Car towing a car?

[billy2981]

Hi guys,

 

I am looking into the laws and regs regarding towing a car?

 

My plan is to fit a towbar to my fabia, a detachable one that can be hidden away when not needed, get one of the A frame things that motor home people use to pull a car behind.

 

is this legal?

 

does the car being towed need Tax, insurance and MOT?

 

Anyone know how the A frames work?

 

I have the driving licence to pull a trailer too.

 

cheers

 

billy

[billy2981]

mmmm

 

I don't think that an A frame is going to work. reading on a motorhome forum it looks like ide need the brakes to work on the car being towed

 

 

anyone know any services I could use to have a car transported?

[mannyo]

If any of the wheels of the car being towed are running on the road then the towed car needs tax and insurance plus valid MOT. If the towed car is on a trailer then no tax or insurance required.

[billy2981]

cheers mate, reading up more and looking at the A frame stuff it looks like the car being towed needs modifying too. I thought they clamped on or bolted on underneath.

 

never mind, was a thought.

 

cant see the fabia being good enough to tow a trailer with another car on plus I cant store the trailer neither.

[danny4646]

Plus you need a license to tow over 750kg without going through many many loop holes

[billy2981]

What kind of licence?

 

I got B+E, C1+E1 and C+E

 

I could get the car transported but that would  kill any possible gain from getting the car. I cant really tow a car trailer with my fabia can I?

[BossFox]

I could get the car transported but that would  kill any possible gain from getting the car. I cant really tow a car trailer with my fabia can I?

 

Unlikely.

Not sure what the safe towing weight is for your Fabia.

It'll be shown in the handbook.

 

A basic transporter trailer is going to be 400-500kg.

Plus around 1,100kg (basic Fabia) for the car, giving a total of 1600kg.

 

Most smaller cars have a towing limit around 1000-1200kg.

So you'll only be OK if it's a very lightweight car.

 

I have a small Brian James car transporter that is just big enough to carry a Fabia.  It's 500kg.

So when I put a Fabia VRS (1300kg) on it the total is up near 1800kg.

That's why I use my Yeti 4x4, as it's rated to pull 2000kg.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Depends what the max towing weights are for the Fabia I guess? It'd depend on the car you wanna pulls weight too

[Llanigraham]

Choose the model from here

:http://www.uktow.com/towing%20capacity.asp?make=Skoda#tab1

 

Unless what you are towing is very light I doubt that the Fabia is going to be very effective.

[Aspman]

Plus you need a license to tow over 750kg without going through many many loop holes

 

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car

 

If you passed your test before 01 Jan 1997 you'll be ok.

[BrownBarge]

Plus you need a license to tow over 750kg without going through many many loop holes

You can tow more than 750kg if certian weights are adhered to.

[billy2981]

can you elaborate there please mate?

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

B+E is the trailer part anyway so youre ok on that front

[Huskoda]

From the link Graham posted, it looks like the Fabia, depending on version, is rated to a maximum of 1200kg anyway, so unless its a Peel P50, it looks like no chance of towing it on a trailer.

[BrownBarge]

can you elaborate there please mate?

You have the b+e so you dont need to worry so much about weights just about what your actual car can handle so to speak.

[Huwcymru]

Don't forget that you can only tow a certain percentage of the towing car's weight in unbraked form. Once you go over that the trailer must be braked.

My old Disco could tow a braked trailer up to 3500 kg but without brakes only 750kg with a car weighing 2255kg.

[Llanigraham]

Huw, the 750kg unbraked trailer limit is a legal max weight and is not connected with the vehicle weight, although some vehicles can have an even lower limit.

[Volvomeg]

Don't you have a friend with a larger vehicle that you could borrow for day,

[billy2981]

No lol. Not one with a tow bar on.

Looking like 300 notes for someone to collect and deliver so think its a no go.

Oh well

Cheers tho

[alex_e3]

Am I correct in saying this is for a Mark 1 Fabia vRS?

 

If so, I wouldn't do it! Ideally I'd love a towbar on mine so I could take my motorbike to the track. However, one of my students works for Witter Towbars, and he said it's a minefield if you get caught.

 

Imagine if you ploughed into someone's expensive car. Your insurance would be void and you'd end up paying for the rest of your life... :-/

 

This is of course... IF it's a Mk1 vRS ;-)

[billy2981]

Yea it is.

I dont get why the vrs cant tow when it has the best engine for it lol and itsthe same as therest

But yea its not something ide be doing in day time. Ide be cruising at night and only going slow.

Womt be doing it now tho. Ill have to get a bigger car lol.

Oh well

[Soot1e]

Mk1 Vrs's are not approved for towing as they don't have the trailer weight sticker in the door shut.  Ask any Tow Bar supplier and there is no approved Tow Bar for the car.  This is the only reason I sold my VRS as I had to have a trailer.

[Oet]

yes sootie is right iirc

[BrownBarge]

Its not just engine thats taken in account. The PD130 fitted in a vw ****rat is fine but other things like suspension for example are taken into account

[Soot1e]

Funny thing is you can tow with a 1400cc petrol Mk1 Fabia.