Towing a Smart Car

Oct 25, 2015
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Hi,

I have treid doing alot of research on this, basically we are going to place a deposit for our motorhome tomorrow(Saturday), however down the line we want to be able to tow a Smart Car, I have heard the law is changing on A-Frames(true or not) & possibly next year we would be looking to venture abroad, can someone tell me what is right or what is wrong, do i stick with a A-Frame or go down the trailer route?

Lokk forward to the replies

Sean
 

gjh

Jul 28, 2011
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You will find the UK government advice Here but note that it only applies to the UK and (as they say) you need to check the laws in any other countries you intend to visit.

I believe Spain requires the car to be on a trailer and there are often rumours posted of EU harmonisation.

Note also that the DoT advice gives their interpretation and is conditional on all regulations being met. As there is no specific legislation preventing use of an A frame in the UK it would take a court decision as to whether usage was legal in specific circumstances and, as yet, it appears that nobody has been prosecuted in the UK for using an A frame to tow a car behind a motorhome. I seems likely that that situation will only change if there is a traffic accident involving use of an A frame.

Graham
 
Dec 1, 2011
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A Frames are illegal in Spain, and you could be made to uncouple and drive it separately, so would need another driver. Also likely to be fined . Use a trailer if you must take a car. Personally I would rather tow a caravan, better and cheaper as well
 
Nov 19, 2010
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I'm with "chirene" on this.
Motorhomes and caravans are very different animals, designed for very different kinds of holiday. If you want to leave a "home away from home" in one place for a while, and have a vehicle to explore in, what you need is a caravan.
A motorhome comes into its own if you're truly "touring" - visiting various different places during the day, and just stopping in the evening to eat and sleep.
Of course, all of us do some of each at different times, so it's a question of which we do most of. Then we put up with the drawbacks on the occasions when we do the other.
But if you do sometimes need to take a car as well as a motorhome (abroad), the only universally legal way is with a trailer.
 

gjh

Jul 28, 2011
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We bought a motorhome, rather than a caravan, because neither of us has ever towed and neither of us fancied it but a motorhome is certainly more convenient than a caravan when touring.

We have been able to find plenty of places to camp where we don't need a car to get about in but if health issues in future dictated the need then I think we would go for a car & caravan rather than give up.

Towing a car behind a motorhome always seems more of a hassle than towing a caravan to me. In addition, it would be an extra (i.e. third) motorised vehicle to tax, MoT and insure because we wouldn't want to have only a smaller car than our current one.

Graham
 
Dec 1, 2011
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We have looked at changing to a caravan. (Had one back in 1970s) As stated Age and health issues (mobility) have caught up with us Having searched locally , we found a nice caravan, ideal for us, but on getting back home and considering it, decided , not keen on towing, even a small van.So have stayed with the MH for now, and will sadly sell in the not to distant future, and go back to package holidays. We do go to sites (Abroad) that are within short walking of shops etc. Tried cruising, but don't like being regimented, after the freedom of the van , and previously a sailing boat. So will probably stay in Uk and use places for B&B. Have seen a lot of the world, but there are lots of places we have never visited in UK
 
May 1, 2015
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I may be a bit late here to put in my 'twopenny worth' but here goes anyway.
Personally, I think the motorhome vs caravan debate will go on forever. But I think it's personal preference. There are definitely for and against arguments for each set up. Personally, we love our motor-home, to gather with our Smart Car, on a trailer. Which, we've taken all over the UK and Europe.
I went through the heartache of getting info on A frames, dollies and trailers only about eighteen months ago.
After so Smart car, behind a motor-home, all though Europe without any hassles whatsoever.
We've been down as far as southern Italy, as far north as the upper Netherlands and as far east as Vienna without a single hitch. To me, anybody with an ounce of common sense can tow a trailer with a Smart car and, we've found that when we pitch up, unloading/loading the Smart car takes all of ten minutes and running around in it is economical to say the least.
One final note, there are a number of UK companies who insist that their A frames are legal all over the EU. They'll even supply you with a letter to present to the policeman who stops you in his relevant language.
However, let's be honest. Would you like to discuss the legality of towing a Smart car with an A frame, at eleven O'clock at night, with a Gendarme or Guardia Civil officer who doesn't speak your language and who insists the said letter is not correct ? Then,......you climb back into the motor-home and have to explain it all to your wife !!
 
Jun 28, 2016
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A friend of mine had just transported his car to Spain. He hired the transport trailer service of the company professionals over here. Previously, he had decided to go for A frame, but then he came to know that the A Frames are illegal in Spain.
 

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