hotwheel 123 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 hi to all can anyone tell me what size car i can tow on a roller 600 based on the transite with 2.4 eng (140bhp). Thanks (!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Hi you would need to look at the chassis plate and look at the gross train weight. That is your total weight of your mh (probably around 3500) and the weight you can tow. This will be a smaller weight poss around 1500 kg. Then you need to work out how much the car weighs and make sure with trailer or aframe. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 There is a stack of useful information here: http://www.smart-trailers.co.uk/ Smart cars are probably the commonest choice but a wide variety of small cars are towable. Likewise there are a selection of trailers (and A Frames) available. We tow a Toyota iQ3 on an Ifor Williams CT136SA. Beware choosing an A Frame system because the EU is making them illegal in November, even though they are currently widely used in UK. As advised above you need to look at your MH's maximum authorised towable weight, which is the MH's Maximum Authorised Mass (or Gross vehicle Weight) subtracted from the Gross Train Weight. Both figures should be on your vehicle's weight plate. MHs often have two plates, one applied by the chassis manufacturer and another by the MH converter. Sometimes the MH converter upgrades the chassis to allow the vehicle's payload and towable weight to be improved. A MH's towing ability might be limited by transmission loading or engine power as well as chassis overhang and strength. Fitting a towbar adds to the MH weight of course and so cmes off the payload. Trailers suitable for carrying a small car will usually weight 200-300kg (empty) and small cars vary from 800kg to 1100 or so. So find out your MH's towing capability, choose your trailer, then your car. Then check that the trailer will take the car - because most smart car trailers will only takeSmart cars for example and the Toyota iQ is too wide for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 StuartO - 2014-08-13 4:19 PM Then check that the trailer will take the car - because most smart car trailers will only takeSmart cars for example and the Toyota iQ is too wide for them. Also a Smart car has the engine in the rear and an IQ has it in the front . Makes a difference in balance and nose weight of the trailer/ Not sure about the new baby Fiats, In my day the engine as in the rear, nowadays who knows ? Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 tonyishuk - 2014-08-13 6:41 PM Also a Smart car has the engine in the rear and an IQ has it in the front . Makes a difference in balance and nose weight of the trailer. Rgds Good point. I have to load our iQ facing backwards on the trailer to get the balance right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 StuartO - 2014-08-13 4:19 PM There is a stack of useful information here: http://www.smart-trailers.co.uk/ Smart cars are probably the commonest choice but a wide variety of small cars are towable. Likewise there are a selection of trailers (and A Frames) available. We tow a Toyota iQ3 on an Ifor Williams CT136SA. Beware choosing an A Frame system because the EU is making them illegal in November, even though they are currently widely used in UK. As advised above you need to look at your MH's maximum authorised towable weight, which is the MH's Maximum Authorised Mass (or Gross vehicle Weight) subtracted from the Gross Train Weight. Both figures should be on your vehicle's weight plate. MHs often have two plates, one applied by the chassis manufacturer and another by the MH converter. Sometimes the MH converter upgrades the chassis to allow the vehicle's payload and towable weight to be improved. A MH's towing ability might be limited by transmission loading or engine power as well as chassis overhang and strength. Fitting a towbar adds to the MH weight of course and so cmes off the payload. Trailers suitable for carrying a small car will usually weight 200-300kg (empty) and small cars vary from 800kg to 1100 or so. So find out your MH's towing capability, choose your trailer, then your car. Then check that the trailer will take the car - because most smart car trailers will only takeSmart cars for example and the Toyota iQ is too wide for them. Most of the above is right, the bit I disagree with is the part about A-Frames being made illegal in the UK, This is NOT true, at least everyone I have contacted (including the Caravan Club who insure both my Motorhome and my car which it tows on an A-Frame) say that the law IS NOT changing ?? The Company who produce my system : http://www.caratow.com/ Also tell me that they will still be legal (in the UK) definately not in Spain though of course. The recourse to a trailer is not available to me, as the tow limit on my Savannah is 1060kg which happens to be the weight of my car (a Toyota Yaris) and the A-frame. My advice would be to check your tow limit carefully, as I was all set to buy an Ivor Williams trailer for my car, UNTIL i checked the weight limit. After a 4 month period of towing on an A-Frame whilst away, I can say that it tows very safely, it is stable, the overrun brake system works efficiently and the van tows it effortlessly, make sure that you have a rearview camera 'to keep an eye on it' that works when the ignition is switched on, (as a rear view system). Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Towing your small car on an A frame saves the weight of the trailer and I had one for a while and it towed without difficulty. (I got rid because I found it to cumbersome hitching up, because it's like tugging a four wheel trailer on to the hitch. But lots of people like A frames and in recent years the suppliers have introduced ways of boosting the braking efficiency, which was one of the weaknesses. Because the towed car's engine is off the brake servo doesn't work so without extra boosting the braking would be degraded. There is going to be some sort of tightening up in November by the EU. I don't know the details but there has been plenty of coverage on the forums. A frame towing has been regarded as legal by lots of people, including thise who sell the equipment and no one has been prosecuted in UK. This might simply be that it isn't worth thepaperwork for a British Bobby to prosecute. There are lots opf people who regard A frames as alays having been illegal in UK. This is because a car on an A frame becomes a trailer and trailers over 500 kg have to have efficient brakes, which a simple cable-pull system on to the car's brake pedal cannot achieve. Hence the efforts in recent years to add extra brake boosting to A frame installations. Lots of motorhomers have been prosecuted in Spain, where the police can issue on-the-spot fines, i.e. no need for paperwork and courts so taking an A frame outfit to Spain is asking for trouble. Once the law changes in November, other EU police forces which can issue on-the-spot fines might start doing the same, so the practice might well spread. Buying a car plus A frame combination for use in UK might still be viable and they will probably get cheaper. You might not get stopped. Buying a new A frame to fit to a car is a much more expensive commitment and risks a more expensive outcome if you do get stopped. If you have the towing capacity, towing a small car on a trailer is definitely legal (including Spain) and will remain so. You can also reverse wirh a trailer on, but not, or not easily or for very far, with an A frame. Your choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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