I noticed that there are a few threads on here where the current UK towing laws with B and B+E vehicles are getting confused so I present you with this post.

Trailer towing:- B and B+E licence rules explained

I have extensive knowledge on this issue and already have a trailer towing clinic HERE

Trailers over 3500 kgs plated MAM weight come under different rules which is why all the trailers towed by B class vehicles , those of 3.5 tonnes and under, are not plated at more than 3500 kgs or 3.5 tonnes MAM

Trailers without plates use the total of the TYRE LOAD RATINGS to determine the MAM.
A rating of 66 on 4 tyres would give a MAM of 1200 kgs.

Vehicles in the B licence category will have the following information on a plate in the vehicle, in the handbook or on the V5 form.
Information can also be found on many internet vehicle specification sites.

Unladen or Kerb weight - although there is a slight difference in the two it is not that much
GVW - the max weight the vehicle can weigh when fully loaded
GTW - the max weight the vehicle and trailer can ACTUALLY weigh when added together. This does not refer to the total of the vehicle GWV and trailer MAM weights.
Towing capacity - this is the ACTUAL weight that can be towed by the vehicle - it does not mean the trailer MAM weight.
None of the above weights must be exceeded

Some vehicles have a GVW, a towing capacity and a GTW. In such a case the GTW takes priority over the GVW and towing capacity when added together

FOR B+E LICENCES
Where a towing capacity is listed then this would be a legal example:-
CAR has GVW of 2000 and a towing capacity of 1800
TRAILER has a MAM of 3500 and an unladen weight of 1000
The trailer can be loaded with a maximum weight of 800

Where there is not a towing capacity listed then the GTW is used
GTW minus the GVW does not give the towing capacity unless the vehicle is fully laden

EXAMPLE: -
VAN has GVW of 3500 and GTW of 6000
TRAILER has MAM of 3500
The van and trailer can weigh 3000 each and be legal

FOR B LICENCES
The Gov sites are not that good at explaining this so I have managed to find a simple way of determining whether a driver can tow something on a B only licence -

To tow over 750 kgs with a B licence you need to say NO to the following:-
Is the plated MAM of the trailer more than the UNLADEN/KERB/EMPTY weight of the towing vehicle?
Does the GVW of the towing vehicle plus the plated MAM of the trailer add up to more than 3500 kgs?
Is the ACTUAL weight of the empty trailer and its load more than the listed towing capacity?

Example of legally towing over 750 kgs with a B licence - made up figures but not that far from what can be found....
Towing vehicle -
Unladen/empty/kerb = 1500
GVW = 2000
Towing capacity = 1800
Trailer -
Unladen/empty = 800
MAM = 1500 (Perhaps originally a 2000 MAM but downplated by manufacturer so it conforms to B licence towing)
Load trailer with 700 max

Reasons it is legal for towing on a B licence -
The 1500 MAM of the trailer is not more than the 1500 unladen/empty weight of the towing vehicle
The 2000 GVW of the towing vehicle plus the 1500 MAM of the trailer is not more than 3500
The towing capacity/actual weight being towed does not exceed 1800

SUPERVISING A B+E LEARNER
In April 2010 new rules were introduced for those supervising certain learner drivers but they only affected those supervising VOCATIONAL categories such as C1 C1+E D1 & D1+E where the supervising driver had those categories given to them for free when they passed a pre 1997 car test.
They do not affect those with a pre 1997 B+E licence who wish to supervise a B+E learner.
The usual rules apply when a learner is driving -
The supervising driver must be aged over 21
The supervising driver must have held a B+E licence for at least 3 years
L plates must be fitted to the front of the vehicle and the rear of the trailer
Correct insurance for a B+E learner

Caravan weights work on a slightly different system as they take into account the recommended (not legal) 85% towing rule

I hope this helps those who are unsure of the rules

 

ive got be c1e and d1e on my licence so what can i tow

ive got an x5 and ive towed my s1 on a trailer is this ok

ps pased my test in 1990

 

