non audi question - towing a trailer

andya · 18-06-11, 09:35 AM

I can tow, I passed the test about 3 years ago. The person I work with can't & work won't pay for his test. Question is : can he tow whilst I'm a passenger teaching him? Theres no defnitive answer on the DVLA website. One other person reckons its ok. Don't fancy driving everyday for the rest of the year.

cheers
Andy

missfire · 18-06-11, 09:46 AM

good point!... how the hell would you 'learn' otherwise...

i heard another 'undefined' part of the law the other day, (which i didn't think was right.) at the local weigh bridge on the local A-road the police never pull over unlettered vans and weigh them or check if the have the right to be towing a braked/above 750kg trailer at all! only pull over vans with sign writing.. this must be wrong...eh..!??!

or is it a grey area..!?!? don't seem too grey to me, the legislation.

whiffer · 18-06-11, 10:50 AM

Didn't know there is a test for towing! - thought as long as you had a full licence you could tow up to the max weight permissible for your vehicle. Or am I misunderstanding your post?

Gouldy · 18-06-11, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiffer

Didn't know there is a test for towing! - thought as long as you had a full licence you could tow up to the max weight permissible for your vehicle. Or am I misunderstanding your post?

that depends on what year you passed your test IIRC

fourringsrus · 18-06-11, 11:12 AM

Gouldy is quite right.
As to the question of the "instructor", I believe that the teacher/instructor must have held the appropriate licence for the category of vehicle he/she is teaching in for a minimum of three years, so I would say that you are sufficiently qualified to instruct.

Stuart

martinws · 18-06-11, 11:18 AM

Iv been driving since 2006 and I know my licence only covers me for towing up to a combined weight of 3500kgs if the car can take the weight or a 3500kg vehicle with a trailer of 750kgs. I have been told that the cops are more bothered with the towing limit of your car and the nose weight rather than your licence as long as you are not being stupid like towing alot more than you should. I would call the DVLA to find out. I duno if a non licenced person could drive a company vehicle anyway never mind with a trailer.

andya · 18-06-11, 11:20 AM

I passed my driving test in 1997. If you passed a year earlier you automatically had the towing category on your license. Myself and anyone after has to pass the test. You have to go to a DVLA centre (normally for HGVs), reverse successfully doing an S-curve, and park in an alloted space. Then the next 45 minutes is just like doing a normal driving test.

andya · 18-06-11, 11:29 AM

martinws - From the DVLA

Category B+E: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM towing trailers over 750kgs MAM

Category B+E allows vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM to be combined with trailers in excess of 750kgs MAM. In order to gain this entitlement new category B licence holders have to pass a further practical test for category B+E. There is no category B+E theory test. For driver licensing purposes there are no vehicle/trailer weight ratio limits for category B+E.

Whiffer - see last post

yeti · 18-06-11, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missfire

good point!... how the hell would you 'learn' otherwise...

i heard another 'undefined' part of the law the other day, (which i didn't think was right.) at the local weigh bridge on the local A-road the police never pull over unlettered vans and weigh them or check if the have the right to be towing a braked/above 750kg trailer at all! only pull over vans with sign writing.. this must be wrong...eh..!??!

or is it a grey area..!?!? don't seem too grey to me, the legislation.

I wouldn't go as far as at all, but they tend to leave you alone more.

whiffer · 18-06-11, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gouldy

that depends on what year you passed your test IIRC

Thanks for the information!
I passed my test in a steam wagon so that would explain why I had never heard of a towing test!

18-06-11, 11:20 AM	#7
andya Senior Member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Hampshire Posts: 1,149	I passed my driving test in 1997. If you passed a year earlier you automatically had the towing category on your license. Myself and anyone after has to pass the test. You have to go to a DVLA centre (normally for HGVs), reverse successfully doing an S-curve, and park in an alloted space. Then the next 45 minutes is just like doing a normal driving test. __________________ 1985 Coupe Quattro 1986 Coupe 1.8 weber carb 1987 Coupe 2.2 GT

18-06-11, 11:29 AM	#8
andya Senior Member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Hampshire Posts: 1,149	martinws - From the DVLA Category B+E: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM towing trailers over 750kgs MAM Category B+E allows vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM to be combined with trailers in excess of 750kgs MAM. In order to gain this entitlement new category B licence holders have to pass a further practical test for category B+E. There is no category B+E theory test. For driver licensing purposes there are no vehicle/trailer weight ratio limits for category B+E. Whiffer - see last post __________________ 1985 Coupe Quattro 1986 Coupe 1.8 weber carb 1987 Coupe 2.2 GT

18-06-11, 09:46 AM	#2
missfire making wooden things Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: cow land Posts: 8,156	good point!... how the hell would you 'learn' otherwise... i heard another 'undefined' part of the law the other day, (which i didn't think was right.) at the local weigh bridge on the local A-road the police never pull over unlettered vans and weigh them or check if the have the right to be towing a braked/above 750kg trailer at all! only pull over vans with sign writing.. this must be wrong...eh..!??! or is it a grey area..!?!? don't seem too grey to me, the legislation.

18-06-11, 10:50 AM	#3
whiffer Grown up member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Market Harborough Leicestershire Posts: 110	Didn't know there is a test for towing! - thought as long as you had a full licence you could tow up to the max weight permissible for your vehicle. Or am I misunderstanding your post?

18-06-11, 11:12 AM	#5
fourringsrus Grown up member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Ashford Kent Posts: 468	Gouldy is quite right. As to the question of the "instructor", I believe that the teacher/instructor must have held the appropriate licence for the category of vehicle he/she is teaching in for a minimum of three years, so I would say that you are sufficiently qualified to instruct. Stuart

18-06-11, 11:18 AM	#6
martinws Grown up member Classic Audi Club Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Johnstone Posts: 723	Iv been driving since 2006 and I know my licence only covers me for towing up to a combined weight of 3500kgs if the car can take the weight or a 3500kg vehicle with a trailer of 750kgs. I have been told that the cops are more bothered with the towing limit of your car and the nose weight rather than your licence as long as you are not being stupid like towing alot more than you should. I would call the DVLA to find out. I duno if a non licenced person could drive a company vehicle anyway never mind with a trailer.