Trailer Tests

[kizz81]

Trailer tests ...
because i didnt pass my driing test by 1997, i have to do a trailer test
im fine with driving trailers i have driven a few around
but am looking at buying a exhibition trailer so need to stay legal and above board
how much do these tests cost?
what do they involve?
and where can i do one ?
do i need a internal mirror fitted to the landy for both myself and the test man?
whats the easiest handling trailer i can hire out for the day  :lol:?

because the train weight of what i can currently drie is 3500 then i can get a ifor williams and practice abit before the test,
is there any bay parking?

any advice / help much appriciated

cheers kieran

[BigBlueBeast]

"The car and trailer test (B+E) is based on the lorry driving test and lasts for approximately one hour. Please note that B+E tests are conducted at vocational (bus and lorry) driving test centres.
The towing test (B+E) includes vehicle safety questions, an off-road reverse manoeuvre, a controlled stop, uncoupling and coupling of the trailer and driving on the road.
You won't be expected to carry out the following exercises:

• emergency stop on the public road
  reversing round a corner
  reverse parking
  turning in the road

"


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/driverlicensing/caravanstrailerscommercialvehicles/dg_4022521

[zebidee]

My wife had to do one (and I will too when I get round to it) as she transferred from an Irish to a UK license.

She did an intensive 4 day course and it was well worth the money (about £400) cause she can reverse our horse trailer practically anywhere!

When we go to shows we see lots of folks either unable to park or waiting until everyone else has left before they head off because they can't manoeuvre their trailer except forwards.

Z~

[Range Rover Blues]

Kizz, if you'd asked a few months ago I could have helped you out.  You now need to be accompanied by someone who passed the test before 2007 and display L plates.

The manoeuvre is to reverse a dog leg into a "loading bay", also you have to uncouple/remove the car and then reverse up tot he trailer and recouple.

The emergency stop is done in the test centre, there is no reverse round a corner.

You need 2 external mirrors for the examiner, if the car was registered after 1998 your trailer must obscure the back window anyway, you reverse using the mirrors.

Mirrors must extend beyond the width of your trailer body but cannot extend more than 200mm beyond the wisest part of your outfit so if your trailer is wider than the car you need 2 sets of mirrors.

The trailer must be empty but capable of carrying a tonne, don't pick a really short one.  the ideal is a horse trailer, wheels at the back for maneuverability and the right width.

[Lumbering Jack]

The test itself is as the others have said - not too bad but the thing to remember is they are testing you on everything, not just your trailer handling - but theoretically you can fail the test before you even leave the centre!

But, if you're plannign to tow the trailer around shows for business use then you'll most likely need a tacho too (budget on bets part of a grand) and also then you're tied to drivers hours which is a swine - we used to turn uop to a shw early morning, set up do the show, take down and drive home rather than take two days over it - not any more  [-X

[muddyjames]

The test itself is as the others have said - not too bad but the thing to remember is they are testing you on everything, not just your trailer handling - but theoretically you can fail the test before you even leave the centre!

been there done that! only driving test I have failed. I blame the training co I used. main thing about unhooking and hooking back up is the order of how you do it and before you re hook you have to say that you will check tyre, chassis light lense etc conditions to make sure it is road worthy. this is how i failed my test amongst other ways!

I did my test with a flat bed car trailer. nice and long and you can see over the top so easy peasy when doing the reversing bit through cones as you can see them all!

I did my test 8 ish years ago now as I have a stupid after 1997 license too. grrr. good thing is you dont need a theory test for trailer test.  :dance:

[cooper956]

test is £115 i risked it since i have been driveing only to be pulled buy vosa yesterday! now booked in for refresher training and test training is £250 for the day for 2 of us. turns out all i can tow at moment behinf my 2002 110 is 450 kg gross trailer w i can fit more in the 110!

[Saffy]

test is £115 i risked it since i have been driveing only to be pulled buy vosa yesterday!

