves in some instances) especially regarding the unladen weights, that i’m beginning to question everything i’m told. My poor husband is bored witless over my trailer saga!!

Thank ROG

There are some restrictions on down plating because it depends what the manufacturer stated when the trailer was made

 

[EmmaC78]

Hi,

Can I ask a quick towbar question please. I have a Kia Sorento 2015 and am about to get a tow bar fitted. The garage have said the tow bar has a 2.5 tonne SLW. Does that sound right? it would be towing an IW 511 and two 550 horses. The max tow weight of the car is 2500kg so I am thinking the towbar they are suggesting seems OK and that there would be no point in getting a tow bar with a higher rating anyway.

Thanks

Emma

 

[ROG]

Seems ok to me BUT I am no authority on towbars

 

[tallyho!]

You don’t need a higher rating on that then. As long as you don’t go over. A 511 is already 1100 then you have 1200 on top with horses. You have 300 to play with. Just be wary what your car can do and your towbar up hills....

 

[EmmaC78]

When you say to watch the tow bar up the hill do you mean that it might to too much weight on the tow bar? I do need to tow up a fairly steep hill to get to the stables.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Hi

I’m considering getting a single trailer (Ifor Williams 401) but am unsure if my car will be up to towing. It’s a 2013 Mercedes E class 220 estate, automatic diesel. The horse is 16hh and weighs about 500kg. I passed my test a long time before 1997 so have B+E licence.

Would this work/be legal/be safe or do I need to rethink?

Thanks

 

[ROG]

What does the max towing weight state on the V5 keepers doc ? OR what are the top 2 numbers of the 4 listed on the weight plate usually hidden under the bonnet or in a door frame ?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Thanks Rog

According to the V5 doc it’s 2100 braked, 750 unbraked

 

[ROG]

Hi

I’m considering getting a single trailer (Ifor Williams 401) but am unsure if my car will be up to towing. It’s a 2013 Mercedes E class 220 estate, automatic diesel. The horse is 16hh and weighs about 500kg. I passed my test a long time before 1997 so have B+E licence.

Would this work/be legal/be safe or do I need to rethink?

Thanks

Thanks Rog

According to the V5 doc it’s 2100 braked, 750 unbraked

HB 401 is max 800 plus 500 horse = total 1300 so well under the 2100 limit

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Hurrah! Thanks Rog - I thought it was ok but was getting very confused with all the different figures!!

 

[Josephcordy]

Hi ROG and others.

Good work you're doing on here. I wonder if you can help. I would like to tow an Ifor Williams 505 trailer with my Toyota RAV4 2.2 D-4D T180 (2007) car with a 560kg horse in it.
In answer to the sequence at the beginning of the thread see requested specifications below:

1 - B
2 - 1595 unladen empty weight of my vehicle
3 - 2070 is the gross weight limit on my vehicle? is this the right figure?
4 - 2000 towing capacity
5 - horse trailer printed MAM (need to double check but should be right) - 2340
6 - 905 unladen weight of the trailer

We plan to only transport one horse, not two. I work out the total weight to be 3400kg which includes two passengers and extra tack. Which should be legal.

Do I need to down plate my horse trailer to 2000 MAM for it to be suitable for me to drive on Cat B?

Thank you in advance.
joseph

 

[ROG]

Hi ROG and others.

Good work you're doing on here. I wonder if you can help. I would like to tow an Ifor Williams 505 trailer with my Toyota RAV4 2.2 D-4D T180 (2007) car with a 560kg horse in it.
In answer to the sequence at the beginning of the thread see requested specifications below:

1 - B
2 - 1595 unladen empty weight of my vehicle
3 - 2070 is the gross weight limit on my vehicle? is this the right figure?
4 - 2000 towing capacity
5 - horse trailer printed MAM (need to double check but should be right) - 2340
6 - 905 unladen weight of the trailer

We plan to only transport one horse, not two. I work out the total weight to be 3400kg which includes two passengers and extra tack. Which should be legal.

Do I need to down plate my horse trailer to 2000 MAM for it to be suitable for me to drive on Cat B?

Thank you in advance.
joseph

Number 3 seems ok - leaves you 1430 for the trailer MAM which is currently 2340
Down plating the trailer to 1430 only leaves 525 for the trailer load so no good for a 560 horse

SOLUTION = need a lighter trailer such as a HB 403 where it can be down plated from 1600 to 1400 and weighs 800 max empty so leaving 600 for a horse

 

[Josephcordy]

Hi again ROG,

Thanks for this info.

Earliy today I had called the DVLA and the police in my area and they had said that as long as the total weight is no more than 3500kg, it should be acceptable.

I can understand that you are looking at the maximum potential weight of the trailer as it should be completed, however - If I were to take my car, trailer, two passengers and tack to the weigh bridge and pay to have my vehicle weighed, and it came back as lets say 2800kg, would I then be able to drive the trailer with a horse of 560kgs in it? The maximum weight then if stopped by the police and taken to a weight bridge would be less than 3500 and surely, therefore allowing me to drive away legally?

Sorry to be a pain.

J

 

[ROG]

Hi again ROG,

Thanks for this info.

Earliy today I had called the DVLA and the police in my area and they had said that as long as the total weight is no more than 3500kg, it should be acceptable.

I can understand that you are looking at the maximum potential weight of the trailer as it should be completed, however - If I were to take my car, trailer, two passengers and tack to the weigh bridge and pay to have my vehicle weighed, and it came back as lets say 2800kg, would I then be able to drive the trailer with a horse of 560kgs in it? The maximum weight then if stopped by the police and taken to a weight bridge would be less than 3500 and surely, therefore allowing me to drive away legally?

Sorry to be a pain.

J

NEVER NEVER NEVER speak to DVLA - ALWAYS EMAIL THEM so you get the answer in writing

The law is this for B licence towing
For the towing of a trailer over 750kg plated MAM the total MAM/GVW of the combination must not exceed 3500kgs

Actual weight has nothing to do with licencing laws