D1+E = The total weight of the vehicle and the trailer together can’t weigh more than 12,000 kg. The weight of the trailer, when fully loaded, can’t weigh more than the unladen weight of the vehicle

C1+E with 107 code = maximum combined MAM of 8250 kgs
That could be a 7500 with a 750 kg trailer or
a 5000 with a 3250 trailer for example

B+E = any trailer up to 3500 MAM but the restrictions on towing capacity and any GTW on the towing vehicle must be taken into account for actual weights used

As for your current set up I will need some info -

Towing vehicle
Unladen/kerb = ??? kgs
GVW = ??? kgs
Towing capacity = ??? kgs
GTW if listed = ??? kgs

Trailer
Unladen = ??? kgs
MAM = ??? kgs

 

This is where I get confused.
I only have B+E. I quite happily tow a small trailer.

Now I always thought I couldn't tow more than 750kgs?

 

I must be simple as I still don't have a clue lol
All i want to do is tow a clio with my jeep.
Previously towed my xr4x4 with my transit 350 and the plod didn't bat an eyelid?

 

That Must be ROG of trucknet fame then

 

As shown above, it's not possible to make an instant judgement about any given set of conditions, unless you've seen the exact situation before.
Plod are no exception to this, you may have been over the limits with the XR 4.

350 = LWB ? SWB definitely wouldn't be legal for towing an average car on a transporter.

Someone needs to do an APP for towing, except those of us who won't have Iphone or similar will be no better off..

 

That is why I compiled the first post in this thread to show what can be done legally and to dispell many of the myths

Yes it is

 

What licence do you have ? - B or B+E

Is the Clio on a trailer?

What weight is the Clio?

What are the specs for the Jeep
Unladen/Kerb
GVW
Towing capacity
GTW if listed

What are the specs for the trialer if one is being used
Unladen
MAM

???

 

Transit 350 would be GVW 3500 and GTW 5750 I think

the following weights are made up but not that far off the mark I think ...

If towing a car on a trailer (MAM 2500+) with a B+E licence then these weights would be legal ....

Unladen weight of trailer 1000 plus weight of car 1500 = 2500 total
Transit unladen 2000 loaded with 1000 = 3000 total

Total of both = 5500 so within 5750 GTW

 

I seem to have BE for a car and then a couple of others which arn't relevant to this, C1E and D1E ?

Transit was 3500 gvw, xr was on a braked trailer

I'm going to have to get all the weighs of the jeep,clio and trailer then methinks, would be easier if they just made the rules a little clearer for us laymen

 

All B category vehicles are 3500 GVW or less so B+E would be the licence to which you will be towing with


You need these figures -
JEEP/VAN
GVW = 3500
GTW = ???
Towing capacity = ???


TRAILER
Unladen = ???
MAM = ???


LOAD (CLIO/XR) the actual weight when it is on the trailer - I would use the unladen or kerb weight if nothing is in it = ???

 

I was always under the impression that from the late nineties if you past you test you weren't allowed to tow a trailer at all regardless of weight and you needed to do a separate test. Doesn't apply to me though as I passed earlier

 

That is one of the myths - there are others !!

 

I passed my car test in 03 and I was allowed to tow a trailer upto 750kg,
In 05 I passed both my HGV 2 and 1 so Im pretty much ok with most combinations

 

So, was I legal towing an Escort Cosworth on a non-plated braked trailer? Tow car was a Mk2 diesel mondeo estate?

 

You got the first bit wrong and the second bit right

You future problem will be this ....
At some point in the future you will decide not to renew your medical for the LGV CE and so will lose the BE entitlement

This was never an issue before because most LGV/HGV drivers had the old pre 97 licence which gave them BE so they could still tow large trailers when they retired or gave up the LGV

So you can drive artics etc for years and years and then when you retire you now find that to tow many large trailers with a car you need to pass the BE test !! or revert back to the B licence towing restrictions

 

That depends on what licence you have and what all the relevent weights were

Non plated trailer will go by the tyre load ratings

 

so aslong as I keep renewing the medical ill be fine?

