Caravans Under 750 kg: What You Can Tow Without Upgrading Your Licence
Many people buy their first caravan thinking about campsites, the open road and that feeling of taking your home with you. The licence comes later. That is a mistake, because before you hitch up any trailer you need to know what the licence in your wallet actually lets you tow. Spanish rules set very clear limits based on the weight of the outfit (car plus caravan), and knowing them saves you fines, trouble at the ITV (Spain's MOT) and the odd fright on the motorway. Here we explain what you can tow on a carnet B (the standard Spanish/EU category B car licence), when you need B96 or B+E, and what changes if you have a motorhome or a campervan instead.
What does the law say about towing a caravan on a B licence?
Spain's General Drivers' Regulations (Reglamento General de Conductores) set out which combinations each driver may drive according to their licence. Category B, which almost everyone holds, covers vehicles of up to 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass and towing trailers within certain weight limits. Going over those limits is expensive. There is a fine, and if there is an accident, the problem with your insurer will be a good deal bigger than the penalty.
What is the MAM and why does it matter for towing?
The MAM, or maximum authorised mass (MMA in Spanish), is the maximum weight at which a vehicle is approved to be driven: unladen weight, occupants, luggage and any extra load, all added together. It appears on the technical data sheet and on the manufacturer's plate, which on caravans is usually riveted to the chassis or next to the A-frame. It is the figure the Guardia Civil looks at to decide whether your outfit is legal. A detail that confuses many people: the MAM is not what your caravan weighs today, but the ceiling you must never exceed.
What is the difference between the B, B+E and B96 licences?
On a B licence you can tow a trailer of up to 750 kg MAM. You can also tow a heavier one, as long as the MAM of the car and the MAM of the trailer added together do not exceed 3,500 kg. B96 is an extension of B that raises that combined limit to 4,250 kg when the trailer is over 750 kg. And B+E is another matter altogether: it allows trailers of up to 3,500 kg MAM, which is what large twin-axle caravans and family models with three separate living areas require.
How do I find out the real weight of my car and caravan?
There are two ways. The first is the paperwork: the car's technical data sheet gives its unladen weight, its MAM and its maximum towing capacity (braked and unbraked, which are not the same thing), and the caravan's shows its own unladen weight and MAM. The second is a certified weighbridge, which many farming cooperatives and some petrol stations on industrial estates have, and which tells you what you really weigh fully loaded. With those numbers in front of you, you will know whether you are legal before you set off, not at a traffic check halfway through your journey.
Trailers under 750 kg: the basic rule
Here the rule is simple. If the caravan has a MAM of 750 kg or less, any driver with a B licence can hitch it up and drive without touching their licence, whatever the car weighs (within its 3,500 kg), provided the car is approved for a towbar and the tow ball is legally registered. Before you buy a lightweight caravan, check that point carefully. And if you are still weighing up models, our article on small caravans and mini caravans compares the easiest ones to handle.
Which car and trailer combination can I drive on a B licence?
A car or van of up to 3,500 kg MAM plus a trailer of up to 750 kg. In that case the total does not matter. If the trailer is over 750 kg, B still covers you as long as the whole outfit does not exceed 3,500 kg, and in practice that rules out most mid-sized caravans, because an SUV with a 2,000 kg MAM can only take a caravan of 1,500 kg at most behind it. Plenty of people get a surprise at the dealer's.
How is the 750 kg limit worked out on a caravan?
Only the caravan's MAM counts, the one shown on its plate and its data sheet. Not the weight it happens to be on the road that day. So a caravan with a 750 kg MAM and a 560 kg unladen weight is covered by a B licence without question, although it must never go over those 750 real kilos once loaded: gas bottle, awning, bikes, food for a fortnight. That is where many people go over without realising.
What if my caravan is only just over 750 kg?
Even at 800 kg MAM, you are no longer in the easy case. On a B licence you can only drive it if the car and caravan MAMs added together do not exceed 3,500 kg. If they do, you need B96 or B+E, depending on the total. There is no middle ground and no tolerance margin to save you at a roadside check.
Trailers over 750 kg: when you need B96 or B+E
As soon as the caravan's MAM goes over 750 kg, you have to do the sums for the whole outfit. That total decides whether B96 is enough or whether you have to get B+E, and the difference matters a lot to anyone looking at roomy models for families or long campsite stays. If you are also considering a motorhome, in which licence you need to drive a motorhome or tow a caravan in Spain we also cover when you need C1.
What is the B96 licence and when is it required?
