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magnoliamagnolia

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Hi Rog, thank you for offering this fabulous service!

I am about to move to the UK and get a regular B license. I was hoping to buy a car/trailer combo for my ~500kg warmblood that is legal to tow without a B+E. Do you have any favorite combinations of vehicle and trailer that fit into that category?
 

ROG

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Hi Rog, thank you for offering this fabulous service!

I am about to move to the UK and get a regular B license. I was hoping to buy a car/trailer combo for my ~500kg warmblood that is legal to tow without a B+E. Do you have any favorite combinations of vehicle and trailer that fit into that category?
Skoda Octavia 4x4 towing a down plated Bateson Derby trailer is just one idea
 

magnoliamagnolia

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Skoda Octavia 4x4 towing a down plated Bateson Derby trailer is just one idea
Thanks for your quick reply. Would that be your top pick? I’m sure you’re busy and maybe you’ve answered this a lot of other times, but what would be your number 2 and 3 picks? Also, there seem to be a lot of Ifor Williams trailers for sale, would they fit this bill?
 

ROG

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Thanks for your quick reply. Would that be your top pick? I’m sure you’re busy and maybe you’ve answered this a lot of other times, but what would be your number 2 and 3 picks? Also, there seem to be a lot of Ifor Williams trailers for sale, would they fit this bill?
What you need to research is for vehicles where the GVW is around 2100 with a tow capacity of at least 1400
A IW HB401/3 trailer weighs about 800 empty so when down plated to 1400 will leave about 600 for the trailer load
 

gingergreg

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Wondering if anyone has tow car suggestions please? Looking at an IW 403 so approx 770kg I believe? Say 650kg to be on the safe side for horse...are there any B legal car options if I had the trailer downplated? Cheap as poss ideally <£2500.
 

ROG

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Wondering if anyone has tow car suggestions please? Looking at an IW 403 so approx 770kg I believe? Say 650kg to be on the safe side for horse...are there any B legal car options if I had the trailer downplated? Cheap as poss ideally <£2500.
Trailer + horse = 1420 but allow for a bit more so lets say between 1450 and 1500
What you are looking for is a vehicle with a max GVW of 2000kg so you can down plate the trailer from its original 1600 to 1500
The vehicle also needs to have a towing capacity of at least 1500

Here is one idea = https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/skoda/octavia-estate/16-tdi-cr-110-s-5dr/spec
 

gingergreg

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Orchardbeck

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Hi, I am totally confused as to whether my set up is legal or not. I have a B licence, a 2010 Peugeot 4007, 1850kg (towing capacity 2t) and an IW506(920kg?). My heaviest pony is about 500kg, but I mostly tow small ponies (200kg and 300kg). I was under the impression I could tow one pony but now I'm not sure if that is the case.
 

ROG

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Hi, I am totally confused as to whether my set up is legal or not. I have a B licence, a 2010 Peugeot 4007, 1850kg (towing capacity 2t) and an IW506(920kg?). My heaviest pony is about 500kg, but I mostly tow small ponies (200kg and 300kg). I was under the impression I could tow one pony but now I'm not sure if that is the case.
Licences go on the plated weights not actual weights

B licences can have a total of 3500 in plated weights which is the vehicle GVW added to the trailer MAM

I suspect the vehicle GVW is about 2400 and the trailer MAM is about 2300 so that is a total of 4700 = way over the 3500 limit for B licence towing
 

Orchardbeck

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Licences go on the plated weights not actual weights

B licences can have a total of 3500 in plated weights which is the vehicle GVW added to the trailer MAM

I suspect the vehicle GVW is about 2400 and the trailer MAM is about 2300 so that is a total of 4700 = way over the 3500 limit for B licence towing

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Yes, this is what I suspected. Better take a test!
 

