While talking to a car salesman recently he said that people were buying a particular car to tow behind their motorhome. I thought that this was illegal in britain, Anyone have any info on this?
Sibbee
Sibbee
Motorhome towing a car?
- Thread starter Sibbee
- Start date
The easiest way to tow and be legal is to put the car on a trailer. However, whichever way you tow, whether it be a trailer or car, requires working overrun brakes, except in the unlikely event that what you are towing weighs less than 750kg.
HI! Sibee i have seen some motorhomes towing a car with an A Frame attached to the front of the car looked very good and very safe had a word with the guy and he said he had it fitted down south somewhere also had a electric wires into the cars lights just like a caravan .you can also get one that i saw A/frame again towing a large lexus car and a small box inside the car attached to the brake pedal so that when the motothome brakes the car also brakes looked very complicated but worked o.k motorhome was 26ft long X car
Whether the car's brakes are efficient enough if the engine isn't running and the brake servo not operating, is rather doubtful.
The use of A Frames are legal in the UK, but not in Europe. Most cars that are being towed this way are in the very small bracket such as Smartcar and are usually less than 1000 kg. The braking systems are not 100% efficient, but are probably as good as the overrun system we have on caravans, if you want to be realistic. In Europe you need to use a braked trailer and again it is usually the Smartcar that is carried. The trailers are twin wheeled and come with all the necessary fittings.
Many people ask why bother towing a car and what is the advantage over a caravan? It depends on your type of touring. Many people feel a large motorhome gives them the space and payload they want, especially as they get older. It also allows them to use Aires in France and set up more easily on site. I know we have motormovers etc, but they add weight. Yes, we have all laughed at the mtorhome user trying to get up on to ramps to level the van, but manylarge motorhomes now have hydraulic jack systems and it is a push button operation. It is also stated that by towing a 2nd car they are doubling their costs. Not true as small micro cars have very low tax and insurance, in fact often less than insuring a caravan. Fuel consumption is excellent, certainly far better than any towing car/4x4. So over a total holiday whereyou spend 50% of the time sightseeing, you can save costs with teh microcar. The total train length is probably the same as a car and large van, so again little difference. Cost wise the motorhome seems expensive, but then again you need to look at your lifestyle. If you are retired and do not need a car for work, then the motorhome can be an answer and if you feel it necessary, a small car can be used as a runabout. A motorhome is about 50 grand. A large new car is 25 grand and a large caravan about 15 grand, so getting close. Plus the motorhome will retain a grater value over time, just look at the 2nd hand prices. Most motorhomes average 7000 miles per annum and if you add up the costs over a year, you might be surprised at how little the difference is.
Anyway, as mentioned it is a personal choice and having owned both caravan and motorhome I am probably biased, but the sight of a bigger Yank tank is getting interesting again??
Many people ask why bother towing a car and what is the advantage over a caravan? It depends on your type of touring. Many people feel a large motorhome gives them the space and payload they want, especially as they get older. It also allows them to use Aires in France and set up more easily on site. I know we have motormovers etc, but they add weight. Yes, we have all laughed at the mtorhome user trying to get up on to ramps to level the van, but manylarge motorhomes now have hydraulic jack systems and it is a push button operation. It is also stated that by towing a 2nd car they are doubling their costs. Not true as small micro cars have very low tax and insurance, in fact often less than insuring a caravan. Fuel consumption is excellent, certainly far better than any towing car/4x4. So over a total holiday whereyou spend 50% of the time sightseeing, you can save costs with teh microcar. The total train length is probably the same as a car and large van, so again little difference. Cost wise the motorhome seems expensive, but then again you need to look at your lifestyle. If you are retired and do not need a car for work, then the motorhome can be an answer and if you feel it necessary, a small car can be used as a runabout. A motorhome is about 50 grand. A large new car is 25 grand and a large caravan about 15 grand, so getting close. Plus the motorhome will retain a grater value over time, just look at the 2nd hand prices. Most motorhomes average 7000 miles per annum and if you add up the costs over a year, you might be surprised at how little the difference is.
Anyway, as mentioned it is a personal choice and having owned both caravan and motorhome I am probably biased, but the sight of a bigger Yank tank is getting interesting again??
A correctly adjusted overrun brake on a caravan is capable of locking the wheels in an emergency stop. I doubt whether the braking system employed with an A-frame and without the brake servo working would approach anything like that performance.
Maybe yes, maybe no. I like the way you state 'a correctly adjusted brake could...' Most of us have brakes that are pretty much correctly adjusted, but not always perfect. Also the overrun system on an A Frame as far as I know works all the brakes, so 4 wheels instead of 2. I am not trying to be picky but I suspect in the real world it will either be similar, or all bets are off and you are playing a harp. I have actually not read of any accidents involving an A Frame as a cause, or at least they have never made the major newspapers. If the wee car at the back does not stop it has to go through 3.5 tons or more of motorhome first. It is also much smaller relatively than a caravan on the back of a car.
If I owned one, I would probably go down the trailer route as you need to do it for the good old EU and it is daft to pay twice.
If I owned one, I would probably go down the trailer route as you need to do it for the good old EU and it is daft to pay twice.
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