Has anyone used a 'A'frame one man towing system?

[zimmer-320i]

there u go!!!!

[zimmer-320i]

isnt there any one who has a larger vehicle that can help??

what i used to do with a non-runner, is get a train there or a lift and call green flag which is who im with, tell em it just stopped working and explain something that would lead to them thinking its terminal faluire like a belt, there just going to not even bother looking and tow me home!! done it 2 times no, one from over 200miles away!!!

[e30-unit-soldier]

I've towed countless turds with my A frame and never had any bother from the law.

Did any of them have t&t?

Nope, none - if they had I would have driven them!

I have recovered a car from Dover to Bristol with my A frame and a friend borrowed it and he picked one up in Manchester and towed it back to Bristol.

tomson were in Bristol are you mate? im in bristol too thats were i need to tow the car back to!

Oh and im using a audi 80 estate Kreg.......

[zimmer-320i]

audi 80 estate would be fine towing a e30, there few grams lighter than a tank arnt they lol

[CG_Maintenance]

e30 towing e30 on a crap dolly
with no issues

[jbh]

probably normal plod

you can bet your life trafic would have had a different view
or is that just the welsh forces

it was just the local plod that day. i had a traffic car crawl along side of me one time when i was on the motor way from Edinburgh to Stirling towing an mg montego that had been stored in a field for a few years on a solid bar from my sierra again they looked us up and down but never stopped us.

also towed my transit back from Glasgow when the timing belt snapped i used my old 318i and only had a rope both were legal but my mate sitting the tow only had a provisional licence and we towed it back to grangemouth. i got a few looks that day

[tomson]

Did any of them have t&t?

Nope, none - if they had I would have driven them!

I have recovered a car from Dover to Bristol with my A frame and a friend borrowed it and he picked one up in Manchester and towed it back to Bristol.

tomson were in Bristol are you mate? im in bristol too thats were i need to tow the car back to!

Oh and im using a audi 80 estate Kreg.......

Bedminster/Southville border mate - we have spoken on the phone before

Where are you collecting the turd in question from?

[tomson]

This was the car from Kent me and jonb collected - we stopped in Reading services on the way back.
The touring was a 318i with it's cam hanging out. We were passed by plenty of traffic police and none of them even batted an eyelid

[essexgirlracer]

I got my beemer off ebay the beginning of this year but my other half and myself had to go from essex to newport pagnell to pick it up. We towed it backwards on a dolly........... never got pulled or nothing.........and we went past plenty of police on the way back.

[dazleeds]

towed a tech1 from croydon to stevanage using m25 etc with a straight bar
with no lprobs etc tow car was a 320i auto

[cecotto479]

Where does it need collected from and where's it going to? I'm in the London area at the end of the week and might be able to do it for you then.

[bmben]

Im not too up to date on the laws meself, but if your worried, just ring the rozzers and get them to simplify it for you. its not a crime to ask. just tell them you've got your license and A-frame or whatever - is it legal? Yes, or no. Puts your mind at rest. What i did when i was going to do a bit of a mission with a 205 gti - i got a simple NO.

Ben

[mattsbmw]

i think it's the 750kg thing that's the biggest problem.

a driverless car being towed on a solid A-frame, with a rear trailerboard displaying the tow cars registration and lights is nothing more than a metal 4 wheel trailer carrying an engine.

as long as the engine is not connected (it's in neutral) there is noone in it, the tyres have legal tread, and it's not in dangerous condition then i'm fairly sure you would be 'safe' as it's technically being used as a trailer, not a car being towed, and trailers don't need tax or mots.

the weight limit is the problem, as any trailer over 750kg needs to be braked, and there are very few cars + a-frame that would be less than this.

also check your license, i passed in 1997, and can only tow a car + trailer with a total weight of 3500kg.

you are right, a lot of motorhomes tow a car on an a-frame, but from what i have seen, they are almost exclusively little fiat cinquecentos, which should sneak under the 750kg thing, and there are less likely to be weight based towing issues when towing a little town car behind a few tons worth of motorhome than towing an e30 behind an e30.

whether plod will know the ins and outs, and whether you decide it's worth the risk is up to you.

This is exactley the point, it is the weight that is the nothing else,

[Jesus325iTouring]

The laws an arse really,take the picture below,this is 100% legal,said car is on a braked trailer (which i'm licenced to tow),with full working lights and legal tyres,but,is it really safe?? Debatable. Would I have towed it down the motorway?? Hell no! The car no doubt would be far safer on a solid bar,dolly or a frame.



It seems to me we'll never get to the bottom of the towing legalities,I have my information on what is legal,but there is no point adding to an already now confusing thread.

To the OP,the only 100% way is on a car trailer that is assuming your license and insurance covers you to do so.
Every other way seems to be down to what ever the local Coppaz decide.

Me I've towed more cars than I care to remember on solid bars,including total wrecks,but also following my own guidelines regards to what I believe to be correct. Never had a problem yet.

[e30-unit-soldier]

This was the car from Kent me and jonb collected - we stopped in Reading services on the way back.
The touring was a 318i with it's cam hanging out. We were passed by plenty of traffic police and none of them even batted an eyelid

Has that frame got chains and straps or straps only?

You have pm also.

[tomson]

This was the car from Kent me and jonb collected - we stopped in Reading services on the way back.
The touring was a 318i with it's cam hanging out. We were passed by plenty of traffic police and none of them even batted an eyelid

Has that frame got chains and straps or straps only?

You have pm also.

Chains and straps, I wrap the chains round the wishbones and then tighten em up with ratchet straps, just how the thing is designed.

[e30-unit-soldier]

This was the car from Kent me and jonb collected - we stopped in Reading services on the way back.
The touring was a 318i with it's cam hanging out. We were passed by plenty of traffic police and none of them even batted an eyelid

Has that frame got chains and straps or straps only?

You have pm also.

Chains and straps, I wrap the chains round the wishbones and then tighten em up with ratchet straps, just how the thing is designed.

My one has only straps

[zimmer-320i]

needs chains i belive there brake away chains like you have on trailers

[tomson]

needs chains i belive there brake away chains like you have on trailers

Eh? Not on mine they are not......

[Jesus325iTouring]

needs chains i belive there brake away chains like you have on trailers

Your talking about the small chain that clips somewhere around the tow ball I believe,this is simply to lock up the trailer brakes if the trailer detaches from the car.
The likelyhood of having this feature on a dolly is remote,it simply would be ineffective.

[sati]

do you know any one that own a garage , if so ask if they got trade plates if so give emm a case of beer and use emm. i drove my bmw with illegal tyres (rear were just about on limt) no tax , no mot , no insurence. cops didnt say anything apart from edit the number plate(due cotaining rude word "nipples") and thats it. i help tow mates car for 10miles using a rope due him trying to race and blew his clutch ,lol. got pulled over and they said put towing car plates on the rear of towed car.

but i seen a jeep tow a car with A-frame on the m25 he was going 60! , only thing about it is if you got crap brakes stick to 30! seen few vids and it not to pretty.

[zimmer-320i]

sure.... you been on them drugs??