Which way to go .. LGV or trailer test or something else?

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PortuguesePony

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Unfortunately I didn’t pass my (car) driving test until later in life so can’t tow without doing an extra test nor can I drive a larger (but non HGV) lorry … not as I understand it anyway! I didn’t pass my test until 2005 anyway. I really need transport , day/weekend hire isn’t really practical (no where around us and looking to do lots of shorter frequent trips e.g 20 mins to an hr) and just trying to work out the best way of doing it.

3.5t lorries seem to be out, there seems to be a premium on their price. I would guess to reflect that they can be driven on a post '98 car licence. But also their max payload in most cases and even the ones without living, won’t legally/safely cover 2 full size horses, full tack/competition kit and 2 people etc. Or does anyone know of one that does? (Can’t afford a brand new one or anything 5 figures sorry!)

The over 3.5t up to 7.5t lorries for sale seem to be a lot cheaper though/you get more for your money BUT I would have to take a separate LGV test, is that right? (Please anyone correct me if I am wrong at any point, these are only my preliminary thoughts!) LGV test and courses are coming up at over a £1000 though, does that sound right? Plus you have to buy the lorry on top of course.

Or I could buy a 4x4 (couldn’t afford to run it every day so it would have to be an extra vehicle) and a trailer and then take my trailer test, also looking at around £1000 for this test too? Plus the trailer and the 4x4.

What to do? Any thoughts?! Really looking for the cheapest way of getting my own transport for neddies.
 
Having had both a trailer and now a lorry, personally the lorry is cheaper. But I was using my 4x4 as my main vehicle, so the fuel, tax and maintenance was horrendous. Now I am running my lorry and a small (brand new on lease deal) car for the same as the trailer and 4x4 cost each month!

You are right about the costs of the tests - you'd be as well doing your class two licence, it costs the same as a 7.5t test, then you can drive loads!
 
You need to do a trailer test to be allowed to pull a decent sized trailer. The test plus lessons will cost about £500. You'd then be looking at many thousands to buy a decent car and trailer. Plus need to tax, MOT and insure the extra car: it might be cheaper to just spend extra on fuel with the 4x4 an everyday car?

The category C license (any weight as long as it's not articulated) or the cat C1 (up to 7.5t: it's what older drivers have automatically) will cost you £1000 for test and lessons. You can sit the full cat C test without having to do the C1 first. It's more stringent and you need a medical for it.

To buy a large lorry is often far cheaper than trailer and car, esp those over 7.5tonnes. And you often find an under 7.5t have a very low payload and can only just manage 2large horses (despite being partitioned for 3+). You still need to plate and insure a lorry (usually very cheap to insure).

I did my trailer test as that's what we have. Id still like to do my cat C test someday tho.
 
Kallibear said:
You can sit the full cat C test without having to do the C1 first. It's more stringent and you need a medical for it.
Click to expand...
The only difference in doing C instead of C1 will be the slightly bigger size and the gearbox if the choice is between a 7.5 lorry and a C lorry

The C1 can be done easier if a large 5 tonne(ish) van is used for the C1

In all cases for any first LGV (vehicle over 3.5 tonnes) DSA test the medical and theory will be exactly the same
 
Thank everyone for your replies.

Slightly off topic but fjordhorsefan, what’s a leaseplan deal??

Back to topic, Kallibear from the research I’ve done, most 4x4’s only achieve 20-30mpg! <<<cringe>>> I have a fairly long commute for work and I think it would cost me more in fuel to get there than what I get paid! Also hadn’t considered that about the payloads when looking at larger lorries. Food for thought, thank you.

ROG – ah ha, I have just seen all the links in your signature, thank you!
 
I have a 4x4 and trailer. Too be honest I use my 4x4 Nissan terrano sub all the time and its just the same to run, tax and insure as my old rover 216. So only spend loads when actually towing. But then I only do around 15 or so miles a day.
 
I drive an automatic Audi a4 and tow a hb505 with one horse in it on a b+e licence.

Cheap as chips. Don't discount a good estate!

(Definitely need a b+e though!! I did mine in Wales for £300)
 
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tallyho! said:
I drive an automatic Audi a4 and tow a hb505 with one horse in it on a b+e licence.

Cheap as chips. Don't discount a good estate!

