I think you have confused yourself over 'renewing your photocard' and 'renewing your licence'
The latter is shorthand for 'renewing your entitlement to drive'
The
leaflet sent out with the licence makes it clear that it is the photocard that expires after 10 years not the entitlement to drive. (Note no 4)
Once you overcome confusing 'renewing a photocard' with 'renewing a licence' it appears obvious enough.
Having said that, for those who do not read the notes that come with their licence they may well get confused (but then why would they be reading INF40?)
In that case perhaps the DVLA should spell it out for us by putting 'photocard valid to' rather than 'licence valid to'.
INF40 can be seen
here and I believe the confusing part is the first non-bold type on page 3
"These arrangements will apply so long as your licence remains valid" Arguably this could mean 'licence' as in 'photocard' or 'licence' as in 'entitlement to drive'?
Flexibase wrote:1. Ref. Sammy's:
>...it's clear from that document that B+E applies only to cars puling trailers over 750Kg. OK, so I can' t pull a caravan, but a small trailer full of garden rubbish for the tip, for example...
Not so - you are allowed to tow a larger trailer if the car+trailer does not exceed 3,500kgm.
Just so we don't get more confused over this apparent contradiction. For post-96-test, car licence holders:-
So long as the trailer
and the maximum weight it is
designed to safely carry (known as the 'maximum authorised mass') do not exceed 750kg the combined weight of trailer and towing vehicle must be no more than 4250 kgs.
If the trailer exceeds 750kg then a different rule applies (as has been quoted).
In that case, the combined 'maximum authorised mass' of trailer and vehicle must not exceed 3500 kg.
However the 'maximum authorised mass' of the trailer must not exceed the
unladen weight of the towing vehicle.
The important thing to note is it matters not whether the trailer and/or car is actually laden.