Done any towing

[obi_waynne]

Have you done any towing? How did you get on with it?

I must say that reversing seems to be quite an art! It's actually not something I'm confident enought to try.

What is the biggest thing you've towed?

 

[stamford]

I've done alot of towing over the years. Mostly towing race cars to meets, the odd caravan and box trailer. Never really found it a problem, towing a car trailer is probably the hardest thing I have done. There are many things to consider when towing a car, the type of tow vehicle, fwd, rwd and that will also dictate how you load the car to be towed as well, as the nose weight balance has to be right.

In the first couple of weeks towing I soon realised the benefit of a good trailer design and how handy the 'snakemaster' kits were!

Reversing is an art, something not to be rushed and comes with experience. I find longer heavier loads easier to manipulate than a small lightweight trailer.

As for the biggest thing I have towed was probably the trailer itself. I borrowed a trailer from one of the directors at my previous company, he had an all singing, all dancing tilt bed affair. It was big enough to fit his yank Ford Galaxy, so was pretty big. I borrowed this to collect a Mini of all things! :amuse: Other than that it was my own trailer carrying an Audi GT Coupe race car.

Longest journey for me was doing a round trip of around 600 miles picking up a car. Had a puncture on the way back, not nice!

 

[lutonmatt]

have not toweda a lot on a car
but used to have a recovery truck at work that picked the front wheels up
that was a thing to reverse
but never smashed a car up so i must of been doing something right lol

 

[T9 man]

Only a car and never again! will leave that sort of thing to the AA

 

[pgarner]

towed parents for a couple of miles so they could get the AA out - didnt have homestart - NEVER !!!!!! again

 

[HDi fun]

I did once tow a dead MGB using a rope. That was fine because the driver behind was quite used to be towed. Still not a pleasant experience and I'd prefer to not repeat it.

Caravan towing was a doddle in the 406, although I only did it a few times I did work out the reversing thing pretty rapidly.

 

[lutonmatt]

am always towing cars on ropes
always try and get as fast as i can is more fun lol

 

[HDi fun]

am always towing cars on ropes
always try and get as fast as i can is more fun lol

Not my idea of entertainment tbh

 

[lutonmatt]

is when you work with me
you are always happy when you get home alive lol
normaly when i am being towed by my boss in his van we are doing about 60
all ways messing about

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

I did once tow a dead MGB using a rope. That was fine because the driver behind was quite used to be towed. Still not a pleasant experience and I'd prefer to not repeat it.

An MGB driver should be used to being towed, must be a daily occurance for them

I've done a bit of towing in the past, taking dead cars with no brakes to the scrappy is not fun, especially when the towee hasn't got a clue,

never towed a trailer though because my license won't allow me to

 

[lutonmatt]

just been reading about that b.f.f as a customer wanted a tow bar fitted as he wants to take his bikes out i said you cant have a trailer due to being only 18

but have read that the car and trailer has to come to less then 3.5 ton so his 307 and a small bike trailer would be well under weight

 

[pgarner]

nope trailer requires a whole seperate license

 

[lutonmatt]

even a little one as the way i read it if its only a little one under 750kg and as long as that and the car dont weigh more then 3.5ton you are ok
anything bigger needs a license

 

[HDi fun]

nope trailer requires a whole seperate license

I towed a 1420kg trailer in 2006 with no problems. I'm not quite the eldest of TQcars members but my license does allow me to tow things. It was effortless with the Peugeot. With the E39 BMW I haven't needed to tow anything - yet.

I think it that it would give a good account of itself but there is nowhere near the midrange thump of the Pug.

 

[pgarner]

even a little one as the way i read it if its only a little one under 750kg and as long as that and the car dont weigh more then 3.5ton you are ok
anything bigger needs a license

i enquired and was told that you needed a seperate one

just checked and if you passed after 1st jan 97 then you require it
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_4022564

 

[Big Fat Fatty]

I did my driving test at the tender age of seventeen in 2002 I had thought about doing the tests for towing trailers and driving other vehicles, but at the time i didn't really have a need to cart anything around and things haven't changed much so it can wait a while

 

[bigbadjoe]

No, but I pulled your Mam at the Weekend! lol:bigsmile:

 

[HDi fun]

I did my driving test at the tender age of seventeen in 2002 I had thought about doing the tests for towing trailers and driving other vehicles, but at the time i didn't really have a need to cart anything around and things haven't changed much so it can wait a while

I did mine in 1987 - no such regs at that point in time. But I think the new rules are sensible.

 

[lutonmatt]

No, but I pulled your Mam at the Weekend! lol:bigsmile:

you was well over weight then

 

[lutonmatt]

i enquired and was told that you needed a seperate one

just checked and if you passed after 1st jan 97 then you require it
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_4022564

thanks pg will pass it on to my customer
i am thinking of doing the bit for a trailer but i never really tow anything other then cars if anything i could do with mine going up to 7.5ton so i can drive twin wheel transits

 

[pgarner]

i looked at the trailer but for the same reason as you id might only use it a couple of times a year. plus i would have to get the towbar fitted