Licence category restrictions regarding towing?

Cars / Motoring / Insurance
1

Hello people with expertise in the vehicle department.

I have a nice shiny new French driving licence for which I signed away my right to drive heavy-duty vehicles but I appear to still have category BE, which has a picture of a car towing a caravan on the back of the licence.

Assuming I get my insurance to cover it and also (I understand?) a Control Technique if it’s over 500kg, are there limits as to what I can tow?

I’ve been to see a micro-caravan which I am rather taken with and it hovers around the 500kg weight.

2

Here’s the link and also the explanation… you should be fine (especially as you passed your test before 2013…if I’ve understood correctly)

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3

That is brilliant, @stella - just what I wanted to know! Thank you :hugs:

4

Reading that more carefully, @Stella - does that mean that I need to have a much heavier car than my C3 or my partner’s Dacia Sandero to be allowed to tow more than 750kg? We aren’t planning to, as it happens but over 500kg and under 750kg would possibly be what we need?

5

Frankly, you need to check the towing weights for both your cars… always useful information and should be in the vehicle paperwork/booklet.

OH would know, but he’s escaped into the sunshine… :rofl:

Google will know the answer, I suspect if you don’t have the handbooks

Google says Dacia sandero: 980kg - 1100kg

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this link gives a list of C3’s

6

Thank you so much @stella. I’ve never towed more than a trailer before so am more than a bit ignorant!

7

Of course there’s more than one sort of C3
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8

Wow! Just love that one :smiley:

9

You’ve had the right info given above.
Just a word of warning; there is no longer a requirement to have a medical to retain B+E, but there are plenty of people out there who will tell you otherwise.

10

@AngelaR any chance of a photo of this sort of caravan you’re looking at, to get us all green with envy…

11

I tow a four wheeled 749kg non-braked trailer with a Dacia Duster (1.5 tdi) with a 230cm x 120cm bed and I wouldn’t want to go any larger with this vehicle.

Yes, a 750kg braked trailer would be easier on the downhill sections, but you really need more engine power than a little 4 cylinder engine can provide on long hilly sections.

Several trailer tips (all based on personal experience to towing a number of smaller trailers and my 749kg un-braked one).

  1. Longer wheelbase trailers are easier to reverse

  2. Double axle trailers turn more slowly and are easier to reverse

  3. Having 4 road wheels mean the load is split more evenly and you can avoid excessive hitch weight/lift

  4. Fit the widest and puncture proof jockey wheel you can find. You WILL find yourself moving your trailer around on rough ground at some point and those skinny solid jockey wheels are only any good on cement/tarmac.

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12

It’s one of these, @Stella

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13

Looks like the unbraked towing weight for my partner’s Sandero is 545kg (thank you for pointing me in the right direction to find this, Stella) which should be fine provided we don’t put too much extra stuff in it. No chance with my C3 though but that’s ok provided one of them works!

14

That is so cute! I want one. Only problem, we’d have to have one each. :grin:

15

Different colours for his and hers?

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16

That is quite cool, enjoy! :sunglasses::sunglasses: Saw something similar on TV a little while back . Think I’d need something a bit bigger though​:joy:

17

There certainly wouldn’t be enough room for you both plus the dog :smiley:

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18

The over 500kg rule.
You can tow trailer or whatever up to 500kg gross wieght ie trailer and contents and the trailer has the same number plate as the towing vehicle.
If the gross wieght is over 500kg then the trailer must have it’s own carte gris and number plate however just because it has a carte gris it doesn’t have to have a controlled technique.
Example 1 :
I have a trailer that has a carte gris, it weighs 180kg empty. when I bought it l had the option of giving it a carte gris, or not. Without the carte gris I could carry 380kg of material and with carte gris 570kg of material so I obtained the carte gris.
Example 2:
Last year we bought a car trailer to carry our smart car behind our camping car.
The trailer weighs 360kg but as its payload with the Smart sat on it is 1300kg then the trailer has a carte gris and it’s own number plate but it will never need a CT but of course it still has to be maintained correctly, tyres brakes etc as it is a road vehicle and must comply with the law.
Looks like the teardrop you are looking at is around 500kg so if that is empty then obviously it will be over the 500kg when loaded.
If you are buying it new then the selling company will give you the correct advice, hopefully.
Just had a look at the invoice for the car trailer and the cost for immatriculation including number plates and the suppliers administration was 150 euros.
Hope this helps.

19

Based on everything said already I would drive the car, book a B&B and enjoy the luxury of a real bed, bedroom. Toilet, shower etc and then you wont hold up traffic and wear out your poor little cars.

Now putting my tin hat on and waiting for the backlash

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20

I’m chuckling at the picture in my mind… of you in a tin hat…

Everyone’s so different… were I younger… camping/caravan fine… but I did enough of that as Akela for umpteen years… now elderly/infirm/incontent… :rofl: :rofl: I might think twice… (especially as my favourite roundabout has been put off-limits)