Towing on the motorway?
Discussion
doogz said:
Because the car will not be on a trailer, it'll be attached with a tow bar, requiring someone to be inside the towed car, to steer.
As far as I know OP, you're only allowed to tow on the motorway with a rope or bar, as far as the next exit if you've broken down. I don't think you're allowed to enter a motorway in such condition.
That was my understanding but it's surprisingly difficult to find a clear answer online.As far as I know OP, you're only allowed to tow on the motorway with a rope or bar, as far as the next exit if you've broken down. I don't think you're allowed to enter a motorway in such condition.
doogz said:
5678 said:
The main issue I wondered about was the visibility of the lights on the tow vehicle, the other was the lack of the towed vehicle braking.
Ideally you'd have a trailer board plugged into the trailer electrics on the back of the tow. If your tow car was equipped with them.Really, you want to get a loan of a trailer, or pay someone with a flatbed. A lot less hassle tbh. You might also encounter the problem that unless the towed car is roadworthy and legal, wrt MOT, tax, and insurance, it should not have 4 wheels on the tarmac on a public road, apart from in a breakdown/recovery situation. Just because you're towing it, it does not become a 'trailer', it's still a car.
Just put a post up in Thames Valley looking for a low loader. Unless anyone reading this can help get a car from Reading to Chertsey one evening this week?
DaveEssex said:
Ask yourself, how, if at all, this is different from towing a caravan, which is of course totally legal on a Motorway.
Or, from towing a race car on a trailer - done it many times legally.
......except a caravan or trailer are set up to steer via a towing hitch, usually with just a single (or pair of) rigid axle(s) and no means of steering or braking independently of the prime mover, along with lighting slaved in to the main vehicle's electrics.Or, from towing a race car on a trailer - done it many times legally.
But yes, apart from all that, it's just like towing a caravan or trailer.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 29th January 09:58
what work does it need? surely theres another reputable garage near without using the motorway?
http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/ a good start if you're having trouble
http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/ a good start if you're having trouble
OP, this is my mates company. He usually transports race cars around etc so can sort you out and is local.
http://transport-yourcar.com/
http://transport-yourcar.com/
Anyway, the answer to "how is it different from towing a car on a trailer" is fairly obvious, I'd have thought:
1) To tow anything that heavy, you have to have an automated braking system on the towed object. A car on a fixed bar or rope would not do so.
2) You tow a trailer using a tow bar not a towing eye. The towing eye is probably not mounted centrally (on either car) so any braking or acceleration forces will be applied partially transversely across the rear of the towing car and the front of the towed car, causing both cars to try to spin.
3) Towing a trailer duplicates the lights and numberplate of the car that's towing.
1) To tow anything that heavy, you have to have an automated braking system on the towed object. A car on a fixed bar or rope would not do so.
2) You tow a trailer using a tow bar not a towing eye. The towing eye is probably not mounted centrally (on either car) so any braking or acceleration forces will be applied partially transversely across the rear of the towing car and the front of the towed car, causing both cars to try to spin.
3) Towing a trailer duplicates the lights and numberplate of the car that's towing.
i was told by a traffic officer it is legal to tow but only to the next junction ie your removing the car from the motorway at the first junction/slip road how true it is who knows , i towed a car back 40miles down the M1 without issue as it is such a grey area .
have you tried asking the garage your taking the car to if they are able to collect
have you tried asking the garage your taking the car to if they are able to collect
kambites said:
Anyway, the answer to "how is it different from towing a car on a trailer" is fairly obvious, I'd have thought:
1) To tow anything that heavy, you have to have an automated braking system on the towed object. A car on a fixed bar would not do so.
2) You tow a trailer using a tow bar not a towing eye. The towing eye is probably not mounted centrally (on either car) so any braking or acceleration forces will be applied partially transversely across the rear of the towing car and the front of the towed car.
3) Towing a trailer duplicates the lights and numberplate of the car that's towing.
So, even more "opinion" and mixed facts/guesswork, but not a solution in sight.1) To tow anything that heavy, you have to have an automated braking system on the towed object. A car on a fixed bar would not do so.
2) You tow a trailer using a tow bar not a towing eye. The towing eye is probably not mounted centrally (on either car) so any braking or acceleration forces will be applied partially transversely across the rear of the towing car and the front of the towed car.
3) Towing a trailer duplicates the lights and numberplate of the car that's towing.
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