Driving Licences. Towing Limits?

Dear All

Looking for confirmation on post 1997 license towing limits?

All started off seeing an advert for a dark blue Dart described with an ex works mass of 350Kg apart from thinking that's gone up, I thought "Whats The Mass Of The Big Dandies"? Ex works Dimension 750 Kg Destiny 780Kg.
At first I thought "That Must Be Suppressing Prices For Highside Destiny's If New License Holders Can't Tow." Then you wonder whats happening to used caravan prices?
I was working on the assumption that there was a limit of 750Kg.
It appears that if your working under a 3500Kg total limit the driver can tow a braked trailer more than 750 Kg as long as the MAM of the trailer is less than the Tare (Kerbweight?) of the vehicle towing.
Alas the U Gov site is not too helpful, repeating the 85% rule (Guide) but not helping on law.
So does anyone on site know the Law?

Kevin.

Yes i do but cant remember the details,your right the 750kg limit does not apply as such,it goes something like this
3500kg is the limit but the laden weight of the trailer must not exceed the unladen weight of the car,one of the government sites has cleaned the explanation up if i can find it i will post a link.

mike

Kevin i cant find the site again but below is a quote from a government site i know it is because i copied and pasted it into a conversation i was having about this on another forum

* a vehicle with an unladen weight of 1.25 tonnes and a MAM of 2 tonnes coupled with a trailer with a MAM of 1.25 tonnes could be driven by the holder of a category B entitlement. This is because the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and also the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle


The daft thing is a heavy four wheel drive vehicle could legally tow less in the hands of a new driver than if he bought a lighter car.
eg
four wheel drive @ 2500kg could only tow 1000kg
a saloon car unladen weight 1500kg could tow in theory a trailer @ 1500kg this of course would be ignoring the 85% guide line

The other little known fact is people like me with grandfather rights regards towing can lose them at some point,not sure if its 65 or when my licence expires,but they are removed unless you apply to keep them,then to do that i think medicals are involved,or something else.

mike

An old post, but the above statement is not totally true.
I had to renew my licence at 70, as does everyone. I now have category B+E on my licence.
This means -
You can drive a vehicle with a MAM of 3,500kg with a trailer.

The size of the trailer depends on when you passed your test. If you passed your test:
before 19 January 2013 you can tow any size trailer
on or after 19 January 2013 you can tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3,500kg

No medicals involved unless you want to drive a vehicle larger than 3500kg or a minibus.