My medical isnt due for another 15 years,

 

YES

15 years time will be at age 45 then ages 50 55 60 65 66 67 68 69 .....

 

ok
Towing vehicle bmw x5 3.0d
Unladen/kerb = 2105 kgs
GVW = 2695 kg
Towing capacity =2300 kgs
GTW if listed = 2700 kgs

Trailer i uaslly hire out is
Car transporter tilt bed. 16ft long x 6ft wide. Carrying capacity 2035kg.

thanks john

 

Interesting, i thought as long as the GTW didn't exceed 3500kg, i didn't exceed the MAM of the trailer & didn't exceed the towing capacity of the vehicle i was fine with my B licence ? Is this true?

What i have:

Range rover, kerb weight 2130kg, maximum towing capactiy 3500kg. So my horse box, which is un-plated with 66 rating tyres = 1200kg maximum weight? My box weighs 770kg which leaves 430kg worth of horse?

430kg of horse + 770kg trailer weight + 2130 of car = 3330kg gtw. give & take a few kg for passengers/fuel + still under 3500kg so all good, correct?

Things start to change however when i couple up my ifor williams hb505. MAM trailer weight 3500kg + 2130 of car = gtw of 5630kg = 2130kg too heaving for my b licence.

Is my understanding right or wrong as i am about to book my B+E any day now.

 

Not as i interpret it:
Cars or light vans, with or without trailers

The term maximum authorised mass (MAM) means the total weight of the vehicle plus the maximum load it can carry safely.

Category
Description
Minimum age
B
Motor vehicles with a MAM of up to 3,500 kg, no more than eight passenger seats, with or without a trailer - weighing no more than 750 kg
17*
B
As category B but with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg. The total weight of the vehicle and the trailer together can’t weigh more than 3,500 kg. The weight of the trailer, when fully loaded, can’t weigh more than the unladen weight of the vehicle
17*
B auto
As category B with automatic transmission
17*
B+E
As category B but with a heavier trailer that isn't covered in the descriptions for category B
17
*Age 16 if you are currently getting Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate (mobility component).
Example of category B with a trailer weighing over 750 kg: Motor vehicle with an unladen weight of 1,500 kg and a maximum weight of 2,000 kg towing a fully loaded trailer with a weight of 1,500 kg – total weight 3500.


I don't see the issue personally. People get hung up on MAM, GVW etc etc.

Provided your trailer and load doesn't exceed the unladen weight of the tow vehicle and whole lot once laden doesn't exceed 3.5t you're fine.

I maintain though that to remove the doubt do the test.

 

Dont think the GTW is correct because if you load the bmw to full then you can only tow 305 !!

Ignoring the GTW ......
On a B+E licence you can have a trailer plated up to 3500 MAM but can only have the actual weight of the trailer and its load at 2300 max

On a B licence the max trailer MAM is only 805 (2695+805=3500)

 

This is why I did the first post - to explain it in plain english and not in that jargon you posted.

You have interpretted it incorrectly as many others have before you and many more probably will in times to come

MAM GVW GTW unladen weights and towing capacities are all part of the system of towing laws whether we like it or not

Your way of thinking can easily get a driver into trouble with the law !!

 

ILLEGAL on a B licence in both cases

The RR has a GVW of 2780 so that only leaves a max of 750 MAM for a trailer

Anything over 2750 GVW can only tow 750 on a B licence

Anything under 2750 GVW can tow a trailer up to a combined GVW/MAM of 3500
EXAMPLE
GVW of 2200 can tow a trailer with a plated MAM(or tyre rating) of 1300 as long as the unladen weight of the towing vehicle is 1300 or more

 

I did a fair bit of research on towing last year & passed my B+E.

What your saying here I don't believe to be correct. The car can only tow a trailer rated to 1800kg MAM irrespective of the trailer being loaded or not.

