Inappropriate towcars

Author
Discussion

BL Fanboy

Original Poster:

339 posts

142 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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The other day and I saw a MK1 Citroen Picasso towing a twin wheel car trailer with a rather tidy looking late Volvo V70 on it.

The Picasso had three hefty blokes in it and was pulling away from a petrol station. Didn't seem to be struggling at all.

Calling the Volvo at say 1600KGs, trailer at 500Kgs that's 2.1 tons. That's probably 800Kgs over the maximum braked towing weight of 1300KGs.

Wonder if they got pulled.

Have you seen anything so daft?

Bill

52,738 posts

255 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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I was once passed by a 3 series towing a Z3. I was in the middle lane doing 80 eek

powerstroke

10,283 posts

160 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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BL Fanboy said:
The other day and I saw a MK1 Citroen Picasso towing a twin wheel car trailer with a rather tidy looking late Volvo V70 on it.

The Picasso had three hefty blokes in it and was pulling away from a petrol station. Didn't seem to be struggling at all.

Calling the Volvo at say 1600KGs, trailer at 500Kgs that's 2.1 tons. That's probably 800Kgs over the maximum braked towing weight of 1300KGs.

Wonder if they got pulled.

Have you seen anything so daft?
Yes many times !! The most worrying is the A frame with a large van being towed by another or a mid size family car
Totaly illegal I've seen them in the outside lane at night with no lights doing 70 + .vans towing 3 ton diggers and rollers, cars towing home made trailers bouncing and weaving with no brakes carrying god knows what I guess its too much paper work so they seem to get away with it!!

kdri155

643 posts

151 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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I've seen a few sights in my time of unsuitable towing combinations but this still beats all an old clip but still funny;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q7K1bBhjkY

Edited by kdri155 on Thursday 23 October 09:39

swisstoni

16,983 posts

279 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Having recently discovered what a brainache the whole towing thing is, I doubt that police want to get involved unless there is an obvious safety issue.
My main discovery was that to tow a car on a trailer you need a pretty substantial tow vehicle - most cars not up to the job.
Also that caravans must be made of tissue paper.

scubadude

2,618 posts

197 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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swisstoni said:
Also that caravans must be made of tissue paper.
They are and its used too... hateful things :-)

supertouring

2,228 posts

233 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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On a trackday, once saw Peugeot 306 towing an Impreza.

BFG TERRANO

2,172 posts

148 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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A few years back a calibra towing a twin axle caravan on the M4. More recently a freelander with a discovery on a trailer.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

126 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Shed of an Escort van, just coming over the crest of the Dartford bridge towards the toll booths - with a 740 estate on a trailer behind it... I made sure I was heading for a different toll queue.

emicen

8,580 posts

218 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
swisstoni said:
Having recently discovered what a brainache the whole towing thing is, I doubt that police want to get involved unless there is an obvious safety issue.
My main discovery was that to tow a car on a trailer you need a pretty substantial tow vehicle - most cars not up to the job.
Also that caravans must be made of tissue paper.
The Police are increasingly becoming very focussed on trailers as the laws are so complicated its rich, easy pickings to stack up the monthly figures.

skyrover

12,671 posts

204 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Inappropriate tow-car? Check
High centre of gravity? Check
Incorrect loading? Check
High Speed? Check

What could possibly go wrong?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfFbQpmqWk

AndStilliRise

2,295 posts

116 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
quotequote all
kdri155 said:
I've seen a few sights in my time of unsuitable towing combinations but this still beats all an old clip but still funny;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q7K1bBhjkY

Edited by kdri155 on Thursday 23 October 09:39
LOL!

LouD86

3,279 posts

153 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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There are some seriously dangerous looking outfits out there. Mine looks a bit suspect, Rover 75 and big twin axle caravan, but the weights are all well within legal limits. But when it comes to towing other things, I use the landrovers instead

Levin

2,025 posts

124 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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I watched a Mazda 323F lug a caravan along behind it. It was a very strange sight with a car designed to look like a coupe.


Wild Rumpus

375 posts

174 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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Two examples come to mind; there used to be an Opel Manta that competed in Tarmac Rallies in Scotland in the early 1990s, it regularly towed another car (I remember an MG Maestro) to the event where both cars competed and then the Manta towed the other car back home.
The other example was a Vauxhall Victor Automatic estate, which regularly pulled a 2.5 tonne trailer with a milk float on it, total weight around 6 tonnes! The owner had fitted 700lbs/inch springs on the back (tarmac rally front springs from a Chevette) - he said it towed very well - much better than his Land-Rover.

browno

508 posts

234 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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The finest pairing I have seen was at a trackday at Blyton earlier in the year where a chap turned up with a nice looking mini-marcos on a trailer behind a Toyota Supra... not a car I would have expected in trackday towing duties, looked quite cool though!

Lee540

1,586 posts

144 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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How many drivers know what they are legally allowed to tow?

MrMoonyMan

2,584 posts

211 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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About 18 years ago I remember a Bentley Turbo R towing a sewage pumping machine.

Even as a kid I appreciated the comedy in this laugh

liner33

10,690 posts

202 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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In my youth I towed a Capri 3.0 on a twin axle car trailer behind a Sierra 1.6 , it snaked around everytime i went over 50 smilebut no-one died.

Also used to tow a caravan with my XR3i and 2.8i Capri back in the 90's

s m

23,223 posts

203 months

Thursday 23rd October 2014
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No Tom Hammond Sport Quattro pic yet? smile



Edited by s m on Thursday 23 October 12:38