Any test examiners on here (new towing test)

Stinky

Stinky

Stinky

Soldato
Joined
28 Mar 2005
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Hi guys,

I finally have my towing test booked in for Thursday, however I understand the rules have no changed, you now have to tow a loaded trailer?

This is from the gov website

Trailers must have a minimum real weight of 800 kg and carry a minimum load of 600 kg of aggregates or 1 intermediate bulk container (IBC) of 1,000 kg or 600 kg capacity when filled with water. You can read more about rules covering load requirements.

The trailer must have an MAM of at least 1 tonne. The examiner may ask for evidence of the trailer’s MAM, eg the manufacturer’s plate.
Click to expand...

Does this mean that if my trailer is 1.5 tonnes I still need a minimum weight inside it of 600kg?.

I'm very confused about what I need. I will be using a large twin axel iforwilliams box trailer for the test, I just need to know what's needed inside it.
 
Also

If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can:

drive a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM
tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as it is no more than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle (with a combined weight of up to 3,500kg in total)
Click to expand...

If my disco 3 weighs 2200kg

And my trailer 1000kg unladen

I can tow this legally?
 
Stinky said:
Also



If my disco 3 weighs 2200kg

And my trailer 1000kg unladen

I can tow this legally?
Click to expand...

Only with the B+E addition to your licence. It doesn't matter what the trailer weighs, it matters what it can carry.

I added the B+E category before the rules changed.

I believe that does mean you need to be carrying at least the minimum weight of 600kg putting your total trailer weight to 1600kg.

You'll need to take it to the driving test centre with this weight on and therefore will require someone who can sit next you with L plates to accompany you to the test centre.

Have you had any lessons or tried the test before?

Good luck :)
 
jono_astra said:
basically how i see it is.

you can tow (unless its the very new licence) if the MAM of the trailer doesn't exceed the unladen weight of the tow car, and in total it doesn't exceed the maximum 3.5tonnes and that the car can tow the trailer braked or un-braked in the permitted limits on the cars tow limits.

for example.

you have a car that's unladen weight is 1.2 tonnes, the trailer/caravan MAM is 1.1 tonnes then you can tow that as the total weight is 2.3 tonnes.

Very difficult to understand it but i found this out a few years ago and rang the dvla up and they didn't know themselves
Click to expand...

You need to calculate using the MAM of the tow vehicle not the actual weight. For example I use a Zafira to tow, it weighs 1.7 tons but has a MAM of 2.2 tons and a maximum tow weight of 1.5 tons. Allowing only trailers/caravans with a MAM of 1.3 tons to be towed which is a fairly small trailer or caravan unless you have B+E on your license.
 
If you do go down the water option to load it up, make sure the container is exactly the size you need. A 1000L IBC which is half full is worse to tow than one that is full. All the sloshing around makes it really unstable and difficult.

I would have thought for the trailer test that they would use a standardised test centre provided trailer, as some are a lot easier to reverse than others.
 
task said:
Only with the B+E addition to your licence. It doesn't matter what the trailer weighs, it matters what it can carry.

I added the B+E category before the rules changed.

I believe that does mean you need to be carrying at least the minimum weight of 600kg putting your total trailer weight to 1600kg.

You'll need to take it to the driving test centre with this weight on and therefore will require someone who can sit next you with L plates to accompany you to the test centre.

Have you had any lessons or tried the test before?

Good luck :)
Click to expand...

I've had a couple lessons and the chap cancelled the others and said I didn't need them, so I hope it all goes well tomorrow.

Berger said:
If you do go down the water option to load it up, make sure the container is exactly the size you need. A 1000L IBC which is half full is worse to tow than one that is full. All the sloshing around makes it really unstable and difficult.

I would have thought for the trailer test that they would use a standardised test centre provided trailer, as some are a lot easier to reverse than others.
Click to expand...

I've gone with a twin axel to make it nice and easy ;)

Loaded with 650kg of rock salt now
 
still a bit confused reading this 2 times xD good luck with your test! was thinking about getting a towing bit done as to help my mate with the horse :) that and then can take caravans places? or would that be a different test again :p
 
Passed with 4 minors. Stupidly I got one for not checking the wheel nights on the trailer ..... Go figure , and one because somehow I identified the steering fluid not the break fluid. Retardation haha

The others where for lane position on a multi lane round about and one for slightly blocking a road exit :(
 
The new laden rules for B+E DSA test mean that the trailer must have a plated MAM of at least 1000 kgs and must be loaded with either 600 kgs of weight labelled sand bags OR a 1000 litre full IBC water container.

Regarding the current law for all B licence towing no matter when they got it the one simple extra rule on top of the usual towing rules is this ...

The GVW of the vehicle added to the trailer plated MAM must not total more than 3500 kgs


The GVW is the top of the 4 weights on the plate hidden under the bonnet or in a door frame

The MAM is usually on a silver metal plate on the A frame of the trailer and if no plate present then the total of all the tyre load ratings is taken as the MAM with a 3500 ceiling limit

For all towing whether on B or B+E the lower of the trailer MAM or the towing capacity of the vehicle is used as the maximum actual weight the trailer can be when loaded

Licence laws are based on plated weights not actual weights

I hope that helps
 
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