any towing experts here to clarify my thinking is correct?
i passed my test after jan 1997 which means I have restrictions on what i can tow.

we're about to part with money to buy an ifor williams horse trailer which has an unladen weight of 1000kg.
The approx. weight of the FL2 is 1700kg?
combined, that is obviously 2700kg

Does that mean i can tow it home (empty) from the sellers legally?
i am going to take my trailer test before the horse goes anywhere near it.

TIA

Ross

ps. details below on law...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Drive...G_10013073

direct.gov.uk wrote:

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to eight passenger seats
Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.

For example:

a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle
Whereas

the same vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes when coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.5 tonnes would fall within category B+E. This is because although the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer is within the 3.5 tonnes MAM limit, the MAM of the trailer is more than the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle
Vehicle manufacturers normally recommend a maximum weight of trailer appropriate to their vehicle. Details can usually be found in the vehicle's handbook or obtained from car dealerships. The size of the trailer recommended for an average family car with an unladen weight of around 1 tonne would be well within the new category B threshold.

Quote:

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to eight passenger seats

Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.

Maybe tis helps
http://www.ifor-williams-trailers.co.uk/brochures/ltt.pdf

As the FL2 has a MAM of 2505 Kg it would seem that the trailer would have to be under 750 MAM.
Might be wrong
Edit
Also saw there that you could tow up to 3500 kg trailers "if accompanied by a driver who has B+E" ?
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Matei wrote:

Maybe tis helps
http://www.ifor-williams-trailers.co.uk/brochures/ltt.pdf

As the FL2 has a MAM of 2505 Kg it would seem that the trailer would have to be under 750 MAM.
Might be wrong
Edit
Also saw there that you could tow up to 3500 kg trailers "if accompanied by a driver who has B+E" ?

I'm waiting for CG to say its against the law to tow any caravan......

no need you said it for me
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At work
At home
“Everyone else is entitled to an opinion even when they are wrong”

Just had a look at the DVLA site, out of interest. How confusing? Wish I hadn't bothered.

How does anyone know what they can and can't tow.

By the looks of things, if you pass your test after Jan 97 (did mine end of 96, so lucky I guess) then you couldn't tow a large trailer with a disco, without passing another test. What a pain in the !

Sounds like a con to me, more money from more driving tests and lessons. Do we really think that this makes our roads safer, which is the point of driving license restrictions isn't it?

Rant over, sorry

Rich

rmbillington wrote:

Just had a look at the DVLA site, out of interest. How confusing? Wish I hadn't bothered.

How does anyone know what they can and can't tow.

muddywheels wrote:

Having read the guide again total MAM for vehicle and trailer must not exceed 3.5 Tonnes - therefore max up to 995 Kg MAM trailer - so you would be breaking the law even if trailer empty unless you have a B+E passenger.

To be safe I would ring DVLA and check the regulations

I can't remember the exact figures but I do know that ifor williams trailers are quite heavy. We have a 'Cherval Liberte' which is a lot lighter and with a 16 hand horse on board we aren't that far off the max weight limit of the FL2.
I seem to remember working out that if we'd had bought an ifor we'd have had to get a disco or another Jeep as we'd have been overweight for an fl2.
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07 Freelander 2 TD4SE Tambora Flame, side steps, privacy glass, mud flaps, boot liner and a tow bar. Ok it's the Wifes but she lets me drive it occasionally - if I've been good!

jules1967 wrote:

I can't remember the exact figures but I do know that ifor williams trailers are quite heavy. We have a 'Cherval Liberte' which is a lot lighter and with a 16 hand horse on board we aren't that far off the max weight limit of the FL2.
I seem to remember working out that if we'd had bought an ifor we'd have had to get a disco or another Jeep as we'd have been overweight for an fl2.

Matei wrote:

Now now disco or another Jeep . Disco and Jeep in the same sentence

jules1967 wrote:

Matei wrote:

Now now disco or another Jeep . Disco and Jeep in the same sentence

Ah I don't know. CRV and FL2 or X5 and Disco in the same sentence would be seriously our of order I'll grant you and the Jeep is a bit of a tractor compared to the fl2 but it's still on the right side of 4x4 respectablility with its low range, locking diffs and other gizmos. And to be fair, it has a much better towing limit

http://www.l-busters.co.uk/page5.html