Hi all hope someone can help but in layman's terms! Basically we are looking at buying our first van and need to invest in a new car to do it which you all have helped me with lots :) however we need to clarify the situation with regard to license. My husband passed his test on 27th January 1997 and I passed mine in may 1998, could someone please tell me in very basic terms what we are and aren't allowed to tow! Thanks so much xx
Check your driving licence. If you have a Cat B licence then you are restricted to a combined train weight of 3500kg. This is the maximum gross weight of the car and the MTPLM maximum weight of the caravan. You cna check your driving licence HERE
It may be worth your while doing the test for a B+E licence as this opens up more possibilities for the future.
As you both passed tests after start of Jan '97 you both have only B licences. This means, unless you take another test you need car/caravan with combined max gross weights adding up to less than 3.5tonnes. These are not actual weights, these are max weights so you cannot load light to make weight on weighbridge under 3.5tonnes.
So you need to look at weight specs of both car & caravan. The max gross weight(ie max allowable weight of caravan+load)of modern caravans is indicated as 'mtplm'.
For car look in handbook or plate under bonnet & see the highest weight, ie max laden weight, max allowable weight of car+load. These 2 figures car+caravan added together much not exceed 3.5tonnes.
You do have to be careful here because popular tow car such as Mondeo with reasonable sized caravan can come to more than 3.5t & you cannot really consider a 4x4 as a towcar unless you want a very small caravan.
B category
Vehicle not more than 3500 kg plated GVW
B category towing
A trailer of 750 kg max plated MAM may be towed by a B category vehicle making a possible total plated MAM of 4250 kg
If a trailer over 750 kg plated MAM is towed by a B category vehicle then the plated GVW of the vehicle added to the plated MAM of the trailer (MTPLM of a caravan) must not total more than 3500 kg
MAM GVW MTPLM all mean the same thing - the permissible maximum something can legally weigh when fully loaded
------------- EX Advanced driving observer (IAM)
EX LGV & B+E instructor
Car with plated GVW of 2100
Car has kerb/empty weight of 1600
Caravan has MTPLM plate of 1400
2100 + 1400 = 3500 so just ok for B towing
If the car was empty and the caravan fully loaded then it would be a towing match of 87.5% but as the car is unlikely to be empty with the caravan fully loaded then the match is going to be much less than that
------------- EX Advanced driving observer (IAM)
EX LGV & B+E instructor
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Topic: Help relating to age please :(
