Towing with and without a licence

howyegettinon1

loooking to rent a digger(1.5tonne) just want to double check the rules about towing


my cars VIN plate has below values



2117 kg - MAM

3917 kg - gross train weight

1- 1070 kg - axle load 1

2- 1060 kg - axle load 2



from reading online my car can tow a max of 1800 kg(3917-2117) is that right?


2117 MAM is car full of passangers, full tank of fuel and fully loaded boot. So if i drive the car alone should the weigh of the trailer increase as the car would only weigh aprox 1600kg?(cars spec is 1494kg im 90)



looking at the figures, i dont think i will be able to tow the digger by the time you add buckets and trailer weight, it would be well over 1800kg.


If I borowed a jeep from someone, could I then tow the digger or would I then hit the 3500kg limt for a B license?

Spook_ie

First question is do you have a B or BE license?

howyegettinon1

I have a B license

ayux4rj6zql2ph

The B licence covers up to 3500kg + a trailer up to a maximum of 750kg without needing a BE licence.

Spook_ie

howyegettinon1 wrote: »

I have a B license

Basically can't do it then

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/ireland-s-confusing-towing-rules-explained-1.2633473%3fmode=amp

You need a B+E to tow anything over 750kg

mgbgt1978

Leandro Skinny Wreck wrote: »

The B licence covers up to 3500kg + a trailer up to a maximum of 750kg without needing a BE licence.

A category B driving licence authorises you to drive a car, van or 4 x 4 which has a maximum mass (as specified by the manufacturer) of not more than 3,500kg and is designed and constructed to carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver. You may tow a trailer with a maximum mass (again as specified by the manufacturer) not greater than 750kg, or where the maximum mass is more than 750kg, the combined maximum mass of the towing vehicle and the trailer is not greater than 3,500kg.


Not quite. Have a read of the underlined bit.....taken directly from RSA.ie.

Depending on individual circumstances it is possible, and totally legal, to tow (for example) a 1300kg MAM Trailer with many Cars on a B licence.

alias no.9

It's all about the max plated weight for both car and trailer, it doesn't matter if both are empty.

Gross train weight for a b licence is 3500kg where the plated weight of the trailer exceeds 750kg. The trailer must have a plate if it has a laden weight of more than 750kg.

The max plated trailer weight you can tow with your car on a b licence is 3500 - 2117 = 1383.

Renegade Mechanic

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

A category B driving licence authorises you to drive a car, van or 4 x 4 which has a maximum mass (as specified by the manufacturer) of not more than 3,500kg and is designed and constructed to carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver. You may tow a trailer with a maximum mass (again as specified by the manufacturer) not greater than 750kg, or where the maximum mass is more than 750kg, the combined maximum mass of the towing vehicle and the trailer is not greater than 3,500kg.


Not quite. Have a read of the underlined bit.....taken directly from RSA.ie.

Depending on individual circumstances it is possible, and totally legal, to tow (for example) a 1300kg MAM Trailer with many Cars on a B licence.

edit: Having said that the OP is never going to be able to legally tow a 1.5 ton Digger (on a Trailer with at least a MAM of 2 tons) unless he can find a Car with a MAM of 1.5 tons that is designed to tow 2 tons.

Iirc these yokes come in 4 wheel drive

mgbgt1978

It would probably be quicker for the OP to Drive the Digger Home....

Eric Cartman

why do people keep trying to defy the trailer licence thing, If you cant pass a BE test you probably shouldnt be towing over 3/4 of a tonne down the road anyway.

mgbgt1978

Plenty out there with a B+E who shouldn't even be driving.....with or without a Trailer.
Nobody here suggested the OP should Defy anything. Simply pointing out the Legislation as it stands.

alias no.9

Eric Cartman wrote: »

why do people keep trying to defy the trailer licence thing, If you cant pass a BE test you probably shouldnt be towing over 3/4 of a tonne down the road anyway.

My impression from the OP is that they're checking before they act, seems reasonable. The might never had a need for a BE license up until this and may not have time to get one before this job. In any case getting the plant hire place to deliver would make most sense.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

A category B driving licence authorises you to drive a car, van or 4 x 4 which has a maximum mass (as specified by the manufacturer) of not more than 3,500kg and is designed and constructed to carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver. You may tow a trailer with a maximum mass (again as specified by the manufacturer) not greater than 750kg, or where the maximum mass is more than 750kg, the combined maximum mass of the towing vehicle and the trailer is not greater than 3,500kg.


Not quite. Have a read of the underlined bit.....taken directly from RSA.ie.

Depending on individual circumstances it is possible, and totally legal, to tow (for example) a 1300kg MAM Trailer with many Cars on a B licence.

edit: Having said that the OP is never going to be able to legally tow a 1.5 ton Digger (on a Trailer with at least a MAM of 2 tons) unless he can find a Car with a MAM of 1.5 tons that is designed to tow 2 tons.

Yeah all about the weights, this changed in 2013 with the new licensing. M.A.M wasn't really heard of much until then.

alias no.9

Leandro Skinny Wreck wrote: »

Yeah all about the weights, this changed in 2013 with the new licensing. M.A.M wasn't really heard of much until then.

MAM is just modern speak for GVW which was the previous term

mgbgt1978

It was D.G.V.W. ...and yes, they included the Full Stops .


It's all TLA's (three-letter-acronyms) these days.

howyegettinon1

alias no.9 wrote: »

It's all about the max plated weight for both car and trailer, it doesn't matter if both are empty.

Gross train weight for a b licence is 3500kg where the plated weight of the trailer exceeds 750kg. The trailer must have a plate if it has a laden weight of more than 750kg.

