Albert 888 Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Right I passed my test at 18 in April 1997. The law changed in Jan 1997. I have a p38 approx weight is 2300kg. What weight of caravan can I tow. I was thinking it was 3.5t combined so that would be 1200 laden. I have read up on it but it's not going in. Can someone explain simply please. Cheers Albert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medic1281 Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) I didn't think you could tow a trailer above 750kg without doing a trailer test. But I'm like you, i read the information and couldn't work it out!! Ignore the above, just re read the info and now have no idea what so ever!! Edited April 6, 2015 by Medic1281 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert 888 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 It says combined weight of 3.5t, so if I have a car weighing 2t I can tow 1.5t. Just wondering if I have to do a test to tow a caravan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twistedsanity Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Provided the gross weight of your tow vehicle and whatever you are towing does not exceed 3.5t (I thought it was 3t but could be wrong) then you dont need to do any test , so you can tow a light caravan with a light car , not sure if that is long ton, us tonnes, metric tonnes ? I don't think it matters what you are towing so long as you are within the weight limit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfer Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 You can do a veichiles match to caravans weight,Google and the likes bring up various sites and also guidance on the towing laws Caravan club decent site for info on this Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mick.j Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) I was under the impression that you were not allowed to tow anything unless you had the proper code on your licence after Jan 97. I thought you had to take a test after this date to tow. Edit - Seems like you just need cat 'B' now on your license and the maximum weight is 3500kg combined (vehicle and laden trailer) Anything else needs extra letters Edited April 6, 2015 by Mick.j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson_tom Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 The law changed recently but rule is basically - any trailer up to 750kg or - the gross vehicle weight plus the trailer maximum laden weight has to be under 3.5t. looking online your p38 has a gvw of 2800kg which would only give you 700kg up to the 3.5t limit. However any trailer up to 750kg can be towed so that will be your limit on a normal b license. to tow any decent size caravan you will need to do the test or get a smaller car. Stupid rule I know as means you can tow a big van up to around 1500kg with a Ford mondeo but not your landrover as the mondeo has the lowever gvw so can have a bigger van to stay under the 3.5 ton rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 You can two up to 750kg unbraked. You can also two up to 3.5t gross if the trailer is braked, so 1.2t would be correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson_tom Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 the weights have to be calculated using the vehicle gvw, not the actually weight at time of towing. same as trailer weights have to be maximum loaded weight not the weight at time of towing. So you can't get away with towing a large ifor Williams even if it's empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert 888 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 2.5d auto min weight 2130kg Max weight 2780kg The last time I looked over at the weighbridge on the way home from work was 2400kg or there abouts. Will fill with fuel and a passenger and recheck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mick.j Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 The up to 750kg trailer towing weight only applies if the total weight (vehicle+trailer) does not exceed 3500kg That is the maximum weight you can 'drive' on cat 'B' Trailers over 750kg can be towed, but must not exceed the towing vehicle weight and again total weight must not exceed 3500kg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert 888 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 We have a skoda fabia around 1200kg with a towbar.so I can tow a 2300kg caravan. It seams a very stupid rule. The caravan would be somthing like a lunar venus 460/2 Mro 962kg Payload 193 kg Mtplm 1155kg. So it's not huge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mick.j Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) We have a skoda fabia around 1200kg with a towbar.so I can tow a 2300kg caravan. It seams a very stupid rule. The caravan would be somthing like a lunar venus 460/2 Mro 962kg Payload 193 kg Mtplm 1155kg. So it's not huge. I think you need to find out the maximum towing capacity of your car - i would be surprised if its 2300kg, more like 1000kg would be more like it. You cannot tow 2300kg as this is more than the weight of your car Edited April 6, 2015 by Mick.j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) http://campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/helpandadvice/gettingstarted/newtocaravans/ All the info is on here. Caravan and camping club. The other thing you have to be careful of is not to overload your caravan as in some areas they are now doing road side checks on cars with caravans and if its over the limit they are fining you. Edited April 6, 2015 by loriusgarrulus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliver90owner Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Your owner's manual should give you the towing limits for the vehicle. Gross train weight, towing capacity, gross vehicle weight and max. axle weight. You can tow an empty trailer (which has a higher gross weight - they relaxed the silly rule about larger gross weight of the trailer applying to the towing vehicle) as long as the vehicle limits are not exceeded. What license you need, I have no idea - as my full licence dates from 1965, I think. Number of axles may even figure in the test requirement. Before long you will need a tachograph as well, I wouldn't be surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 according to that site LG, If you've passed your test pre 1997 then you may have cat B +E, then the max gross weight goes up to 8250kg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millrace Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) C1e up to 8250 pre 97,, tho no idea how this really is enforced,, also as a side line every time you renew your license make sure and keep copy as they now apparently take cats off if you now have to do a test ie cat b etc I've even got road roller,now you may laugh as to why but in the building trade you just never know and I've got so want to keep it and funny I haven't been in one in thirty yr when we used to go on a Saturday with the grand a who worked in a quarry and we always got to do the rolling....simpler times before h&s kicked in.... Edited April 6, 2015 by millrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmydean Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Its very helpful to have 'grandfather rights', although its a bit of a prejudicial statement. We can use chainsaws without certs and buy and use toxic chemical spray without any certification and, now, tow trailers, I frequently do with my tractor on top. My Dad learned to drive in the army and never took a road-based test, he survived not only the war but to 84 without killing himself. One wonders at all this regulation and the necessity for it. Never been stopped and dont expect to be - how is this worse than red deisel ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Had a look at my licence as I passed my test in 1976. It has the following on it. A, AM, B, B1, C1, D1, BE, C1E, D1E and fklnpq on the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wascal Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Its very helpful to have 'grandfather rights', although its a bit of a prejudicial statement. My Dad learned to drive in the army and never took a road-based test, he survived not only the war but to 84 without killing himself. when my father took his bike test in the early 50's , he was asked did he want an "all types licence" ? He thought "motorbike and sidecar" but got everything . only lost HGV ans PSV when the medials came in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert 888 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 The p38 will tow 7.5t according to a towing Internet site. I'm not going to tow anything apart from a very small trailer with the Mrs skoda. I passed my test after the change in April 1997 as the first post says. It looks like if I want tow a normal sized caravan and not a noddy type one i will have to do a trailer test. Thanks for all the info Albert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildfowler Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) Or have someone with you who has grandfather rights (or has passed their trailer test with over a years experience I think) Stick an L plate on the back and away you go! My father gets lots of trips out to not so interesting places! But I guess it's different if your looking to tow a caravan as the parents will just get in the way! Edited April 6, 2015 by Wildfowler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) I don't know about post-1997, but four-wheel-drive vehicles used to be covered by a different set of rules, for dual/multi-purpose vehicles, to those for two-wheel-drive vehicles. Edited April 7, 2015 by rjimmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yod dropper Posted April 7, 2015 Report Share Posted April 7, 2015 Here is the law: https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delburt0 Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 I think you will find you cannot tow a caravan with the license you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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