unicorn999 Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Brand new to motorhoming have recently purchased a herald sprite 1998 on a transit lwb chasis,looking forward to some adventures,I am looking at getting a smart car and trailer and I need a towbar fitting,had a look underneath at the back and noticed what looks like a seven pin socket like you would see by the side of towbar to connect to electrics,does anyone know if this is standard fitment as cannot find anything in owners manual,and if it is how do I find out if its working or not before i go out buying a trailer,would certainly save me a lot of money if electrics are indeed already installed....just a footnote there is also a small two pin connector in the same area any help or advice would be most appreiciated :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Have you enough weight limit left to pull that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 It could be for a bike rack light bar, can you borrow one to plug in? Smart cars are popular for towing on A frames because they are less than 750kg, which is possibly your towing limit on either the moho or your licence. A trailer would take it over that. New towbars have to have a certified weight stamped on them. In twenty years the previous owners could have a miscellany of extras. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Billggski - 2018-08-20 5:03 PM Smart cars are popular for towing on A frames because they are less than 750kg, which is possibly your towing limit on either the moho or your licence. A trailer would take it over that.. Theres been a lot of controversy on the legality of A frames in europe which you need to check before going that route It appears the UK is the only place that accepts their use with conditions. thread here https://www.motorhomeowners.org/post/towing-with-a-frame-9786029?pid=1305047602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 witzend - 2018-08-20 5:13 PM Billggski - 2018-08-20 5:03 PM Smart cars are popular for towing on A frames because they are less than 750kg, which is possibly your towing limit on either the moho or your licence. A trailer would take it over that.. Theres been a lot of controversy on the legality of A frames in europe which you need to check before going that route It appears the UK is the only place that accepts their use with conditions. thread here https://www.motorhomeowners.org/post/towing-with-a-frame-9786029?pid=1305047602 And here is the Gov.uk official take on it... https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-frames-and-dollies You first need to check your MH's VIN plate to ascertain your legal towing weight, it is usually on either the drivers seat base or on the bonnet slam panel. The difference between lines 1 and 2 should give you your towing limit. Or consult the vehicle handbook if you have one. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums unicorn999 - 2018-08-20 4:01 PM Brand new to motorhoming have recently purchased a herald sprite 1998 on a transit lwb chasis... I’m guessing that what you’ve bought is a Herald “Squire” (similar to the vehicle shown in the attached photo) rather than a “Sprite”. I owned a 1996-built Herald Templar from 1998 to 2004 and I’m pretty sure that had tow-bar cabling pre-installed as standard. That was certainly the case with the Ford-Transit-based Hobby motorhome that succeeded it. (Not that I ever had a tow-bar on either the Herald or the Hobby.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 unicorn999 A follow-up... As you are new to motorcaravanning, I suggest you obtain the following 1998-published book that will provide invaluable background guidance https://tinyurl.com/ybmgsrdm and this Haynes manual for the Ford Transit base https://tinyurl.com/y8f866gg There’s a review of a 1999 Squire 400E here https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/reviews/motorhomes/details/herald-squire-400e-motorhome-review/899512 Regarding your own motorhome, it would be sensible to confirm when its timing-belt was last changed and how old its tyres are (including the one on the spare wheel). https://www.kwik-fit.com/tyres/information/tyre-age Also ensure that a damp-check shows no signs of water ingress. The “Squire” range was built to target the budget end of the motorhome market and the bodywork construction was ‘caravan’ type. Take great care that there’s no sign of damp where the body-panels join, particulaly where the roof joins to the side and rear body-panels. Towing a car+trailer with your Herald will put additional strain on its transmission and you need to keep constantly in mind that the vehicle is 20 years old. It would be wise to put the towing idea on the back-burner until you’ve put some miles on the motorhome and lived in it for a while. If no unexpected expensive-to-correct faults show up, you could then revisit car-towing. I wouldn’t do it with a 1998 Herald as a) it’s an elderly vehicle and b) it should be compact enough to not NEED to drag a Smart car behind it - but that’s your choice. If you do decide to tow, adding ‘air assistance’’ to the rear suspension would be a good idea. The suspension of the Ford Transit chassis used on Heralds was relatively ’soft’ and adding air-bags to the rear axle should improve cornering behaviour and reduce sensitivity to cross-winds as well as helping when towing. The Compass and Herald Motorhome Club should be the best place to obtain practical information and advice about Herald motorhomes. https://compassandheraldmotorhomeclub.weebly.com/ As the website lists 2018 rally venues https://compassandheraldmotorhomeclub.weebly.com/rallies-for-2108.html it would appear that the Club is still alive and kicking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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