Towing entitlement

[SprintMWU773V]

Anyone know anything about towing entitlements?

I passed my test in May 1997 and so I do not have category B&E on my licence. Looking at the DVLA website it seems that because I have category B I should be OK to tow a trailer and load provided that my total MAM does not exceed 3500kg.

I need to move my Sprint from my garage in one house to another and I have use of a trailer and Transit van. I have looked at the weights and think see our trailer has an unlaiden weight of 650kg and then the van kerb weight is just over 1900kg. This gives me 850kg to play with which should be sufficient as my car is little more than a shell.

Thoughts?

[Carledo]

Just do it! But if you want to be absolutely certain, you can go on "check my licence" at the Gov website, it will tell you in print you can read what your entitlements are and if you click on the end section it explains exactly what those entitlements entail. This is what has replaced the paper counterpart.
As mentioned above a Sprint is about a tonne, the brake testing weight for MOT is 1150kg but this includes fuel, tools, spare wheel, driver and an allowance for "accumulated road dirt". My Toledo WITH the engine and gearbox but minus a lot of trim tips the scales at a mere 765kg without me in it (council weighbridge figure) so your empty shell should be well shy of 850kg if that is indeed your limit.

I got my licence in '71 so I have BE and loads of others including commercials up to 7500kg GVW - makes you sick, don't it? My missus passed her test in 2005 and HER entitlements are bu***r all!

Steve

[SprintMWU773V]

My primary concern is not to invalidate my employers insurance. We have a commercial operators licence so if I tow I will need to use a tachograph. It all needs to be above board you see so I needed to be 100% sure.

[James467]

You'll be fine Mark.

I have the same licence and towed my Sprint shell on a trailer with our Skoda Superb.

James

[James467]

This is a good post Mark.

Now I have the new Discovery I'm going to take a trailer test at some point so I'll do a separate thread and let everyone know how I get on.

[zombeh]

The only thing you've not mentioned is the MAM of the trailer needs to be under the unladen weight of the van. You may well find it's over unless it's either not plated at all (in which case you work it out from the load rating of the tyres) or been deliberately plated with a lower weight so you can tow it on a modern licence.

[SprintMWU773V]

I will see what it says. We have 6 trailers at work, 3 covered ones. The easiest one to use is a Brian James Race Shuttle so I will check the plate on it. I still imagine that as I would only be towing a shell c/w axle and subframe it should be OK. With any luck the company will offer to assist moving it in any case and solve the problem.

[zombeh]

I think they're typically plated to 2000kg being intended for moving fairly light cars.

I am assuming though that changes to what you're allowed to tow don't apply retrospectively. I wouldn't think that they do and that the conditions are as they were when your licence was originally issued.
I don't think the trailer MAM being under the unladen weight of the tow vehicle applies to new (since 2013) licences which is why none of the government websites mention it, you should certainly take anything on any site GDS have been near as likely to be inaccurate, incomplete and of no use to anyone who actually needs to know.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999 ... ule/2/made (the 1999 regs are a consolidation of the 1996 ones with all the various amendments issued in 97, that bit is the same)

I think from a common sense and safety point of view you're absolutely fine but I'm not sure if "I looked on your bloody website and it said it was fine" would work on DVSA in the extremely unlikely event that you got stopped.

[gmsclassics]

Don't know anything about UK legislation, but just a comment that a trailer weighing 650kg is something of an overkill. Mine (photo below) weighs in at 350kg. Done many thousands of km like this. Tips to load, braked but no suspension so need to tie the wheels not body and with van tyres to cope with the weight. Can you not find something lighter to hire or borrow? That would appear to solve your issue completely.

In NZ tow bars are rated according to the car they are fitted to, so all you have to do is stick within that limits for unbraked or braked. My XF is 1800kg braked so at 1350 for car and trailer, I can carry quite a few spares as well.

If you can't find a lighter trailer, sounds as though you'll need to find the nearest public weighbridge.....

Dol trailer.jpg (97.1 KiB) Viewed 2957 times

Geoff

[DazasDolly]

Mark

Have a read of this about half way down

http://www.drivesafedriving.co.uk/b+e_c ... uition.htm


Darren

[Toledo Man]

How about using an A frame instead? It cuts out the trailer and a rolling Sprint shell should be within the limits for an unbraked trailer. You will need a light board to remain legal though.

[SprintMWU773V]

How about using an A frame instead? It cuts out the trailer and a rolling Sprint shell should be within the limits for an unbraked trailer. You will need a light board to remain legal though.

We don't have an A-Frame, plus the rear suspension is not held on fantastically well, fine for a flatbed trailer, less good for an A-Frame. Hopefully get booked up this week either for work to move it or for me to borrow a trailer and move. Be 3-4 weeks I would imagine as quote busy in the interim with the race season.

[James467]

Mark

Have a read of this about half way down

http://www.drivesafedriving.co.uk/b+e_c ... uition.htm

Darren

Good link Darren.

How about using an A frame instead?

You can't use an A frame, please don't use an A frame!!!

The car being towed must have an MOT, traffic will go nuts if they see you towing a shell with one of them!

[SprintMWU773V]

Hideous things, great in emergencies but not much good for this.

Reminds me when I was in the US I saw a mahoosive RV towing a car, like they often do. Except the car being towed as a runaround was a Hummer!

[Toledo Man]

Thought it would be worth asking. A towing dolly (pun intended) would also be out for the same reasons. It might be worth geting some quotes for transportation if this is going to be too much hassle. Maybe Stewart (covcourier) could help you out if his is still offering transportation services.