Category E Driving Test

[Matt205 14]

Annoyingly I got my license 1 month after the change of categories, so I'm limited to 3.5t gross, unless pass a category E test. I'm keen to do the test as I'm sure I am sometime over the gross weight limit.

 

Has anyone done the test? What's specifically required to pass / what techniques need to be demonstrated? Is it reasonable to do the test without any formal training or is it likely I will need to take some formal training to stand any chance of passing?

 

Generally interested in your experience in this area.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

From an instructor I spoke to, most people will fail the test on nothing to do with the trailer, but on their general driving standards. They do not just assess the trailer, they assess you as if you were taking your car test, so its feeding the wheel, and spinning your head around like a demented idiot checking over your shoulder and mirrors, driving very very gently whilst still "making progress" etc.

Depending on your towing outfit you may or may not be legal with a lightweight trailer and 205. I keep saying that I will do the "+E" test myself just to make sure, but haven't got round to it yet.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

So this post spurred me on to get on and look seriously at doing the B+E test, yesterday I did an hours assessment, a week on Friday I have got a few hours practise in the morning and then the test in the afternoon, so watch this space. Trailer wise I've been towing over 10 years, but as per above its general driving that will probably be the harder thing to get right, the instructor was telling me about a guy that failed last week because he was doing 50mph on a dual track, not holding anyone up, where he should have been doing 60mph.

[Obey_R 23]

I thought you were always limited to 3.5 tonnes on a Cat B? To drive 3.5-7.5 I thought was C1 and C1+E?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Yes you are still limited to 3.5T in the towing vehicle. With just "B" if you are driving say a twin wheel Transit that is 3.5T gross, you can tow 750kg and no more, max train weight 4250kg. So effectively that means even with an empty Transit, you can only tow a small box trailer or say a small compressor/genny behind. If you have B+E you can tow up to 3.5T gross of trailer with your 3.5T gross tow vehicle, so max train weight 7T. So now you can put a car trailer etc behind your Transit and be legal. Obviously that depends on the vehicle itself having an appropriate towing weight for the trailer. The main thing to remember is that it works on plated weight of tow vehicle and trailer and not actual. So even towing an empty trailer plated at 1600kg but only weighs 500kg unladen with said Transit is not legal on a B only license.

[welshpug 1,657]

Give you an example, MK6 and 7 Transit T350 RWD have a 2250 kg towing weight give or take depending on diff and engine spec.

 

T350 refers to GVW or 3500 kg, GTW would be 5750kg, therefore you can use the second heaviest Brian James A-Max or Clubman trailer which has a Gross weight of 2000 kg (trailer itself weighs 500 kg)

 

You could even use the smallest race shuttle but your capacity will be lower due to the 700 kilo weight of the trailer, still has a 2000 kg GVW due to the axles they use.

 

you cannot use the Highest payload BJ A-max/clubman Shuttle as they are rated at 2600 KG, as this would push the theoretical GTW to 6100kg.

Edited March 13, 2013 by welshpug

[dcc 855]

I always thought it was bonkers that I could tow car on trailer behind my 406 legally, but not behind my dads 3t chevvy :|

[Alan_M 66 1 Cars]

So this post spurred me on to get on and look seriously at doing the B+E test, yesterday I did an hours assessment, a week on Friday I have got a few hours practise in the morning and then the test in the afternoon, so watch this space. Trailer wise I've been towing over 10 years, but as per above its general driving that will probably be the harder thing to get right, the instructor was telling me about a guy that failed last week because he was doing 50mph on a dual track, not holding anyone up, where he should have been doing 60mph.

 

Out of interest, what money are we talking to do the assessment/test etc?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Initial 1 hr assessment was £35, then the full day consisting of 4 hrs practice followed by the VOSA test is £350.

It's a lump of dosh but once it's done, it's done. For me, swapping from my A4 to a 5 series BMW mean it is a must now due to the car gross weights, A4 was 1950 all up, trailer 1400 all up, so total 3350kg, just inside legal. 5 series is 2350 so with trailer 3750kg which needs B+E.

[grandos 16]

What you need to be is . . . . . Old!

 

I just passed my test as per normal and they gave me all the above categories!

 

Does have some down sides though.

[TurboSam 5]

From an instructor I spoke to, most people will fail the test on nothing to do with the trailer, but on their general driving standards. They do not just assess the trailer, they assess you as if you were taking your car test, so its feeding the wheel, and spinning your head around like a demented idiot checking over your shoulder and mirrors, driving very very gently whilst still "making progress" etc.

Depending on your towing outfit you may or may not be legal with a lightweight trailer and 205. I keep saying that I will do the "+E" test myself just to make sure, but haven't got round to it yet.

 

I did my B+E a couple of years ago, and you are exactly right. I failed my first one because I didn't check blind spots enough (plus a few other things).

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Ok update; as per above, it is general road driving that is the hard bit, you need to forget all the bad habits, indicate where perhaps you normally would not, don't indicate when perhaps you would, one of the hardest things I found was you are also keeping an eagle eye on the speed- if the tester spots you 1mph over the limit it's instant fail.