 

Originally Posted by ROG.
Where a towing capacity is listed then this would be a legal example:-
CAR has GVW of 2000 and a towing capacity of 1800
TRAILER has a MAM of 3500 and an unladen weight of 1000
The trailer can be loaded with a maximum weight of 800

your research needs more work

It is one of the oldest MYTHS in towing with B category vehicles

There is no law which states that the MAM of a trailer cannot exceed the towing capacity

I'll put in my usual challenge - Ł100 to anyone who can prove otherwise - and I am serious

 

When I get a moment I will take you up on your offer. I've seen a few threads where people have got done for it (Transit forum I belive), so there will be some legislation somewhere.

 

I've not posted jargon, i've copied it from the DVLA licence categories. Seems pretty clear to me. I'm just going by the information out there. Without starting an argument it clearly states that on a b licence any vehicle upto 3500kgs can tow 750kgs. I'm not sure what it is you think i and others have got wrong there.
Outside that its easier to do the test.

 

It states that a vehicle of 3500 can tow 750 kgs

then it goes on to say ...
The total weight of the vehicle and the trailer together can’t weigh more than 3,500 kg
Which means a vehicle lighter than 3500 can have a heavier trailer as long as the total combined weight is not more than 3500 MAM

Its all in the careful reading of what you posted but as I said - it is not in plain english but in DVLA jargon (I did not mean YOUR jargon)

 

I am on the tranist forum as (ROG) and no-one there or on any other forum has been prosecuted for such

Try the DTT forum, the ADUK forum, The Horse and Hounds forum, etc - I am on all of those ....

On the Horse and hounds forum a senior VOSA official (member of the site) states what I just have

Some of those on the DTT forum were adamant that I was wrong but soon went quiet after e-mails from Kent and other police force traffic divisions !!

I am not that stupid to state something as a FACT when it is not
If I am not certain I will say so by adding 'I think' or 'I guess' or similar

 

But that only applies to trailers over 750kgs. I don't think any careful reading is needed it specifically states vehicles upto 3500kgs with or without a trailer no more than 750kgs. It doesn't mention not exceeding 3500kgs until you get into trailers over 750kgs. It has seperate definitions for <750kgs trailers and >750kgs trailers.
I do see where you're coming from but i can't help feeling its being read into too much

 

Rog,
Isn't the confusion over excessive MAM from this, where the MAM of the trailer exceeds 3500;

From above;

Trailers over 3500 kgs plated MAM weight come under different rules which is why all the trailers towed by B class vehicles , those of 3.5 tonnes and under, are not plated at more than 3500 kgs or 3.5 tonnes MAM

 

NTTA link for guidance, as i've always thought you can drive on a post 97 licence in a van loaded to 3500kgs and tow a trailer at 750kgs.
http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/law/driving_licences.aspx

 

ok think i got that wrong think its 5515kgs but will check tomrrow to be sure

 

all of the above is exactly why people just take the chance and dont do the test. its all confusing at the best of times and it's also why i chose to just buy a transit to transport my race car.

 

Is there not an issue with driving a recovery vehicle too? I ran a garage years ago in the ne and my apprentice couldn't drive the twin wheel ldv recovery truck.

 

Here is the more informative official DVLA jargon which has examples -
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...es/DG_10013073

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to eight passenger seats

Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.


For example:

• a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle

Whereas

• the same vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes when coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.5 tonnes would fall within category B+E. This is because although the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer is within the 3.5 tonnes MAM limit, the MAM of the trailer is more than the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle
• Vehicle manufacturers normally recommend a maximum weight of trailer appropriate to their vehicle. Details can usually be found in the vehicle's handbook or obtained from car dealerships. The size of the trailer recommended for an average family car with an unladen weight of around 1 tonne would be well within the new category B threshold.

 

There is no law that states a B category vehicle cannot tow a trailer over 3500 MAM but the legal requirements for the trailer make it virtually impossible for a B class vehicle to do so

My guess would be something like air brakes for the trailer is required but that is a guess