Advise needed on towing frame please

This is the place for posts that don't fit into any other category.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
bernie
Posts: 882
Joined: 10 Apr 2001, 02:25
Location: Southampton United Kingdom
My Cars:

Advise needed on towing frame please

Post by bernie »

What is the position of law regarding towing another car with an A frame?
They are supposed to be 'one man operation', does this work in practise?
They apparently fix to the lower wishbones, has anyone used one?
Has anyone got one for sale?
VisaGTi16v
Posts: 829
Joined: 27 Sep 2002, 21:39
Location:
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by VisaGTi16v »

I dont think they are legal unless theres someone in the other car or they are being recovered. There was a thread about it on my motorsport forum somewhere...
http://www.ntta.co.uk/faq/default.htm
1 page down, states the legalities or lack of, basically only to be used to move a car to a safe place or by a registered recovery firm it seems
Stinkwheel
Posts: 562
Joined: 28 May 2004, 01:02
Location:
My Cars:
x 1

Post by Stinkwheel »

i would probably agree thats how they are supposed to be used yes. I have one, I've used it to move 2CV's and dyanes accross large areas (hundreds of miles) and always use a trailer board and the car becomes a trailer basically. I've never even had a sniff from the law and some of the cars I've towed were not road legal. They work well.
yangreen
Posts: 381
Joined: 25 Jan 2005, 14:11
Location:
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by yangreen »

The basis they fall down on is that they are usually way above the safe unbraked towing weight of most cars. There is also no type approval or similar governing their construction.
But then does anyone know of anyone ever being stopped for using one? I certainly don't.
vanny
Posts: 767
Joined: 16 May 2002, 21:08
Location: BXProject
My Cars:
x 1
Contact:

Post by vanny »

Are we talking about an A-fame or a towing tolly?
I'm told when using a proper towing dolly then the car is considered as a trailer (direction is controlled by the car in front) and must fulfil trailer rules (trailer board, probably side repeaters etc).
When using an Aframe then it must have two people (one in each car) as the towed vehicle is not being steered by the car in front. It's the same as towing with a static bar!
The general rule of thumb is that the towing car MUST control both acceleration and deceleration, hence a rope is not legal! Just to put a story in, i towed a Ford Escort estate 150+ miles on new years day 2004 which included going through the Mersey Tunnel. The police there are there own force (Tunnel Police!) and are usually pretty tight with anything they dont like! Called them up before hand and they where quite happy for me to do it on a solid bar, just not a rope! The Escorts brakes had failed so it wasn't really gonna get hope otherwise!
Stinkwheel
Posts: 562
Joined: 28 May 2004, 01:02
Location:
My Cars:
x 1

Post by Stinkwheel »

I've used A frames, not dolly. When fitted correctly the car does actually steer itself and does not need to have another driver, as i said I've done this over hundreds of miles with no problem, Obviously its an unbrakd trailer at this stage but there is every possibilty that a 2CV on A -frame is less than the 750KG's that means you must have brakes.
bernie
Posts: 882
Joined: 10 Apr 2001, 02:25
Location: Southampton United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by bernie »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by vanny</i>

Are we talking about an A-fame or a towing tolly?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
A Frame
yangreen
Posts: 381
Joined: 25 Jan 2005, 14:11
Location:
My Cars:
Contact:

Post by yangreen »

Matt, may be less than the 750kgs but my Audi for instance has a maxiumum unbraked towing weight of around 650kgs - varies from car to car.
I'd just do it!
Ian
JohnD
(Donor 2022)
Posts: 2632
Joined: 14 Mar 2001, 23:41
Location: Epsom, Surrey
My Cars: 2010 Citroen C5-X7 tourer
1998 Citroen Saxo 1.5D
2018 Citroen C4-B7
1998 Peugeot 306. 1.9D
2011 Citroen C1
x 72
Contact:

Post by JohnD »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bernie</i>


They are supposed to be 'one man operation', does this work in practise?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Yes Bernie, I have one, and it works well. I use it to bring home the girls' cars at MOT time. It connects with chains to the lower suspension arms, with the chains screwing up tight to lock everything together. No need to have a driver on board the towed vehicle - just remember to unlock the steering!!!!!!!!!!
User avatar
fastandfurryous
Posts: 1388
Joined: 07 Jul 2004, 17:57
Location: On the road, travelling at high speed. Meep Meep.
My Cars:
x 4

Post by fastandfurryous »

I have an "A" frame that I made myself to deliver a car from Dorset to Northumberland. It has a significant additional "feature" that makes it legal where most aren't:
I've added a slider at the tow hitch, and it has a mechanism that pushes on the brake pedal of the car being towed, so not only does the car behind steer, it also brakes. The system works quite well, and I've now towed loads of different cars with it, all very safely, and with a braking system that works. I tested this rather dramatically on one journey when a pedestrian stepped out in front of me. Managed to stop just about as fast as the car can on it's own.
There's also the small benefit that when braking, the brake lamps on the car being towed come on as well.
Plus you can do the "hill start trick" with the braked "trailer". That is that you come to a stop with the "trailer" (car behind) brakes on quite hard, but then come off the brakes (in the towing car) at the last moment. The "trailer" brakes are still on, and the towing car now tries to roll backwards, which it can't, as there's a trailer behind with it's brakes on. The pressure from the towing car on the "trailer" keeps the brakes on untill you want to pull away, which you just do as normal, and as you pull away, the brakes on the "trailer" come off. Works a treat!
The other great thing about towing a car on an "A" frame rather than a full trailer is that when you've done the towing bit (which is usually only one way) you can flat pack the whole lot into the boot of the car, and drive back "normally" rather than having to tow an empty traler all the way.
Post Reply