What You Need to Know Before you Tow
Whether you are planning to head off on holiday and want to buy a caravan, or you need a trailer to help you with work, if you are planning on towing and you haven’t ever done it before there are lots of things to do before you start!
Firstly, you need to find out whether you need a licence to tow. Regardless of what you are towing, you need to hold a full driving licence. If the maximum authorised mass is not in excess of 3,500 kg then you don’t need to have an additional licence.
This is where it can become slightly more complicated – if you are going to be towing more than an MAM of 3500 kg it depends on when you passed your driving test as to whether you need an additional towing licence. Anyone who passed on or before 1st January 1997 then you are allowed to tow a vehicle and trailer that has a combined maximum weight of 8,250kg. However, if you passed your test after this date, you will need to pass a car and trailer driving test.
You also need to consider the car that you own. Before you set off anywhere with a trailer in tow, you must check that your car is able to tow the weight of it. This is something that you can check in the handbook for your vehicle.
It is also important to remember that anything you are towing on the road needs to be well maintained to ensure it is safe. Some maintenance you can do yourself – you can buy trailer parts online, however if you have a serious issue or you are not sure how to fix it, it is best to go to a professional.