Quote: Originally posted by Skoda Bob on 28/9/2016
Has he got the right weights???, for the car
Is he using the max weight, instead of the kerb weight.
If its the max weights of both car and van , he is bound to be well over.
He should be using the kerb weight of the car, that includes a half tank and possibly the driver
Post last edited on 28/09/2016 18:58:29
Incorrect. If you passed your test between Jan 1997 and Jan 2013 to tow a trailer over 750kg. the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle must not exceed 3500kg.
A good option for under the 3,500kg.
Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0TDi 4x4 GVW 2,095kg, Sprite Alpine 4 mtplm 1,230kg = 3,325kg
Even with my Compass mtplm 1,318kg comes out at 3,413kg, so there can be plenty of choice for 'B' licence holders . However I do have the 'B+E'.
My mondeo is a company car so changing it isn't an option for another 3 years. The reason I chose it in the first place is that it was a good tow car, and like skoda bob, i was using kerb weight as the reference. Ironically, both my other shortlisted cars wouldn't have caused me this issue!
With regards to the safety, I fully understand. My issue is with the providers who have clearly tailored the courses for businesses. My local is 3 days at £220 per day plus £115 for the test! Rip off! And would you take 3 days holiday to take a towing test?
I have since my OP found a few that do it quicker and a bit cheaper so I think I will still take the plunge.
But my original point still stands, it's taken a lot of research and resolve to find all this. I can't help but think, in a world where convenience is at your fingertips, caravaning may suffer as time moves on.
Luckily, despite being tested, I will carry on taking the van out!
Yes I can see the industry suffer unless more people keep them on seasonal sites all year round thus eliminating towing. When we first started caravanning in the early 1970s and all vans we bought up until mid 1980s were all 900kg or less. Then more and more equipment has been added over the years until the present day. The thing is if all the mod cons were done away with to get weights back down again,would people buy them?
The caravan industry is booming though. They cannot make enough caravans. Presumably because the industry has done it's market research & is currently producing caravan designs that the public want to buy?
Multi million £ businesses have systems in place to produce product at all times that the public actually wants to buy & no doubt the industry will continue to do this.
This is how business works. If you have a product everybody wants then buyers have to pay a premium for that so if you want to & can afford to pay an excessive price for a large new caravan & don't have a licence to tow it then it follows you will be willing to pay a premium to get that licence.
So the effect on the industry can only be positive & as mentioned by the op as the demographic gets older less drivers will have +E on their licence so the demand for driving schools will increase & cost of training will rise as demand increases.
So I've been reading that it's all for safety etc but that's not the case, I could tow a 1400kg van with say a zafira on my licence for example but I can't with my 2300kg(kerb weight) van!! I think it would be much safer with the latter!
Quote: Originally posted by I800 dave on 29/9/2016
So I've been reading that it's all for safety etc but that's not the case, I could tow a 1400kg van with say a zafira on my licence for example but I can't with my 2300kg(kerb weight) van!! I think it would be much safer with the latter!
Wrong. You would be as equally safe or as dangerous with either. It would depend on your competence as a driver. A competent driver will have the knowledge to match car to caravan & drive it accordingly.
You are actually making the case for an extra test to tow any trailer. This would at least ensure that a tower will have had some instruction.