8ob
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Not from me you don't. Always appreciated your knowledgeable input.
Same here, never a bum steer from that man.
Bob
Not from me you don't. Always appreciated your knowledgeable input.
I do agree with you @My Old Landy and I'm in the same boat as you having sat my test in the late 70's. I have been lucky however as I became an aircraft tower (that's someone who tows, not someone who is very tall!) at 19 or 20 and believe me, that really teaches you how to tow!I personally think training for trailers is a good idea. Yesterday I towed my trailer (fully loaded) 2 tonne plus another 400kgs in the 90 making a train weight of 4100kgs and it didn't even feel like it made a difference.
I drove it 250 miles round trip with the return journey being fully loaded. Reversing it is still a challenge and I would probably fail the test on that alone! I don't feel I was a danger to anyone but I am only allowed to do this as I am old and have had a licence since the early 80's!!
You should frequent the caravan forums & FB pages.None. Thiscockupchange will not affect many caravaners. Bigger caravans would mean change of car as well and most could not afford both.
As to increased accidents involving caravans, this is just scare tactics from those who hate caravans.
It does mention that the rules will change later in 2021, there is not much left of that.
Bob
You have totally got that wrong.As I read it - for any kind of "work" type towing the proposed changes make naff-all difference in practicality?
Unless you have the pre-97 licence, the change limits you to a MAM of 4250kg regardless.
The real limit is the above total MAM along with the clause that the trailer can't be heavier loaded than the unmade weight of the towing vehicle.
So... example. I use an Isuzu pickup 2.5DD for work towing.
Online it says it's unmade weight is 2050kg. That means that the total loaded weight of a towed trailer cannot exceed 4250-2050=2200kg.
Take the weight of the trailer off the 2200... and it means you'll be lucky to tow a what, 1500kg load Max?
(My boss was/is convinced the licence BE award means a his younger staff can tow out plant like mini-diggers & industrial gensets. Which the Gov Website blurb says to me is not the case).
The pickup will not be 2050kg.For a post 97 licence holder without a BE test you would be limited to 3500kg MAM for car and trailer, so by the time you take the 2050kg pickup out of that you would be left with 1450kg for the weight of the trailer and the load - that means you would have to find a light trailer and possibly downplate it which would probably give you a payload in the region of 700kg. If you wanted to carry a high payload you would have to use a lighter vehicle.
For those with BE entitlement you could drive a vehicle with a MAM up to 3500kg, towing a trailer with an additional MAM of 3500kg (post 2013) or any size of trailer (pre 2013).
Which effectively means you can drive a heavier tow vehicle with a large trailer and payload providing you don't exceed the towing limit of the vehicle. e.g. on a post 2013 BE licence you could go to 7000kg for car and trailer.
So yes quite a difference as to what you can tow. However, if it is for work you are probably going to need tachographs, even when the vehicles aren't towing.
Nope.if it is for work you are probably going to need tachographs, even when the vehicles aren't towing.
Because is wasnt. One of the reasons why it was stopped.What I don't get is why it used to be safe to drive 7.5 tonners and trailers on a car licence but then suddenly it wasn't!
Used to tow a caravan behind a K-plate Lancia integrale . . . meaning twonks would overtake the old car (that they couldn't see) towing a caravan at the (towing) speed limit on downhill bits . . . and I would go straight past them on the next uphill bit when they seemed to slow down and I didn't . . . which seemed to really get some of them annoyedI don't hate caravans as they never answer back, I do hate the caravan towing car drivers with no consideration for other road users, fortunately they are the minority as the majority are fine and understand they are towing and drive accordingly.
Most problematic are the impatient car drivers who see a caravan being towed and have to get past it as quickly as possible, often in the most inappropriate places, in cars they think are 700BHP Lambourghinis but in reality are 70 BHP saloon cars, is it a mental issue with them? the same occurs with tractors towing trailers.
They still do don't they?You should frequent the caravan forums & FB pages.
Lots planning / have upgraded.
I guess you dont remember all the caravan accidents that happened every year during holiday season before BE started to gain traction.
I thought it was to harmonise with EU law?Because is wasnt. One of the reasons why it was stopped.
Not many towed back then, roads were safer, less traffic ect.
thanks for that link will get reading.Interesting to read the minutes of this debate
If you look at what was said, there was broad support for the changes.
Not as many as we used to see & most pics I see are of older drivers.They still do don't they?
Still see plenty of idiots towing caravans.
Main problem seems to be tyres that have been standing for a year since last being used.
That was another reason.I thought it was to harmonise with EU law?
But I may be totally wrong on that!
Well, the Isuzu website/data says it is 2050kg. Over 2100kg unladen and the vehicle is limited to 50 on A roads and 60 on dials (so maybe there is a bit of artistic licence?)The pickup will not be 2050kg.
Remember for licences its the plate weight so the pickup would be 3000-3500kg on its own.
Me too. Licence in 83. Yesterday we had a machine go down in Hereford, so I had to beetle solo to Bridgend to get another machine - drag that to Hereford, pull the other set out, then help hook the replacement up, then drag the failed one back to Carmarthen to drop it off for repairs.I personally think training for trailers is a good idea. Yesterday I towed my trailer (fully loaded) 2 tonne plus another 400kgs in the 90 making a train weight of 4100kgs and it didn't even feel like it made a difference.
I drove it 250 miles round trip with the return journey being fully loaded. Reversing it is still a challenge and I would probably fail the test on that alone! I don't feel I was a danger to anyone but I am only allowed to do this as I am old and have had a licence since the early 80's!!
Licence dont use unladen weights.Well, the Isuzu website/data says it is 2050kg. Over 2100kg unladen and the vehicle is limited to 50 on A roads and 60 on dials (so maybe there is a bit of artistic licence?)
The plate under the bonnet states the truck has a max gross weight of 3050kg (1 tonne on the back max).
Total weight of vehicle, trailer and load according to the plate on this Isuzu is 6-tonne.
So it is rated to tow 3.5 tonne behind, as long as the total all-up shebang doesn't exceed 6-tonne (so only 450kg on the bed if you're massed out on your tralier.
The 3500kg is Gross laden or MAM - not the base weight of the truck
Interesting to read the minutes of this debate