How to tell if you need a towing licence

[Justme]

Up till 97 the trailer weight was not specified and it may not have been till 2013. So an old B+E could have a trailer heavier than 3500 as long as the brakes were operated by the service brake.

 

The C1+E with a gross of 8.25 tonnes is needed for the mini artics Iveco imported at the turn of the century.

 

That is true however the vehicle would have to be rated for it too. From memory the only ones were landrovers rated to 4000kg.

 

Now all BE is 3500kg as I found out when I looked at my licence using the view a licence service.

 

I am not sure if this is a mistake or a retrospective change.

[Acer Forestry]

God, what a load of faff all this sounds. The idea that because I passed my driving test in 1987 somehow makes me less of a liability with something on the back of my truck is ridiculous. This whole business of trailer tests is exactly that, another government scheme to rip us off- loads of cash being made on the tuition by more twits in high viz jackets, and a stack more on the tests.

[Justme]

Yep. I believe if you have a towing vehicle with no stated maximum towing weight (not sure on the date for this but I know it applies to S2 land rovers but not S3 so must be post-1973) then simple train weight applies, so as long as you have appropriate braking arrangements you can tow over 5000kg. Not sure I would want to, but I know people who have done this with boats, I believe carrying written confirmation of legality.

 

Alec

 

No towing limit / GTW = no towing allowed at all.

 

Landrovers were rated to 4000kg max with air brakes.

 

Ask landrover. They sold a lot of cars with weight plates with no GTW stamped on them for sale overseas. Some were re imported & can now not tow at all.

[Justme]

Most traffic officers go by gmw not what it actually weighs so I would be careful if your towing a trailer with gmw over 750kg.

This coming from experience as now I have a b+e

 

Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk

 

For LICENCE reasons they use PLATED weights.

 

For Construction & Use regs they use real weights.

 

So IF you answer the 3 questions & say no to at least one of them (and are not over loaded) you have nothing to fear re your LICENCE.

 

People mix up Licences, C&U & makers specs / recommendations.

 

All have different rules re how they are enforced.

[openspaceman]

That is true however the vehicle would have to be rated for it too. From memory the only ones were landrovers rated to 4000kg.

 

Now all BE is 3500kg as I found out when I looked at my licence using the view a licence service.

 

I am not sure if this is a mistake or a retrospective change.

 

Yes the Land Rover sprang to mind.

 

I too have checked and my BE is also now restricted to trailer MAM of 3500, it's a bit sneaky I wonder how to query it.

[Justme]

Yes the Land Rover sprang to mind.

 

I too have checked and my BE is also now restricted to trailer MAM of 3500, it's a bit sneaky I wonder how to query it.

 

I am already on it.

 

My money is on a low grade tech sorting the website made a few short cuts with the coding or checking the specs thinking BE was BE for everyone.

[Justme]

Can I just check that this is right with other towing regulations (Have recent B+E) ..

 

 

Forgot to add doc to the reply.

VOSA Operating Licence B+E cat.pdf

[SWB58]

Yep. I believe if you have a towing vehicle with no stated maximum towing weight (not sure on the date for this but I know it applies to S2 land rovers but not S3 so must be post-1973) then simple train weight applies, so as long as you have appropriate braking arrangements you can tow over 5000kg. Not sure I would want to, but I know people who have done this with boats, I believe carrying written confirmation of legality.

 

Alec

 

This man is psychic!

 

Yes I was thinking about Land Rover, in particular the early ones. To be honest I don't know when they started putting towing info on their chassis plates but even on the Series III it was a 'recommended' 2 ton. There is no towing information to be found for the Series II model but some adamantly believe (discussions can become quite heated) that the Series III figure also applies to the Series II. I'm one of those who will use a 3500kg trailer if needed behind mine . . . . and I passed my test before it started getting complicated!

[Rich Rule]

Basically who ever deals with the licenses will strip you of anything they can.

 

I renewed my license last year and gained a towing restriction of 8250kg. I even had the evidence prior to the change of address and printed the sheets off and sent it I. With the forms for renewal/address change.

 

They claimed they didn't know what I was on about and. That restrictions in 1997 blah blah blah...

 

I told them to check the actual restrictions from 1992 when I passed. The answer came back as in 1997... blah blah blah.

 

I escalated it twice and even had a transport consultant advice me. Still the same answer. I figured I was talking to a brick wall .

[Mark Bolam]

So if you're driving a 7.5 tonner for someone you can only tow a sub-750 chipper now?

They really are a bunch of cretins.