Sketchy towing

[Trackdayer]

Witnessed this a couple of days ago. Around 60mph. Tow rope not even taut the whole time.

[Andeh1]

Was it is done by choice or emergency?

[roddo]

Van has at best a 2t towing capacity and the bus weighs around 5t......if not more

[gazza285]

roddo said:

Van has at best a 2t towing capacity and the bus weighs around 5t......if not more

Towing capacity will be for a tow bar. Tow limits do not apply, as the bus has brakes independent of the towing vehicle.

The speed might be ill advised, but not illegal.

[monthou]

Trackdayer said:

Tow rope not even taut the whole time.

Keeping a tow rope taut the whole time would be a neat trick.

[48k]

Were the wheels on the bus going round and round ?

[Easternlight]

48k said:

Were the wheels on the bus going round and round ?

Have a

[J__Wood]

Easternlight said:

48k said:

Were the wheels on the bus going round and round ?

Have a

"The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep"
when the driver realises the tow rope's not taut and they are doing 60.

I'd also guess
"the driver on the bus goes beep, beep ,beep
when he realise the power steering is no longer powered
and the steering wheel won't go round, round, round"

Edited by J__Wood on Saturday 10th July 20:25

[Trackdayer]

monthou said:

Keeping a tow rope taut the whole time would be a neat trick.

Not really, just a very gentle application of the brakes on the vehicle being towed does it.

[Trackdayer]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Not that I could see

[monthou]

Trackdayer said:

monthou said:

Keeping a tow rope taut the whole time would be a neat trick.

Not really, just a very gentle application of the brakes on the vehicle being towed does it.

If you say so.

[Trackdayer]

monthou said:

If you say so.

Towing vehicle providing motive power + Towed vehicle has slight rolling resistance = Rope taut = Smooth tow.

Not rocket science is it

[roddo]

gazza285 said:

Towing capacity will be for a tow bar. Tow limits do not apply, as the bus has brakes independent of the towing vehicle.

The speed might be ill advised, but not illegal.

A trailer also has independent brakes but that doesn't make it right to pull/tow over manufacturers limits.

[dhutch]

Is it me or is this just a recovery tow?

Chances it was actually 60mph, low to middling.

[monthou]

Trackdayer said:

monthou said:

If you say so.

Towing vehicle providing motive power + Towed vehicle has slight rolling resistance = Rope taut = Smooth tow.

Not rocket science is it

It's not. But having towed and been towed for fair distances in the distant past I know theory and practice are different. If you keep your brakes on mile after mile you're in a small club.

[dhutch]

monthou said:

It's not. But having towed and been towed for fair distances in the distant past I know theory and practice are different. If you keep your brakes on mile after mile you're in a small club.

And proberbly one with zero overlap to having ever recovered a midi coach with a van.

[Sebring440]

Trackdayer said:

monthou said:

Keeping a tow rope taut the whole time would be a neat trick.

Not really, just a very gentle application of the brakes on the vehicle being towed does it.

[SLCZ3]

My my, basic driving skills and commonsense needed, keep the tow wire/rope taut, by using drag of the car being towed, the towing car should also slow the towing car down when approaching any stop situation, this is rather obvious to anyone who has experience of non power assisted steering/braking etc.

I do remember seeing a situation many years ago on the M1 where the car being towed by rope was actually overtaking the tow vehicle as i passed them both, no idea what happened as i was more concerned with my own situation due to the high volume of traffic at the time.

[MissChief]

I got overtaken several times on my 900 mile round trip on Friday by 4x4's towing trailers. I was doing 70ish and it happened twice at least.

[monthou]

MissChief said:

I got overtaken several times on my 900 mile round trip on Friday by 4x4's towing trailers. I was doing 70ish and it happened twice at least.

Were they using tow ropes?