towing a caravan

[danny7299]

Hi All ,

I am starting a large job in kings lynn , we will be there for about 3-4 months,

so i was wondering about buying a caravan , My transit van has a tow bar, and weighs in at gross 2600KG ( ithink)

and the Caravan im looking at is 750 KG

So total 3350KG

i have been looking at towing if you have a driving leicence after 1997 and it says you can tow upto 3.5 tonn with out a addition test.

Is this right ? just want to check before i find myself in trouble.

hope some one can help

Cheers

ut the kettle on

 

[Apache]

Basically yes you should be ok.

I keep meaning to do my trailer test

 

[danny7299]

so do i , i just seems like a waste of money to me !! just another bit of paper we dont need to have cheers for the input

 

[Sidewinder]

Careful Patch you'll be upsetting other trailer towing members if you are not careful!

Gawd, now I feel old, I have trailers and up to 7.5t GVW on my car licence as well as an unlimited bike licence!

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 21:58 ---------- Previous post was made at 21:57 ----------

Sorry Danny, don't know owt about the new licence rules try the DVLA website?

 

[batty]

Be very careful towing stuff I think if you go over 3.5 tons you need a tacho but probably are wrong about that.

 

[danny7299]

pased my test in 2002 ish , the caravan im looking at buying has got all the wingmirrors , anti snake fittings , etc

Im gonna look like a right gypo pulling a caravan with a tranny van ... do ya like dags !!!

 

[wozz]

I thought the same batty, if its for commercial use. I was watching one of the police camera programs when a bloke got done for not having a tacho when towing a car on a trailer.

 

[Andy™]

Hi All ,I am starting a large job in kings lynn , we will be there for about 3-4 months,

so i was wondering about buying a caravan , My transit van has a tow bar, and weighs in at gross 2600KG ( ithink)

and the Caravan im looking at is 750 KG

So total 3350KG

i have been looking at towing if you have a driving leicence after 1997 and it says you can tow upto 3.5 tonn with out a addition test.

Is this right ? just want to check before i find myself in trouble.

hope some one can help

Cheers

ut the kettle on

you cannot tow 3500kg without B&E

your limitations are:

either max of 3500KG + 750 trailer (train 4250kg)

or trailer can be upto unloaded weigvht on vehicle, providing train is 3500kg or under. i.e 1.2t car towing 1.2t trailer, legal. 3.5t van towing the same 1.2t trailer, not so legal

but since the caravan your looking at is 750KG, you would be option 1. so max van weight 3500KG, max trailer 750kg, train 4250kg

also be aware of driving hours & working time directive. if towing commercially, you also need a tacho depending on weight and a few other things

 

[Apache]

Careful Patch you'll be upsetting other trailer towing members if you are not careful! Gawd, now I feel old, I have trailers and up to 7.5t GVW on my car licence as well as an unlimited bike licence!

That's the crazy thing, mate. My mother can tow big trailers but wouldn't have a clue. I've driven some agricultural rigs on the road weighing over 10 tonnes, can make a trailer go where I want. I was towing trailer loads of grass at 14 years old on a dairy farm where I spent many happy hours working!

 

[Sidewinder]

I too was towing with a tractor at about the same age!

I am rusty now reversing a trailer, Mrs. SW Friday drove an LR Disco with a caravan on the back for the 1st time to put the rig (someone elses) on the spot, and if it was not for the carp lock on the Disco whe would have got it 1st time fair dooes!

 

[Bacon]

If you do happen to get stopped talk with a strange accent and you'll be allright,

Gypos get away with it.

 

[danny7299]

If you do happen to get stopped talk with a strange accent and you'll be allright,Gypos get away with it.

"ha ha its for me ma "" !!

 

[Andy™]

stick some foreign plates on

 

[batty]

I am hopeless at towing trailers tried it once and could not get the hang of it although I did work on a poultry farm before I left school and could handle a muck spreader so to speak. Personally my van is large enough to carry all I need in it so no need for a trailer luckily.

 

[Andy™]

i tow trailers often. mostly 750kg or less. and i can easily reverse with them, including blind side. bigger the trailer, easier it is to reverse

 

[Sidewinder]

Apparently it is the distance between the towing pivot (hitch) & the wheels that is the key thing, the longer it is the easier to reverse!

From a big vehicle driver, not only Cat 1 but BIG machines 70t plus on the public highway!

Alas, he is no longer with us for me to ask any more questions.

 

[steptoe]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Apache]

kinda correct,its all about drawbar to axle ratio to be more precise.

And you can actually see the bugger! The hours of fun the men at our local tip have watching numpties with thier little pressed steel Halfords trailer trying to back it up to a skip.

 

[Manator]

Two horses, a good harness and away you go, no road tax and the luxury to roam as nature intended.

You may need to set off earlier, and do regular stops for feeding and watering, but treat as an holiday and this inconvenience turns into a pleasurable trip out.

 

[steptoe]

Two horses, a good harness and away you go, no road tax and the luxury to roam as nature intended.You may need to set off earlier, and do regular stops for feeding and watering, but treat as an holiday and this inconvenience turns into a pleasurable trip out.

its not easy getting to the jobs for 8am though Manator if Im more than 5mile away and I dont set off the night before I have got home from the last job which ran over cos I didnt set off the night before to get there.!