# tow car



## C&B (Oct 9, 2008)

We've just bought our first motorhome and could do with some advice on towing a car. We've been told its not advisable to tow an automatic but what about a semi-automatic?


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## Deleted member 775 (Oct 9, 2008)

you cannot tow an auto car unless the driven wheels are suspended you will ruin the gearbox. but if you have a trailer then its ok you can tow anything  by the way i dident know they made semi auto cars now will have to look that one  up confused.com  ps welcome i see it is your first post


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## C&B (Oct 9, 2008)

the semi automatic car is an A class Mercedes. It has a gear stick but no clutch. If you're looking up the semi-auto perhaps you would be able to find out if it can be towed without damaging it. Ta very much.


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## janeandbob (Oct 9, 2008)

Hi your gearbox must be the same as the Smart Car and loads of people tow them on an A Frame, as long as it's not in gear. Thanks Bob.


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## Deleted member 207 (Oct 9, 2008)

Most owners manuals give detals about having the vehicle "towed" by breakdown trucks and the likes. If there is any mention of lifting the drive wheels then you know that the car cannot be towed with an A Frame. 

I think that checking with the car manufacturer would be a sensible precaution.


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## guerdeval (Oct 9, 2008)

I think the Smart has a clutch just no pedal, its a manual gearbox electronically controlled, I've just replaced mine which I towed on a smart trailer with a Ford Ka which I use with a Chris Cox A frame, much easier, Chris Cox is a great company to deal with. cann;t comment on the A class though other than to say it weighs about 1300kg so unless you;ve got a big unit you'll exceed your train weight.


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## t&s (Oct 10, 2008)

isnt  towing a car with a motorhome 
just like a car towing a caravan 
both seem to be the same to me 
but maybe one towing a car with a motorhome 
is somewhat of a status thing !


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## lenny (Oct 10, 2008)

t&s said:


> isnt  towing a car with a motorhome
> just like a car towing a caravan
> both seem to be the same to me
> but maybe one towing a car with a motorhome
> is somewhat of a status thing !



Aye and just imagine trying to reverse your van with a car attatched when you cant see the thing in your mirrors, I,ll bet even all you seasoned HGV boys would struggle to control it


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## janeandbob (Oct 11, 2008)

Hi, towing a car is nothing like a caravan, I have had one. With the motorhome weighing 3500kg and my car at 700 kg you don't know it's on the back, you need a camera. I do have my HGV and can reverse it, with the camera I can see 3 or 4' each side of the car. Its the same as anything, you need enough room. I would not say a status thing! Is having a scooter on the back a status thing or just useful? When we had our scooters they got very little use at home, Jane has a car and I had a little car so we have done away with the bike insurance which is not cheap, and we can still take our bicyles which are fine if you don't want to go too far away from where you park. The other thing is you don't have to take the car with you, we spend a lot of time in Germany and its great for cycle tracks so we would not take the car. In the UK we can park on a site and visit friends in the car, unlike with a caravan, dragging the lot everywhere you go. We use little extra fuel and find it very handy. You know what they say, don't knock it till you have tried it. Bob.


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## Deleted member 207 (Oct 11, 2008)

We met a Swiss couple last year who were full timing and had a nice little towed "garage" that they kept their car in. They liked to stop for a few weeks at a time and explore the area from their chosen base, so the small car seemed like a great option for them. 

I keep fantasizing - quad bike, motorbike trailer for our BMWs, davitt for a dirt bike, now you lot have me drooling about an A Frame as well!!!


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## guerdeval (Oct 11, 2008)

As I say, I used to have a trailer but now an A Frame, its easier, but, if you want to be VERY picky, probably illegal as it constitutes a trailer and no way in the world would it satisfy the 60% braking efficiency rule without a way to keep the brake servo functioning, I went that way on the basis that many others do it and so far no-one has been prosecuted. Should mention that the type of A frames that use chains/straps to wrap around the wishbones are illegal as they are "for recovery purposes only". I reverse mine by getting wife to jump out and remove the key thereby locking the steering column.


