Towing Weights

From the Clubs advice section:

DRIVERS' LICENCES
This leaflet is prepared as a Club service. The contents are believed correct at the date of publication but please
raise any queries with the Club’s Information office.
April 2009

TOWED OUTFITS AND RIGID MOTOR CARAVAN OUTFITS CATEGORY B LICENCE OBTAINED PRIOR TO 1 JANUARY 1997 MAY DRIVE:
a. Towed Outfits any outfit where the combined MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) does not exceed 8,250kg. (over which weight would have required an additional test pre-1997) However Club recommendations on weight ratio
between trailer and towing vehicle remain at 85%.
b. Rigid Motor Caravans without trailer any rigid motor caravan without a trailer where the MAM does not exceed 7,500kg.
c. Rigid Motor Caravan with trailer provided the total MAM of trailer and motor caravan does not exceed 8,250kg no further test is required, but club recommendations on weight ratio between trailer and towing vehicle remain at 85%.

CATEGORY B LICENCE FIRST OBTAINED ON OR AFTER 1 JANUARY 1997
MAY DRIVE:
a. Towed Outfits driver restricted to a combined MAM of 3,500kg and the trailer MAM must not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle (85% ratio remains strongly recommended). If this MAM is to be exceeded an E Test pass is required. A list of B+E test driving instructors can be found in the Practical Advice section of The Caravan Club Website. The Driving Instructors’ Association also has a list of qualified driving instructors that can tutor those wishing to take the B+E driving test - visit the Driving Standards Website on www.dsa.gov.uk, or telephone 0845 345 5151.
b. Rigid Motor Caravans without trailer driver restricted to a MAM of 3,500kg until obtaining a pass of the LGV test, after which the driver is qualified to 7,500kg MAM.
c. Rigid Motor Caravan towing trailer provided the trailer does not exceed 750kg and the combined MAM does not exceed 4,250kg no further test is required for this type of outfit. However if the trailer MAM exceeds 750kg
then a. applies for a vehicle less than 3,500kg. Otherwise an LGV test plus an E Test is needed.

so the police dont weigh you, they just go buy the both MAMs

so the police dont weigh you, they just go buy the both MAMs

I'm sure VOSA (what are they called these days?) would physically weigh you if they thought you were exceeding the gross train weight

If deemed that you were over weight by police, then they would need to weigh you if they intended to take it too Court

From the Clubs advice section:

 

DRIVERS' LICENCES
This leaflet is prepared as a Club service. The contents are believed correct at the date of publication but please
raise any queries with the Club’s Information office.
April 2009

TOWED OUTFITS AND RIGID MOTOR CARAVAN OUTFITS CATEGORY B LICENCE OBTAINED PRIOR TO 1 JANUARY 1997 MAY DRIVE:
a. Towed Outfits any outfit where the combined MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) does not exceed 8,250kg. (over which weight would have required an additional test pre-1997) However Club recommendations on weight ratio
between trailer and towing vehicle remain at 85%.
b. Rigid Motor Caravans without trailer any rigid motor caravan without a trailer where the MAM does not exceed 7,500kg.
c. Rigid Motor Caravan with trailer provided the total MAM of trailer and motor caravan does not exceed 8,250kg no further test is required, but club recommendations on weight ratio between trailer and towing vehicle remain at 85%.

CATEGORY B LICENCE FIRST OBTAINED ON OR AFTER 1 JANUARY 1997
MAY DRIVE:
a. Towed Outfits driver restricted to a combined MAM of 3,500kg and the trailer MAM must not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle (85% ratio remains strongly recommended). If this MAM is to be exceeded an E Test pass is required. A list of B+E test driving instructors can be found in the Practical Advice section of The Caravan Club Website. The Driving Instructors’ Association also has a list of qualified driving instructors that can tutor those wishing to take the B+E driving test - visit the Driving Standards Website on www.dsa.gov.uk, or telephone 0845 345 5151.
b. Rigid Motor Caravans without trailer driver restricted to a MAM of 3,500kg until obtaining a pass of the LGV test, after which the driver is qualified to 7,500kg MAM.
c. Rigid Motor Caravan towing trailer provided the trailer does not exceed 750kg and the combined MAM does not exceed 4,250kg no further test is required for this type of outfit. However if the trailer MAM exceeds 750kg
then a. applies for a vehicle less than 3,500kg. Otherwise an LGV test plus an E Test is needed.

The above dated April 2009 is out of date. The following no longer applies:

............ the trailer MAM must not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle ..........

so the police dont weigh you, they just go buy the both MAMs

For driving licence entitlement purposes the outfit doesn't need to be weighed. They go by plated weights only.

I think the answer may lie in the fact that after an accident when this might be important it can be impossible to weight the remains accurately. The simple arithmatic system gives the authorities a simple way of sorting the weights issue out.

It is probably an EC ruling though.