Category B licence towing restrictions

C9C9C9
C9C9C9 Forum Participant Posts: 80
edited April 2019 in Towcars & Towing #1

I obtained my driving license after September 97 and only have category B entitlement.  I was under the understanding that provided my GVW+MTPLM didn't exceed 3500 Kgs I was entitled to tow.

  1. My caravan is 1100 Kg (re-plated xplore 304)
  2. My car is 2140 Kg (kia carens)

So I assumed I was fine to tow in the UK and Europe (Switzerland/France).  I just read something on http://www.wikiwand.com/en/European_driving_licence that has made me question this.  Under category B within the table there is a comment:

"The limit for in the second condition is: 2,500 kilograms (5,500 lb) + 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb)= 3,500 kilograms (7,700 lb)."

This is not present in the EU DIRECTIVE 2006/126/EC.  Can anybody clarify whether this entry is spurious and what it means, because it could be taken to mean that my MTPLM exceeds the 1000 Kg limit.

Apologies if this has been well explored on here, I tried a search and couldn't find any results for the text in question. 

Comments

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2019 #2

     The 2500kg + 1000kg is just an example. It could just as well be 2200 + 1300kg. Only the sum must not exceed 3500kg.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
    1,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited April 2019 #3

    Agree with 'Lutz', could have been worded a little less worryingly but your sums are OK 👍

  • Woody19
    Woody19 Forum Participant Posts: 43
    edited April 2019 #4

    Do check the rules. DoT have changed them at least twice since 1997 and now have restrictions on the weight combination and other things. Having said that I don't think the first change came in until well into this century.

    Search www.gov.uk for 'Towing with a car' and it will tell you all. 

    Incidently the thing about a 750Kg trailer: this means an unbraked trailer of the type you might use to take hedge cuttings or the Christmas tree to the tip.

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