towing cars

[clivvy]

so, on my way to Cheshire this morning, we saw a 4x4 towing a car, using one of them long pole type things the AA use. Well, when i say long it wasnt that long, but anyway, what are they, how do they work, how much and what are the legalities of towing a vehicle with one?

seems to me that they are a very easy way of towing home your new project car yourself with using trailers etc...?

 

[kbekl]

thats a rigid bar they use the tow hitch and the front tow point are alot safer that ropes as the car in fron controls the braking
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-CAR-VAN-R...5568?pt=UK_Recovery_Tools&hash=item35a92a1ad0

 

[rustic]

I have a similar one, fits under the rear seats easily. Never used, like the tow rope I carry, but if I left them at home.....:nenau:nenau

It relies on a driver in the towed vehicle, so I would assume this would have to be taxed, insured and MOT'd.

I'm not sure how far is a reasonable distance to use one, :nenau
I think mine was from Aldi and cost a tenner at the time.

 

[briggie]

im not sure , but i think you arent allowed to tow on the motorway , regardless of tow rope or whatever

 

[kbekl]

unsure of the law now but these used to be used on the motorway to tow cars with or with out tax and mot,unsure about the details but because the driver of the tow car only has to steer think it is alloud but you are better off with a towing dolly or trailer

 

[clivvy]

hmm..im not sure redex...the one i saw seemed much chunkier than the one in the ebay link. And, you say relies on a driver in the towed car? well, there wasnt a driver in this towed car!!

hmmm....could it have been an A frame? do the same rules apply?

 

[larson]

clive my mate made one of the bars its simple scaffolding pole will the towng end of the trailer welded on one end ( bit what fits over the towing ball ) and a u shaped/d shackle welded on the other end.. ebay Item number: 350189109029.. very easy for me to make you if you got the parts

 

[tezzer]

this is what you want,-- i cant seem to get the 180590260875

then you dont need another driver.

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

a frames are not legal, if the towed car, then classed as a trailer exceeds
750kg gross weight. unless has a braking mechanism.

yes so most of the motorhomes tugging cars are wrong side of law.

thered exclusions for break down truck, suspect most dollies are iffy too.

best place for an invalided car is on a flatbed, be a truck or full trailer.

 

[Peasgood]

a frames are not legal, if the towed car, then classed as a trailer exceeds
750kg gross weight. unless has a braking mechanism.

yes so most of the motorhomes tugging cars are wrong side of law.

thered exclusions for break down truck, suspect most dollies are iffy too.

best place for an invalided car is on a flatbed, be a truck or full trailer.

True enough.
The RAC and AA are phasing them out too.
I think the only time they are allowed is emergency recovery. They are cracking down on them too.

 

[clivvy]

makes sense, ive seen several motorhomes towing toyota Aygos, Mazda MX-5 and smart cars, but i suspect even those tiny cars wot be allowed soon? So why they clamping down??

 

[11redrex]

this is what you want,-- i cant seem to get the 180590260875

then you dont need another driver.

Love the chunk of slotted angle iron / fence post welded across the A :lol
what a bodge up.

Still I shouldn't say too much, I've used a bit of scaffold with a rope looped through it to tow in the past

 

[briggie]

Reg 86 Road Vehicles (Con and Use) Regs 1986

Where a trailer is attached to the vehicle in front solely by means of a rope or chain, the distance between the trailer and that vehicle :

1. Shall not exceed 1.5 metres unless the rope or chain is made clearly visible

2. Shall not exceed 4.5 metres in any case.

 

[Peasgood]

makes sense, ive seen several motorhomes towing toyota Aygos, Mazda MX-5 and smart cars, but i suspect even those tiny cars wot be allowed soon? So why they clamping down??

Because it is against the law I guess. I think they are even more keen on the continent.
Noticed a few of those motorhomes now have little trailers instead of an A frame.

 

[lacroupade]

makes sense, ive seen several motorhomes towing toyota Aygos, Mazda MX-5 and smart cars, but i suspect even those tiny cars wot be allowed soon? So why they clamping down??

they aren't allowed now....as TTT says, can't exceed 750kg in weight and I believe there isn't a car in the UK that meets that requirement any more with the exception of a Caterham......or a Trottermobile!

 

[Terranosaurus]

Even if under 750kg they must have functional over run brakes as must any trailer that has brakes fitted even if under 750kg. Also must have auto reverse brakes if manufacturered after a certain date (quite a while ago now) a frames are legal for recovery to a place of safety only.

Any doubters go on Mudclub or Difflock and ask - you'll get hit with a whole barrage of abuse LOL

 

[tezzer]

Love the chunk of slotted angle iron / fence post welded across the A :lol
what a bodge up.

Still I shouldn't say too much, I've used a bit of scaffold with a rope looped through it to tow in the past

lol, i didn't mean to buy, just something to show, there was a guy near me who welded a ratchet strap either end of a scaffold pole and towed cars with it for around 18 month, until the car he was towing came adrift, luckily the pole came away with the tow car, hate to think what would of happened the other way round. he bought a trailer after that experience, :doh:augie

 

[11redrex]

lol, i didn't mean to buy, just something to show, there was a guy near me who welded a ratchet strap either end of a scaffold pole and towed cars with it for around 18 month, until the car he was towing came adrift, luckily the pole came away with the tow car, hate to think what would of happened the other way round. he bought a trailer after that experience, :doh:augie

That doesn't bear thinking about, all the ways that could have gone wrong

I had one of those poles for a while, it's buried at the back of the garage now, never had any trouble with it, unless the towing eyes were on different sides. Pulled my mate down the A12 at 70mph with it, my rear eye on the right, his front eye on the left. We took up slightly more than one lane.

 

[kbekl]

From GLASS web site


The Department for Transport have an interesting page on their website giving advice on a number of areas which may be of interest.

I found the pdf re 'A-Frames and Towing Dollies' of interest, there has been and continues to be a lot of mis-information on various websites and forums about this.

DfT webpage is at;

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/

or the direct info


http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/factsheetaframes.pdf

 

[briggie]

if you are bored and have some time to fill .... heres the road traffic act

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/contents