Ambitious towbars

[Stuew]

[Stuew]

[Barry Cade]

  On 08/09/2024 at 19:02, Stuew said:

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[Gompo]

A 750 FIRE, no less.

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Mate used to tow camping trailer with his fiat 126 & a freedom microlight caravan with his panda.

[EyesWeldedShut]

  On 08/09/2024 at 23:48, sheffcortinacentre said:

Mate used to tow camping trailer with his fiat 126 & a freedom microlight caravan with his panda.

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Our Freedom has a plated 630kg unladen weight with 750kg all up. It’s kind of easy to forget that it’s on the back at times, especially in a van.

The Polish builders used to use a Polski 126 in their ads can’t find one off hand so here’s another 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Yep made by them ,they used the wheel( & I think brakes from 126) the also made a small fibreglass trailer that again used the wheels & engine cover lock/handle (possibly hinges for the lid.

If Richard was still with us he would've known.

[sdkrc]

[UltraWomble]

  On 08/05/2021 at 16:30, sdkrc said:

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I see your Tripod and raise you....

[Madman Of The People]

USA magazine ad for the Volvo 740 Turbo estate.

 

[Rust Collector]

Saturday shenanigans:

Only used on farm tracks though, it didn’t see the road. The other stuff with tow bars were either blocked in or had flat batteries, and the twin axle trailer needed to go up to the stables.

[mat777]

  On 16/09/2024 at 12:28, Rust Collector said:

Saturday shenanigans:

Only used on farm tracks though, it didn’t see the road. The other stuff with tow bars were either blocked in or had flat batteries, and the twin axle trailer needed to go up to the stables.

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There was a photo going round a while ago of a new Fiat 500 towing an IBC on a plant trailer 😅

Meanwhile, in the office of the car supermarket I'm currently at:

[sdkrc]

[mat777]

Just found thing whilst clearing out some old pics....

I can only assume the situation WAS initially reversed, until a breakdown happened 😅

(bonus flat tyre for extra idiot points too!)

[sheffcortinacentre]

Just remember we share the roads with these people.

[Barry Cade]

  On 04/01/2025 at 22:43, sheffcortinacentre said:

Just remember we share the roads with these people.

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What's the problem? He's got beacons.  That is the vehicular equivalent of diplomatic immunity.

[mat777]

  On 04/01/2025 at 23:06, Barry Cade said:

What's the problem? He's got beacons.  That is the vehicular equivalent of diplomatic immunity.

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Is it just me that automatically read those last 2 words in a South African accent? 🤣

[horriblemercedes]

It's been revoked. 

[Metal Guru]

  On 04/01/2025 at 22:21, sdkrc said:

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Love to see that go round a corner

[Stuew]

[Metal Guru]

  On 05/01/2025 at 16:27, Stuew said:

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You have to worry about other decisions they may have made in their life.

[Rust Collector]

Maybe not quite within the confines of ‘ambitious’, but I think that this image of an air cooled V8 Tatra 613 towing what looks to be a Tatra 57 has a delightful aura of shonkiness to it.

[sierraman]

  On 06/01/2025 at 03:53, Metal Guru said:

You have to worry about other decisions they may have made in their life.

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Imagine what their house is like. Built off a a smear of mortar over some paving slabs probably. 🤣

[inconsistant]

  On 16/09/2024 at 10:27, UltraWomble said:

I see your Tripod and raise you....

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I’ll see your, err… Bond Minicar?? and raise you a Bond Bug

 

[RayMK]

The Renault 12, Renault 20 and the Stellar all had towbars which I fitted (all Witters, if I remember correctly).  All were used to tow the 1963 Robin caravan in the picture.  Only the R12 proved to be ambitious, needing 3rd gear most of the time to maintain 50mph and was not anywhere near as stable as the other two which hardly noticed the 'van.  Photo was taken in 1986 or 7.  The R12 had been ok with our previous Chateau Mobile trailer tent.

I've got a 1950s magazine road test of a Reliant Regal MK1 or 2  towing a lightweight caravan.  Apparently the speed limit for such an outfit back then was 30mph - which it could exceed on the flat despite having <17bhp.  I'll try to find the article and add it later.   

[Faker]

  On 20/02/2023 at 12:51, Talbot said:

 

This is also why vehicles have GTW weights rather than "towing" weights.  You can trade weight between the trailer and vehicle within certain limits, as the overall limit is based on how much weight can actually be dragged up an incline.  

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Hi Talbot. This is largely correct to a certain degree… I have an ix35 with a kerb weight of 1675. With 5 people and some luggage, it can have a gross weight of 2300kg. Now it has a GTW of 4300kg… meaning with a full compliment of occupants it can still legally tow 2000kg on a braked trailer. Now whether the tow car is empty, or full to the gills… it can only ever tow up to 2000kg. The plated towing limits never change.

The only time you can move weight around or play with limits is with the C1+E license category. Basically a 7.5t license holder is restricted to 7.5t plus a trailer of 750kg. Meaning a GTW limit of 8250kg. Any heavier and the driver requires an HGV license. So the likes of a 5ton gross Iveco Daily crew-cab is under 7.5, and has a towing capacity of 3.5t. . So as long as the weight of truck and trailer are under 8250kg, you’re good to go (iveco of some sort on a weigh bridge around 4t can pull the full 3.5t trailer. The permitted trailer weight is governed by the actual weight of the tow vehicle - so a fully laden 5t iveco daily twin wheel crew-cab can’t actually tow 3.5t using a C1+E).

[sdkrc]

[PhilA]

  On 12/03/2025 at 21:41, sdkrc said:

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What's worse is I see Colorado plates so they might be trying to go up and down hills with that assemblage... Big hills.

[Talbot]

  On 12/03/2025 at 21:39, Faker said:

Now whether the tow car is empty, or full to the gills… it can only ever tow up to 2000kg. The plated towing limits never change.

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This is wrong.  The only thing that matters is the GVW and GTW.  If your car is at 2200kg weight and has a GTW of 4300kg, then the trailer can be 2100kg and you are within your weights.  Weight that the car is below it's GVW can be traded for trailer weight, as long as you stay within your GTW.

There is wrong information about this all over the internet.  Many people insist (in line with what you've said) that you can't tow more than (GTW-GVW) which simply isn't true.

My W210 for instance is 2310kg GVW and 4410kg GTW.  If the car weighs 1800kg with me and a bit of fuel in it, then I can tow 2600kg.  And have.

If it's loaded up to max weight at 2310kg, I can then only tow 2100kg.

[Faker]

  On 14/03/2025 at 13:51, Talbot said:

This is wrong.  The only thing that matters is the GVW and GTW.  If your car is at 2200kg weight and has a GTW of 4300kg, then the trailer can be 2100kg and you are within your weights.  Weight that the car is below it's GVW can be traded for trailer weight, as long as you stay within your GTW.

There is wrong information about this all over the internet.  Many people insist (in line with what you've said) that you can't tow more than (GTW-GVW) which simply isn't true.

My W210 for instance is 2310kg GVW and 4410kg GTW.  If the car weighs 1800kg with me and a bit of fuel in it, then I can tow 2600kg.  And have.

If it's loaded up to max weight at 2310kg, I can then only tow 2100kg.

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Hi talbot. Not going to get in to a mud slinging war here chief… but I work in enforcement. You can not increase the towing limit of a vehicle by taking advantage of the tow car being lighter than its permitted maximum weight.  I will produce the legislation for you to view. Your Mercedes w210 most definitely has a towing capacity limit of 2100kg.