Towbar in a kit car.
Discussion
I'd like to fit a towbar on my Royale Sabre kit car to tow a heavy (1400Kg) twin wheel caravan. The car's got two hefty 3 inch square chassis rails running the full length of the car and a cross bar at the back where the bumper brackets then mount. I GUESS I could bolt some sort of bar to this cross rails and then a brace from the centre of the cross bar to another chassis member further back.
This all looks and sounds pretty good to me and I think it'd be structurally sound and fit for purpose, Anybody any ideas as to whether this would work?
I did train as an mechanical tech so have some mechanical knowledge but I'd really like a second opinion since I'd hate the 'van to fall off the back of the car. SWMBO would be most unimpressed.
Is there anyone I could get to "certify" this mod?
Here's a few pics showing the various bars. Pics were taken laying on the ground. The bar with the red lead paint is the cross member, you can see the bumper towards the top
This all looks and sounds pretty good to me and I think it'd be structurally sound and fit for purpose, Anybody any ideas as to whether this would work?
I did train as an mechanical tech so have some mechanical knowledge but I'd really like a second opinion since I'd hate the 'van to fall off the back of the car. SWMBO would be most unimpressed.
Is there anyone I could get to "certify" this mod?
Here's a few pics showing the various bars. Pics were taken laying on the ground. The bar with the red lead paint is the cross member, you can see the bumper towards the top
@fastpedlar, Steffan and cerbertony. Yes, you're right the 'van is probably over the limit for the weight of the car, I'd not thought too much about that to be honest. Is it a legal limit or just recommendations? I've got many years experience of towing 'vans, boats and trailers and the "plan" is to just tow the van to shows, e.g. Stoneleigh and stay overnight rather than take two cars. I'm not planning on long distance trips, just gentle motorway driving, but of course if it works OK things could change.
My wife will only drive an auto so won't drive the Sabre and to be really helpful she refuses to even try driving my BMW 530 on it's own let alone with the 'van on the back, hence the idea of using the Sabre.
Short of getting a new wife, and I've had this one 40 years so she's almost fully trained, can't see too many ways round the problem.
Going back to my original question, and this is aimed really at "experts" like Steffan or Stuart Mills, do you know anyone who could design a towbar mounting system or check over and sign off what I'm planning to do? I've asked Towsure and they're not interested, they say the time and cost involved wouldn't be economic. So if I just designed my own, where would that leave me legally in the event of an accident?
My wife will only drive an auto so won't drive the Sabre and to be really helpful she refuses to even try driving my BMW 530 on it's own let alone with the 'van on the back, hence the idea of using the Sabre.
Short of getting a new wife, and I've had this one 40 years so she's almost fully trained, can't see too many ways round the problem.
Going back to my original question, and this is aimed really at "experts" like Steffan or Stuart Mills, do you know anyone who could design a towbar mounting system or check over and sign off what I'm planning to do? I've asked Towsure and they're not interested, they say the time and cost involved wouldn't be economic. So if I just designed my own, where would that leave me legally in the event of an accident?
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