The max plated trailer weight you can tow with your car on a b licence is 3500 - 2117 = 1383.

thanks, I straight away though the max is 1800 but didnt think to subtract from 3500 instead of 3917


For my car on a B license, max trailer+load is 1383
if I had a BE license it would be 1800 - as this is the cars limitation for trailer+load correct?


So to tow anything above 1800 with a BE license I would then need to borrow a jeep or a van and work of their plated weight



Yes it makes more sense for now to get the digger delivered

howyegettinon1

Spook_ie wrote: »

Basically can't do it then

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/ireland-s-confusing-towing-rules-explained-1.2633473%3fmode=amp

You need a B+E to tow anything over 750kg

this was one of the articles I read when looking at this, I found it a little misleading as it doesnt get into explaining the MAM and gross train weight as well as this does. the way i first read it, it was total weight of the car(not the MAM) plus trailer plus load at maximum of 3500

alias no.9

howyegettinon1 wrote: »

For my car on a B license, max trailer+load is 1383
if I had a BE license it would be 1800 - as this is the cars limitation for trailer+load correct?

Correct as long as the trailer is plated for that load. You're limited by the car, the trailer and your licence. You can't tow an empty trailer that weighs 500kg but has a plated laden weight of 2000kgs.

howyegettinon1

alias no.9 wrote: »

Correct as long as the trailer is plated for that load. You're limited by the car, the trailer and your licence. You can't tow an empty trailer that weighs 500kg but has a plated laden weight of 2000kgs.

Lad!! Thanks for clarifiying that last part!!!! You probably saved me my license in future!! I didnt realise that was also a limitation even after this thead that part wasnt clear to me(I thought what behind me would have had to be leess than 1383kg to be leagal).

Borrowed IFW TT3621 trailer a few times already and would have kept doing so unless you pointed that out!! looking the specs up they are plated for 3500 :rolleyes: wont be borrowing that again......




could anyone give me a ball park on cost/time doing a BE license? From what I've read its, theory followed by spin with an instructor, lessons arent mandatory right?

ayux4rj6zql2ph

alias no.9 wrote: »

MAM is just modern speak for GVW which was the previous term

Aye, I’m old fashioned in the G.V.W term, that’s how I was trained up.

TrailerBob

200-300 all in. Theory test only needed of you haven't done one before. I would recommend taking a couple of lessons regardless. Will familiarise you with the route and any pitfalls of the test. You also need to factor in vehicle hire, as the test must be done with an enclosed trailer with minimum dimensions and with a weight in the back. There are a good few places who have such a thing ready to go. Test is straight forward if you have any spatial awareness whatsoever

368100

Eric Cartman wrote: »

why do people keep trying to defy the trailer licence thing, If you cant pass a BE test you probably shouldnt be towing over 3/4 of a tonne down the road anyway.

Why do people jump on threads like this and make the worst possible assumption as to what the OP is looking to do. OP seems to be asking if they can legally do something before they do it....plenty of people would just plough ahead

howyegettinon1

TrailerBob wrote: »

200-300 all in. Theory test only needed of you haven't done one before. I would recommend taking a couple of lessons regardless. Will familiarise you with the route and any pitfalls of the test. You also need to factor in vehicle hire, as the test must be done with an enclosed trailer with minimum dimensions and with a weight in the back. There are a good few places who have such a thing ready to go. Test is straight forward if you have any spatial awareness whatsoever

thanks for that, thats not too bad at all, I must look at getting it done be handy to have. I havent done the theory before, that would have answered half my questions about trailers and what I can and cant do yeah i might be able to borrow a trailer to suit the need, but defo wont be bringing that massive IFW trailer to the test now anyway, woulda failed on the spot

foxy farmer

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

It would probably be quicker for the OP to Drive the Digger Home....

And towing the trailer with the car on board.

Dakotabigone

People were towing long before the RSA.

TrailerBob

And we used to have no seat belts in the back, and we used to have 9 of us in the car, and we used to pull the cattle box with an oul corolla and sure it was grand...

Just because we used to do it, doesn't make it the right way...

CiniO

Eric Cartman wrote: »

why do people keep trying to defy the trailer licence thing, If you cant pass a BE test you probably shouldnt be towing over 3/4 of a tonne down the road anyway.

In some circumstances you can easily tow 1.5 tonne legally on B licence.
So what defying are you talking about?

mickdw

Is there any combination that would tow a lightweight race car on b licence?
Say if the car to be towed was 750kg.

mikeecho

TrailerBob wrote: »

And we used to have no seat belts in the back, and we used to have 9 of us in the car, and we used to pull the cattle box with an oul corolla and sure it was grand...

Just because we used to do it, doesn't make it the right way...

The good old days.

Coming back from the pub, after a lash of pints, get 8 or 9 lads into the car, while towing the cattle box with the latest purchase, and I think we Squeezed another few lads into the box with the freison.

Simple times.

mgbgt1978

mickdw wrote: »

Is there any combination that would tow a lightweight race car on b licence?
Say if the car to be towed was 750kg.

The Son tows a 500kg Autotest Car (and a 750kg Hillclimb Car, though not at the same time) on a single-axle Trailer.
Trailer is rated for 1300kg Gross. Tow Car (530D) has a MAM of 2,000kg and is rated to tow 2,000kg.

Car and Trailer have a "Train MAM" of 3,300kg which falls well within the Law for a B Licence.

mullingar

To see what the max trailer capacity and the MAM (DGVW) wight for any car is , look at the VIN plate:




First weight is: Car only MAM
Second weight is: the max car + trailer MAM

Subtract the two weights and you get the max trailer weight and on this example, the max trailer weight can be is 1600kg.

This 1600kg is actual weight of the trailer, not the MAM of the trailer.