I OWN A COACHMAN PASTICHE 530 4 IWOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THE CAR AND VAN WEIGHTS ARE CALCULATED IS THE CAR EMPTY IF SO OK BUT WHAT IF THE CAR HAS 2 PEOPLE PLUS EQUIPMENT ON BOARD DOES THIS INCREASE THE 85PER CENT RULE FOR THE VAN TO CAR RATIO ALSO YOUR MAG LISTS MY VAN AS 1530 MTPLMYET MY OWNERS HANDBOOK STATES 1450 MTPLM SO WHO IS RIGHT THANKS ENJOY YOUR MAG BRIAN
CARAVAN WEIGHTS
- Thread starter brian_5039979
- Start date
530/4 - 1325kg/26.1cwt - 1530kg/30.1cwt
THIS IS YOUR CARAVAN WEIGHT EMPTY, AND MAXIMUM FULLY LADEN
THE CARS KERBWEIGHT IS THE CAR EMPTY AND WITH ALL NESCESSARY LIQUIDS NEEDED(OIL WATER ETC)NOTHING ELSE.SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO STICK TO THE 85% RULE YOU NEED A CAR THAT ITS KERBWEIGT IS AT LEAST 1800KG,AND THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT IS ALSO CAPABLE OF PULLING THIS WEIGHT.SOME CARS MIGHT HAVE THE KERBWEIGHT OF 1800+ but the manufacturer might state that the car is only capable of pulling 1500 kg,you must then stick to the manufacturers guidance of 1500 kgs not the kerbweight.IF THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THE CAR CAN PULL 3000 KGS BUT THE KERBWEIGHT OF THE CAR IS ONLY 1800 KGS THEN YOU STICK TO THE KERBWEIGHT.ALL IN ALL YOU MUST NEVER TOW MORE THAN THE KERBWEIGHT OR IF LESS THE MANUFACTURES TOWING LIMIT FOR THAT MODEL.HOPE THIS HELPS
WHAT CAR HAVE YOU GOT??
THIS IS YOUR CARAVAN WEIGHT EMPTY, AND MAXIMUM FULLY LADEN
THE CARS KERBWEIGHT IS THE CAR EMPTY AND WITH ALL NESCESSARY LIQUIDS NEEDED(OIL WATER ETC)NOTHING ELSE.SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO STICK TO THE 85% RULE YOU NEED A CAR THAT ITS KERBWEIGT IS AT LEAST 1800KG,AND THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT IS ALSO CAPABLE OF PULLING THIS WEIGHT.SOME CARS MIGHT HAVE THE KERBWEIGHT OF 1800+ but the manufacturer might state that the car is only capable of pulling 1500 kg,you must then stick to the manufacturers guidance of 1500 kgs not the kerbweight.IF THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THE CAR CAN PULL 3000 KGS BUT THE KERBWEIGHT OF THE CAR IS ONLY 1800 KGS THEN YOU STICK TO THE KERBWEIGHT.ALL IN ALL YOU MUST NEVER TOW MORE THAN THE KERBWEIGHT OR IF LESS THE MANUFACTURES TOWING LIMIT FOR THAT MODEL.HOPE THIS HELPS
WHAT CAR HAVE YOU GOT??
this is the way it is .Since 1 January 1997 all drivers who hold category C or D entitlement have been limited to trailers up to 750kgs MAM; Category C+E or D+E must be held in order to tow trailers in excess of this.anybody passing their test prior to this date is exempt until their license expires
- Mar 14, 2005
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I'm afraid you've got it all wrong, klarky. Firstly, you've got your C's & D's mixed up with B's & C's. Secondly, you don't need a special licence (i.e. a B+E) to tow over 750kg unless the gross combination weight exceeds 3500kg or if the MAM of the trailer exceeds the unladen mass of the car.
Klarky, my understanding is the same as Lutz and also PC (and the caravan club). Check the home page, Towing Law / Legal issues of towing/ Driving licences.
- Mar 14, 2005
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klarky, I don't what you read in the DVLA information leaflet that you refer to.
It states, quite plainly, quote:
Category B - Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with
up to 8 passenger seats.
Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kg
MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) OR
a trailer over 750kg 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.
It states, quite plainly, quote:
Category B - Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with
up to 8 passenger seats.
Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kg
MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) OR
a trailer over 750kg 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.
so to put it plainly-if you have passed your test prior to 1st january 1997 you can tow anything over 750 kg's ( up to 8.25 tonnes mam)providing its legal,if you passed your test after this date 1 January 1997 you need to have passed an additional driving test in order to gain entitlement to category B+E (car with trailer) which allows them to tow caravans and trailers over 750 kgs.
CAT B - Motor vehicles with a MAM not exceeding 3500kg having not more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg. Combinations of towing vehicles in category B and a trailer, where the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3500kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle.
so what it is saying is that as long as your outfit weighs 3500kg or less you can tow it if sat driving after 1997 jan 1st test
so what it is saying is that as long as your outfit weighs 3500kg or less you can tow it if sat driving after 1997 jan 1st test
so why is everybody else say you can't,have a daughter in law who has been told she has to pass cat b+E
Klarky, everybody else including myself,PC.,CC, C & CC and the DVLC are not saying that. They are saying exactly what Lutz is saying. If your Daughter in Law passed her test after January 1997 she can tow a caravan quite legally as long as its MPTLM doesn't weigh more than the kerbweight of the car and the combined weight MAM doesn't exceed 3500kg. Ray
Lutz, I may have got that wrong in quoting you by saying the MPTLM of the caravan and not it's actual weight MAM. ray
- Mar 14, 2005
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Unless I am mistaken and someone proves me wrong, for all intents and purposes there is no difference between MAM (maximum allowable mass) and MTPLM (maximum technically permissible laden mass). In theory, however, MAM could be less than MTPLM because other legal restrictions could result in what is allowable being less than what is technically permissible. Anyway, regardless of which term is used, the law is therefore quite clear that it does NOT apply to the actual weight.
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