ROG

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Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Yes, this is what I suspected. Better take a test!
Other option is to get a vehicle with a lower GVW - say 2200 and then get a Bateson Derby trailer (for 2 ponies) and have it down plated to 1300 which leaves 625 for the trailer load
GVW of 2250 would work with that trailer down plated to 1250
 

Spangle

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As a new trailer owner I am wondering if it is possible to fit a reversing camera onto the back of the trailer (permanently) as you often get for cars. I have asked Ifor Williams and they only suggest a magnetic, fairly large camera as you have for the interior. I had in mind a much smaller type of camera like the one on the back of my car. Can anyone point me at a solution for this? Many thanks
 

ROG

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As a new trailer owner I am wondering if it is possible to fit a reversing camera onto the back of the trailer (permanently) as you often get for cars. I have asked Ifor Williams and they only suggest a magnetic, fairly large camera as you have for the interior. I had in mind a much smaller type of camera like the one on the back of my car. Can anyone point me at a solution for this? Many thanks
I wonder if you can get a waterproof add on to a standard dash cam ?
 

chestnuttyy

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Can I please double check a setup...
gvw - 2,020kg (mazda cx5)
Hb403 -780kg unladen

If i downplate to 1480, that leaves 700kg for weight to go in the trailer, correct? But what about additional weight such as tack and people?! Or is it a case of just making sure kerb weight and car load is less than 2,020kg?
 

ROG

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Can I please double check a setup...
gvw - 2,020kg (mazda cx5)
Hb403 -780kg unladen

If i downplate to 1480, that leaves 700kg for weight to go in the trailer, correct? But what about additional weight such as tack and people?! Or is it a case of just making sure kerb weight and car load is less than 2,020kg?
I hope people do not travel in the trailer !!! - people and tack can go in car and that comes under the car GVW 2020 not the trailer MAM 1480

You are correct on your figures for B licence towing
It is more likely that IW will only allow for a down plate to 1400 or 1450
At 1400 you will have a max trailer load of 620
 

chestnuttyy

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I hope people do not travel in the trailer !!! - people and tack can go in car and that comes under the car GVW 2020 not the trailer MAM 1480

You are correct on your figures for B licence towing
It is more likely that IW will only allow for a down plate to 1400 or 1450
At 1400 you will have a max trailer load of 620

Haha sorry I wasn't too clear in my post. Thank you that is as hoped.
 

Widgeon

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Can I ask a numpty question please? My car will tow 2000kg but a Bateson Deauville (for argument's sake) has a gross weight on the plate of 2300kg. That's not a potential paperwork problem is it? I'm under the impression that so long as trailer + horse + tack etc doesn't exceed 2000kg, it's fine. It's just occurred to me though that maybe the trailer would need downplating. I don't know anything about this so rather than getting confused by google I thought I'd just ask here.

P.S. I took a trailer test so I don't think my licence comes into it.
 
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ROG

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Can I ask a numpty question please? My car will tow 2000kg but a Bateson Deauville (for argument's sake) has a gross weight on the plate of 2300kg. That's not a potential paperwork problem is it? I'm under the impression that so long as trailer + horse + tack etc doesn't exceed 2000kg, it's fine. It's just occurred to me though that maybe the trailer would need downplating. I don't know anything about this so rather than getting confused by google I thought I'd just ask here.

P.S. I took a trailer test so I don't think my licence comes into it.
Licence ok
There is no legal need to down plate a trailer so it does not exceed vehicle towing capacity
Simply keep total weight to the lowest which in this case is 2000
 

jamessss

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Hi ROG,

I am planning to do my B+E test soon. I have a Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDI (GVW 2000KG, GTW 3400KG) and an Ifor BV84 (MAM 1400KG, unladen <600KG) to use for the test. The advantage of this setup is I can practice by myself :)

I don't have an IBC, but I could do with 600KG of stone chippings for my garden, so was planning to buy these from somewhere that will put them into transparent sacks marked with the weight (25KG each) as per the rules. Planning to buy 25 of these to be sure of the weight, so ~625KG.

My questions are:

- Do I need any proof of the weight? e.g. do I need to get a weighbridge certificate for the loaded trailer or something, or will the examiner just count the sacks?
- If the bags are not labelled by the manufacturer (a lot seem to not have it clearly marked) can I print and stick my own labels?
- The Gov.uk website says that the "load must be appropriately secured, or you will fail the test" but doesn't give details as to how it should be secured... how would I secure 25 sacks of gravel? Can I just lay them on the floor? The interior of the trailer looks like this

Thanks!
 

