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Towing a trailer with a UK licence

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  • 17-02-2013 6:58pm
    #1
    jocotty
    Closed Accounts Posts: 338 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I have a uk licence (covering category's B , B1, and fkp ) since 2010.

    On my uk licence, beside the B category is a picture of a car, and beside the B1 category is a picture of what looks like a truck.


    With this, am I allowed tow a large trailer with my irish car, in ireland


    Jo
    Tagged:


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    #2
    CiniO
    Registered Users Posts: 16,067 ✭✭✭✭CiniO


    jocotty wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have a uk licence (covering category's B , B1, and fkp ) since 2010.

    On my uk licence, beside the B category is a picture of a car, and beside the B1 category is a picture of what looks like a truck.


    With this, am I allowed tow a large trailer with my irish car, in ireland


    Jo

    You are allowed only to tow trailers as any other person holding B category in Ireland.

    B1 is for tricycles and quadricycles up to 550kg DGVW as far as I remember.


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    #3
    shooter88
    Registered Users Posts: 405 ✭✭shooter88


    jocotty wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have a uk licence (covering category's B , B1, and fkp ) since 2010.

    On my uk licence, beside the B category is a picture of a car, and beside the B1 category is a picture of what looks like a truck.


    With this, am I allowed tow a large trailer with my irish car, in ireland


    Jo
    What kind of trailer and containing what weight?


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    #4
    miller50841
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭miller50841


    This is Ireland sure ya be grand.

    I tow trailers the odd time never done any trailer test you wou;ld have to be seriously unlucky for to be caught out.


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    #5
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,787 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    jocotty wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have a uk licence (covering category's B , B1, and fkp ) since 2010.

    On my uk licence, beside the B category is a picture of a car, and beside the B1 category is a picture of what looks like a truck.


    With this, am I allowed tow a large trailer with my irish car, in ireland


    Jo

    You can tow a trailer on a B licence so long as the combined weight of the car + trailer + load does not exceed 3,500kg. For a heavier trailer you need a EB (aka BE) class licence.

    https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories

    BTW these categories are standardised throughout the EU so the categories on your UK licence are exactly the same as in Ireland.
    miller50841 wrote: »
    This is Ireland sure ya be grand.

    I tow trailers the odd time never done any trailer test you wou;ld have to be seriously unlucky for to be caught out.
    OP, don't do this. Many insurance companies are adding specific clauses that exclude cover if you do not have the correct driving licence. If you tow a trailer which requires a EB licence but only have B-licence then you are driving unlicensed.


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    #6
    CiniO
    Registered Users Posts: 16,067 ✭✭✭✭CiniO


    slimjimmc wrote: »
    You can tow a trailer on a B licence so long as the combined weight of the car + trailer + load does not exceed 3,500kg. For a heavier trailer you need a EB (aka BE) class licence.


    It's not 100% precise.

    Gross vehicle weight of car + gross vehicle weight of trailer must not exceed 3500kg.
    (weight of vehicle + possible load).

    F.e car weights 1300kg and can carry 500kg so it's GVW is 1800kg.
    Trailer weights 300kg and can carry 700kg so it's GVW is 1000kg.


    Also there is another condition - GVW of trailer can't exceed unladen car weight.

    So with the example above all correct (car 1800kg, trailer 1000kg, total 2800kg).

    But if trailer had GVW of 1400kg, then even though the sum of GVW weights would be 1800kg + 1400kg = 3200kg which is below the limit, but trailer weights more than unladen car so can't be tower with B licence (BE licence required for that).


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