It is an extension of the B licence for outfits with a total MAM of between 3,500 and 4,250 kg, with a trailer of over 750 kg. There is no theory test, although there is a practical skills test and the paperwork at the Jefatura de Tráfico (the provincial traffic office). For anyone buying a mid-sized caravan it is usually the quickest route, and the most common one.
What is the B+E licence and what does it allow?
B+E allows you to tow a trailer of up to 3,500 kg MAM behind a category B vehicle, without the 4,250 kg combined cap that limits B96. To get it you have to pass both a theory and a practical test. That makes sense. Braking with two and a half tonnes pushing from behind, or correcting a snake at 90 km/h, is nothing like driving a car.
How do I choose between B96 and B+E for my caravan?
It depends only on the total weight of the outfit. If the car and caravan together come to no more than 4,250 kg, B96 has you covered and the paperwork is quicker. Our advice, though, is to look a little further ahead: if in a few years you plan to move up to a bigger caravan or a heavier 4x4, go straight for B+E and you will not have to deal with the traffic authorities again.
Motorhomes and campervans: do the same rules apply?
Not exactly. A motorhome or a campervan is a single vehicle, not a towing vehicle and trailer combination, so the calculation starts with its own MAM. Whether you then hitch something on behind is another matter, and people do. If you are still torn between one format and the other, read about the differences between a caravan and a motorhome first.
Which licence do I need to drive a large motorhome?
Up to 3,500 kg MAM, category B. Above that, which is what many large A-class motorhomes over seven metres long with a rear garage weigh, you generally need C1. Before you sign for a 4,000 or 4,500 kg motorhome, check the data sheet and your licence, because there is no shortcut here.
Can I tow a trailer behind my motorhome on a B licence?
Yes. A light trailer behind a motorhome can be towed on a B licence following the same rules as with a car: up to 750 kg MAM on the trailer, or a total outfit that does not exceed 3,500 kg. That is what people do when they tow a small motorbike trailer or a wheeled bike carrier.
What 4,250 kg limit applies to outfits with motorhomes?
The same as with cars. If the motorhome and trailer together come to between 3,500 and 4,250 kg MAM, with a trailer of over 750 kg, it falls under B96. Above that, B+E.
How to hitch up and manoeuvre your caravan safely
The licence and the kilos are the legal side. The other side, the one that really prevents scares, depends on how you hitch up and how confident you are at the wheel with a trailer behind you.
What steps should I follow to hitch up the trailer properly?
Before every trip, check that the approved towbar is in good condition and that the coupling head has locked properly onto the ball (almost all have a green indicator). Connect the electrical cable for the lights and the breakaway cable for the overrun brake. Wind the jockey wheel all the way up. Check the trailer's number plate, which must match the paperwork. Once you are used to it, five minutes.
Which basic manoeuvres should I master before hitting the road?
Reversing is by far the hardest, because you turn the steering wheel the opposite way to what your instinct tells you. Also practise tight turns, where the caravan cuts in more than you expect, and gradual braking. An empty industrial estate on a Sunday morning is the perfect place to get the hang of it. You will be glad you did the first time you have to back it into a narrow pitch.
Which common mistakes should I avoid when towing a lightweight caravan?
The classic is not weighing the outfit once the luggage is loaded. Next come confusing unladen weight with MAM, forgetting that a caravan over 750 kg has its own ITV inspection, and not checking whether the car manufacturer approves it for towing that particular weight. They are all easy to fix if you check them at home and not on the hard shoulder.
Frequently asked questions about licences, weight and trailers
What happens if I drive an outfit without the right licence?
Driving an outfit your licence does not cover is a serious offence, with the corresponding fine. The worst part comes if there is an accident: it gives the insurer a very convenient argument for disputing your cover. If you have more questions like this, our FAQ answers the ones we are asked most often.
How does real weight versus MAM affect my liability?
Your licence is based on the MAM, but the real weight is your responsibility. If you load the caravan beyond its maximum authorised mass, you can be fined even if your licence is the right one for that outfit on paper.
Where can I check the latest rules on trailers and caravans?
On the website of the DGT (Spain's Directorate-General for Traffic), which is the official source, and in the technical documentation for the car and the caravan. Check it from time to time, especially before any B96 or B+E paperwork.
And once the licence question is settled, there is the other one: where to keep the caravan between trips. If you live in or around Valencia, you can store it at our facility in Silla, a flat compound with no slopes where manoeuvring with a trailer is easy even if you have only just had your towbar fitted. Check our prices, from €40 a month on an annual contract, or message us to request a space.