Trailers

[Guest]

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-rules-for-towing-a-trailer-or-caravan-with-a-car-from-autumn-2021#what-will-change-later-in-2021

 

Looks like they are scrapping trailer tests so any bod can tow anything. 

[S-Westerly]

Well that's going to lead to mayhem I'd have thought. Bad enough with people who supposedly know what they are doing. Won't forget the time I saw a towed caravan start fishtailing on the M5 near Taunton. 

[Bender]

They have such a backlog they are scraping it, makes a joke of those that had to sit the test but now there's no need. 

[husoi]

As long doesn't affect my trailer I not worried  

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, Bender said:

They have such a backlog they are scraping it, makes a joke of those that had to sit the test but now there's no need. 

Yeah, a friend passed his last week, paid for through work but still annoying that it was just pointless stress.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, husoi said:

As long doesn't affect my trailer I not worried  

Your trailer is being burnt at the stake as part of the proposals, I'm sad to say. 

[Bender]

1 hour ago, goat said:

Your trailer is being burnt at the stake as part of the proposals, I'm sad to say. 

What kinda steak, I'm partial to rib eye  

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Bender said:

What kinda steak, I'm partial to rib eye  

Galician tomahawk steak from ex- dairy cattle

[Bender]

Just now, goat said:

Galician tomahawk steak from ex- dairy cattle

Hmmmmm when this burning  

[dynax]

9 hours ago, Bender said:

Hmmmmm when this burning  

 

Don't know but will there be naked virgins dancing round the fire

[Bender]

2 hours ago, dynax said:

 

Don't know but will there be naked virgins dancing round the fire

Ohh I think @husoiwill be dancing all night if your into that sort of thing.  

[Stu]

14 hours ago, goat said:

Yeah, a friend passed his last week, paid for through work but still annoying that it was just pointless stress.

 

I am led to believe he will get a refund on the test fee 

 

 

Well work will  

[Stu]

16 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

Well that's going to lead to mayhem I'd have thought. 

 

I'm going to disagree! 

 

Have you seen how many bad drivers there are out there? 

 

These have all supposedly passed a driving test! Just because people have passed a test it doesn't make them a good driver and the same applies for pulling a trailer. 

 

Anyone can be taught how to pass a test but the real learning starts once you are on the road and some people just don't have that despite a test pass! 

 

I think all the tests are inadequate and not like real life driving  

[S-Westerly]

True enough. Back when I took my licence I automatically qualified to drive a vehicle and a tow. I've never towed anything in my life and I suspect I'd be dreadful at it. The fact a bit of paper / plastic says you theoretically can doesn't mean you actually can, sadly.

[Stu]

2 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

True enough. Back when I took my licence I automatically qualified to drive a vehicle and a tow. I've never towed anything in my life and I suspect I'd be dreadful at it. The fact a bit of paper / plastic says you theoretically can doesn't mean you actually can, sadly.

 

The thing is you could actually tow stuff anyway just not a great deal it was all about weights and MAM

 

I have towed trailers and had no issues it's when you get in to towing bigger stuff people need to be careful 

[Ian Frog]

7 hours ago, Stu said:

 

The thing is you could actually tow stuff anyway just not a great deal it was all about weights and MAM

 

I have towed trailers and had no issues it's when you get in to towing bigger stuff people need to be careful 

I am not disagreeing with @Stu but as someone who has passed his class 1 test I would respectfully point out that large trailers are in general safer for people to get used to the experience with.

The cock ups tend to happen with small, light trailers that some numpty`s forget they have following them.

I remember once seeing an empty glider trailer pick a range rover up and flip it off the road I was following in an artic and slowed into the middle lane put the hazards on and waited for the tail to finish wagging the dog.

Cheers

Ian

[dynax]

Even the small ones can cause issues for some, the other day I saw someone trying a 20 point turn in a car park with a 5ft trailer

[Bender]

I like nothing better than watching some numpty trying to reverse his 3ft garden trailer  

 

I've towed all my life, mostly over size stuff albeit slowly ,  with tourers and normal trailers I pretty much go into autopilot, its poor judgment lack of awareness, sudden reactions and bad loading that normally causes the problems, all caused by drivers that are useless. 

[Mr Fro]

8 hours ago, Stu said:

 

The thing is you could actually tow stuff anyway just not a great deal it was all about weights and MAM

 

I have towed trailers and had no issues it's when you get in to towing bigger stuff people need to be careful 

I dunno, I found it loads easier reversing an artic than my bike trailer!

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Mr Fro said:

I dunno, I found it loads easier reversing an artic than my bike trailer!

 

No I mean pulling trailers 

 

small light trailers are not going to cause issues in terms of fish tailing etc but load a heavy trailer wrong then thats when the issues start 

 

Reversing, yes small ones are a twat! 

[Bender]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

 

No I mean pulling trailers 

 

small light trailers are not going to cause issues in terms of fish tailing etc but load a heavy trailer wrong then thats when the issues start 

 

Reversing yes small ones are a twat! 

Only if you can't drive  

[Pbassred]

On 14/09/2021 at 10:45, Stu said:

The thing is you could actually tow stuff anyway just not a great deal it was all about weights and MAM

 

I have towed trailers and had no issues it's when you get in to towing bigger stuff people need to be careful 

Thats the point isn't it.  Most light trailers when combined with a car are less than 3500KG. Most trailers weigh less than the car that is pulling them.   A 3 foot general purpose trailer or a sailing dingy was never part of the equation except that the 3500Kg needed to be split between trailer and car.  That means a 2 bike trailer and a Audi A4 is about your limit.  Raising the limit means that a Rangerover with a lot more power becomes a practical possibility.           

To the guy who witnessed an accident once:- I take you point, but that can happen to a driver with a licence too.  It might have just been a poor driver.

The big takeaway is that people thought that they couldn't pull trailers at all.  At least they might practice now. ..... Maybe.

[Mickly]

Ha, small trailers & light cars can call chaos - As a nipper I remember my Dad was towing our garden trailer with his Austin 1100 on the way back from the tip - unfortunately he’d forgotten to fasten the box onto the trailer after shovelling all the crap out at the tip - it chose the middle of Bromsgrove high street ( before it was pedestrianised  ) on a Saturday afternoon to detach its self - I had to help my Dad get it back on, I was cringing in embarrassment in case someone I knew saw us, so it went back on bloody quickly.