Anybody done there trailer test

[Volvomeg]

Now this might be more aimed at the younger end of members as upto 98ish it was part of a standard car licence,

Just wondered if anybody had done it as i've been looking into it as it might come in useful been a mechanic,

From what i can gather its more just a compitence test than anything else,

Just wondered if anybody had done it????

[sharkrider]

Now this might be more aimed at the younger end of members as upto 98ish it was part of a standard car licence,

Just wondered if anybody had done it as i've been looking into it as it might come in useful been a mechanic,

From what i can gather its more just a compitence test than anything else,

Just wondered if anybody had done it????

I'm a qualified driving instructor, and I have taught it to several of the farmers up here.. if its B+E you're looking at, its a difficult test. the trailer must be over 1 ton, braked, be bigger in size than the towing vehical, the combined weight must not be more that 3 tons, you have to pass a seperate theory test (nose weights ect) on the practical, you have to demonstrate coupling and uncoupling, anser trailer related question, reverse from the right, accross to the left into a box, all define by cones and lines at the test center, then demonstrate an emergancy stop.. then you go out on the drive, it lasts approx 1 hour, and includes all types of road including motorways.... you must have extended mirrors on the towing vehical (for the examiner) and a yellow jacket

hope this helps!

[Volvomeg]

Yeah its B+E I was talking about, I thought it must be quiet involved but didn't quiet realise it was that much,

Now i know why its 140 quid to do it

[shark_90]

I've done it, I passed my test after '97 so couldn't tow anything worth towing without B+E.

It's not an easy test to be honest. It's basically a cut down LGV1 test and is very strict. Furthermore it honestly scares me that people who passed before 1/1/97 get it automatically without any training or competence test.

[Volvomeg]

Thats main reason i started to look into it, i've towed plenty of stuff in past but always restricted due to weight issues,

I've bought cars in past but always has to tow them on a bar home even though my dad has a van and i have use of a car trailer due to me been over weight on my licence

Looks like i best get some pratice in at reversing then with trailer on

[shark_90]

I'm not 100% sure but I'm not sure you can tow a car on a bar (or rope) without B+E either.

[vRS Joe]

I find the legislation in this area rather confusing. I'm not allowed to tow our small livestock trailer (even when empty) with our Discovey, yet (as I understand) I could tow a 20 something tonne load legally behind a tractor just with my basic licence. Nuts.

The 'kids' you see round here taking up most of the road, roaring along at 30+mph with huge tractor and trailer combos is terrifying.

Rant over

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Car licences obtained on or after 1 January 1997

If you passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 you're limited to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass towing a trailer up to 750kgs, or a vehicle and trailer combination up to 3.5 tonnes MAM providing the MAM of the trailer doesn't exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. You will need to pass an additional driving test in B+E if you wish to tow a caravan or trailer combination which exceeds these weight limits.

Still scope to tow a small - medium car before needing to do this then going from that

Matt

[Volvomeg]

Not if you look at MAM of most avrage size saloon cars its not,

My previous volvo had a max kerb weight of 1850kg, that doesn't leave alot of weight for a car on a trailer behind it

[vRS Joe]

Maximum authorised mass according to direct Gov website...

The term maximum authorised mass (MAM), used in the context of driving licences, is the maximum weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely while used on the road. This is also known as gross vehicle weight (GVW) or permissible maximum weight. It will be listed in the owner’s manual and is normally shown on a plate or sticker fitted to the vehicle. The plate or sticker may also show a gross train weight (GTW).

Our 2004 Disco has a GVW of 2880kg. On that basis I could use it to tow a trailer of 620kg(3500-2880=620). Our trailer weighs 920kg empty, so basically I can't tow it!

But if the GVW of the tow vehicle was 2580kg I could tow it?

The newer Discoverys are significantly heavier with a 3240kg GVW. So basically you can tow bugger all with them on a basic post 97' licence...

Have I got this right?

[Volvomeg]

How i read it yeah to tow anymore you need the B+E trailer licence then you can basically tow whatever the disco will pull,

I can see why they have done it for saftey reasons but to make the test from whats been said above more like a LGV test seems a little extreme and the 140 quid to do it

[devonutopia]

Hmm, so glad I passed in 1997.... Have all trailer pulling requirements on my license. Can't help feeling I need some practise though as this weekend I towed the smallest trailer ever and I still managed to **** up reversing it.... I think it being smaller actually didn't help as it got out of shape going backwards very easily. Might try and practise more some time.

[Gizmo]

I can see why they have done it for saftey reasons but to make the test from whats been said above more like a LGV test seems a little extreme and the 140 quid to do it

Why? all the LGV test does is prove you are capable of learning to drive a vehicle of that size so that you are not a danger to yourself or others on the road, I see no difference between that and anyone driving a car, towing or not.

You only need to look at the number of caravans littered along the side of a steep hill to realise that EVERYONE who tows should of taken a test to do so.

Hmm, so glad I passed in 1997.... Have all trailer pulling requirements on my license. Can't help feeling I need some practise though as this weekend I towed the smallest trailer ever and I still managed to **** up reversing it.... I think it being smaller actually didn't help as it got out of shape going backwards very easily. Might try and practise more some time.

This is true, the smaller the trailer, the faster it will 'come round', the trick is small movements with the steering wheel.

