sshortcircuit Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Yes you can tow, but its illegal and you could get stopped fined and car unhitched. Take your choice many do. Same in Spain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 sshortcircuit - 2019-01-31 8:28 PM Yes you can tow, but its illegal and you could get stopped fined and car unhitched. Take your choice many do. Same in Spain. Met a fella last year in Spain who had been fined and his wife was driving the car around behind him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 A-frame towing in France was mentioned in this January 2017 discussion https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/A-frame-towing-and-insurance/46067/ There’s a 2018 French article (GOOGLE-translated) here https://tinyurl.com/y75dvhl3 The French association FFCC (La fédération des campeurs, caravaniers et camping-caristes) recently provided the following (translated) statement: The attention of the public authorities was once again drawn to the question of the European directive n ° 94-20 CE. It would seem that the fact of being able to tow a small car using a camper is only a tolerance according to French legislation. There is an ambiguity on this point between the European and French legislation, particularly with regard to motorhomes wishing to tow another vehicle, using a towing vehicle without resorting to the purchase of a car transporter trailer. The position of the (French) Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy was again clarified in August 2014 in a technical statement that ends very clearly: "In conclusion, apart from the specific operations of troubleshooting (eg. breakdowns or accidents), the only legal and secure way to transport a car behind a camper is to put it on a car transporter-trailer.” To travel towing with an A-frame in France puts you in illegal situation. You risk being fined, or even being forced to pick up your frame to tow to be able to leave. Where fines are concerned, Spain has always been a risky country in which to tow a car on an A-frame. Over the years there have been very occasional instances where a UK motorcaravanner was fined for A-framing in Germany. As should be apparent from the above, French authorities have repeatedly stated that A-framing conflicts with the French ‘Highway Code’ but (as far as I’m aware) no motorcaravanner (French or ‘foreign) has been prosecuted there so far. I don’t recall it ever being explored on French/UK forums or in French/UK motorhome magazines whether the French A-frame-towing prohibition applies to ‘foreign’ motorcaravanners using ‘foreign-registered’ vehicles. Nevertheless, if the French prohibition (explained here) https://tinyurl.com/yd5okde8 can result in a French A-framing motorcaravanner being prosecuted, it seems logical to me that non-French A-framing motorcaravanners will also be at risk of prosecution. However, as the French police don’t appear to be concerned about French motorcaravanners A-frame towing and the French law is technically complex, I very much doubt that the French police would bother a UK A-framing motorcaravanner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 witzend - 2019-01-31 11:40 PM sshortcircuit - 2019-01-31 8:28 PM Yes you can tow, but its illegal and you could get stopped fined and car unhitched. Take your choice many do. Same in Spain. Met a fella last year in Spain who had been fined and his wife was driving the car around behind him. Met an exactly same situation and driver was informed if caught again penalties would be severe. Many boast about “never been stopped” but not worth the risk, trailer or hire a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagey Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 John’s original enquiry was "Can I tow a car with a frame in France please?” and not about A-frame-towing in Spain. Obviously John CAN tow a car in France using an A-frame (and, for that matter, John CAN tow a car in Spain or elsewhere using an A-frame) - but whether he MAY do this LEGALLY in France is presumably what he wants to know. There’s no doubt that Spain has a law that will prohibit a motorhome from A-frame-towing a car, and there’s no doubt that UK A-frame-towing motorcaravanners have been fined in Spain for breaking that law. So a UK motorcaravanner deciding to A-frame-tow in Spain must accept that there’s a real risk of being fined for doing this. A-frame-towing in France is different, as the French regulation cited as prohibiting the practice is more subtle. And - as I said above - although French and ‘foreign’ motorcaravanners do A-frame-tow in France (and have done so for years) none of these seem to have been prosecuted for doing so. So, although, it’s quite possible (perhaps even probable) that John would be in breach of French law by A-frame-towing in that country, there seems little risk that he’d be fined for doing so. Having said that, there’s still the chance that the French police might choose to not fine a UK A-framer, but (as mentioned in the FFCC advice) would insist that the car be decoupled from the motorhome before allowing the two vehicles to proceed. There was a long 2017 discussion about this on the MHFun forum https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/friendly-but-firm-police-caution-re-a-frame-in-france.159710/ which suggested the potential of a €135 on-the-spot fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 No,however it is accepted as legal in the UK. incl.N.Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Would the Police in the EU treat a Brit more or less favourably after Brexit? I think I know :-) H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 hallii - 2019-02-01 1:14 PM Would the Police in the EU treat a Brit more or less favourably after Brexit? I don't think we'd get favourable treatment before or after so not taking a chance with A frame in France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Last year i met a couple on a dog festival at rocking-ham castle in the midlands. He had a burstner- panorama whit largest front screen ever built in europe. He had A- frame small fiat car on the back, among some other like power generators.They did also car racing in france and have not had any problem whit UK paper work. He was about 13 mtrs long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 hallii - 2019-02-01 1:14 PM Would the Police in the EU treat a Brit more or less favourably after Brexit? I think I know :-) H Well, if you think Brexit might cause the French police to give you a harder time in future, it is possible to obtain vehicle ‘stickers’ (example attached) that MIGHT make them treat you more favourably. Versions are also available in other languages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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