towing dolly

[marklee77]

hello all, not posted on here much b 4 but am always reading / scanning through the forum, need a bit of advise, does anyone know if its legal to tow an uninsured un taxed track car on a towing dolly I am thinking about getting a collapsible AA towing dolly because I dont have space for a proper trailer but dont want to shell out then find its illegal

[gareth_r]

This is a "frequently asked question".

My understanding is that dollies and A-frames should only be used for "recovery", and not as a substitute for a trailer.

A quick search found this thread >>>> http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=799...

and this >>>> https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-frame...

Edited by gareth_r on Wednesday 21st October 23:25

[Nigel Worc's]

And yet I often see A frames being used by the drivers of motorhomes pulling smaller cars.

[Digitalize]

Car has to be completely road legal I believe, taxed MOT'd and insured, as it's technically on the road, even if not under its own power.

I think the motorhome ones might be modified so that the car brakes? Not completely sure but they're more substantial that the type the used for a recovery.

[Corpulent Tosser]

Nigel Worc's said:

And yet I often see A frames being used by the drivers of motorhomes pulling smaller cars.

Different from a 'dolly' and the car becomes a trailer and so requires working over run brakes, linked brake lights and indicators, everything a trailer needs.

[R0G]

marklee77 said:

hello all, not posted on here much b 4 but am always reading / scanning through the forum, need a bit of advise, does anyone know if its legal to tow an uninsured un taxed track car on a towing dolly I am thinking about getting a collapsible AA towing dolly because I dont have space for a proper trailer but dont want to shell out then find its illegal

NOT legal

You need a car transporter trailer

[marklee77]

ok thanks guys not what I wanted to hear but at least i know now

[FiF]

If people remember we tried to develop a FAQ thread to deal with this.

There still is a thread see here

The thread is very disjointed to read, this is because there was a host of uninformed debate offering pub opinions as fact and muddying the waters. In the end we gave up.

Anyway fwiw it's linked above, info still valid.

[ging84]

Nigel Worc's said:

And yet I often see A frames being used by the drivers of motorhomes pulling smaller cars.

It's fine with a large motorhome and a new hatch back, they are middle class things
But if you try it with a van and an old track car like an mx5 , even if the track car is road legal taxed and insured, you're still likely to get pulled up on it

[powerstroke]

ging84 said:

Nigel Worc's said:

And yet I often see A frames being used by the drivers of motorhomes pulling smaller cars.

It's fine with a large motorhome and a new hatch back, they are middle class things
But if you try it with a van and an old track car like an mx5 , even if the track car is road legal taxed and insured, you're still likely to get pulled up on it

Um yes and working class people have motorhomes too!!!! if its a motor home towing !!!the police or vosa can see the brake cables going into the
bumper of the car along with the permanent A frame mounting points and the lighting cable
which makes the car into a legal trailer with brakes ..... as others have said !!!!!
]

Edited by powerstroke on Friday 23 October 07:48

[16v stretch]

ging84 said:

Nigel Worc's said:

And yet I often see A frames being used by the drivers of motorhomes pulling smaller cars.

It's fine with a large motorhome and a new hatch back, they are middle class things
But if you try it with a van and an old track car like an mx5 , even if the track car is road legal taxed and insured, you're still likely to get pulled up on it

Well, it is a bit daft to tow a track car on an A-Frame.

First of all, you're looking at about £1k for a certified all above board set up for the A-Frame. A-Frames are also generally plated similarly to trailers.

What happens then if you get a bit over-zealous on track? Or someone else does, and bashes into you. Even a minor knock might bugger up your a-frame connection, a bigger one leaves you forking out for a flat-bed.

You're also putting extra mileage on all your braking and suspension components as well as the tyres (Which you might have to swap over after a track day, to stay road legal). It'd be a pretty bad day if you avoid a pothole with your tow vehicle, but inadvertently pull your track car straight through it.

Always better off with a trailer.

[4rephill]

ging84 said:

Nigel Worc's said:

And yet I often see A frames being used by the drivers of motorhomes pulling smaller cars.

It's fine with a large motorhome and a new hatch back, they are middle class things
But if you try it with a van and an old track car like an mx5 , even if the track car is road legal taxed and insured, you're still likely to get pulled up on it

Wow! - Someone's got issues!