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## t&s (Oct 13, 2008)

we are considering electricaly assisted bycycles 25 miles without pedaling on one charge 
no tax no insurance easy to park and easy to carry on the cycle rack not much heavier than an ordenary bike so will fit a normal bike carrier 
ideal for visiting the nearest towns and doing the shopping from any short term base 
prices from around £350


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## Nosha (Oct 19, 2008)

Like T&S once you tow a car and park up a £30k + motorhome so you now have two lots of tax, MOT & insurance haven't you just invented the 'Irish' caravan? Or is it me?

We carry a tandem and if you can't cycle to the pub, post office, shop... you've parked up too far away!!!


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## janeandbob (Oct 20, 2008)

Nosha said:


> Like T&S once you tow a car and park up a £30k + motorhome so you now have two lots of tax, MOT & insurance haven't you just invented the 'Irish' caravan? Or is it me?
> 
> We carry a tandem and if you can't cycle to the pub, post office, shop... you've parked up too far away!!!



Hi Nosha as I said in my last post, we don't always have to take it, I have the car anyway so there is no extra cost, with Tax and Insurance.

When we go to Portugal in January, we will not be taking it, as we will be wilding most of the time.
If I had a caravan I have no Choice, and you cant wild camp with a caravan, people would call you a gypsy.

An example we both have a lot of family in Kent Janes side around Dover, my side Folkstone we are talking 6 houses to visit, so when we go down for a weekend, we find it a lot easier to sort the van out, pop our dinner in the slow cooker, a few beers and a bottle of wine in the fridge,and jump in the car to visit, and being 3m long we can park anywhere, the van 7.4m is not so easy. We can still take our bikes and if we have time ride them, so if you wish to just take your van and bike, thats fine but there are some big hills in kent, and we know which we prefer. Bob.


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## Nosha (Oct 20, 2008)

Point taken Bob, if we're being honest we used to carry a scooter on the back of our Winnebago as it extended our travels, but as it's a bit too heavy for the Chausson I've drawn a line at getting a trailer!

I must say if it works for you that's fine, the AA used to used Solomatic folding A frames but now prefer to use a solid tow bar - I wonder why? Do they know something we don't?

Any AA men out there????


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## janeandbob (Oct 20, 2008)

Hi we have had a couple of scooters, Jane went off them, as we came off in Spain, and I cracked a rib but I still love bikes,and  she would not take her test, so I sold them, I brought this car with the A Frame on to try it and find it very usefull, unlike the scooter that only got used mainly when we took it away with us. Then when you took the scooter you wished you had your bikes, with the car we can have both, but the time will come when we dont take the car and wish we had, you cant win can you. Bob.


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## t&s (Oct 20, 2008)

i still feel the concept is similar
a car towing a caravan
a motorhome towing a car 
the same idea  but shurly twice the cost towing a car
but i understand the convenience once parked up the motorhome then becomes a static caravan


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## janeandbob (Oct 21, 2008)

t&s said:


> i still feel the concept is similar
> a car towing a caravan
> a motorhome towing a car
> the same idea  but shurly twice the cost towing a car
> but i understand the convenience once parked up the motorhome then becomes a static caravan



Hi, is your motorhome your only vehicle, and do you use it for daily use, and if you have a car and caravan, can you go away in your caravan without taking your car?

Maybe I am the only one that has a car for myself and my wife has a car.

But if you have a car as well as your motorhome would that not be extra cost, I rest my case.Bob.


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## t&s (Oct 21, 2008)

i was making a general point 

many are not as fortunate as us, and only have one vehicle there motorhome
for them there would be the extra cost of two vehicles 
 for me towing a car with a motorised caravan  seems a of a bit piontless.
or irish as nosh said . 
but i must add we all have diffrent needs whilst away and i an not Criticising any ones choice.  

 like you we are fortunate to have many vehicles at our disposal


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## Deleted member 2636 (Oct 22, 2008)

Just a note of caution: Smart cars are intended for short local journeys? We are all pretty well agreed on that.
It seems that the transmissions on Smarts plays up after 70k to 80k miles  
There have been instances of people buying alleged low-mileage Smarts and finding that they have done a heck of a lot more. The result has been money down the drain


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