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Post by stevie2 on May 14, 2013 18:09:12 GMT
David Piper asks: We are thinking of towing a car behind a motorhome but we are getting conflicting advice. Is an 'A' frame a good option or should we use a trailer? I am told that 'A' frames may not be fully legal in Europe?
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geofers
Kicking the Tyres
Posts: 11
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Post by geofers on May 23, 2013 14:59:44 GMT
Hi Stevie, I guarantee if you get 10 replys to this you will get 10 different answers ! The Department of Transport says that a-frames are legal in the UK as long as they comply with the trailer laws. We tow a Fiat Panda on an electrically braked a-frame that comes with a CE certificate that effectively makes it legal in Europe. The only country that does not recognise this is Spain who state that any car towed must have all 4 wheels off the ground. There's recently been a case of a car stopped in Germany, not because of the frame , the licence required to tow one. Apparently you require a licence to cover 8500kgs for a 4 wheel trailer. I note that my C1-E only covers 8250 kgs ! So to sum up, a-frame ok in Europe, but use a trailer in Spain. Another thought is, I travel from Portsmouth to Caen next month and it costs an extra £90 to have it in tow. Extra on toll roads etc So in some cases consider a hire car. Hope this helps. Geoff
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Post by RogerThomas on May 23, 2013 23:01:35 GMT
Definitely illegal in Spain, The FFCC (The Federation Francais Camping et caravanning)Advise that it is also illegal in France tho' prosecutions are rare but insurance payout should you have an accident would be doubtful, French regulations like others say that all four wheels should be off the road and if the subsequent trailer exceeds 750Kg (may be different) then the trailer needs to be braked The German situation is also similar. The situation in the UK is typically British in that it is not illegal, The CE certification often quoted refers to the manufacturing standard of the tow hitch provided by Alko which is a part common to most Caravans and a lot of trailers.
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gc1
Kicking the Tyres
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Post by gc1 on May 29, 2013 17:40:13 GMT
I'm also about to tow for the first time in France only and this is with a 4 wheel trailer,I've heard you have to take 2 spare wheels etc any thing else I should know.....Thanks in advance.
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Post by RogerThomas on Jun 11, 2013 11:29:32 GMT
I am not aware that there is any law which requires a spare wheel !! Good practice dictates that you should have one and if you suffer a blow out with a laden trailer then again it would be sensible to change both tyres, the good one on the same axle will have been overloaded and thus damaged. You should check the T & C of your license when towing with a motorhome its very easy to forget that you have an extra ton on the back, and if your outfit weighs more than 3500kg then the speed limits for HGV(poids lourd) apply.
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alamanda
Kicking the Tyres
Loving the Winnie :)
Posts: 19
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Post by alamanda on Jul 26, 2013 20:26:56 GMT
My view is thus:
In some European countries it is illegal to tow a vehicle. As pointed out, Spain are very keen on enforcing this law, other countries seem far less enthusiastic in enforcing it. From a safety point of view, towing a car on an A frame, using the tow vehicle braking system, is far safer than a car trailer. A trailer will always be less stable due to the shorter wheel base and higher centre of gravity. Not to mention the way in which the trailered vehicle is secured to it. So, crazy as it is, you can put a vehicle on a trailer in these countries, even though it is less stable & there are more things to go wrong, and you will not be breaking their laws, but A frame and you are asking to be pulled over. I personally A frame because it is safer, easier, less weight and you don't have the problem of what to do with the trailer when you arrive. In May/June we did Dunkirk to Normandy and back with no interest from the Police whatsoever. I have however heard of people being pulled over within miles of leaving the ferry port. This is something that needs to be resolved, but doubt it is even on the discussion radar of those who could resolve it. If you have two licence holders on your trip you can A frame to the border of a county known for being hot on this, unhitch then drive the tow car separately. Not brilliant, but I know people who do this.
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