Trailer test - what's involved etc.

P

Pink's lady

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I'm fed up of relying on other to take me places with the horses so I'm planning on doing my trailer test this summer (at the cost of £450:eek: )

But what exactly does it involve and is there a book/website that tells me exactly what I need to know and practise?

We have trailer and a I could manage to beg borrow or steal a car to practise with occasionally but it'll be easier to use the car and horse box provided by the training centre for the actual training and test.

In an ideal world I would be able to do all the practising with my box and car and just sit the test, but I've heard the test is really really strict and quite hard to pass, so maybe it' not such a great idea (at £90 a shot:eek: ). Is it possible to pass with proffesional tuition do you think?

BUT - am I able to practise on the roads with my own box and car? Do I just need to put up a L-plate? I'm assuming the person with me just has to have a normal older license (i.e pre-1997 so they're allowed to pull a trailer)

On a side note - I wonder what's going to happen in 15-20 yrs time - theres going to a serious lack of people able to pull a horse box/caravan, esp if it's going to cost so damn much to do a trailer test......................
 
My friends OH is driving instructor, and he's started teaching folk to pull trailers.

He's teaching his step daughter (my seregate niece) and a friend of mine at the mo, and they've been telling me about thier lessons.

General driving, junctions, hill starts, vehicle length judgement - (say your driving down roads with parked vehicles either side, and there's only enough room for one vehicle to go through - knowing how to judge what gap you ll fit in) reverse straight into a gap, reverse left and right into a gap. Slow, gentle approach to direction and gradient change.

I don't know, but I'm sure you'll need to know how to reverse onto and hitch up and unhitch correctly.

If no one else posts I can give him a ring and ask for more details. For once being old has an advantage, in that I don't need to take a test (there's no way atm that I can afford to), but I've just started using our trailer on my own, I used to force my OH to do it for me - he's now confident that I am totally capable of managing on my own:eek:

I've been 4 times on my own now with horses in it, I can pull the trailer with nothing in no problem, but Breeze my bigger mare 15.1 sits on the back bar and often bangs about as she loses her balance now and then and that un-nerves me. But 2 out of the 4 times I've picked up and loaded 2 unknown horses in with her, loaded and unloaded after she's been loaded, and even had to reverse into gateway to turn and leave the farm yard successfully.

It is getting easier, especially when I remember to breathe;)
 
You don't need to take a trailer test here:eek: All you need is a drivers license and off you go!
 
Grrrr, I KNOW. It's soooooooooo not fair. We were the same up until 1997. Now we need to do this damn stupid test which is horrible expensive and really quite hard to organise too. Grrrr:mad:

And did you know that if you do your C-test (which allows you to drive a lory up to 7.5 tonne) you're STILL not allowed to pull a horse box or caravan. I was thinking I could do my C-test (at about £800) and get it all done in one go, so I could drive a horse lorry later on). But nope, I have to do BOTH. That's nearly £1500. I am NOT amused!
 
Jeeze. I wish I had a trailer test! Maybe someone could then teach me how to back the damn thing up without jacking it, or worse, knocking on some poor slobs door to help me!

Although truthfully, I'm glad all I need is my liscence to drive a trailer ;) God knows, if they saw my trailer driving skills, I'd never pass!
 
My friend has recently done it, and said it was quite strict. She also failed alougth she did everything perfectly except for when reversing through the slalom.. she clipped a cone. She used her own car n traiiler for the test, as she was used to the clutch control on it ( something to consider)

As far as i'm aware its perfectly fine to go out with L plates on Laden or unladen... Some sort of loophole... So if you have someone to go with you just invest in some L plates !
 
ive been phoning a few places around locally.

Most places you have to provide the vehicle and the trailer for the test (they used to be able to use a low loader trailer but now it has to be a horse trailer). I found one that will provide the trailer but you have to provide the vehicle.

So many con men out there though.
They will tell you you need to do a weeks training etc but really you can turn up and sit the test without having official lessons.

But it is advisable to have one days training so you know what they want you to do.

You can practice with an trailer with a 'legal' person sitting in the passenger.

Most training days are about £100 - £120 per day, so get practising yourself first.
They also judge you on your general driving :eek: :eek: i have so many bad habits its unreal!!!

you can get a little book on the trailer test that tells you what they do and what they test on.

My dad had a heavy good license and was a lorry driver so he is giving me lessons and luckily he knows a guy at the training centre so he will run through it with me before i sit the test.
 
£450 :confused: The test is only £89? :confused:

Training is a nicety I suppose but not really necessary - the test only includes coupling and uncoupling of the trailer, an off-road reverse manoeuvre, a controlled stop, and driving on the road. You don't have to do anything tricky like reversing round corners, parking or turning in the road so it's a piece of cake really. You can get most of it down to a tee just playing about with a trailer for a day.
 