Was you towing illegally when VOSA pulled? [-o<

[cooper956]

well i was empty trailer less then 750kg land rover and trailer faltless but seen as its plated to over 750kg i carnt tow it had to have it taken home by someone how could tow it. i think i got off lightly (no police where present) wont be doing it again though test and training booked and paid for lets just hope i pass if not ill be takeing sheep to market on the tractor! i can have 24.5 tons tractor trailer and contence and legaly use it on the road for agricultural uses its mad quite often have a 30ft trailer on it legaly but i carnt put a 10ft one behind my landy :roll:

[topless matt]

i can have 24.5 tons tractor trailer and contence and legaly use it on the road for agricultural uses its mad quite often have a 30ft trailer on it legaly but i carnt put a 10ft one behind my landy 

I second that, its seems stupid.
I regularly tow 2 18t bailey trailers behiend my tractor and can even reverse them into sheds while coupled up, that is fun!
I dont understand what the reasoning behiend this test is seeing as trailer towing is just common sense really.
Ive been towing trailers since i was 16 and can do it better than anyone i work with yet they are allowed to tow 3.5t and im limeted to a 3.5t MGTW   

[Saffy]

I dont understand what the reasoning behiend this test is .

£££ $$$  €€€

[muddyjames]

it does seem daft in 1 way but in others I am REALLY for it plainly for the number of people I see towing caravans who cant reverse them to save thier lives really annoys me as it gives all a bad name. Ok, so they will pass thier test and still probably wont be great but at least they will have an idea how to reverse in an S bend! :lol:

I just wish they taught you how to control snaking in the test too but that would be hard and dangerous to simulate.

[trecfive]

 trailer towing is just common sense really.

That is it in a nutshell,common sense,most drivers don't have any that you can quantify.By making you take a test it now ticks a box somewhere,which you cannot do with common sense. This country now runs on box ticking(health and safety)

You used to be able to pass your driving test ,go home and hitch the caravan on, and then drive down a motorway without any experience of towing at speed and not a law in the land to stop you. A towing test has to be a good idea.

Anyone who drives a tractor from a youngster(13) should pass the test.

I await the can of worms to open.

[muddyjames]

You used to be able to pass your driving test ,go home and hitch the caravan on, and then drive down a motorway without any experience of towing at speed and not a law in the land to stop you. A towing test has to be a good idea.

I bought my first caravan 1 month after passing my driving test when I was 17. I stayed within the stupidly complicated rules and experienced snaking etc along motorways. I felt it made me a better driver as I experienced what HGV drivers had to do and so left them more room to "play".

Thankfully though I was brought up on caravan holidays and used to hook and unhook the caravan for my dad and practised reversing a toy caravan from a kid but I know most people dont get this chance.

Someone brought up on a farm should be able to pass as you say. It is the ones who have no idea and go runing in all look at me I can do it and then muck it up are the ones who need a tick in a box!

me as a kid playing. how sad!!! :lol:

[Range Rover Blues]

The rules needed to be applied at some point, but there are some things that are stupid, like if you pass the tractor test you can tow a trailer but not behind a car.  I guess that's about speed because tractors can't go on the motorway and the tractor test does limit what you can tow.

Also stoopid, if I want to keep instructing i now have to take ther test too, that's fine and sensible, but then I can't instruct for another 3 years, what the hell is that about?  I've been towing trailers for 20 years, what difference will another 3 years make :roll:

As said, ££££££££££££££££.

[cooper956]

i thought as far as i can see anyone can teach b+ e who past before 1997 or  had done the b+e and held it for 3 years?

or are you teaching c1+e? then u do have to have taken the +e part of the test yourself.

[muddyjames]

new rules have come in saying that those with grandfather rights (passed ebfore 1997) can no longer teach someone to tow a caravan etc on thier license unless they have done the test and held it for 3 years.

people can still legally tow with grandfather rights though.

this law came in, in about feb time i think.

[cooper956]

thats strange  cmpany doing my trailer training say anyone with grandfather rights can sit with me to get to my test?
would have thought thay would have known?

[cooper956]

http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=607

[cooper956]

hears  a artical i found.

NEW driving licensing legislation revoking ‘grandfather rights’ to accompany learner drivers in small lorries, buses and vehicle plus trailer combinations will have a profound impact on the equestrian industry according to The British Horse Society.

From April 6. drivers who passed their car driving test before January 1997 have no longer been able to act as ‘supervising’ drivers to those learning to drive small lorries, buses and vehicle plus trailer combinations (but not car/horse trailer combinations in category B and E).

Crucially for the equestrian industry this includes 7.5 tonne horse boxes.