(Definitely need a b+e though!! I did mine in Wales for £300)
Click to expand...
With a lighter down plated trailer you could probably get away with towing on a B licence using that Audi A4
 
Oooh, now there's a thought off to look up Audi A4 estates, thank you.

I did some Googling and also found a 4x4 called a Nissan Xtrail which apparently does 40 odd mpg on a diesel but they appear to be very expensive to buy for the age/mileage etc I could find (Over £3k for diesels that have done 180,000 miles :eek: )
 
PortuguesePony said:
Oooh, now there's a thought off to look up Audi A4 estates, thank you.

I did some Googling and also found a 4x4 called a Nissan Xtrail which apparently does 40 odd mpg on a diesel but they appear to be very expensive to buy for the age/mileage etc I could find (Over £3k for diesels that have done 180,000 miles :eek: )
Click to expand...

Are you looking to tow 2 horses or just 1 ?
 
Suncat said:
I do the same, tow a light weight trailer with an A4 estate - but I can only tow one horse at a time (regarding weight/safety).
Click to expand...

Absolutely... Wouldn't put any extra in it for the a4 bless its cottons :) mine is 2litre 2wd only, auto. So would only ever get one 15.2 in it that could comfortably tow and be weight compliant and safe. As ROG is pointing out, downplating and one horse is your limit if you are happy with that...

OP, have you thought also about a second hand audi allroad? This is going to be my next company car (lack of forward planning with this one but stuck with it for a couple more years) but it has good economy when not towing unlike a conventional 4x4. The towing capacity is brilliant at 2500kgs for the 2.2.

There must be other 4x4 estates I am not biased, just that I have heard good things about the allroad.
 
Well, I have two horses (one according to the weightape so not wholly accurate, is: 515kg and the other 540kg) and would like to have the capacity to transport two but I appreciate I couldn’t do that under my current licence without doing my trailer test.
Lorry is looking too expensive so I will rule that out now. So I thought if there was a way I could tow just one in a trailer and not have to do my test, I would be prepared to compromise at this. It is unlikely after all that we will take both horses out together, it just would be nice to have the option! I also thought that this would be a good way to “try out” the option of having a trailer for transport without too much initial cost/commitment.

I should also just add that, the budget is minimal (£4k absolute max to cover both car and trailer) so I can’t afford a new/posh 4x4. I do need to replace my car shortly so looking to see if I can kill two birds with one stone. I do around 350 miles a week on average. I had discounted being able to tow with a more normal car because I understood that the car and trailer combined laden weight (is that the MAM?) had to be under 2500kg? And I couldn’t find a combo that matched my criteria (affordable to buy, reasonable MPG and towing capability) that would work??

Any advice greatly received but I think finances are going to make this prohibitive :(
 
PortuguesePony said:
So I thought if there was a way I could tow just one in a trailer and not have to do my test, I would be prepared to compromise at this. It is unlikely after all that we will take both horses out together, it just would be nice to have the option!
Click to expand...

Some ideas for B licence towing ....


BATESON LIGHT HORSE TRAILER
CHEVAL LIGHT HORSE TRAILER
IFOR LIGHT HORSE TRAILER

Contact trailer manufacturer to have trailer downplated if needed (free or very little cost)

Toyota Rav 4 (4X4) with these specifications/dimensions
Unladen/kerb = 1425
GVW = 1785
Max towing weight = 1500
Max trailer plated MAM = 1425 kgs


Nissan X trail (4X4) with these specifications/dimensions
Unladen/kerb = 1515
GVW = 2050
Towing = 2000
Max trailer plated MAM = 1450 kgs

Kia Sportage (AWD) with these specifications/dimensions
Unladen/kerb = 1678
GVW = 2140
Towing = 1600
Max trailer plated MAM = 1360 kgs

FREELANDER 1 (2001 - 2005)
Unladen/kerb = 1500
GVW = 2040
Towing = 1800
Max trailer plated MAM = 1460 kgs

SUBARU FORRESTER (4X4)
Unladen/kerb = 1465 minimum
GVW = 2050 maximum
Towing = 2000
Max trailer plated MAM = 1450 kgs

Skoda Yeti (4X4) with these specifications/dimensions
Kerb = 1530
GVW = 2070
Towing capacity = 2000
Max trailer plated MAM = 1430 kgs

