car towing frame

[billythefish]

I just wondered what opinion other members have on these "chain type car towing A frames" the ones with the towing hitch that are on ebay,you apparently wrap the chains around the lower wishbones but with the track rod ends been so high up on the R4, how would it affect the steering when being towed along, or is it worth investing in a car dolly.

 

[philhrc]

I've towed a beach buggy 400 miles on one of those without a problem ...

Just remember they're legally only to be used for local recovery and the car being moved must be road legal ie tax, mot, insured .... The dolly type are the same ...

 

[billythefish]

Looks like a trailer then.
thanks

 

[Bobble]

i have used them in the passed but if anything goes wrong then you're stuck with a vehicle that you can't move so i always use my trailer now it's a lot safer and at least you know you're going to get home.

Thought this might clarify it a bit.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=18

 

[benchseat]

The problem with these frames ("towing dollies") is that, as philhrc says, the car being towed has to be fully street-legal. So they are no good (at least in theory) for towing recovered hulks back to base.

 

[barnfind]

A grey area, I understand, as far as the law goes. I think technically they are only accepted by law as a way of recovering a broken down vehicle, because the resultant assembly constitutes an unbraked trailer, the limit on which is 750kg. or half the weight of the towcar.
Towing dolly legality is also unclear, but again the same restrictions apply if the dolly is unbraked.
You do see campers around with a small car on an A frame on the back and the police presumably turn a blind eye. I wouldn't want to use one in anything other than an emergency for a short distance, and not at all if the car was a hulk.

 

[bantamallan]

All cars towed by campers now must have a special A frame and an electronic brake connection to the car. the problem I have had with towing with an A frame is lack of clearance between driveshaft and lower wishbone, chewed through 2 new boots so it all hade to be removed again.
Allan