Now I know why no-one has the EB (car & trailer) licence...

Betsy Og

Basically you need to go through every step again for it. i.e.

1. A Theory Test (recent bike theory test wont do, I got full B licence long before theory test. Not sure if even the car theory test will do, think there might be a specific EB test).
2. A specific learner permit (complete with 6 months wait before apply for test).
3. The test itself.

Wouldnt you think that for anyone on a full B licence (or even if they said 2nd full licence i.e. greater than 10 years driving) that doing the test itself would be sufficient.

Given the cost, hassle and time delay tis no wonder it must be the most undersubscribed licence of all.

Dunno what to do now................. what a joke:eek:

TigerTim

My brother had to go thru' that. Being towing a touring caravan for about 20 years but got pulled over last year. Applied for the test & waited for 6 months. Had to hire a box trailer for the day as the caravan wasn't deemed suitable when he enquired. Was worried about insurance if he did have an accident & didn't have a license for the trailer.

T.

ragie

TigerTim wrote: »

My brother had to go thru' that. Being towing a touring caravan for about 20 years but got pulled over last year. Applied for the test & waited for 6 months. Had to hire a box trailer for the day as the caravan wasn't deemed suitable when he enquired. Was worried about insurance if he did have an accident & didn't have a license for the trailer.

T.

Do you know where your bro hired the trailer? I rang a hire company yesterday & they wont hire the trailer unless you have a full licence that covers you to use it.

Have my EB test next monday in Galway, was goin to use my flat trailer but can't cause my jeep is 2006. So need a closed box trailer.

DesignA

Have my EB test next monday in Galway, was goin to use my flat trailer but can't cause my jeep is 2006. So need a closed box trailer.

How can you use a flat trailer. can you describe what you mean by a flat trailer?

ragie

the one in the picture or builders trailer as opposed to a horsebox or cattle trailer.

paddyp

Trailer needs to be 1400kg+ capacity.

I've been told that after April 1st there will be compulsary lessons too.

TigerTim

Sorry. Haven't been on it a while & missed the posting. He hired it from Indespension on the Dock Road in Limerick

T

niloc1951

TigerTim wrote: »

My brother had to go thru' that. Being towing a touring caravan for about 20 years but got pulled over last year. Applied for the test & waited for 6 months. Had to hire a box trailer for the day as the caravan wasn't deemed suitable when he enquired. Was worried about insurance if he did have an accident & didn't have a license for the trailer.

T.

I don't understand the above, the rule about trailers is.
If you hold a category B licence and wish to tow a trailer you may do so
provided –
The design gross vehicle weight of the trailer does not exceed
the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle and the combination
does not exceed 3500 kg

It being good and safe practice not to tow a trailer/caravan in excess of 80% of the towing vehicles weight, it should be unlikely that the 3,500kg rule would be broken, unless you have a very large caravan behind something like a Landcruiser Amazon.

ragie

niloc1951 wrote: »

I don't understand the above, the rule about trailers is.
If you hold a category B licence and wish to tow a trailer you may do so
provided –
The design gross vehicle weight of the trailer does not exceed
the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle and the combination
does not exceed 3500 kg

It being good and safe practice not to tow a trailer/caravan in excess of 80% of the towing vehicles weight, it should be unlikely that the 3,500kg rule would be broken, unless you have a very large caravan behind something like a Landcruiser Amazon.

Was on to a Galway based driving school today who have a jeep & trailer, booked a lesson for tomorrow. The instructor answered all my questions, was very helpful.

The weights always goes by the Gross Vehicle Weight. My Landrover has a G.V.W of 3,180KG which means I cant pull a trailer weighing over 320kgs.

The B licence only covers you to tow a trailer upto 750kg, Even if you are towing an empty trailer but the G.V.W is over 750kg your breaking the law. The guards are really going to town on people over this in Galway.

niallers1

As long as the car and trailer weigh under 3500kg you can use a B licence

With an ordinary category B licence, a person can

• tow a trailer of up to 0.75 tonnes DGVW, with a vehicle with a DGVW of up to 3.5 tonnes and seating for up to eight passengers (apart from the driver). The combination weight cannot exceed 4.25 tonnes.
• tow a trailer exceeding 0.75 tonnes DGVW, provided that the DGVW of the trailer does not exceed the un-laden weight of the towing vehicle, and the maximum combination weight does not exceed a total of 3.5 tonnes.

http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Vehicles-and-Legislation/Vehicle-Standards/Trailers/

With an EB licence, a person can

• tow a trailer exceeding 0.75 tonnes DGVW, with a vehicle with a DGVW of up to 3.5 tonnes and seating for up to eight passengers (apart from the driver) provided that the manufacturer’s rated towing capacity for the towing vehicle is not exceeded.

niloc1951

niallers1 wrote: »

As long as the car and trailer weigh under 3500kg you can use a B licence

[*]tow a trailer exceeding 0.75 tonnes DGVW, provided that the DGVW of the trailer does not exceed the un-laden weight of the towing vehicle, and the maximum combination weight does not exceed a total of 3.5 tonnes.
[/LIST]
http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Vehicles-and-Legislation/Vehicle-Standards/Trailers/

[/LIST]

Spot on, this is what enables people with a simple B Licence tow a caravan behind their family car.

