Yes, but do remember these are the plated weights not weighed weights. So trying to get under 3500 kg by running the car and/or caravan light is a nono. At present your figures do look as if you will be okay but you need to be more precise on the caravan specified maximum weight.So the general consensus is that with just a Cat B license which I passed after Jan 1997 I can tow a caravan as long as the combined weights are less than 3.5tn.
Will check my van asap.
I'm sorry to be pedantic about this, but this may be critical to you and you don't seem to have grasped the important detail.So the general consensus is that with just a Cat B license which I passed after Jan 1997 I can tow a caravan as long as the combined weights are less than 3.5tn.
Will check my van asap.
I do understand that yes. I'm just double checking then that however you wish to describe the above... If I past my test after 97 and only have a Cat B I'm ok on my current car and as long as the weight plate on my caravan adds up to less than the 3.5 I'm all good to go.I'm sorry to be pedantic about this, but this may be critical to you and you don't seem to have grasped the important detail.
Your licence restrictions relate to the capacity or weight limits of your outfit, not what it actually weighs at the time.
A weight is a measurement, where as the MAM is a weight limit.
Whilst you may not have a problem, others who read this might, so the differencevery is important.
No, It's not just the figure on the weight plate of the caravan is the sum of both the maximum authorised masses of both the car and the trailer. I realise you may just have forgotten to include that in your reply, but it is important to be 100% clear rather than leave an ambiguity.I do understand that yes. I'm just double checking then that however you wish to describe the above... If I past my test after 97 and only have a Cat B I'm ok on my current car and as long as the weight plate on my caravan adds up to less than the 3.5 I'm all good to go.
Sorry, yes I meant the weight of both.No, It's not just the figure on the weight plate of the caravan is the sum of both the maximum authorised masses of both the car and the trailer. I realise you may just have forgotten to include that in your reply, but it is important to be 100% clear rather than leave an ambiguity.
I do hope your figures do fall below 3500kg and clears the licence hurdle, but then there is the question "is the car legally allowed to pull the caravan, which is a different set of factors to your licence.
I don't want to be alarmist but It should also be noted that simply complying with the legal weights for licences and the actual vehicles does not actually ensure the proposed match is either safe or sensible. To help in that respect the UK industry has published some advice which will reduce the risks. but its also important to ensure both the car and trailer ae properly serviced and in good condition. but the single biggest factor for safety is the th way the outfit is driven.
I believe both the caravanning clubs have voluntary courses aimed at novice caravanners.
I did look up the Alfresco but could not see a 1997 model, but the 1998 was shown as 949kg unladen and 1250 MTPLM, which should be perfectly legal and a safe tow with your car.
The speed awareness instructor should check the government website before providing the wrong informationSo I thought this nightmare had gone away, however my friend who is in the same position as me has just come away from a speed awareness course where he asked the question about the licence's and was told by the instructor that he could only tow something upto a weight of 750KG unless he has the B+E endorsement on his license.
This is now the 2nd person working in this area that has said this, I know its the opposite to what every one is saying on here.... i now really dont know what to do.
I completely agree with you, its just when someone in an area of authority as such, these things it makes you worry.The speed awareness instructor should check the government website before providing the wrong information
Click Here for the YouGov information on driving licence entitlements and towing limits.
The information is quite straightforward, there's nothing nightmarish about it.
Haha thank you! We have 4 trips lined up over the next few weeks so really didn't want to hear the news I heard but I think im all good again ;o)Back through the mists of time when I drove articulated lorries, tachographs were introduced to monitor driving hours.
Now and again the job meant that I might be driving out of what were then ' normal' working hours.
Sometimes a police patrol car with a bored copper would stop me and ask to inspect my tachometer disk to check for hours infringements.
It soon became clear that the cops weren't always entirely sure what they were looking for or how the system worked.
Don't worry, caravanning is supposed to be a source of enjoyment, and as time goes by it will all become much easier.
Look at DVLA website and you will see precisely what a BE covers and what a B licence category covers. On a recent post someone refers to a policeman’s statement about weighing a Caravan. That was blatant nonsense. Why would you believe a lecturer on a speed awareness course as opposed to DVLA?So I thought this nightmare had gone away, however my friend who is in the same position as me has just come away from a speed awareness course where he asked the question about the licence's and was told by the instructor that he could only tow something upto a weight of 750KG unless he has the B+E endorsement on his license.
This is now the 2nd person working in this area that has said this, I know its the opposite to what every one is saying on here.... i now really dont know what to do.
Because its the trade they work in so would assume they know more than me. Is it not better to be cautious and ask questions than just believe someone who is answering on a forum who I do not know from Adam?Look at DVLA website and you will see precisely what a BE covers and what a B licence category covers. On a recent post someone refers to a policeman’s statement about weighing a Caravan. That was blatant nonsense. Why would you believe a lecturer on a speed awareness course as opposed to DVLA?
Because its the trade they work in so would assume they know more than me. Is it not better to be cautious and ask questions than just believe someone who is answering on a forum who I do not know from Adam?
Im not saying anyone is wrong or right, im just collecting as much info as I can.
Yes agree and it was the DVLA website that made me change my mind and buy a caravan. I just worried when I had a few people say I was wrong that I had read the information incorrectly that was all.I agree that it is best to be cautious on such matters and that’s why going to the DVLA website must be a better option than just taking others advice at face value or second hand from a friend who got it from someone else who was probably more knowledgable about the speed limits applied to trailers.
Instructors on speed awareness course made similar errors on the course I went on - they're wrong in what your friend was told.So I thought this nightmare had gone away, however my friend who is in the same position as me has just come away from a speed awareness course where he asked the question about the licence's and was told by the instructor that he could only tow something upto a weight of 750KG unless he has the B+E endorsement on his license.
This is now the 2nd person working in this area that has said this, I know its the opposite to what every one is saying on here.... i now really dont know what to do.
You are absolutely right, which is why my sign off says always verify in formation from a forum before using it, but I can assure you that on this subject we probably know more than many in authority. Its a specialised area, and unless you are dealing with it on a regular basis it is easy to be tripped up by words and phrases that have very specific meanings, but are misunderstood or miss used in common language.Because its the trade they work in so would assume they know more than me. Is it not better to be cautious and ask questions than just believe someone who is answering on a forum who I do not know from Adam?
Im not saying anyone is wrong or right, im just collecting as much info as I can.
Just what we needed, a Devil's advocate. 🙄.........If I tell you to use the Government web site, I have to also tell you there have been past errors on some of its pages on this very subject. But I think it is presently good for Cat B and BE usage.