Anybody Done A Trailer Test?

[dave205 19]

As above really, looking into doing it but not sure exactly whats involved and how much it costs.

 

Anyone in the know?

[jeremy 70]

My wife wants to do hers, thankfully I passed before the change in law. What I can say is when she looked into it, it cost about £750 for a weeks tuition and the test.

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

F**k me :-o

 

As a pre-rule-change driver, I wish I could say I'm surprised at this further method the government has discovered for leeching us of our cash - but I'm not. Bloody disgraceful.

[allye 530 3 Cars]

My wife wants to do hers, thankfully I passed before the change in law. What I can say is when she looked into it, it cost about £750 for a weeks tuition and the test.

 

This sounds like one of those similar to car test intensive courses, over priced and for impatient people! Some practice on private land a couple lessons from an instructor on what's requires to pass and I imagine you could do it for under £200

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

I did an assessment lesson of 45min, I have towed trailers a lot. The instructor said that it was clear I had done plenty of towing as I was well aware of where the trailer was when taking corners, manoeuvering etc. His main comment was that I would fail the trailer test just on my general road driving- you are tested as if you are taking a car test as well as the trailer. So feeding the wheel, ridiculously checking mirrors etc is the order of the day. He said that most people will fail the test just on some general driving fault, nothing to do with the trailer. Stupid if you ask me but there we go.

 

I have checked and double checked the weights and what I tow and I'm happy I am legal. I do plan to do the test at some time though just to remove any possible doubt.

[omega 82]

My wife wants to do hers, thankfully I passed before the change in law. What I can say is when she looked into it, it cost about £750 for a weeks tuition and the test.

 

for a bit more than that you could do a a hgv test.

[ORB 227 1 Cars]

I had to do it when I sold landrovers. It's a pain in the arse!

 

I shall not add more comment because Sir Fenton covered it all.

 

Dunno what it cost, work paid, then they stopped using Disco's and trailers to deliver Defenders to farms and bought a couple of Merc beavertails.

 

Daft

[gtmotorsport 0]

I did mine a couple of years ago, it isn't cheap to do the training and the test. Well worth it in my view as you have basically got the same as a HGV test to take and hence the practice helps. I had to get back to using both hands on the wheel and keeping a regular eye on mirrors. We all think we are good drivers, don't have accidents and such, but we all get bad habits and they generally aren't liked by an examiner. After all it only takes one wrong move that they don't like and you'll be heading back for a re-test with the associated costs.

[gtmotorsport 0]

Just a quick comment on this, just because you think your legal doesn't mean the Police take the same view when they pull you. I got pulled with an empty car transporter before I passed my trailer test with a Landrover Discovery tow car, only to get a warning over weights. Reason being the Discovery can tow 3.5t and the trailer was plated at 3.5t, so hence I could have been breaking the law if loaded. When I quized them as to why I had been pulled they said it was because a trailer had been stolen from the services, but the one I was towing didn't fit the discription. They didn't ask though who's it was mind or why I had it!!!

[gwanyerselsun 1]

I've sat and failed mine twice.

 

The test has very little to do with trailers and is more a repeat of your driving test. I laughed at the examiner the 2nd time I failed as it all seemed a little surreal that after driving for 13 years with no accidents, speeding fines, etc, I wasn't able to pass the test again.

 

Personally I see the whole thing as a con and wish anyone sitting it the best of luck because you WILL need it.

[dave205 19]

I did an assessment lesson of 45min, I have towed trailers a lot. The instructor said that it was clear I had done plenty of towing as I was well aware of where the trailer was when taking corners, manoeuvering etc. His main comment was that I would fail the trailer test just on my general road driving- you are tested as if you are taking a car test as well as the trailer. So feeding the wheel, ridiculously checking

mirrors etc is the order of the day. He said that most people will fail the test just on some general driving fault, nothing to do with the trailer. Stupid if you ask me but there we go.

I have checked and double checked the weights and what I tow and I'm happy I am legal. I do plan to do the test at some time though just to remove any possible doubt.

 

 

Whats the assement test like tom? What do you actually hav to do?

 

Sounds like theres alot of mixed views about trailer tests i still want to look into doing it though.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

It was not a test. It was just an assessment lesson for an instructor to tell me what my standard was and what a test would require. I would have failed without a doubt, simple things like crossing hands on wheel, not doing last look over shoulder before setting off, braking too late and too hard (as you would normally, but this is no good for the test) etc etc.

[dave205 19]

How much did it all cost?

[2-Pugs 57]

PM TurboSam. He did it a few weeks back.

[dave205 19]

PM TurboSam. He did it a few weeks back.

 

Cheers for that

[trogboy 17]

I've sat mine through work. Failed the first time because I was taught the wrong procedure for hitching onto the trailer. It was quite some time ago but from memory the manouvers that you have to to cover are reversing through an S-bend and parking the trailer in a cone "garage" whilst taking a maximum of 2 shunts. You also have to unhitch, pull back and park next to the trailer and then approach it "as if you have never seen it before" and re-hitch. I was't taught to get out and check the height of the hitch on the trailer compared to my vehicle before backing right up to it and apparently that is a major fault. I was in a defender but apparently I should check to prevent potential damage to the tow vehicle from collision with the hitch - cocks. I only got 3 minors on the rest of the test though.

 

The second time round my refresher lesson was immediately before the test and consisted of taking the instructor back to his house so that he could take a half an hour dump, and then having him pile on the pressure to break all of the speed limits going so that we'd get to the test centre in time for the test. He then proceeded to have a full on stand up shouting match with the examiner about the scheduling of the test meaning that the examiner lost half a days pay. All in I was quite suprised that I passed really.