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 Topic: B+E test spells the end of Caravanning?
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11/5/2015 at 9:32am
Location: Dumfries
Outfit: Mazda 6 Takuya Swift Charisma 540
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I have to say, as someone who has terrible nerves and took the test twice I don't find the figure of £500 far off (I threw the reverse the last time I was that scared).
I needed a new car anyway, so just did my homework and managed to match a car that kept me legal so I didn't have to do it again.
I have a 5 berth van which is a decent size, but its 10 yo and the modern vans are getting heavier and heavier and it will come to a stop as less people can tow on the B licence.
There is also the other issue in that people will just ignore the 85% recommendation more and more to stay legal.
All in all I found it just made matching an outfit a nightmare as obtaining the relevant figures for used cars was not easy, they were contradictory on occasion and lets face it an extremely expensive mistake if you get it wrong.
Post last edited on 11/05/2015 09:39:45
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11/5/2015 at 10:22am
Location: Blackburn Lancashire
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There are certainly parallels between caravans and HGVs. A car licence is just that - a car licence. If you want anything more, expect to take a test.
In the fullness of time, a separate licence will be required to tow anything over 750kg. That is as it should be. If you can't pass the test, you shouldn't be driving. Sadly, there are always cost involved. Ask any professional driver about licence and medical costs.
If you're not prepared for this, maybe caravanning is not for you.
On this occasion, Billy is spot on.
Jim
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11/5/2015 at 12:14pm
Location: Dumfries
Outfit: Mazda 6 Takuya Swift Charisma 540
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If you can't pass the test, you shouldn't be driving.
Yes, I get that perspective, but I dob have isses unrelated to towing and I'll be damned if they prevent me enjoying a hobby I excell at.
My instructor and I drove round for days and he found me a really great tower.
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14/7/2015 at 12:35am
Location: West Yorkshire
Outfit: Bessacarr Cameo 625 2011
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I don't see why people consider there will be an end to larger outfits.
People desire to drive a car and will pay the necessary instructor fees and (multiple)test fees to achieve that goal. So they will again pay to pass an additional test to allow them to choose a larger outfit. Having the wherewithall to purchase a large van and suitable tow car means they are likely to be able to afford the extra fees. This is no different from from buying a 'posh' car, or a bigger house or designer clothes - if we want them enough we'll give up something else for that lifestyle choice
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14/7/2015 at 10:26pm
Location: West country
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TBH I think it's a good thing to try and reduce the size of caravans and cars at a time where we are all being forced to pay huge amounts of money on our gas and electric bills to subsidise alternative energies etc.
What's the point in spending billions on windmills and solar farms etc when we squander huge amounts of energy on large cars and caravans merely because we like them.
We have to change our ways and the sooner the better.
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15/7/2015 at 5:51am
Location: None Entered
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I have a large car and large caravan but i dont consider im squandering huge amounts of energy because i like them.
If it takes a lot of energy to move them round then thats my choise.
The B&E license will make caravan makers think carefully about new models and introduce lighter vans.
They will have to do this as cars are getting lighter and lighter in the battle to give greater economy and comply with new laws introduced to make greater efficiencies
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alpiner
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15/7/2015 at 7:47am
Location: north wales
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"What's the point in spending billions on windmills and solar farms etc when we squander huge amounts of energy on large cars and caravans merely because we like them."
What's the point in spending billions on windmills and solar farms etc.
That makes great sense, but the rest of the statement has no relevance to windmills. I believe the subsidies are coming to an end so windmill building will stop.
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15/7/2015 at 9:29pm
Location: west mids
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I think it's a good idea to take a test regardless of weight,just watching some people performe when trying to get a van on a pitch make me cringe,there's no way some would pass a test,also it should improve safety for themselves and other road users
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Twin axle all the way
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15/7/2015 at 10:03pm
Location: West country
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It may be your free choice alpiner but it doesn't only affect you. It affects millions of people not even born yet. What free choice are you leaving them.
Either the scientists are wrong or we are heading for disaster, who really knows, but what if they are right. It'll be too late to do anything by the time we find out.
We may not have answers yet but we must start thinking in the right direction.
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15/7/2015 at 10:41pm
Location: Blackpool
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Quote: Originally posted by navver on 14/7/2015TBH
What's the point in spending billions on windmills and solar farms etc when we squander huge amounts of energy on large cars and caravans merely because we like them.
We have to change our ways and the sooner the better.
We don't fly abroad for holidays - that takes a lot of fuel. And pumps lots of co2 into the air.
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15/7/2015 at 11:11pm
Location: Sheffield
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My diesel x5 gives out less emissions than a 6 year old petrol Mondeo..
You can't generalise, good and bad in all sectors.
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16/7/2015 at 7:58am
Location: north wales
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Quote: Originally posted by navver on 15/7/2015
It may be your free choice alpiner but it doesn't only affect you. It affects millions of people not even born yet. What free choice are you leaving them.
Either the scientists are wrong or we are heading for disaster, who really knows, but what if they are right. It'll be too late to do anything by the time we find out.
We may not have answers yet but we must start thinking in the right direction.
Which is the right direction? Certainly not windmills. They may help the politicians meet their green targets, but in reality the energy needed to construct them negates any green credentials. They are a joke at our expense.
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16/7/2015 at 8:08am
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The question is will the B&E test affect the future of caravans.
Without doubt, when a new driver decides that they would like to buy one they will have no choice but to stay within the regulations or take the test.
You can bet the caravan makers have seen this coming and there will be lots of new lightweight designs on the drawing boards for the future.
They will have to do this anyway because of the lighter and lighter cars being produced.
When all this comes together caravan sales will be back to its normal level, or until they move the goal posts again
Have you thought that if you have a big twin axle for sale that the market will be shrinking in the future.
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Kojack
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16/7/2015 at 12:26pm
Location: Rochdale
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Quote: Originally posted by brianconwy on 16/7/2015
Quote: Originally posted by navver on 15/7/2015It may be your free choice alpiner but it doesn't only affect you. It affects millions of people not even born yet. What free choice are you leaving them.
Either the scientists are wrong or we are heading for disaster, who really knows, but what if they are right. It'll be too late to do anything by the time we find out.
We may not have answers yet but we must start thinking in the right direction.
Which is the right direction? Certainly not windmills. They may help the politicians meet their green targets, but in reality the energy needed to construct them negates any green credentials. They are a joke at our expense.
And where they put them destroys some of the. Out beautiful settings in the country. Driving towards Rochdale from the West used to be a breath taking view with the ring of hills as a back drop. Now they have almost completed a ring of wind mills on the tops there and it looks like a disaster area.
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Bill
For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013
Mondeo Titanium 140 tdci
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