wba767 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 My husband has been looking at braking systems fitted to car when towing, which use the car's brakes. He has read so much he is now totally confused about which to choose for the best. has anyone got experience of this that they could share???? Thanks Butty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I thought Smart cars are automatic so had to be carried on a trailor :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJP Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 wba767 - 2011-04-06 5:37 PM My husband has been looking at braking systems fitted to car when towing, which use the car's brakes. He has read so much he is now totally confused about which to choose for the best. has anyone got experience of this that they could share???? Thanks Butty There is only a choice of two as far as I am aware. 1. Brakes operated by a mechanical cable from the brake pedal to the over run on the A frame 2 Brake buddy. An electronic device working on a pendulum system which presses the brake pedal when the pendulum moves forward. Very expensive option. A frame with cable device is simple and effective and not a lot to go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wba767 Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 They are but they can be put into neutral which means they can be towed. (different kind of automatic system to other cars) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJP Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 pelmetman - 2011-04-06 7:13 PM I thought Smart cars are automatic so had to be carried on a trailor :-S No, no definitely NO! I have towed 2 Smarts (NOT at the same time) for over 10000 miles on an A frame without problems. You just have to make sure the gear is set to neutral and the handbrake is off and that's it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wba767 Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Hi there What braking system did you use? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I use the T 2 T The braking system is very clever, sensing your braking, it then electronically brakes the car breaks over the minimum legal requirements. They also supply paperwork to take abroad in several languages, to the latest guide lines. The best part is the A frame does not have one of the caravan type hitches weighing a ton!! I'm so pleased with the system if anyone wants to take a look, send me a Pm. Your most welcome. Worcester based. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadows Engine Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Don,t tow your car on an A frame in Spain. I have just returned from 8 weeks in Spain (with my Smart on a bantam trailer)and was informed that It is illegal to use an A frame no matter how it is equiped and that our government has now accepted that situation, regardless of the fact that the practice is tolerated in the UK. I do not know if this also aplies to France. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 The Spanish have no right to ban it on a British reg' vehicle providing it complies fully with U/K towing regulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wba767 Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Thanks for your reply. Have been looking at the T2T website. Have you towed on the continent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snitrats Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Hi, If you choose the cable braking system, I would recomend Chris Cox (www.towingframes.com) who fitted mine at a very reasonable cost, plus collected and delivered the car to & from home. :-D Also check out ebay motors (Motorhome tow cars. Regards Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry1956 Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 hi, please note that some time this year the uk is going to fall into line with the rest of the EU, so please please check that you can use an A frame, and just don,t think that for year I have and nothing side, because maybe it will not be the case sometime this year. I would not know where to look or who to ask as like much of the laws re the EU the gov does not wish us to know until its too late. maybe some one on their travels in france etc, can ask in a police station. michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJP Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Meadows Engine - 2011-04-06 9:19 PM Don,t tow your car on an A frame in Spain. I have just returned from 8 weeks in Spain (with my Smart on a bantam trailer)and was informed that It is illegal to use an A frame no matter how it is equiped and that our government has now accepted that situation, regardless of the fact that the practice is tolerated in the UK. I do not know if this also aplies to France. John Can you tell us who informed you and on what did they base their opinion? Also, who in the British government accepted this decision and where is that information published? The practice is not just tolerated, it is not illegal, therefore it must be legal. If it was illegal there would not be several thousand good honest motorhomers breaking the law on a daily basis. IF just one person had been prosecuted surely we would have heard about it from one of the many forums. Please refrain from spreading these rumours without the necessary information to support them. Hearsay is not acceptable as being correct. Sorry to be so blunt, but that's the way it is. Black or white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I would of thought this is the ideal subject for MMM to do an in depth investigation on :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJP Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Just like the Fiat judder then :-| Where did that get us? *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wba767 Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 Just received email from T 2 T and they won't fit an a frame to a Smart post 2007. They say that the steering is too light and they may 'ozolate' at slow speeds. Any more ideas would be gratefully received. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snitrats Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 HI I am sure they know best, Looks Like a trailer! As it costs close to a grand to convert you car, its worth looking on say ebay motorhome tow cars,you can buy cars ready converted for the price of a conversion, just keep it for towing! :-D . PS Thincking about it I am sure I have seen converted smarts 08-09 ! could be wrong though. Keep looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadows Engine Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I was given this information at a Camping and Caravanning Club Rally at PlayaTropican about 2 weeks ago. It was included in a presentation to a large group regarding " The law and your Caravan / motorhome" It was stated that using an A frame was not alowed in Spain and that members had already been fined and made to remove the car from the A frame and have it driven along behind the motorhome. and that this practice was accepted by the UK government. Hence my advice, If this is not the case perhaps some one with a little more knowledge on the subject could advise what the situation is. I for one would like to know John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosbotham Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 The only impending legislation I'm aware of is that in 2014 there's EU legislation due which (in its current form, but given it's endorsing an existing standard it's unlikely to change) would outlaw the use of over-run/cable-braked systems. However, EU member states have 18 months to transpose Directives into national legislation, and they always take that long, so depending when in 2014 it'd hit UK legislation in H2/2015 or H1/2016. Insofar that there's no reason why you couldn't have an over-run system and simply disconnect the braking cable, installing a Brakebuddy system to do the braking instead, I'm comfortable that I'll stick with my Chris Cox and supplement it as necessary in a few years. Indeed, if I was buying today I'd get the same thing and wait to see what happens in a few years. I'm not totally comfortable with the T2T system. It's a nuance, but there's a technicality where I'm not convinced it's totally compliant. As I understand it, for electrically braked systems, it's a requirement that they're powered from the towing vehicle. On the T2T system, power is taken from the toad battery, which is continually charged from the towing vehicle. Question : if there was a catastrophic failure of the Smart battery, would the system take the power through from the towing vehicle? Dunno. In any case, going back to the original, talk of UK legislation this year as a result of EU legislation strikes me as nonsense, because fundamentally for that to happen the EU legislation would have had to have passed either last year or the year before. Bit difficult to cover that up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wba767 Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 Thanks for all the advice. it seems to be a very grey area and I'd just like to get it right. I'll keep looking but any other recommendations and experiences would be good. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Tow Bars 2 Tow Cars, show their product is CE Approval Certified & meets all current legislation. http://www.tow-bars2tow-cars.co.uk/index.php "Our unique electronic braking system gives you far more control over the braking of your tow-car, and it meets all European towing rules." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 This debate has been going on for years, 'is it or isn't it.' If it's a grey area then the only sure way to stay legal is to put it on a trailer. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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