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Greetings All,

I thought I had got this one right in my head but along comes the C and CC in their latest magazine (October) and it has thrown me into a state of confusion.

I will put down the exact words so that you can all judge. Under 'Tech Talk (Page 49) the question is,

"I'm nearly 70. What happens to my driving licence?

The Answer

"I've recently received several queries from Club members who are about to turn 70 and find it's time to renew their driving licences. In a nutshell, just before your 70th birthday you should receive a renewal form from the DVLA for a photocard licence.

 If you tow a caravan with a car then you simply need to renew your licence because the key category B+E (for cars and trailers totalling a weight of up to 3500kgs each) is retained 'Grandads Rights.' 

 Should you wish to drive something heavier than 3500kgs you must retain Category C1 on your licence To do this you will need to send in the completed medical report form D4 with your renewal application. Your Doctor will fill this in but be aware there's a cost involved The same applies for Category D1 which is for minibuses.

With apologies to the C and CC magazine who's content I have lifted straight from their pages, I am having trouble that part of their response that I have put into bold print.

It was always my understanding that if the unit you were towing  (car and caravan ) had a weight that exceeded 3500kgs then you needed to have the medical that the Iain Geddes  refers to further down the report, ie my Audi A6 has a MGW of approx 2200kgs and when combined with my Lunar (MTPLM 1500kgs) then the whole unit weighs more than 3500kgs and I hwould need to have a medical but Iain Geddes says otherwise.

The question is,"Who is right"

look at the dft transport site yourself. i,m sure even after 70 that b+e allows any weight trailer as long as you dont break the trainweight of the towing unit. it could be upto alot more than the c1+e allows. mine can have a train of 9,600kg and be driven on a car licence. just needs down plating of the unit.

the caravan club and most of the caravan mags dont really know what they are talking about .you cant rely on their info .just ring swansea or the driver standards agency .much more truthfull. c,cc are still stuck on 80 percent rules. they just havent woke up to 2010 yet. cheers alan.

at the moment you tow using the b+e of your licence .the c1+e doesnt come into force till the towing vehicle is 3,500kg or over. you will just carry on as normal i believe.

Quote: Originally posted by vwalan on 27/9/2010

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the caravan club and most of the caravan mags dont really know what they are talking about .you cant rely on their info .just ring swansea or the driver standards agency .much more truthfull. c,cc are still stuck on 80 percent rules. they just havent woke up to 2010 yet. cheers alan.

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The C&CC recommend 85% for a match especially for a novice, what the driver chooses to do is up to them.

The article is correct though it is missing an important detail for the C1 renewal that I'm sure they'll ammend.

im wrong lol

So if the car is under 3500kgs AND the caravan is under 3500kgs then you are OK?

I must admit I thought joint weight of car + van must be under 3500kgs.

Thanks for info.

Mike

well from a much younger persons perspective

It Can Only

 Make the world   ie caravaning a safer place to be !

there is no trainweight restriction on b+e thats why many older people are going for 5th wheelers . . like i say i can drop my 6.3 ton down to 3.5 ton gvw and keep the train of 9.6ton . i dont make the rules i just abide them. you can get a transit thats 3,5ton and as a train of 6.5ton .was in the local ford dealer this morning and talking about it. if you go the 5th wheel way its much more stable . . any one wanting more info let me know we can always talk on the phone . and you dont need a class one even to tow an artic if you are younger than 70 so long as the unit weighs less than 3,020kg. . i try to specialise in 5ers as a hobby. being an ex transport manager i think its the way to go.

cheers alan.

its not the c1+e thats the problem . you can tow way more just using a b+e thats the point . just obey the rules , thats what they want.

Quote: Originally posted by vwalan on 29/9/2010

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there is no trainweight restriction on b+e thats why many older people are going for 5th wheelers .

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i,m sorry but i am correct .b+e allows any weight trailer as long as the trainweight of the towing unit is not broken. ..its in black and white on the dft site and you can ask dvla. its quite common for commercial vehicles to be down rated to allow the use of b+e iveco do it and then you end up with a train of 8.700kg on a 3,500kg vehicle. . its the way around the silly rules.  many 5th wheel campers are not artics they only put about 500kg on the pin they just use the hitch as a hitch. you need to put at least 20percent of the loaded trailer weight on to the towing unit to be artic. the 5th wheel campers dont ,but make use of the large train weight offered by these vehicles. even a ford transit can have a train of 6,500kg these days .and could make an ideal 5er tug. as they only weigh approx 1876 kg. kerb weight. so it could tow a 4,600kg trailer if its a normal trailer or a 5th wheel hitch it doesnt matter. please go to the dft driving licence site look for towing caravans or trailers with a vehicle up to 3.500kg its explained very easily . there is no towing ratio restriction. this category allows even greater loads than the c1+e . its the way forward for over 70,s keep to a vehicle under 3,500kg gvw but get one with a big trainweight. the use of a 5th wheel makes it much more stable to drive and easier to drive.cheers alan.

just spoken to dvla on 0300 7906801 and i certainly am correct . do ring them and verify its your licence . be a shame to miss out because you dont know the rules.

Quote: Originally posted by Big Al on 29/9/2010

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well from a much younger persons perspective

It Can Only

 Make the world   ie caravaning a safer place to be !

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Are you saying that older drivers with much more experience are more dangerous than new drivers because insurance premiums don't seem to reflect that

As I understand it Gross train weight of 3500kg is car and caravan added together not each

Greetings again,

I didn't intend to start up a hornets nest when I started this thread but it would seem that I was not alone in thinking the 3500kgs weight was "car and van' combined.

I have been giving duff info to people who, in the past have relied on me.

It looks like a little humble pie will be eaten and a few pints given out.

Quote: Originally posted by snowy747 on 01/10/2010

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The above seems to infer that if you don't do the D4 application and pass the medical side then you will revert to the Post 1997 rules, ie the total MAM of car and caravan mustn't exceed 3500 kg.

Ali

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That's how I read it too

I have had conversations with people who were preparing to downsize when 3 score years and 10 passed by