What's the C-test? Or am I just a bit too old? I can drive either on my licence. :)

angelfben said:
Oh dear! So steering with your knees with a fag in one hand, a dressage test sheet in the other and a terrier balanced on your lap is frowned upon then? :eek: :D
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You'd be alright with a trailer, they only get funny about that when you're doing 70mph on the M4 in a 7.5-tonner... for some reason. They also don't seem to think it's safe to have someone plaiting your horse for you in the back whilst moving either...:confused:
 
Bananaman said:
What's the C-test? Or am I just a bit too old? I can drive either on my licence. :)



You'd be alright with a trailer, they only get funny about that when you're doing 70mph on the M4 in a 7.5-tonner... for some reason. They also don't seem to think it's safe to have someone plaiting your horse for you in the back whilst moving either...:confused:
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spoilsports :p
 
I was supposed to do my car licence, lorry licence and trailer licence all in one go. I tried to reverse Dad's trailer on a big field, failed miserably and did only the first two.. :eek:

Mom and Dad got their trailer licences (plus motorcycle licences!) just by applying for them before the law was changed. I missed it by two years. Gutted! :eek:

Nina x
 
teabiscuit said:
i took my test before the watershed, so i can drive a trailer and a 7 ton lorry without taking a test....smug? moi?
yes, quite frankly i am :D
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me too :) only I'm not so smug as I cant afford to buy either :p :D too many horses and not enough trailers ;)
 
I did my trailer test just by practicing loads myself. I had my jeep and trailer and just always had someone with me when towing either with a pre 97 licence or who has passed the trailer test already but more than 3 yrs ago. My dad had towed for years so he just used to take me to industrial estates so i could practice the reversing etc and i also used to practice myself parking it into its space between other trailers in the trailer/lorry park at my yard. So I spent £89 on the test and passed it first time without doing all the lessons.
I now however have sold the jeep n trailer and have bought a 7.5T box which I have been quoted anywhere between £1200 and £1500 for 5 days training and test...:eek: :eek: I have started driving it already myself with 'L' plates and again with my ace old daddy :D and also my friend whos yard im at now and has driven lorries for years. I am finding it ok so far but pain is this time I need to do a theory test first and that was after having to get a medical to even get my provisional lorry entitlement!! I am told that they are really fussy and exact with the C/C1 tests cos you are doing test to drive an HGV to get the lesser class too, so everyone is advised to get the training so u know exactly what they are looking for. However, noone I know in Glasgow area seems willing to offer any less than standard 5 days.. grrr! more money making schemes!! So if anyone can help me out on that aspect wud be most welcome :D
As for trailers - the original question, soz got side tracked in my rant!! - I would drive as much as u can urself practice loads in the yard just driving it in and out of space reversing from different angles etc, once u get that the driving it straight is easy, I would say for trailer test u dont need the whole training thing, but I suppose its if you feel comfortable doing it without, and £89 is alot to risk..
Hope that helps, but reading it back dont think it really does :confused: sorry...:cool:
 
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i think its a ridiculous law!gets me very heated but i shall restrain myself;)

my theory has been that how can the government come up with the idea that someone who passed their test before 1st Jan 1997 is such a good driver that they don't need to be tested fortowing a trailer yet someone who passed on 2nd Jan 1997 is obviously not!!
i'm pretty confident in saying that i am a better driver than my mum who has had over 20years more experience than me!

whooo rant over....its a nice idea for me to be able to tow my horses around but i'm such a nervous wreck when my dad tows them that i think i will make my OH take the test!!

amz x
 
£170 jowyles? I'm coming down to yours!

The £450 includes everything - car and trailer, 4days training, the actual test and the VAT.

the test only includes coupling and uncoupling of the trailer, an off-road reverse manoeuvre, a controlled stop, and driving on the road. You don't have to do anything tricky like reversing round corners, parking or turning in the road
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Apparrently you have to do some nifty parking between cones etc? Which involves a left reverse and a right reverse.

I've heard it's marked to a really high level, so not something you can breeze through? :eek:

We have a trailer - that's not a prob. What we don't have is a readily avalible car to pull it - I could borrow one for maybe a day but it won't be possible to inure it for me to drive on the roads cos I'm under 25. Which makes it a lot harder to practise.

you can get a little book on the trailer test that tells you what they do and what they test on.
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Thats what I want! Do you know what it's called. If it's anything like the driving test being able to reverse is all well and good but you'll fail miserably if you don't reverse they way they want it!

And if they mark you on your general driving, I might need to smarten up a bit:eek:

ETA - bananaman - the C-test is one of these stupid new driving license laws:mad: Im not sure what the old license allows but you now need to do a test (C1+E I think) to be allowed to drive a trailer and a lorry up to 7.5tonnes. If you want to drive a bigger lorry you need to do a full C-test (which involves a medical, weeks of training, a theory and a £1500 bill:eek: )

I think that's right?

You now start off with a B license which allows you to pull a tiny garden trailer and a small lorry under 3.5 tonnes and bugger all else.

To pull a horse box you need a B+E test, to allow you to pull a heavier trailer.

A C1 license allows you to drive up to 7.5tonnes. It DOESN'T allow you to pull a trailer - for that you need an E added on the end. (so a C1+E)

A full C license (with a E added on to pull a trailer) allows you to drive everything.

It's not FAIR!.............
 
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I got one from rideaway (or robinsons), it is one of the series of little paperback books that they do - I got one generally on trailer maintenance as well. I want to do mine this summer - I have a trailer and 4x4 and can theoretically practice, but havent quite got round to it yet, and am now waiting for my shoulder to heal. I have found a place in dalry that does the training that I hope to go to. I am dreading it!!!
 
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