Exchanged license/caravan towing limitation.

[maude]

further to my query some weeks ago about a medical examination every 2 years for the over 60,s.I have sorted this out at my local sous prefecture.Yes I do have to have one,cost 24euros (currently, with no reimbursement) to be arranged by myself with the 3 doctors acceptable in our town.One of them is my own doctor anyway.This is required every 2 years to enable me to continue towing our caravan.Not a great big thing,just1150 kilos laiden max.

Now the thing that puzzles as usual,is that on a very recent caravan holiday and chatting to the few French on holiday at this time-usually self restricted to August.I did show them my driving license (French) and mentioned the medical exam limitation.No one had ever heard or been informed of this and none of the French had this 60 years medical limitaion on their licenses,which realyy worried them!!!Is this new,or is it for the Brits only.Just curious-not worried by the medical-honest!!!!Maude

[Boiling a frog]

With a permis B licence you can tow a caravan providing the PTAC (which is Poids total autorise en charge) which is the weight of the caravan plus authorised load set by the manufacturer does not exceed the Points a vide of the car and also if the sum of the PTAC of the caravan and the PTAC of the car does not exceed 3500kgs YOU DO NOT NEED A MEDICAL EVERY 2 YEARS FOR A PERMIS B licence

If  you tow say with a Land Rover Discovery (very heavy car) you will need a Permis E to tow anything over 750 kgs and as such you need to have a medical every 2 years if over 60.

You can find the Poids a vide and PTAC of your car on your carte grise

So if your caravan has a PTAC of 1150 kgs as long as your cars weight is over 1150kgs but the combined weight of car and caravan does not exceed 3500 kgs  then you do not need a permis E

[goose]

Dont forget that the legal maximum towing weight of the car according to the handbook isn't the same as the recommended safe towing weight which is generally accepted to be 85 percent. That is the caravans PTAC (laden, most people forget this includes all your holiday luggage, toothbrushes, barbecues, bicycles etc travelling in it) should be no more than 85 percent of the cars unladen kerbweight.

ie a caravan PTAC of 1150 kg requires a car kerbweight of 1350kg.

Those who exceed this are the ones you so often see with overturned caravans on the motorway!