I'm going for my Category B+E

[rustic]

My grandfather was born in 1900, and when he wanted a driving licence, he walked into a post office, and bought one for life, over the counter, no test, no highway code, nothing. He used to ride shot gun when my father was learning to drive a car in the 60's. My father previously had a motorcycle licence, so when we were young, he had a side car on the motorbike, and then later a three wheeled reliant regal van, Del Boy style. Home made seats in the back for us kids lol.
I learnt to ride a motorbike in the 70's and when I passed my test on a small Honda 125, it enabled me to legally ride any bike of any size, still can, but wouldn't want too lol...
I took my driving test in the 70's, in a mini, and that enabled me to tow with any car with a trailer, of any limit, and small trucks, and even a coach, (provided it was not for profit or payment lol). ie not a PSV.
With the provisional licence, you could renew that year on year, no question, and if you wanted to ride a moped, upto 50cc with pedals or a motorbike, up to, I believe 250 cc you could, as long as you displayed "L" plates. So on the road, no highway code knowledge, no training, for years...
Now... where's my red flag, someone has to walk in front of the car as you drive along lol...
How things change.
Mind you, I think Motorway driving needs to be included in the driving test, as would be driving in snow, and fog, never there when you want it lol... but some form of skid pan driving might help instead.
I also believe that a regular check should be done say every 10 years on your driving habits, or after blame in an insurance claim, even if it is voluntary, and brings your insurance down by a large percentage.

Having all these licence groups, etc, I am trying to think when I had to produce documents, must be oohh..... nearly 30 years ago... the Police gave me a nice certificate, on it was a speed of 97 mph, his in car system showed a higher speed than this, but we agreed on the lower limit, and he rewarded me with 3 points. :doh and a £32 fee for the certificate. :augie

 

[johnb5177]

Us old gits don't need to to this :augie but thanks for the reminder :thumbs now where's my pension book.....

Had to laugh at this one.......hang on a minute......that's me!

Thankfully I don't have to worry now, as I just tow a small trailer for a bit of firewood.

Nonetheless......a very useful skill to have, and when I was working full time, heavy timber trailers (before the days of nice forwarders and heads with rotating grapples) had to be reversed under fixed jibs to load up sticks for the mill......very precise and all great fun.....:thumb2

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

Been a while since I've done any serious towing.
In my old job I was a horticultural contract driver/demonstrator and our vehicle of choice was a Y60 4.2 gr lwb Patrol with 32' tri axle flatbed trailer for lugging the kit around the country.
Was a big old set up but I could pretty much put that anywhere if the gap was big enough.
I do miss that job

sounds fun, but surely under towing regs a vehicle upto 3500kg the max body length
of trailer is 7meters, approx 23feet.

glad got my b+e on grandfather rights, mind reckon can tow n reverse ok though
always room for improvement. reckon having IAM car and class 1 PCV was PSV
helps with understanding of what will fit where....

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

U got any further with it mate??

 

[elty001]

sounds fun, but surely under towing regs a vehicle upto 3500kg the max body length
of trailer is 7meters, approx 23feet.

glad got my b+e on grandfather rights, mind reckon can tow n reverse ok though
always room for improvement. reckon having IAM car and class 1 PCV was PSV
helps with understanding of what will fit where....

I'm talking 20 years ago, the trailer measured 32'from the drawbar hitch to the back ramps.
Hooked up to the Patrol it was as long as an artic.

 

[Banshee]

U got any further with it mate??

Not yet mate, time and funds and to be honest the trainer is being a bit difficult at the moment and takes a week to respond to a text!!!!

Think I'm going to put on ice until the Cavalier is sold, that should fund the remaining lessons and test then :naughty

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

Not yet mate, time and funds and to be honest the trainer is being a bit difficult at the moment and takes a week to respond to a text!!!!

Think I'm going to put on ice until the Cavalier is sold, that should fund the remaining lessons and test then :naughty

How much does it all cost?
A firm I worked for years ago paid for mine, maybe a decade ago, not had a need for it up until last 18 months or so, now I have a decent sized caravan and a couple of weeks ago I towed a trailer for a friend which when we did the maths weighed 2500kg in total!! My Lwb bossed it too, low down grunt is almighty on my baby I was well chuffed

 

[Banshee]

How much does it all cost?
A firm I worked for years ago paid for mine, maybe a decade ago, not had a need for it up until last 18 months or so, now I have a decent sized caravan and a couple of weeks ago I towed a trailer for a friend which when we did the maths weighed 2500kg in total!! My Lwb bossed it too, low down grunt is almighty on my baby I was well chuffed

Couple of hundred in total

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

Couple of hundred in total

I think they payed £820 for me to do mine, a company called tockwith training, very good tuition.

 

[Banshee]

I think they payed £820 for me to do mine, a company called tockwith training, very good tuition.

They got bummed!!!! That's well expensive

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

They got bummed!!!! That's well expensive

Four days tuition and then test, they supplied vehicle and trailer, I've no idea how much that would cost now ten years on?

 

[macabethiel]

Towing woes

Never could reverse with a trailer when pushed I would uncouple it and push it !

Not had anything on a tow bar now for over 20 years. I know my limitations I will never make a Shed Dragger be !

 

[Banshee]

Never could reverse with a trailer when pushed I would uncouple it and push it !

Not had anything on a tow bar now for over 20 years. I know my limitations I will never make a Shed Dragger be !

Shed dragger :lol

I've been dreaming about all the things I can legally tow on my new to me trailer when it's all done and stamped on my plastic pink card :naughty

Feels like being 5 years old again on the 24th December

 

[panelbeater]

the bigger the trailer the easier.get hold of a little one and try reversing it,bloody hard.practice is all it takes.

 

[Banshee]

the bigger the trailer the easier.get hold of a little one and try reversing it,bloody hard.practice is all it takes.

Got a Franc camping trailer and I can reverse that on a penny now, was amazed how easy it was to reverse a caravan when I had to shift one for a pal

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

funny how these tiny trailers are tricky to reverse not aided by fact usually
within the sighting lines of car.

that said seen many tipper truck reverse a hand controlled roller transporter
seemingly with ease, unless had cctv or pure skill.

 

[Banshee]

funny how these tiny trailers are tricky to reverse not aided by fact usually
within the sighting lines of car.

that said seen many tipper truck reverse a hand controlled roller transporter
seemingly with ease, unless had cctv or pure skill.

I vote CCTV, I've not seen any talent in this country for years :clap :lol

 

[Terrano Steve]

the bigger the trailer the easier.get hold of a little one and try reversing it,bloody hard.practice is all it takes.

Long trailer & short tow vehicle is the easiest to reverse.

 

[Banshee]

Long trailer & short tow vehicle is the easiest to reverse.

:thumbs

 

[melissachels]

I've got an old square twin rice pony box, weighs in at 750kg braked & is that old there is not chassis number or weight plate meaning the only way to test if I'm over weight is if they take me over a weight bridge.

I first towed in a John Deere with a huge rake on the back in a field full of straw.....learned quickly what way not to reverse with a spinning rake lifted

I've mostly towed my welsh pony (can be very much like the water senenrio) or household items oh and the terrano & steel on a car trailer leased to me by a hire shop. came in very handy for my move to ni.

I've learned how to park that anywhere even snaking it between horseboxes in the car park.

Towed it with vectra, 406, terrano, r***e r***r, surf. I like the terrano & 406 best.

Gave my partner a shot of towing & reversing it for his first time....he found it more difficult than he thought it would have been.


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