Ragie said "The B licence only covers you to tow a trailer upto 750kg, Even if you are towing an empty trailer but the G.V.W is over 750kg your breaking the law. The guards are really going to town on people over this in Galway."

Methinks the Gardai in Galway need to brush up on the law they are policing

ragie

I asked my EB instructor, he said he had heard the law was changing in April. So I rang the RSA today seems the law already changed recently.

The old law was:
http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/pdf-downloads/english/rules-of-the-road%20eng.pdf

If you hold a Full category B licence, you may tow a trailer only if:

• the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer is 750kg or less, or

• the unladen (empty) weight of your towing vehicle is at least the same as the trailer’s design gross vehicle weight, and the combined design gross vehicle weight of the vehicle and trailer is no more than 3,500kg.

When using a car to tow a heavier trailer, you must hold a category EB licence.


The new law as 'niallers1' mentioned above:
http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Vehicles-and-Legislation/Vehicle-Standards/Trailers/

With an ordinary category B licence, a person can

• tow a trailer of up to 0.75 tonnes DGVW, with a vehicle with a DGVW of up to 3.5 tonnes and seating for up to eight passengers (apart from the driver). The combination weight cannot exceed 4.25 tonnes.
• tow a trailer exceeding 0.75 tonnes DGVW, provided that the DGVW of the trailer does not exceed the un-laden weight of the towing vehicle, and the maximum combination weight does not exceed a total of 3.5 tonnes.

With an EB licence, a person can

• tow a trailer exceeding 0.75 tonnes DGVW, with a vehicle with a DGVW of up to 3.5 tonnes and seating for up to eight passengers (apart from the driver) provided that the manufacturer’s rated towing capacity for the towing vehicle is not exceeded.

Top Dog

Anyone know of a decent weigh bridge preferrably near Mallow/Kanturk/Millstreet at all? With the new laws I'd like to get our outfit weighed once the covers come off the caravan in the near future.

niloc1951

It's soooooooooo simple

As ragie and niallers1 have said
The new law as 'niallers1' mentioned above:
http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Vehicles-and-L...ards/Trailers/

With an ordinary category B licence, a person can
tow a trailer exceeding 0.75 tonnes DGVW, provided that the DGVW of the trailer does not exceed the un-laden weight of the towing vehicle, and the maximum combination weight does not exceed a total of 3.5 tonnes.

Those with a regular family car or MPV with a family sized caravan hitched to it are most unlikely to exceed the 3,500kg combination weight or Gross Train Weight as it's correctly called.
Only those with a two tonne plus vehicle towing a one and a half tonne pluss caravan should be worried about not having an E+B licence.
Any person towing a trailer or caravan which weighs in excess of the towing vehicle needs their head examined, as demonstrated by this twat in the Renault 5

Betsy Og

paddyp wrote: »

Trailer needs to be 1400kg+ capacity.

I've been told that after April 1st there will be compulsary lessons too.

Could that really be true??, I posted it as a "scary thought" on ICCC.ie forum (RSA guy on there defending the general rules).

I've the theory test in a couple of weeks so, all going well, I'll get the Learner Permit before then.

There is confusion around the rules but I think the total weight under 3.5t and the car heavier than the caravan should cover most people. I suppose I'm going to give the test a go just to be on the safe side.

TigerTim

niloc1951 wrote: »

I don't understand the above, the rule about trailers is.
If you hold a category B licence and wish to tow a trailer you may do so
provided –
The design gross vehicle weight of the trailer does not exceed
the unladen weight of the drawing vehicle and the combination
does not exceed 3500 kg

It being good and safe practice not to tow a trailer/caravan in excess of 80% of the towing vehicles weight, it should be unlikely that the 3,500kg rule would be broken, unless you have a very large caravan behind something like a Landcruiser Amazon.

He was towing a largish caravan with a Nissan Pathfinder. If he had a car there wouldn't have been a license issue, could have been unsafe but no license problem.

T.

ragie

Passed my EB Test Yesterday in Galway... Flew through it, only a few minor mistakes. Tester let me choose the reverse, so I did the right hand side, much easier! Would recommend doing a few lessons (I did 6 hours), my instructor had brought me around the routes & showed me the corners where they do the reversing. It really helped alot!

Legal now so happy out!

Betsy Og

ragie wrote: »

Passed my EB Test Yesterday in Galway...

fair play, congrats:cool:

Betsy Og

Get your EB (car+trailer) learner permit before 4 April 2011 as otherwise you'll be stuck with the new Car Driver Training "Essential Driver Training" (EDT) regime of 12 lesons of 1 hr.

Same applies if you are a new learner (though in that case at least the training would be of benefit to you).

To get the permit in time you'll need to do the Driver Theory Test (unless you did one for the B licence) so not a moment to spare. Also you need the full B before can go for EB.

Picked my learner permit up today.