BE /Trailer licence, have you it to pull a trailer behind a jeep/van/car???

I have a BE due to having a CE licence I've a 10x5'6 here, I've thought about changing up to a 12x6 so many times but then think about meeting the RSA with the 12x6 stuffed to the gills and overloaded by 800 or a 1000kgs...... That puts an end to my thinking.

The hitch on my trailer is rated only for 2750kgs(I think that's what it is from memory)so your caught there too if your unaware of that one, all hitch's should have the plated axle and hitch rate.

It's a mine field if something goes wrong as others have said

I don't disagree with your points from a safety perspective but this thread is about licencing. When when it comes to establishing whether a person is licenced to draw a particular class of trailer, the loading of the trailer is totally irrelevant. 

This is not correct. You can tow a trailer with a MAM greater than 750kg with a B licence provided that the combined MAM of the trailer and the towing vehicle does not exceed 3500kg.

I only got the CE licence maybe 8yrs ago, at the time the instructor said make sure and tick the box for BE as well as CE when applying for the full licence as he said if you get a goose of a clerical officer in the licence issuing department they won't cop that your entitled to the BE also and won't include it. I don't know if you can go in and request they add the BE to your licence.

Just as an update on this for anyone who might be interested - I now have my BE. 

It went like this:

I had a regular B licence but I had to do sit the standard B theory test because it didn't exist when I got my B licence. This was quite easy and I did a bit of revision and flew through it. i did this in January. Then I applied for my learner permit (AKA provisional licence).

You must have your permit for 6 months before you can apply for the driving test. 

Applied for the test in June and was put on a waiting list to formally apply for the test. Was invited to properly apply at the start of August and did so - was given a test date at the start of Sept.

I got a total of 4 lessons, each an hour long. I found these were essential. A very experienced trailer driver might get away with fewer lessons but I don't drive trailers particularly often so I definitely needed tuition. In particular I needed to learn to reverse the trailer competently using my mirrors - I always just used to look over my shoulder or out the window! I got good general tips for reversing the trailer and found that the lessons were also useful for tightning up on any bad habits one might have from driving for years without any instruction - coasting and use of mirrors and all that.

I also had to tighten up on the Q & A for before the test - stuff the examiner asks like 'what is a clearway' and 'when can you use your horn' etc.

The test itself is fine. It is exactly like a regular car test, except you don't do the turnabout on the road. i found it to be more relaxed than a car test but maybe this is because I've been driving for years. The BE test has a much higher pass rate - I was told around 80%. You do have to reverse the trailer around a fairly tight corner using your mirrors and from my point of view I found this to be the thing I had to work on the most. I'm much better at it now.

Costs: 

Theory test €45

Apply for learner permit €35

Lessons 4 lessons at €90 / hr and I used the driving school's jeep and trailer for the test which also cost €90 so total of €450

Driving test €85

Driving licence €35

Total cost €650

Well worth doing for peace of mind, and also (in my case anyway) vastly improved trailer handling ability.

The wait is a bit of a drag but what can you do.