towing a car ?

 
 
 
 
 
 
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towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #1
I am just wondering if any members have a tow vehicle.

I have been looking for another car for about town as I am only doing about 4000 miles per year

I saw this one and was thinking it could be towed behind the motorhome if needed.
http://www.usedcarsni.com/77761359

I am aware that certain countries require a tow car to be on a trailer but am not sure which do and which don't. I would only take a car to Europe if I was going for a long duration.

Any thoughts or advice?


Ally
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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #2
A-frames have been a grey area even in the UK for sometime. Not necessarily legal or illegal. I think they have now been banned in France, Germany and Spain, they make you take the car of and drive it. Not be long before they will be illegal in the UK I'd imagine.

I'll go see if I can find the legislation again.


irishrver
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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #3
More and more countries seem to banning (stopping) aframes I used to use an aframe until the system separated in France across our 2 lane over the center divide and across the next 2 lanes into the ditch luckily it missed every body so now we use a trailer or my wife drives the car/ jeep depending where and how far we are going
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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #4
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Ally
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Subject:

Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #5
Reasoning...

Quote
In principle, if a vehicle/vehicle combination is legal in the country in which it is registered, it should be accepted (as a "visitor") in any other EC state.

Many UK motorhomers tow cars on A frames outside the UK without challenge, but the legal status of doing this is not completely clear.

Our UK legal framework is generally permissive. That is to say, if something is not actually banned, it is deemed legal. The legality of towing a car on an A frame in UK has - so far as I am aware - not yet been tested in court so, as it remains undefined, the practise is broadly accepted. If you will, it is a "grey" area.

However, most of the rest of Europe adopts a restrictive approach to legalisation, under which, generally, if something has not specifically been legalised, it is deemed illegal.

The problem is that just as A frames have not been declared actually illegal in UK, they have not been declared actually legal in other EC states. So, for vehicles registered outside the UK, they would be deemed illegal.

Towing a car on an A frame outside the UK could thus present its owner with a difficulty. If challenged to show how he is entitled to do this as a visitor he can't, because he can't prove it is legal in UK, and so can't demonstrate his entitlement for the combination to be accepted elsewhere in the EC.

There are two recognised "grey" areas that bear upon the legality of A frame towing in UK. First up, when towed, the car, legally, becomes a trailer. However, because it is a car, it will have brakes. Because it has now become a braked trailer, irrespective of its weight, the brakes must work, to a minimum efficiency, in conjunction with the towing vehicle's brakes. Devices are available that claim to achieve this, but simple over-run braking, such as used on caravans, are suspect if used on cars with servo assisted braking systems because, after a few applications, the servo reservoir will be exhausted, so the braking efficiency will be sharply reduced.

The further grey area concerns reversing. It is a requirement that the brakes of the trailer must disengage when the combination is reversed. This is accommodated by the design of trailer brakes but, for obvious reasons, car brakes cannot have this feature.

Therefore, if you want complete peace of mind, demonstrable legality throughout all of Europe whether or not EC, and the ability to reverse the combination under reasonable control, the only solution is to carry the car on a purpose made trailer.


Legislation...

http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/a-frames.shtml


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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #6
A trailer it would be then.
No rush for me. I have also read that the smart car can give trouble if towed on an A frame as it is semi automatic.

Trailer adds a bit more to the price of the car too. LOL


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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #7
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wayfarer
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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #8
A trailer can separate as well. Use ye're bikes ye lazy lot and get a bit of exercise after a long days drive.
:lol: :lol:


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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 30.11.2011  ·  #9
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Ally
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Subject:

Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 01.12.2011  ·  #10
Quote by wayfarer

Use ye're bikes ye lazy lot and get a bit of exercise after a long days drive.
:lol: :lol:


Exercise!! o.O :-/ :whistle:


Ally
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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 01.12.2011  ·  #11
Quote by irishrver

until the system separated in France


Sounds nasty, much damage?


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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 01.12.2011  ·  #12
very nasty 9500 euro worth of damage in July 06 we were lucky not to get arrested the lady behind me teaches english so her kids played in the rv with mine while she handled the the locals, car recovery, cops etc (which said i was lucky not to arrested as a frames are not allowed in France) we were very p****ed off at the time but 2 or 3 hrs later we would be in paris so it could have been a lot worse.
booked the ferry tonight heading over to France again in june with the trailer it is a little bit more trouble but we can at least relaxI hope :)


Ally
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Subject:

Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 01.12.2011  ·  #13
Nightmare!

A trailer seems to make sense :)


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Re: towing a car ?

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Posted: 01.12.2011  ·  #14
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