[shark_90]

Hmm, so glad I passed in 1997.... Have all trailer pulling requirements on my license. Can't help feeling I need some practise though as this weekend I towed the smallest trailer ever and I still managed to **** up reversing it.... I think it being smaller actually didn't help as it got out of shape going backwards very easily. Might try and practise more some time.

If you passed IN 1997 then you'd be subject to the test as well as it was from 1/1/97 so double check your licence!

[oilburninnut]

I have to say looking at the way some of these old buggers perform in builders merchants that I deliver too I think everyone who pulls a trailer should have to sit the test, I swear I can get a maximum weight artic in with less fuss than some of the coffin dodgers with land rovers and trailers!!!!

[Volvomeg]

Think most of its down to common sense, on the road anyway,

Found a place out bradford way that does a 3 day course including test for around 400, plus they have a trailer to do it with so think i might be giving them a ring

[mdk1]

As Martin and Gary have already said,

I also agree it is scary when you see how some trailers are being pulled, also the weight people put on them,

As at this time of year with a lot of track days going on, the amount of track cars being pulled on a trailer being towed by the likes on Mondaneos and Insomnias with there tow bars almost scrapping the ground has to be seen to be believed.

The more people are made aware of safe loading and weight distribution the safer our roads will be.

And don't get me started on small trailers trying to be reversed at the local tip.

[richardsfavorit]

I have a small caravan (650KG) which I have towed with the Felicias and Octavias I have owned - never exceeding the 3500KG GVW. I have thought about the test, though by the sounds of what sharkrider says I wouldn't be able to use my existing setup as it wouldn't be heavy enough? :wonder: When I have got the spare cash I think I will take the test, however for my current needs, it is within the law and my licence to tow what I have.

[keystonedriving]

Just to lob in a small brick........

If you are towing another car, it is effectively an unbraked trailer because you have no direct control over its brakes. That means that it is probably illegal to tow any car because it is almost certainly going to be over the unbraked trailer limit for the towing vehicle.

Rob.

[KenONeill]

You only need to look at the number of caravans littered along the side of a steep hill to realise that EVERYONE who tows should of taken a test to do so.

I've seen a caravan well within the "90% of GVW" recommendation develop a snake and then over-turn on a flat dual carriageway in calm conditions. The nearest other vehicle was the one I was in, which was travelling in the opposite direction so I'm pretty sure it wasn't a wind/slipstream related event. Not all caravan crashes are the result of driver incompetence.

[Gizmo]

Which is exactly why people should take another test before they are allowed to tow (anything)

Your above example is a prime case as it looks like it can only of been caused by incompetence, be that driving, maintanance or incorrectly loaded.

[KenONeill]

Which is exactly why people should take another test before they are allowed to tow (anything)

Your above example is a prime case as it looks like it can only of been caused by incompetence, be that driving, maintanance or incorrectly loaded.

Obviously I can't be certain about the noseweight, but towcar was an original model Disco and not noticably tail-dragging. If you can show a form of incompetence other than hugely wrong noseweight that causes a snake to develop at 50ish mph without wind-based instability occurring and whilst driving in a straight line at steady speed, go ahead.

I suspect most "runaways" are the result of people not using engine braking properly when descending in the belief that it somehow saves fuel. That's imcompetence sure, but it's basic incompetence in operating a motor vehicle, and not something that only happens when towing.

[sharkrider]

Obviously I can't be certain about the noseweight, but towcar was an original model Disco and not noticably tail-dragging. If you can show a form of incompetence other than hugely wrong noseweight that causes a snake to develop at 50ish mph without wind-based instability occurring and whilst driving in a straight line at steady speed, go ahead.

I suspect most "runaways" are the result of people not using engine braking properly when descending in the belief that it somehow saves fuel. That's imcompetence sure, but it's basic incompetence in operating a motor vehicle, and not something that only happens when towing.

I've seen an accident this weekend with an original disco and caravan toppled over... afew years ago, a friend of mine nearly died in france when driving an original disco attatched to a caravan, the whole lot turned over :(

maybe there is a problem with the early discos, center of gravaty towing ect ect.. the new one are heavy enough...

[Gizmo]

Obviously I can't be certain about the noseweight, but towcar was an original model Disco and not noticably tail-dragging. If you can show a form of incompetence other than hugely wrong noseweight that causes a snake to develop at 50ish mph without wind-based instability occurring and whilst driving in a straight line at steady speed, go ahead.

We can all only speculate as to why it happened as we were not there, but they do not try and swap ends and flip over all on their own do they?

There are a number of things that could contribute to it, just some of them (some of which you have already discounted) are:

Travelling too fast

high winds, either natural or from a large vehicle passing it very closely

too much nose weight on the bar

too much weight at the rear of the caravan

the disco braking to try and stop the swerving (wrong thing to do)

etc

The only things that are out of the drivers control are the high winds or a sudden mechanical failure that could not of been prevented by normal maintenance (including checking the caravan over thoroughly before the trip and a yearly service at the start of the 'season').

Accidents rarely just happen, 99% of the time it is down to an error made by a driver.

[Volvomeg]

I bought a car a couple of years back and got a friend to fetch it home for me on the back of his trailer,

He had a L200 with a twin axle trailer, he has passed his trailer test,

Coming down motorway on way home with car on back when osf tyre on trailer blew out, my god it went with a right bang, luckly the other os tyre held and we managed to get it onto hard shoulder and limp it down to next junction but it could have got really interesting if they would have both gone