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Topic: A FRAME AND BRAKING

pat and bill

23/2/2016 at 10:47am
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I am about to have a A frame fitted to my Smart car the overrun type but i have idea to top the servo up when braking, if i fit a 12v vac pump which is operated by the brake lights via a rely and live from M/home it will keep the servo charged and also give me 100% braking + take the strain off the cable as any one tried it?

mattlad

23/2/2016 at 4:35pm
Location: Worcestershire
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Hopefully the designer of the A frame will have taken this into account, so you should not need to top the servo up while towing your car.

One thing to take into account is that the car is in effect a trailer and has to comply to all the rules and regulations concerning trailers. A far bigger problem than servo vacuum will be the requirement for auto reverse brakes, which modern trailers have to have.

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diesel steve

23/2/2016 at 5:51pm
Location: fife
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i read somewhere that the law regarding cars towed behind motorhomes has or is changing. they will need to be put onto proper car trailers.

checkley1973

23/2/2016 at 7:57pm
Location: Sheffield
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Where are you planning on travelling to? quite a few european countries have banned towing the car with all wheels on the road. You would need a dolly

LlaniDavis

23/2/2016 at 8:56pm
Location: Llanidloes Powys
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I suggest you talk to a Smart car expert and DVSA before you meddle with anything to do with the braking system.

Grampian91

25/2/2016 at 10:39pm
Location: Midlands
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I read up on this a while back and it seems that although various braking systems are available none of them have gone through type approval so not legal.

They would need to get type approval for every vehicle they intend on fitting it to.

LlaniDavis

26/2/2016 at 11:10am
Location: Llanidloes Powys
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Quote: Originally posted by checkley1973 on 23/2/2016
Where are you planning on travelling to? quite a few european countries have banned towing the car with all wheels on the road. You would need a dolly

Reference the last 5 words above.
WRONG.
The use of 2 wheeled recovery dollies has been changed and they can now only be used to recover to a place of safety a broken down vehicle. They cannot be used to tow any other vehicle, and there have been several prosecutions.

Grampian91

27/2/2016 at 2:32pm
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I watched someone get pulled over on the A42 heading south, I was in a HGV doing 56mph, Police pulled alongside me and then dropped back.

I did wonder if they were going to pull me. But they must have spotted the car in front with another car on a 2 wheeled dolly and pulled back to see if they exited at the next junction. As soon as they went past the junction they overtook and the blue lights came on.

LlaniDavis

27/2/2016 at 3:44pm
Location: Llanidloes Powys
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Quite.
I know of at least 4 cases in the motorsport world where people have either been prosecuted or had the towed vehicle removed and impounded until collected on a proper trailer. One also had the towed vehicle impounded and scrapped because it had no tax, insurance or MOT, plus a hefty fine.

naturlist123

28/2/2016 at 12:40pm
Location: Southport
Outfit: Adria Adora Premium Yeti 4x4 run about

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I am not sure of the law in Uk but read an article in a magazine where the French equvilant of the DVLA have banned the towing of cars behind motor homes when all four wheels of the car are on the road. (High accident rate)
Most probably have to use frame like AA,RAC ETC where front wheels are lifted off road.

I have seen cars towed in UK with single axle trailor which lifts front wheels of car and then hitched to motor home tow ball.

But how do you lift car and what about weight on tow ball, the frame is not long enough to use as leverage under front wheels and how do you couple to tow ball while holding car in lifted postion.

The frame seemed to be fitted with caravan braking system but the front of the car was no more than a metre from rear of motorhome, and motor home certainly didnot have a towing system that lowered out of back doors like are recovery transit vans ETC?????

LlaniDavis

28/2/2016 at 11:54pm
Location: Llanidloes Powys
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naturlist,
What you are describing is a "towing dolly". As has been said those are illegal other than for "the recovery of a broken down vehicle to a place of safety".

The French, and I believe other EU countries are following suit, have stated that to tow a car it must now be completely on an independently braked trailer.

The criteria, as laid down in EU Legislation, is that any "trailer" weighing more than 750kg must have brakes that will stop the trailer automatically if it becomes detached from the towing vehicle (just like a caravan) and even if the weight of the trailer is below that figure but it is fitted with brakes, then the same will apply.
A "trailer" is defined as anything that is being towed.

Grandad Kenny

02/3/2016 at 8:54pm
Location: Essex
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Have just spent 4 months towing my caravan through France and Spain. I only came across one guy who was towing his car with the wheels on the road, when I asked if it was still legal he reckoned it wasn't and was really chancing his arm. All others were on factory built braked trailers, some worth more than the car being carried! I also passed a motorhome pulled over by the Spanish police towing a car with an A frame but it could have been stopped for anything.

Skoda Bob

03/3/2016 at 12:50am
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Just get a lightweight braked trailer, either new or secondhand plenty about, try auto trader or ebay

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