Towing frame ?

[Willy Eckerslyke]

Got to be smooth with a chain, as there's no "give" in it. Another advantage with a chain is that you can always get it unknotted, unlike a rope which once it's knotted ends up having to be cut off. Towing with ropes/chains is a skill that's well worth having

I wouldn't say that having no "give" is an advantage. Just the opposite, a little elasticity in a tow rope reduces the jarring to both vehicles. I'd never choose to use a chain, but then as a habitual beachcomber, I'm never short of ropes so don't mind cutting the ends off if they get tangled - there'll be another washed up soon enough.

 

[harveyp6]

I wouldn't say that having no "give" is an advantage. Just the opposite, a little elasticity in a tow rope reduces the jarring to both vehicles.

My typo. Meant to write "an" got carried away and typed "another"

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

I have only ever towed another car on one occassion, and that was with my P6B pulling another P6B. It was during the early to mid 1990s from memory.

The failed P6B which belonged to a friend of mine had broken one of its differential drive shafts, so I came along with a steel cable (as opposed to a chain) and we connected them up. The P6B being towed had the engine running and the transmission placed in neutral, and away we went.

It was only a few miles to my place so upon arrival the towed P6B was left in the street and on the weekend pushed into my driveway where we removed the differential and then fitted a new one.

Ron.

 

[2453kevinowen]

I have almost convinced myself that i could do with one!

I am convinced going to get one.

 

[Pilkie]

My most scary tow was! :shock:
When I were a lad in the late 70's,I was towing a mates xj6 with a blown engine with my xj6,via a rope that was too long along the M way for approx 30 miles!
I forgot he had no power steer or brakes when we pulled off the M way,and he almost went up my arse! :roll: Scared the crap out of us both!
We went at 10 mph for the last 5 miles we were so scared!

 

[TwinPlenum3500S]

10mph down the motorway I have to admit, when I towed an MGF that had been hit up the front on the back of the van, it kept tramlining in the grooves of the worn motorway, not assisted by a bit of front suspension damage.

When I hit the M25, I was so pleased to crawl practically all the way home in a traffic jam .... it saved a few grey hairs and a new pair of pants.

 

[darth sidious]

Got to be smooth with a chain, as there's no "give" in it. Another advantage with a chain is that you can always get it unknotted, unlike a rope which once it's knotted ends up having to be cut off. Towing with ropes/chains is a skill that's well worth having

Certainly would be a good skill to have.

Just one point, and I am no expert or legal eagle by any means, is it actually LEGAL these days to tow with a rope/chain? :?:

 

[Willy Eckerslyke]

Just one point, and I am no expert or legal eagle by any means, is it actually LEGAL these days to tow with a rope/chain? :?:

Yes, as long as the car's legal, i.e. taxed, MOTd & insured. This is the case if any of the wheels are on the ground, so also applies to recovery cranes, wheeled dollies, etc, which only lift the front wheels off the road.

(I'm not sure if there are further restrictions if towing on a motorway)

 

[GrimV8]

Just one point, and I am no expert or legal eagle by any means, is it actually LEGAL these days to tow with a rope/chain? :?:

Yes, as long as the car's legal, i.e. taxed, MOTd & insured. This is the case if any of the wheels are on the ground, so also applies to recovery cranes, wheeled dollies, etc, which only lift the front wheels off the road.

(I'm not sure if there are further restrictions if towing on a motorway)

Weren't they trying to make it solid bar only for towing? Maybe just a rumour I'm remembering :?
I've still got a tow rope

Not relevent here exactly but one for the youngsters if true (just found elsewhere)

Hi folks,
just a small eye opener for anyone considering buying any caravan or trailer.

New rules prevent anyone towing any trailer of any type if they past thier test after 1997>
If you past your test prior to 1997 you automatically have the entitlement to tow any trailer.

For to tow any trailer of any type you must now have category B+E entitlement on your licence which requires you to undertake a driving test with trailer.

All information available here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dr ... DG_4022564

I seen a girl getting pulled last week for this which is an instant 6 points & fine last week so bit of a heads up for anyone buying a caravan or trailer of any sorts.......Check your licence & dont get caught out.

 

[Pilkie]

10mph down the motorway I have to admit, when I towed an MGF that had been hit up the front on the back of the van, it kept tramlining in the grooves of the worn motorway, not assisted by a bit of front suspension damage.

When I hit the M25, I was so pleased to crawl practically all the way home in a traffic jam .... it saved a few grey hairs and a new pair of pants.

!! :| It was a scary 60 mph down the M way,with the artics thundering past, and then 10 mph once we were off for the last 5 miles!!