ROG

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Hi ROG,

I am planning to do my B+E test soon. I have a Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDI (GVW 2000KG, GTW 3400KG) and an Ifor BV84 (MAM 1400KG, unladen <600KG) to use for the test. The advantage of this setup is I can practice by myself :)

I don't have an IBC, but I could do with 600KG of stone chippings for my garden, so was planning to buy these from somewhere that will put them into transparent sacks marked with the weight (25KG each) as per the rules. Planning to buy 25 of these to be sure of the weight, so ~625KG.

My questions are:

- Do I need any proof of the weight? e.g. do I need to get a weighbridge certificate for the loaded trailer or something, or will the examiner just count the sacks?
- If the bags are not labelled by the manufacturer (a lot seem to not have it clearly marked) can I print and stick my own labels?
- The Gov.uk website says that the "load must be appropriately secured, or you will fail the test" but doesn't give details as to how it should be secured... how would I secure 25 sacks of gravel? Can I just lay them on the floor? The interior of the trailer looks like this

Thanks!
https://www.gov.uk/car-trailer-driving-test/car-rules
https://www.gov.uk/car-trailer-driving-test/trailer-rules
Do those 2 links answer all your questions?
 

ROG

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Not exactly - in particular the part about securing the load just says it "must be secured safely" without saying how
That is because it depends what you have in it
If sandbags for example then as long as they are as low down and spread out so they will not move in any direction then they are ok like that

Anything in the trailer must not be able to move sideways, backwards or forwards during normal driving conditions
 

gingergreg

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GVW of Nissan X Trails? I'm finding it hard to locate this info for specific models, is there an average that I could work off to establish if it will work with a B licence prior to checking the individual car's info? Looking at an older model so probably around an 04/05 plate.

Horse - 650
Trailer will be either a 403 or Bateson Derby - 760/675

Any other vehicle suggestions that could work? I've looked at the Skoda Octavia Scout but they're not coming up within budget which is ideally < £2K

Many thanks!
 

ROG

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GVW of Nissan X Trails? I'm finding it hard to locate this info for specific models, is there an average that I could work off to establish if it will work with a B licence prior to checking the individual car's info? Looking at an older model so probably around an 04/05 plate.

Horse - 650
Trailer will be either a 403 or Bateson Derby - 760/675

Any other vehicle suggestions that could work? I've looked at the Skoda Octavia Scout but they're not coming up within budget which is ideally < £2K

Many thanks!
https://www.autoevolution.com/cars/nissan-x-trail-2007.html#aeng_nissan-x-trail-2007-20-16v

X trail GVW seems to be max 2100kg
Bateson Derby trailer down plated to 1400 would leave a max trailer load of 725kg
 

chestnuttyy

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Rog... having a bit of an issue and hoping you can help.
Car GVW - 2035kg
Trailer HB403 - 767kg unladen, plated to 1600MAM.

contacted Ifor Williams to request the trailer be down plated to 1450kg (thus leaving me with 683kg for trailer load and they have stated that ‘by law’ they can only down plate to either 1500kg or 1400kg but nothing in between. My last trailer was downplated to the KG!

If this is the case it is going to prevent me from going ahead with my trailer purchase :(

Has Something changed in the last few years?!
 

ROG

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Rog... having a bit of an issue and hoping you can help.
Car GVW - 2035kg
Trailer HB403 - 767kg unladen, plated to 1600MAM.

contacted Ifor Williams to request the trailer be down plated to 1450kg (thus leaving me with 683kg for trailer load and they have stated that ‘by law’ they can only down plate to either 1500kg or 1400kg but nothing in between. My last trailer was downplated to the KG!

If this is the case it is going to prevent me from going ahead with my trailer purchase :(

Has Something changed in the last few years?!
A new law/rule for down plating trailers came in some time ago where manufacturers had to list the various possible weights for each trailer and most went for exact multiples of 100

Down plated to 1400 would leave a max trailer load of 633kg
What weight do you need to put in the trailer?
 
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