In a response to questioning by the British Horse Society, the Driving Standards Agency stated: “Drivers who passed their car driving test before January 1997 were granted implied entitlement, sometimes known as ‘grandfather rights’, to drive small lorries, buses and vehicle plus trailer combinations.

“These are classed as categories C1, C1+E, D1 and D1+E and subject to certain restrictions.

“It should be noted that it was never the intention to allow learner drivers to drive a vehicle on public roads unless being supervised by a qualified driver who had passed a test for that category of vehicle.

“Clearly there are road safety issues involved where a person who has never passed the relevant driving test will act as the supervisor for a driver in these categories. These changes will not affect the person’s existing entitlement to drive C1 or D1 vehicles or vehicle plus trailer combinations.

“They will however make it illegal for anyone to act as a supervising driver in such vehicles if they only hold pre-1997 implied entitlements.”

The new legislation has not been widely publicised and the BHS is concerned that many drivers will not be aware that they are affected since the changes come into force.

A detailed description of the changes from the DSA is available on the British Horse Society website at bhs.org.uk.

[fuzzy]

I do understand that there is a need for the rules to be applied and in order to raise the standard of driving on our roads I agree that these tests are a good idea. However I can also see that it is just yet another way of the government taking more and more of our hard earned cash. I wanted to get my LGV C+e to enable me to advance my career. I was informed when i tried to start my training that ii couldn't just go ahead and take the c+e but i would have to stage it through the c1 and c in order to get there. At a cost of nearly £900 per course it makes it too expensive to contemplate. I have recently taken my C1 that i passed with 1 days tuition and had no driving faults recorded on the test at all. I am an IAM advanced driver and used to drive for an out of hours doctor service so am advanced emergency driver. I find it appalling that despite the fact I am a proven good driver I still have to take all these tests. worse still when i enquired about c1+e and wether it would give me the b+e i was told no, i would still have to take the b+e test as you dont get the lower entitlements auotmatically!!!!! if i pass a test to let me drive a lorry/trailer combination, why can i not then drive a smaller, easier to handle car/trailer combo???????? its all about money and thats the end of it im afraid. When will the bureaucrats realise they know nothing about the departments they run and let people with common sense decide the rules? ](*,)

[cooper956]

who told u u dont get b + e if u do c1+ e? im sure u do i know u do if u do an artic licence as a friend has done it and has b+e on his licence if u just do  c1 u dont get and E`s .

[squaddie_fox]

you should just be able to do C then C+E and this should give you the lower C1, C1+E and B+E etc. i had my car licence then took my C and C+E and i got all the lower entitlements.

just make sure your licence has all the vehicles on as provisional and you shouldn't have a problem.

[Sider]

I do understand that there is a need for the rules to be applied and in order to raise the standard of driving on our roads I agree that these tests are a good idea. However I can also see that it is just yet another way of the government taking more and more of our hard earned cash. I wanted to get my LGV C+e to enable me to advance my career. I was informed when i tried to start my training that ii couldn't just go ahead and take the c+e but i would have to stage it through the c1 and c in order to get there. At a cost of nearly £900 per course it makes it too expensive to contemplate. I have recently taken my C1 that i passed with 1 days tuition and had no driving faults recorded on the test at all. I am an IAM advanced driver and used to drive for an out of hours doctor service so am advanced emergency driver. I find it appalling that despite the fact I am a proven good driver I still have to take all these tests. worse still when i enquired about c1+e and wether it would give me the b+e i was told no, i would still have to take the b+e test as you dont get the lower entitlements auotmatically!!!!! if i pass a test to let me drive a lorry/trailer combination, why can i not then drive a smaller, easier to handle car/trailer combo???????? its all about money and thats the end of it im afraid. When will the bureaucrats realise they know nothing about the departments they run and let people with common sense decide the rules? ](*,)

You were misinformed, fuzzy. True enough, you can't just go for your C+E, but you only need to pass C to be eligible, not C1.

In my case, I took B, then C, then C+E.

[cooper956]

tok my b +e yesterday and passed problem solved :lol:

[Range Rover Blues]

I'd like to do D1+E in one hit, but I need a medical for the D1.  Not sure if that medical expires if I'll loose the +E, or indeed if I can do D1+E as I have "grandfather rights".

What is lunatic is that I then have to sit on the licence for 3 years before I can instruct again

Especially as I have been told that instructing students in our 6th form is a conflict of interests which limits who I can teach to drive a car slightly.