guineafowl21
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A dolly? I think the regs apply just as if the dolly/towed car is a trailer. But ask a copper and they have no idea. You see dollies all over the place.
Is it legal to tow another Freelander on a transporter trailer?
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GrumpyGel
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You can't put a Freelander on 1 of those anyway, at least not with the props on.
Due to the fact that the brakes dont work when car is towed like that...anything towed with brakes fitted they have to work up to a certain percentage i believe
It's not legal in the UK. I don't know the regs in NZ. However I've done it myself, when I bought my V6. I stuck it on a trailer that was towed by my 1.8 50th Anniversary model, after the Discovery I'd borrowed got stage fright
. It was slow going up hill but it towed it fine. I actually drove past a traffic cop that was parked on a roundabout, he didn't even look twice. It's not recommended to flout the law however. Dollies are for short distance recovery work only, just to clear the highway and then only for recovery vehicles. And the props would need removing from a Freelander first.
An A frame could be used, where all 4 wheels remain on the floor. But it then exceeds the 750 unbraked mass limit of the tow vehicle. However that doesn't stop 1000s of RV owners towing Smart cars on a simple A frame, all over Europe.
An A frame could be used, where all 4 wheels remain on the floor. But it then exceeds the 750 unbraked mass limit of the tow vehicle. However that doesn't stop 1000s of RV owners towing Smart cars on a simple A frame, all over Europe.
Not legal in portugal towing smart on a frame due to brakes not operating...looking into unibrake system too tow my smart behind 101 as dont want to stick it on trailer
Tannaton
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Dollies and A-frames are not legal in the UK unless the towing car is registered as a recovery vehicle. Trailer law applies, so if you have a car on a A-frame or dolly, as it is fitted with a braking system it must work on all wheels in contact with the road via an overrun coupling (especially given that 99.5% of cars will be over the 750Kg limit)
But as others have said, the vast majority of plod (including lesser experienced traffic) do not know the law. DVSA sometimes do however...
FYI Kerb weight of some Smart Four Two models is 740Kg...
But as others have said, the vast majority of plod (including lesser experienced traffic) do not know the law. DVSA sometimes do however...
FYI Kerb weight of some Smart Four Two models is 740Kg...
As long as the trailer with the car on it does not weigh more than 2 tonnes and the trailer is within its gvw.
It is the actual weight of the loaded trailer that is important, not its potential gvw, so you could use a 3.5 tonne gvw trailer as long as it weighed no more than 2 tonnes loaded.
It is the actual weight of the loaded trailer that is important, not its potential gvw, so you could use a 3.5 tonne gvw trailer as long as it weighed no more than 2 tonnes loaded.
Owning a smart fortwo and wanting to tow behind my 101 the fact that it is classed as a trailer under eu legislation when its wheels are rotating when towed means that its brakes have to operate because they are manufacture fitted a trailer under 750kg doesnt have brakes fitted
Tannaton
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Yep - that's quite true... Technically under the current legislation towing a 740Kg car using an a-frame or dolly is not legal as the brakes wont work - even though it is under the weight limit for requiring a braking system.
teddywood1
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it is not a matter of being legal it is a matter if you go down a steep long hill will the brakes hold it back I used to travel a lot and the amount of cars towing trailers with either the same car on or even a bigger car on that had accidents was unbelievable it only take some fool to pull out on you and that's it. do not take a chance and at the end of the day if you are involved in an accident what will your insurance do , they will say sorry but you were not covered.
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