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Tow a trailer with a bike licence?
speedyxjs - 6/10/08 at 04:43 PM

Talking to my tutor at college today and we got on the subject of trailers.
Apparently i can tow a trailer of any weight if i get a bike licence.
Im 21 and so passed my test after 1997. I thought because of this i needed to do a B+E test in order to tow a trailer, but if the above is true, a bike licence is cheaper.

Paul TigerB6 - 6/10/08 at 04:52 PM

Sounds like your tutor is talking total bowlocks to me!! Even a class 2 LGV licence doesnt entitle a post 97 driver to tow a trailer believe it or not!!

Danozeman - 6/10/08 at 04:54 PM

Thats complete wollocks mate. Iv been looking into it as im trying to get my boss to pay for it. RWEgardless of what entitlements u have you still need the one for a CAR trailer. AS said above you can have class 1 hgv and you still cant pull a heavy trailer with a car.

I have found and no disrepect to any, tutors tend to talk shite as they are expected to be correct even if theyr not.

I love speed :-P - 6/10/08 at 04:54 PM

That a new one on me and sounds very unlikely, because otherwise what is the point in the new system?

poo to slow

[Edited on 6/10/2008 by I love speed :-P]

Taylor R1 - 6/10/08 at 05:00 PM

Might be of use

http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/law/driving_licences.htm

Paul TigerB6 - 6/10/08 at 05:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DanozemanAS said above you can have class 1 hgv and you still cant pull a heavy trailer with a car.


Dont think this is correct - i think a class 1 licence (C+E) gives an upgrade to your licence of the B + E required to tow a trailer with a car. I'm a pre 97 licence holder though so could be wrong on this.

Pretty mute point though really to the OP

Edit to say the NTTA link says class 1 licence only gives entitlement up to 750kg trailers so you are right!!

[Edited on 6/10/08 by Paul TigerB6]

speedyxjs - 6/10/08 at 05:06 PM

Ah well. I thought it was too good to be true

paul the 6th - 6/10/08 at 05:35 PM

you need to do your compulsory basic training to ride a motorcycle on l-plates, then you can legally tow a trailer with a car

blakep82 - 6/10/08 at 06:43 PM

betty swollocks

gazzarose - 6/10/08 at 07:09 PM

I work in a boat sales shop so have to tow heavy trailers (ie over 750kg). You can tow a trailer of less than 750kg on a post 97 car license (I guess they left it like that so you can still tow a box trailer with a wardrobe in it) but anything over you need to do B+E. You can then tow anything up to 3500kg providing the towing vehicle is rated to tow it. I had to go and do the test. You have to tow a silly little box trailer round and do a few manouvers. I failed mine the first time (as a tip dont try it in a long wheel base defender, just not enough steering lock for the manouvers). I'd been driving 4 yrs before did it, its had to get back into feeding the wheel and things.lol.

blakep82 - 6/10/08 at 07:12 PM

how much does it cost to do the test?

K999NNY - 6/10/08 at 07:47 PM

About £85 quid or so last time I checked. Its amazing how often the trailer weight topic comes up.

[Edited on 6/10/08 by K999NNY]

blakep82 - 6/10/08 at 07:49 PM

hmmm, £85. not sure if thats worth while or not... what weight trailer can you tow on that? is that for B+E (up to 3.5ton)

Meeerrrk - 6/10/08 at 08:19 PM

ok, really confused.

This is from the NTTA link posted on page one :
Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes (category B) with a 750kg trailer (4.25 tonnes total MAM).
Category B vehicles with larger trailers i.e. > 750kg, provided that the combined MAM does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and the gross MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle. To be able to tow combinations outside this ruling requires the passing of an additional test.

So would i be right in thinking i could tow my locoblade (450kg) and a small trailer (say 300KG)??

thanks,
Mark