Does anybody know if they have a percentage tolerance level the reason I ask is that I have just purchased a caravan and my maths weren't so great and it turns out I am 13kg over 3.5 tonne does this mean I will have to do the test
Quote: Originally posted by Lauraloo1036 on 14/6/2014Does anybody know if they have a percentage tolerance level the reason I ask is that I have just purchased a caravan and my maths weren't so great and it turns out I am 13kg over 3.5 tonne does this mean I will have to do the test
The 3500 limit is absolute max for B licence towing
Contact caravan manufacturer and down plate by 13 kg
------------- EX Advanced driving observer (IAM)
EX LGV & B+E instructor
I have recently completed the B+E driving test. Completely worthless in my opinion. The test is nothing more than an extended driving test and does little to justify the weight limits imposed. I agree that keeping driving standards high is important, but not at such high costs.
Anyway, the biggest issue in taking the test is your day to day driving and undoing x amount of years bad habits. Rather than pay for expensive lessons, I would suggest using a normal driving instructor first, before paying for proper towing lessons. I passed first time (just) and it cost £514. The costs of failing were worrying to say the least.
I don't yet have a caravan, I don't even have a tow bar fitted but as a family we're really keen on taking the plunge and becoming owners of a caravan.
As a complete novice I have a few questions which I'd be grateful for your clarification.
Insurance.
I currently drive a company car so I doubt the insurance will cover a caravan. Can I buy a caravan insurance policy which will cover the van in transit and whilst in storage / use on a site.
Weights.
I can only tow with a max train weight 3500kg. My car has a kerb weight of 1640kg (for the basic model) which I'm rounding up to 1800kg complete with the factory extras, wife and kids and it has a max running mass of 2160kg. The caravan I'm looking at has a MTPLM of 1432kg and a MIRO of 1279KG.
What figure should I work with when looking at the train weight of car and caravan. The salesman said I should work with the 2160 + 1432 = 3592kg but not to fully load the car and caravan so I can keep it under the 3.5t. It seems like a lot of guess work which if done wrong could be illegal?
I did the test about 3 or 4 years ago now, I wasn't going to be overweight but borderline and didn't want the hassle. I was lucky to find an instructor who wasn't charging much more than a normal driving lesson and was very good at what he did. I had 3 hours training one day and an hour before the test. I passed it ok and was glad I did it cause you learn a lot you otherwise wouldn't. I had towed before including just after test and whilst having no problems there was a lot of info and things to think about I learnt. I'd encourage anyone to go for it to be safe and on the right side of the law if in any doubt
I still think it's daft that I can't tow a caravan with my i800 van which would be very stable and wouldn't notice it was there but I could tow a caravan with an Astra?! Surely it's safer to tow with my 2300kg van!
Could someone tell me if I had a driver with grandfather rights in the vehicle (ex-HGV also), I could tow something above 3500kg (3537kg to be exact) with a set of L plates? I'm post 97 licence so i'm trying to see how I can gain experience before taking a test without spending a fortune on towing lessons. I've got A, B and D1 but now need B+E!
Supervising drivers accompanying provisional D1E licence holders must themselves have passed a D1E or DE practical test and have held their full D1E or DE licence for at least 3 years. A driver who holds category D1E only by virtue of ‘acquired rights’ can no longer act as a supervising driver.
Only read the first few posts (back from 2007).
We just bought our first (small Caravan) to be pulled by our (light Skoda Octavia 1.4 petrol) combined weight of 2,650 kgs. My husband (from Canada) does not have B+E, but is able legally to use this combination.
BUT!!! Try explaining that to the C&CC! They dont appreciate that all we need is a bit of confidence, learn how to reverse etc etc with our "outfit", they are insisting that he requires his B+E test first. We have eventually found a much cheaper alternative locally, who can help us both out as a couple so that the first time we go away we are not so nervous.