Trailer wise you have to do a couple and uncouple, and a fairly simple reversing manoeuvre in an "S" shape into a coned out "bay". Easy enough if you have reversed with a trailer before, but to answer the question in the initial post, I would say absolutely you need to do some formal training, the tester is looking for quite specific things, so if you don't know exactly what he wants you to do, you could quite easily fail and waste the £120 test fee. As I said previously, I've been towing trailers for about 10 years, never had any mishap, but I'd probably have failed the test if I hadn't done the training.

As it was I passed it so now it's done and I can tow with my Beemer or Shogun no issues.

[Matt205 14]

Thanks for the feedback Tom

[Anulfo 22]

wow!!All sounds complicated.......and expensive!!

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Sadly for those who passed our car test after 1st Jan 1997 it's either do the test or in many cases tow illegally.

[309jazzpanda 41]

So a 309 rally car on the back of a 306 diesel (not sure on which trailer yet), is legal without a b+e test being done

[welshpug 1,657]

no, highly unlikely it'll be legal regardless of what tests you have taken, given a 309 weighs 950 kilos or so as a road car, stage cars often weigh the same with all the safety gear but no interior, and a trailer will weigh the best part of 400 kilos if not more.

 

306 DT towing weight is only 1200.

 

 

you must also ensure the GVW of the trailer is no higher than the vehicles plated towing weight, not yet found a Brian James trailer with a Gross weight under 1300 kilos.

[309jazzpanda 41]

Wow didn't know the tow weight was so low on the 306. Think I'll have to do the test to be safe anyway.

 

I will have to find out where its from but one of the customers has an extremely light weight trailor for towing his race cosworth. He's only 23 and tows with a 406 1800 petrol

Edited March 26, 2013 by 309jazzpanda

[welshpug 1,657]

306 weighs less than 1200 kg, so unsurprising.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Wow didn't know the tow weight was so low on the 306. Think I'll have to do the test to be safe anyway.

 

I will have to find out where its from but one of the customers has an extremely light weight trailor for towing his race cosworth. He's only 23 and tows with a 406 1800 petrol

 

This just goes to show how borderline it can be, this to me sounds illegal but it may just sneak in.

The 406 can tow say 1500kg. Cosworth being optimistic weighs 1100kg, this leaves you with 400kg for a trailer, perfectly possible for a small 12' bed for a small hatch, but for a 14' trailer to fit a whacking great Sierra on I'm not so sure. Then most 14' trailers tend to have a carrying capacity of 1300kg plus 500kg for the trailer itself and you are up to 1800kg trailer all up weight which is more than your 1500kg tow weight.

Like I say, borderline to say the least. As much as anything else, its what the combination looks like. A 406 towing a Sierra of equal size isn't a capable combination in terms of stability and braking in my eyes.

[maxi 36 1 Cars]

I did the B+E (trailer) test a couple of years ago now (have always done a lot of towing) and to be honest I really dont know what all the fuss is about. You drive like you do in a driving test and do some very basic reversing and unhitching at the testing station. I bought a guide and studied it hard for a few evenings, making sure hitching and unhitching procedures were really drummed in how they wanted me to do it. I hired a box trailer, took the test and passed with 4 minors. Its very basic common sense and to be honest, if you fail it, you deserve to. Heavy trailers can get a driver into trouble in no time at all, so I personally think this extra test is well worth having.

 

Obviously, if youve never towed before and cant remember how you are meant to drive during a car driving test, do not just take it without tuition. If you are competent, study the various guides avaliable and take your time, you WILL pass.

 

Maxi

[309jazzpanda 41]

306 weighs less than 1200 kg, so unsurprising.

Very surprising if you don't know the weight to start with.

 

 

This just goes to show how borderline it can be, this to me sounds illegal but it may just sneak in.

The 406 can tow say 1500kg. Cosworth being optimistic weighs 1100kg, this leaves you with 400kg for a trailer, perfectly possible for a small 12' bed for a small hatch, but for a 14' trailer to fit a whacking great Sierra on I'm not so sure. Then most 14' trailers tend to have a carrying capacity of 1300kg plus 500kg for the trailer itself and you are up to 1800kg trailer all up weight which is more than your 1500kg tow weight.

Like I say, borderline to say the least. As much as anything else, its what the combination looks like. A 406 towing a Sierra of equal size isn't a capable combination in terms of stability and braking in my eyes.

It's an escort, we had this debate at work when I said he needs to do his test, they checked it all hitched up on a weigh bridge and it just came under 3500 that's an empty cosworth with no fuel, spares in another vehicle him on his own and my favourite, HALF a tank of fuel.

 

Though I wouldn't want to drive it I imagine its a bit sketchy,

Edited March 27, 2013 by 309jazzpanda

[welshpug 1,657]

Its all on the plate, no excuses!

[m_attt 31 1 Cars]

the rules are rubbish, I can drive any size rigid lorry, like a 28t 8 wheeled tipper but cant tow a small car trailer.

[Rich_p 23]

I found the below statement. My civic has a curb weight of 1241KG, does this mean the combined weight of the trailer plus whatever car I am towing has to be less then 1241KG and if so I do not need to take any additional test?

 

Licences held from 1 January 1997 If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can drive either:

• a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500 kilograms (kg) Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (with a combined weight of up to 4,250kg in total)
• a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as it is no more than the unladen or ‘kerb’ weight of the towing vehicle (with a combined weight of up to 3,500kg in total)