Can I tow with an A frame on a motorway?

StreetSleeper

StreetSleeper

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I hope to be picking up my next project in a few weeks time, which happens to be a kit car........ can I tow it back with an A frame on the motorway?
 
I always treated towing a car on A frame the same as towing a caravan or trailer using the speed limits set for that rd and have towed my wee car all over on motorways. Sounds like if it’s a kit car it will be lite enough not to need a braked System.
 
Robmac said:
Yeah I read it again Graham. Seems like quite a few rules apply to the proper A-frames so a decent, approved one will be required.
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I got mine from Armitage Trailers at Ferrybridge Rob.

It was a seriously substantial piece of kit and whilst they said it was portable and could be put in the boot of the car when not in use and folded you needed Geoff Capes ( R.I.P. ) to help you get it in there :eek:

They also replaced the front cross member of the car with their own that housed the threaded units which held the rings, a Bowden cable worked the braking system. The original front cross member is returned to you so if the A-frame is removed the car can be returned to normal.

I used it for 3 years all over the UK including the proper back then single track roads in the highlands with no problems at all.

We once had the police follow us into a layby who asked politely if they could have a look at it because one of their mates was thinking about one.

What was intended to be a quick brew stop turned into a 2 hour marathon as they were fascinated by it and had a couple of brews with us and something to eat.

We saw them again a week later and it was quite funny as they pipped their horn and waved when they drove past us.
 
Wooie1958 said:
I got mine from Armitage Trailers at Ferrybridge Rob.

It was a seriously substantial piece of kit and whilst they said it was portable and could be put in the boot of the car when not in use and folded you needed Geoff Capes ( R.I.P. ) to help you get it in there :eek:

They also replaced the front cross member of the car with their own that housed the threaded units which held the rings, a Bowden cable worked the braking system. The original front cross member is returned to you so if the A-frame is removed the car can be returned to normal.

I used it for 3 years all over the UK including the proper back then single track roads in the highlands with no problems at all.

We once had the police follow us into a layby who asked politely if they could have a look at it because one of their mates was thinking about one.

What was intended to be a quick brew stop turned into a 2 hour marathon as they were fascinated by it and had a couple of brews with us and something to eat.

We saw them again a week later and it was quite funny as they pipped their horn and waved when they drove past us.
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Yes Armitage have a very good name Graham, I've known a couple of people who bought them and they wouldn't use anything else.

As an aside, believe it or not I was an athlete once when I was young and running for Leicestershire. The first time I ran in the 1500 metre race at Saffron Lane in Leicester and I didn't know anybody there and sat nervously on the grass waiting for my race.

I was approached by 2 giants who sat with me and assured me that everything would be ok. They remained with me for about half an hour, wished me luck and then wandered off. It turns out it was Geoff Capes and Bill Tancred and 2 nicer people you could never meet.

RIP Geoff.
 
I’ve had one and it worked fine, all the work is in the car and not a DIY job, strength is the key, I towed a ford ka and was never sure it was man enough for the strains on the welds, I’d “heard” they can come apart at the seams, but never met anyone who’d experienced first hand.
 
guerdeval said:
The car does have brakes, a cable comes through the footwell and applies the brake pedal, no idea how that’s efficient without servo assist.
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I was addressing the post with reference to the OP, unless the car in question has been modded for an A Frame it will not have the correct braking arrangement. StreetSleeper hasn't supplied any further details, but it appears to me that they want to use a breakdown A Frame.
 
I would be careful when taking advice from company's that sell A-frames and the like. We were looking at buying one and the guy insisted that it was legal to tow on an A-frame in Europe. When I challenged that, knowing it is not legal everywhere, he just said that the UK is in Europe and it is legal here. When challenged on that, it is a grey area and no law or case has been tried to confirm, he said that lots do it, are they going to arrest everyone?

They will say anything to get a sale. Oh and we didn't bother because most of our time is spent in continental Europe. But having said that, we have only ever seen one motorhome with a car in tow, stopped by French police. Whether it was because of the two car or not, I have no idea.
 
Rumour said:
I would be careful when taking advice from company's that sell A-frames and the like. We were looking at buying one and the guy insisted that it was legal to tow on an A-frame in Europe. When I challenged that, knowing it is not legal everywhere, he just said that the UK is in Europe and it is legal here. When challenged on that, it is a grey area and no law or case has been tried to confirm, he said that lots do it, are they going to arrest everyone?

They will say anything to get a sale. Oh and we didn't bother because most of our time is spent in continental Europe. But having said that, we have only ever seen one motorhome with a car in tow, stopped by French police. Whether it was because of the two car or not, I have no idea.
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I stopped towing in Europe when France decided it was illegal, but I saw a few German and Dutch motorhomes using A-frames in 2019, the last time we travelled to Europe. I asked if they had problems, and they said none whatsoever.

guerdeval said:
The car does have brakes, a cable comes through the footwell and applies the brake pedal, no idea how that’s efficient without servo assist.
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The weight of the car puts more pressure on the pedal than your right foot can even with servo assist so it is efficient
 
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