Frax Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 A friend of mine said that is going to become illegal to tow using a strap or rope and if I was going to do so I would need to buy a Tow Pole. Is this true and if so what tow pole would you recommend – sprung or un-sprung. Weight rating ------- any advice welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim1 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 i thought it was already illegal to use tow rope, I've been using a 5ft scaffold pole with trailer type socket and a braket welded at the other end bolted through chassis so far no problem. Was thinking of buying an A frame but told they will be illegal soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 When will these people make it illegal to breath ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 This sound like an internet rumour .... there was talk of this being illegal in 2008 and it was decided it was rubbish ... apparently the metro paper pipes up with it ocaisonally. Anyone know of any official documentation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 From highway code rule 98 In the event of a breakdown, be aware that towing a vehicle on a tow rope is potentially dangerous. You should consider professional recovery. [Laws CUR reg 100 & MV(DL)R reg 43] Doesn't say it is illegal ...yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frax Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Nice find, I take that its up to date. - I have been towed by a pole and hated it, much prefaired a rope......Not that I get towed a lot - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 That was off this page http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069855 so it should be the current one. Ropes are a bit easier to store than bars to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim1 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Nothing official just rumours. I tow a Disco or Defender so due to weight I do prefer the solid bar because the tow vehicle normally has broken down so little or no brakes, max towing distance is about 10 mile 6 is on motorway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 A friend of mine said that is going to become illegal to tow using a strap or rope and if I was going to do so I would need to buy a Tow Pole. Is this true and if so what tow pole would you recommend – sprung or un-sprung. Weight rating ------- any advice welcome. use of a towrope or strap is only illegal on dual carraigeway/motorway AFAIK, towrope only to get the dead vehicle to 'a place of safety' for example nearest layby or safe place to park. sprung towbars are best of at least 2 tonne minimum rating. mine is one of these http://intertradeuk....&products_id=34 given to me by a friend who used to decommision RAC vans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Bloody hell Ralph, They are a bit spendy, are they worth it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I think so, used for any road towing I get asked to do, much better than a rope, towed vehicle cannot overrun the bar or smack my 110 in the rear. didn't buy mine I was given it or it went in the skip, the place where my friend used to work had a contract with RAC to decommision & strip out all the kit/livery & part of the contract rules was they could not sell any of the stripped out kit, all had to be scrapped but they could have a cretain amount of items, so he got me a almost new virtually unsed towbar with different end connections for the dead vehicle, the end to my 110 has a normal towball hitch but a 76mm NATO ring is available I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuck Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Could you persuade him to go back there to work for a while? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 DO NOT use a halfords type bar they are rated to 2 tonnes but don't believe a word of it trust me I know from experience they fold up. I was towing a 90 with a disco and had dents and whiplash to prove it's bin fodder you have been warned. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frax Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 To be honest I would not trust most if them, Ralf's one looks the most robust one I have seen but could not justify that price. I have seen quite a lot of home made efforts that look stronger than the shop jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Rope/strap is illegal on motorway except when recovering to a place of safety, but there's nothing I can find about any othe roads yet. My tow pole is also a scaffold with two trailer htches, 3500Kgs mind, not the lighter ones. As for A frames, I did a bit of studying a little while ago whilest planning for E test, and I believe there was information then indicating A frames would become illiegal. It was surrounding the fact that a vehicle on an A frame behind, say, a motorhome, was still classed as a trailer unless the vehicles brakes were modified to be operated by the towing vehicle - by an overrun on the A frame for example. I'll have to see if I can find it, it was surrounding the fact that if you don't have E entitlement, then there was in fact only 1 car on the road that was legally within the 750kgs towing limit, and it wasn't the smart car.....I'll see if I can find it again, for interests sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I think the fact that Ralphs towing bar weighs in at 27kg says a lot about the build quality! I'll be near a Halfords a bit later so I will look at theirs for a laugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean f Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 My understanding was that you could tow a vehicle on a rope to a place of safety but towing for extended distances was not looked on well (insurance companies might have something to say about it?) and wasn't allowed at all on motorways and only on dual carrageways in an emergency. Also if towing on a rope then BOTH vehicles had to be taxed, MOT,d and insured. Using a bar meant the towed vehicle became a trailer so didn't neccasarily need to be road legal except as a trailer since it could be braked by the towing vehicle, not to sure where you ended up with regard to towing weights etc. As said the issue I have heard about A frames was about towed weights, un braked trailers etc. The vehicle on the A frame needed some sort of link so it became a braked trailer, I believe these are possible and available via the motor home market. Also some of the big motor homes are based on commercial vehicles and pretty heavy in there own right so maybe allowed to tow a small car un braked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I asked and was told by the police that the only way you can move an untaxed or uninsured or unMOTed vehicle is on a trailer or flat bed it can not touch the road. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defender dinky Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I asked and was told by the police that the only way you can move an untaxed or uninsured or unMOTed vehicle is on a trailer or flat bed it can not touch the road. Mike how come you can drive your vehicle to a mot garage without mot and tax as long as it is booked in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 how come you can drive your vehicle to a mot garage without mot and tax as long as it is booked in Because that is the way the law stands...Be aware that VOSA/ DVLA/ DoT have no means of identifying a vehicle on or coming back from an MOT so you will still get your demand for VED if the camera catches you..... Personally I prefer a rope/strap and being on the back. That way I can control both my vehicle and brake for the tow cat. If you need to recover a vehicle without brakes. Use that to tow as the towing vehicle shouldn't be using brakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Also if towing on a rope then BOTH vehicles had to be taxed, MOT,d and insured. both vehicles have comply with the above even if towed with a bar or 2 wheels of towed vehicle are on the road [garage speclift] only other way to get around no tax//insurance is dead vehicle on a car transport trailer or lorry. Using a bar meant the towed vehicle became a trailer so didn't neccasarily need to be road legal except as a trailer since it could be braked by the towing vehicle, not to sure where you ended up with regard to towing weights et that doesn't sound true, towed vehicle still requires a driver to steer/brake/indicate, so cannot be classed as a trailer. A frames are a very grey area -- depends on towing & towed vehicle weights, hence motorhomes towing things like smart cars or similar sized cars on a A frame, not legal for a LR to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Could you persuade him to go back there to work for a while? LOL unfortunatly he's moved away from the area now.don't think he would go back, to much stress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpants Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 "If you need to recover a vehicle without brakes. Use that to tow as the towing vehicle shouldn't be using brakes." I hope you don't mean anywhere near the road........ In fact I really hope that was a joke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 "If you need to recover a vehicle without brakes. Use that to tow as the towing vehicle shouldn't be using brakes." I hope you don't mean anywhere near the road........ In fact I really hope that was a joke! If you know how to tow correctly. Most people do not, then you will know as I've already said, THE TOWING VEHICLE SHOULD NOT USE THE BRAKES AT ANY TIME. ALL BRAKING IS DONE BY THE VEHICLE ON TOW. OR are you one odf those people on the back that lets the rope/ strap drag on the ground ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean f Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 If you know how to tow correctly. Most people do not, then you will know as I've already said, THE TOWING VEHICLE SHOULD NOT USE THE BRAKES AT ANY TIME. ALL BRAKING IS DONE BY THE VEHICLE ON TOW. OR are you one odf those people on the back that lets the rope/ strap drag on the ground ? I think the comment was more to the point that a vehicle without brakes shouldn't be on the road or frankly being driven at all unless in order to recover form offroad to a trailer or site for repair. I guess if you are in the middle of no where with two broken vehicles one with power and one with brakes then this is the way to do it but not something to be recommended in most circumstances. Other than that you are correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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