Suzuki vitara (4X4) with these specifications/dimensions
Kerb = 1400
GVW = 1950
Towing = 1850
Max trailer plated MAM = 1400 kgs


Deduct trailer unladen weight from max trailer plated weight to get maximum load/horse weight for the trailer
Example:- Nissan (1450) minus IFOR HB403 (770 appx) = load/horse 680 kgs

Many standard saloon/estate cars can also be used for B licence towing with a horse trailer.
The types of surfaces being driven on must be considered if not using a 4X4
 
Thank you for the clarification and for those examples :)

I have been reading those threads and links and hoping a large car with a light weight trailer and just one horse will be a possibility for me (yay!!)

Sorry to be so dim, but what does downplating mean and do?? :o

ROG said:
Contact trailer manufacturer to have trailer downplated if needed (free or very little cost)
Click to expand...
 
Two more equally dim questions ...
GVW? And on my B license the max combined weight of the fully loaded car and trailer, from reading the threads I was directed to - is that actually 3500kg and not 2500kg as I wrote above??
 
PortuguesePony said:
Sorry to be so dim, but what does downplating mean and do?? :o
Click to expand...
Down plating is when the maximum the trailer can be with a load on is lowered

Example -
Trailer is plated at 2000 and weighs 500 empty so can have a load of 1500
Down plate it to 1500 means it can have a load of 1000

PortuguesePony said:
Two more equally dim questions ...
GVW? And on my B license the max combined weight of the fully loaded car and trailer, from reading the threads I was directed to - is that actually 3500kg and not 2500kg as I wrote above??
Click to expand...
GVW is the maximum the vehicle can weigh when fully loaded



towing with a B licence means the vehicle GVW figure added to the trailer plated MAM figure must not be more than 3500
That 3500 is the maximum possible weights added together and not the actual weights they are at the time
 
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Hi ROG

Would be so kind as to clarify to other things for me please? :)

Firstly – a trailer dealer has just told me that I cannot tow a twin axel trailer on a B licence?? Is that right and if so, but aren’t all horse trailers twin axel? (I.e. two sets of wheels, right?)

Secondly - according to here …
https://www.gov.uk/towing-rules/y/car-or-light-vehicle/no/from-jan-1997
The “fully laden trailer weight” reffered to, would that be the “plated” weight or the actual weight (which may be less) when pony is loaded etc?

Thanks in advance.
 
ROG said:
Down plating is when the maximum the trailer can be with a load on is lowered

Example -
Trailer is plated at 2000 and weighs 500 empty so can have a load of 1500
Down plate it to 1500 means it can have a load of 1000


GVW is the maximum the vehicle can weigh when fully loaded



towing with a B licence means the vehicle GVW figure added to the trailer plated MAM figure must not be more than 3500
That 3500 is the maximum possible weights added together and not the actual weights they are at the time
Click to expand...

Just realised I had not previously replied to the above ^ :eek: since you kindly took the time to answer. Thank you very much for the clarification.
 
Just to add, my current car is:

Unladed vehicle weight: 1403kg
Gross Vehicle Weight: 1970kg
Max trailer weight/towing capacity: 1600kg

And looking at a Cheval Liberte Single or the Bateson Derby? With one horse @ 550kg and downplating the trailer to 1400kg?
 
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PortuguesePony said:
Just to add, my current car is:

Unladed vehicle weight: 1403kg
Gross Vehicle Weight: 1970kg
Max trailer weight/towing capacity: 1600kg

And looking at a Cheval Liberte Single or the Bateson Derby? With one horse @ 550kg and downplating the trailer to 1400kg?
Click to expand...
PERFECT :) for B licence towing
 
Phew! Thank you :)

How about this twin axle thing, is that rubbish?

PortuguesePony said:
Hi ROG

Would be so kind as to clarify to other things for me please? :)

Firstly – a trailer dealer has just told me that I cannot tow a twin axle trailer on a B licence?? Is that right and if so, but aren’t all horse trailers twin axel? (I.e. two sets of wheels, right?)

Secondly - according to here …
https://www.gov.uk/towing-rules/y/car-or-light-vehicle/no/from-jan-1997
The “fully laden trailer weight” reffered to, would that be the “plated” weight or the actual weight (which may be less) when pony is loaded etc?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

And the "fully laden weight"?
 
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