B+E Licence

[subaqua]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

Just when I begin to think I am within sight of understanding this stuff, along comes a new explanation and I realise I know nothing.

I thought it had been drummed into us that the actual load on a trailer was irrelevant, it is the gross weight that counts? eg you can't pull a trailer even if it is empty if it is rated to carry more than the car's stated towing weight?

For that reason people with large trailers who only need to carry lighter loads get the trailer de-rated to keep it legal?

Then along come Ivor Williams saying there is no legal requirement to de-rate, and that the important trailer figure is unladen weight plus actual load.

I'm even more confused now.

working on the assumption that B+E licence is held

unladen weight of trailer plus load is the Gross weight of a trailer.

worked example

the trailer is rated to carry 2500Kg but only weighs 350Kg empty (tare)
your car is rated to pull 1500Kg as the total weight is 350Kg you can pull the trailer
you can load the trailer to 1500kg that is you are allowed a payload of 1500-350 which is 1150Kg.

my trailer is rated for 750Kg Gross it weighs 100Kg , that means I can load 650Kg into it.

with caravans this breaks down further. and this is where it can get very confusing

the caravan maker will give you a Figure called MTPLM maximum technically permissible laden mass.
there will also be a figure the caravan actually weighs( Mass in running order)
the difference between these is the load you can put into the caravan (Payload)

so a caravan with a MTPLM of 1500KG with a caravan unladen weight of 1100Kg will let you put 400Kg in it. again assuming B+E you can only tow this if your car is rated to tow 1500Kg ( in reality the 1500Kg will be 85% of the actual rating)

the direct Gov site is the UK Government site and as much as they screw lots of other things up it is a very very good source of information

. If you can follow these questions and answer ‘yes’ throughout you have achieved a good match between you (the driver), car and trailer. The questions assume the trailer is braked. Very small trailers with an MTPLM of 750kg or less can be unbraked and come under slightly different regulations.


follow the list
1.What is the car’s kerbweight? 1730 in my case
2.What is the trailers MTPLM? assume 1400kg
3.Is the MTPLM less than 85 per cent of the kerbweight? YES
(If no – go to question 4 If yes – go to question 5)
4.Is the MTPLM less than the kerbweight? Those who are used to towing may be confident to tow a heavier combination such as this.
(If so, go to question 5)
5.Is the MTPLM less than the towing limit of the car? YES
(1800 in my case )
safe and legal to tow


Kerb weight: Sometimes called the unladen
weight, this is the weight of the empty vehicle.This
will be quoted in your owner’s manual.There are
different versions, try to avoid “EC Kerb weight”
because it includes a notional weight for the driver. Best measured on a weighbridge.

Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM): This is
your vehicle’s maximum permissible weight, also
known as the gross vehicle weight.This will be
quoted in your owner’s manual.

Maximum Combination
Weight: The total permissible
weight of the fully laden
tow-car and trailer combined. It
particularly affects drivers with
the minimum category B
licence who passed their test
after 31/12/1996.

Noseweight: This is the
weight pushing down on the
towbar of your towing vehicle
and there will be a maximum
permissible noseweight which
will be quoted in your owner’s
manual (there may be different
weights quoted depending on
the type of hitch being used).
The easiest way to test the
noseweight of your trailer is
to use some bathroom scales
and a piece of wood. For
more information visit;
www.highways.gov.uk/towing.

Payload: This is the weight your
vehicle can carry.This may be
quoted in your owner’s manual
but it is calculated by taking the
difference between MAM and
the Kerb weight.


in short for B+E holders if the total weight of what is being towed is lower than the towing limit of the car and meets the 85% Rule , the police will leave you alone and the insurance company will be happy. regardless of what the trailer is rated to carry.


http://www.campingandcaravanningclub...r-and-caravan/