Phil Gibbs
Active Member
Hi, can I tow a swb landy using an A Frame ?.
The towing car would be a Range Rover.
Thanks in advance Phil
The towing car would be a Range Rover.
Thanks in advance Phil
mick 1986
Well-Known Member
It depends on what licence you have, if you get stopped, and how much of a jobsworth the person stopping you wants to be. It “should” be classed as a trailer I think. We had a big discussion a few months back on towing, may be worth a search.
I also think that the car being towed needs to have tax/mot/insurance? If it is on its own wheels. (No mot and it has to be being moved to or from an Mot station).
Trailer is your best bet.
Perhaps a chat with at your local plod station may help you stay out of trouble, they are here to help if you approach then at the right time/place. And not when it’s too late.
J
Trailer is your best bet.
Perhaps a chat with at your local plod station may help you stay out of trouble, they are here to help if you approach then at the right time/place. And not when it’s too late.
J
manchestershire
Well-Known Member
You can only use an A frame to recover a broken down vehicle.
Therefore the broken down vehicle should have insurance and mot and tax (If applicable) to have been on the road in the first place.
It is not a means to transport a vehicle.
A proper car transporter trailer is only about £50 per day, hire one and do it legally and most important safely.
Therefore the broken down vehicle should have insurance and mot and tax (If applicable) to have been on the road in the first place.
It is not a means to transport a vehicle.
A proper car transporter trailer is only about £50 per day, hire one and do it legally and most important safely.
manchestershire
Well-Known Member
Having a feeling of deja vu here, did you manage to move the swb you asked about last year? 
Phil Gibbs
Active Member
Hi, thank for the reply,
)
Phil Gibbs
Active Member
Thank for the reply, Yo see a lot of motohomes towing small cars on A frames. I was thinking about taking my series to a few shows,
manchestershire
Well-Known Member
Those cars are generally aygo's & smart cars (under 750kg) so fall into the unbraked trailer class
300bhp/ton
Well-Known Member
I honestly don’t know the answer. But surely an A frame is an A frame regardless of the weight. Also the MAM if any of those cars will exceed 750kg. The kerb weight probably does in most cases too.
manchestershire
Well-Known Member
Yes you're right in regard to the weight, but the a frames for motorhomes are specifically designed and made for attatching small cars to them.
The point I was (clumsily) trying to make is that there's a bit of a difference between towing a smart car with a motorhome utilizing a purpose built device, and using a range rover to tow a swb s3 (which as it happens probably doesn't weigh a great deal more than a toyota aygo, who'd have thought that!) Using an emergency contraption all held together with a couple of ratchet straps.
I do own and have used an emergency A frame, and it's not an ideal thing to use, but it serves a purpose.
The point I was (clumsily) trying to make is that there's a bit of a difference between towing a smart car with a motorhome utilizing a purpose built device, and using a range rover to tow a swb s3 (which as it happens probably doesn't weigh a great deal more than a toyota aygo, who'd have thought that!) Using an emergency contraption all held together with a couple of ratchet straps.
I do own and have used an emergency A frame, and it's not an ideal thing to use, but it serves a purpose.
Shippers
Well-Known Member
Nope to what?...
Nope yer cant. Simple question simple answer.
Shippers
Well-Known Member
For the reasons I gave in my post?...
No. Cos a A frame is for recovery.
Biggest unbraked trailer you can tow is 750kg,
The devices you see used to tow small cars behind motorhomes are rigged in such a way that the brakes of the towed vehicle are applied when the towing vehicle brakes.
They are then classed as a braked trailer & depending on weights you will need the appropriate licence.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-frames-and-dollies/a-frames-and-dollies
The devices you see used to tow small cars behind motorhomes are rigged in such a way that the brakes of the towed vehicle are applied when the towing vehicle brakes.
They are then classed as a braked trailer & depending on weights you will need the appropriate licence.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-frames-and-dollies/a-frames-and-dollies
Shippers
Well-Known Member
What do you class is an A frame and when can it be used for a recovery and what is a recovery...I have a Smart fortwo and can not tow it behind my 101 on an A frame as all wheels are in contact with road and regs say 75% brakes must work as they were factory fitted...disable them doesn't work either in the regs...
Shippers
Well-Known Member
The A frames are not braked and most only have an electrical connection to deploy lights...for the brakes to be deployed an electrical ram has to be fitted to push down towed vehicle brake pedal this needs a connection to tow vehicle and wired into towed vehicle ignition on...as I said before Unibrake is the system...
Shippers
Well-Known Member
A Smart falls into the weight category but has brakes so have to work so becomes a braked trailer because it has factory fitted brakes...