 

[sowen]

Not relevent here exactly but one for the youngsters if true (just found elsewhere)

Hi folks,
just a small eye opener for anyone considering buying any caravan or trailer.

New rules prevent anyone towing any trailer of any type if they past thier test after 1997>
If you past your test prior to 1997 you automatically have the entitlement to tow any trailer.

For to tow any trailer of any type you must now have category B+E entitlement on your licence which requires you to undertake a driving test with trailer.

All information available here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dr ... DG_4022564

I seen a girl getting pulled last week for this which is an instant 6 points & fine last week so bit of a heads up for anyone buying a caravan or trailer of any sorts.......Check your licence & dont get caught out.

The rules are a little blurry on this. I only have category B entitlement (at the moment) but I can tow a trailer under a number of restrictions without taking the trailer test. I think these are 1) the trailer must not weigh more than the towcar 2) the combination of towcar and trailer must not exceed 3.5 tons. I'm sure that is the simplest summary but it took me ages to work that out myself.

As far as I'm aware, dollies that lift two of the wheels off the ground are technically illegal because usually they're not braked, but seem to be overlooked by the law because they're generally only used in an emergency to recover a vehicle to a safe place. I could be wrong on that aswell but it makes sense (to me at least)

 

[darth sidious]

Hi folks,
just a small eye opener for anyone considering buying any caravan or trailer.

New rules prevent anyone towing any trailer of any type if they past thier test after 1997>
If you past your test prior to 1997 you automatically have the entitlement to tow any trailer.

For to tow any trailer of any type you must now have category B+E entitlement on your licence which requires you to undertake a driving test with trailer.

All information available here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Dr ... DG_4022564

I seen a girl getting pulled last week for this which is an instant 6 points & fine last week so bit of a heads up for anyone buying a caravan or trailer of any sorts.......Check your licence & dont get caught out.

That's something I didn't know about! I passed my test in January 1994, so I'm OK...

With using A-frames, wasn't it (or is it still?) necessary that the car being towed by an A-Frame was (is) not able to move under its own power? I'm sure this was mentioned many years back in Practical Classics (during the time it was good [or at least not as bad!]) after they featured an A-Frame, and suggested it could be used to tow classics to and from shows/events.

They were inundated with letters the following month saying/suggesting/questioning it may not be legal to use an A-Frame to tow a car that's able to move under its own power.

 

[MarkGray]

I have an A frame and use it regularly.
My system works with the bumper removed because I have a bar which was made especially for me for towing P6's, which bolts on in place of the bumper. Obviously if the P6 is an auto, I drop the prop shaft off.

The problem legally is not so much licence or insurance, its braking. If you tow a car with an A frame it becomes a trailer and yes you have to have a licence that covers you for a trailer over 750kgs (see below) but more importantly it is required to be braked and of course most A frames don't offer this facility. That said, I always attach a snatch cable from the back of the towcar to the hand brake on the towed car, so if nothing else, if it breaks free the snatch will apply the hand brake. However the law actually says:
"No unbraked trailer is allowed to have a plated gross vehicle weight of more than 750 kg. "
and the law also says
"An A-frame or dolly can only be used to recover a broken down vehicle to a place of safety".
A-frames may be offered with a braking system that applies the car's brakes. However, these do not conform to the law as the car then becomes a "braked trailer" and has to conform to European Directives contained within the Construction and Use Regulations. Therefore a car on an A frame, does not conform to the European Directive 71/320/EEC and amendments regarding braking requirements in any way. The use of an A-frame for transportation of a car is therefore illegal, unless it is purely used to recover a vehicle to a place of safety.

When it comes to insurance, you can usually tow any trailer on the back of your car, if you inform the insurance company that you have a tow bar fitted, but you should check your policy to be sure. There is an issue though about trailers if they break loose because technically once it is free of the tow vehicle, it is not insured with the vehicle. I know of someone who has come unstuck because of this and has been sued personally because the trailer broke free and hit a car. This is where Public Liability Insurance comes into play.

Drivers Licence:
Holders of driving licences issued before July 1996 and providing that they have Group A or if after 1990, category B, are entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to a maximum train weight of 8.25 tons.
However holders of car licences issued after July 1996 will only be able to drive a vehicle and trailer combination of up to 3500kg. To tow a larger trailer a B + E licence must be obtained.
"

 

[darth sidious]

Ah, thank you, Mark! Very in-depth knowledge, I didn't expect such a detailed explanation, so hats-off to you!

With your customised A-Frame, I see it bolts/fixes onto the bumper fixing points. Are the bumper fixing point (and of course where they fix onto the body/structure!) really strong enough to be used as fixing points on an A-Frame? I'd hate to tow a P6 only to find I've ripped off the front end! :-S