Clarification on B+E legislation please.

[Jonny2488]

There seems to be loads of information on the internet about what you can and can’t tow on a category B license. However, there doesn’t seem to be much on what can be towed on a category B+E license. I’ve read that you are “generally entitled to tow a vehicle and trailer combination not exceeding 8.25 tonnes MAM”. Is this true? And are there any regs stipulating the vehicle weight to trailer weight ratio??

Cheers.

[Cookee]

I think it's also down to what you can actually tow with the vehicles concerned - that would be 3500kgs on a regular hitch with overrun brakes, up from that and you need an artic with air brakes anyway which is a C + E licence.

[Shaz]

Looks like they are changing it again:

New rules for towing trailers with a car or small vehicle : Directgov - Motoring

So the new (post-2013) B+E is only up to 3,500kgs, but it isn't clear what the requirements are if you passed your test between 1997 and 2013.

[Jonny2488]

Originally Posted by Cookee

I think it's also down to what you can actually tow with the vehicles concerned - that would be 3500kgs on a regular hitch with overrun brakes

So you reckon you'd be OK to take a Discovery or similiar and tow the most you can behind it (3000kg ish??), which would bring the gross train weight to 5500kg ish, and that would be legal on a B+E license?

How does a B+E holder stand on the trailer weight (plated and/or actual) exceeding the weight of the towing vehicle?

[Jonny2488]

Originally Posted by Shaz

Looks like they are changing it again:

New rules for towing trailers with a car or small vehicle : Directgov - Motoring

So the new (post-2013) B+E is only up to 3,500kgs, but it isn't clear what the requirements are if you passed your test between 1997 and 2013.

That's essentially exactly the same as it is currently except there's no mention of the relation of trailer GVW to vehicle kerb weight.

They don't half make it difficult to understand!!

[SW RIB Charter]

Under current legislation, category BE allows you to drive a category B vehicle (ie upto 3500kg GVW) towing a trailer of any weight (if the towing towing is plated to do so). I used to operate a mini artic which had a GVW of 3500kg and GTW of 8700kg that came under the BE licence category. Be aware that any trailer over 3500kg with require air brakes and an annual MOT type test. Vehicle/trailer combinations over 7500kg GTW will require a tachograph, even for private use.

The 8250kg GTW limit that people often get confused with only applies to C1E vehicles (ie GVW of towing vehicle 3501 - 7500kg) for people who were given the category by default for passing their test before 1st January 1997.

[Jonny2488]

Thanks for clearing that up Mike. So as far as I understand it, with a B+E license, one can use a Cat. B vehicle to tow a trailer of any weight (up to the limit stated for that vehicle by the manufacturer??) and there are no issues with the relation of vehicle kerb weight to trailer MAM??

How does the law stand on towing a trailer of greater MAM than the towing weight limit for the towing vehicle as stated by the towing vehicle manufacturer?

[ROG.]

Originally Posted by Shaz

Looks like they are changing it again:

New rules for towing trailers with a car or small vehicle : Directgov - Motoring

So the new (post-2013) B+E is only up to 3,500kgs, but it isn't clear what the requirements are if you passed your test between 1997 and 2013.

Simple answer
After jan 2013 NO driver can tow a trailer over 3500 MAM with a B+E and that will affect ..... 0.0000001% of drivers

[ROG.]

Originally Posted by Jonny2488

There seems to be loads of information on the internet about what you can and can’t tow on a category B license. However, there doesn’t seem to be much on what can be towed on a category B+E license.

On a B+E licence you can tow any trailer up to 3500 MAM

There may be other actual weight restrictions on what each individual type of vehicle can tow but that will not have anything to do with the trailer MAM weight

One of the biggest myths doing the rounds is that the trailer MAM cannot be more than the max towing capacity because it has the potential to be overloaded = total rubbish

[ROG.]

Originally Posted by Jonny2488

So you reckon you'd be OK to take a Discovery or similiar and tow the most you can behind it (3000kg ish??), which would bring the gross train weight to 5500kg ish, and that would be legal on a B+E license?

How does a B+E holder stand on the trailer weight (plated and/or actual) exceeding the weight of the towing vehicle?

The GTW is the ACTUAL weight (not plated GVW/MAM weights) that the combination can be.

You can have a trailer plated and actually weighing higher than the towing vehicle but a lot will depend on what the vehicle is designed to do

Many 4x4s now max out at 2800ish GVW but are designed to tow 3500

The general SAFETY ADVICE is to have the vehicle heavier than the trailer but in the example above this is not the case.