Towing a small car.

[AG 2602]

Hi All,
Some advise would be appreciated.
Never really wanted to tow a car behind the MH as we were always happy to walk out with the dog to wherever we needed to go.
However dog is now getting older so long walks of 6/7 miles are out of the question (especially hills). He can manage 4 miles on the flat (and he seems to enjoy it) with an hours rest in between which works OK but we miss the hills!!

We were planning either the Lakes or Scotland in Sept but feel we won't really see much. However if we had a small car then maybe we could drive further afield, and then do our walking at the top of hills rather than hiking up them.
We are already half way there as we have the following.

• Peugeot 107
• Tow bar already fitted to MH

Do people think this is a good move?
Anyone recommend a company near Bristol that could convert the car?

Alternatively we could spend all our holidays in Norfolk!!

 

[AG 2602]

For our small dog (shih tzu) we use a rucksack - originally a basic dog specific one from Amazon, now we've modified a good quality child carrier as it has a far better back system (from a proper rucksack manufacturer, so fully adjustable). He can stand and look out, or curl up and go to sleep.
The means we can walk as far as we want, and when he's had enough or wants a rest he can get in the sack and I'll carry him. He's going blind, so finds it stressful to be in places with lots of people (like towns) even when he's not tired - the rucksack lets him come with us everywhere and if he is walking tail down we offer the bag to him; he'll sometimes stand up to be lifted in, other times he'll want to continue walking and walk around it. His choice! It's also really nice as he can put his head up by mine, and I can talk to him as we go.

Probably not ideal for a larger dog though, unless you are particularly strong.

He’s a bit of a lump English Bull cross at 26kg so I might struggle!!

 

[mofurt]

Only about 20kg more than ours, should be easy to carry

 

[AG 2602]

Update
Contacted LNB in Bristol they actually had a car for sell with their kit already attached.

So drove the MH over and whilst the car wasn’t what we were looking for I was very impressed with the Towmaster 2 kit and the guys there seemed to know their stuff.

Anyway long story short they checked the MH electrics and all seemed ok just need an upgrade £200 not sure what this was for they did tell my but it was a case of information overload!! I’ll check Monday.
Also found a car that was being sold privately a 2020 Aygo with Towmaster 2 already fitted so looks like we are all sorted.

Thanks everyone

 

[rob1234]

Update
Contacted LNB in Bristol they actually had a car for sell with their kit already attached.

So drove the MH over and whilst the car wasn’t what we were looking for I was very impressed with the Towmaster 2 kit and the guys there seemed to know their stuff.

Anyway long story short they checked the MH electrics and all seemed ok just need an upgrade £200 not sure what this was for they did tell my but it was a case of information overload!! I’ll check Monday.
Also found a car that was being sold privately a 2020 Aygo with Towmaster 2 already fitted so looks like we are all sorted.

Thanks everyone

Yes they told me I would need my motorhome electrics updated...nobody else thought it needed updated...so I went with towaframe...

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[emjaiuk]

We were one of the first with an A frame, since our first motorhome was a 30' RV. Had a Car-a-Tow for over 30 years. I don't know your age or fitness, but be aware that some A Frames which work from an overrun brake can be very very heavy. We struggle with our Car-a-Tow now, and am seriously thinking of changing to LNB, What I've seen of theirs I'm very impressed, expensive, but IMHO well worth the cost. Although we towed on the continent for 20 odd years, we don't these days due to the uncertainty in some countries. For this reason we are thinking of making our next toad a Smart car, so that if we so decide we'll have the option of a trailer for the continent.
For those who may resurrect the 'why not a caravan' argument, the final trigger for us getting a motorhome was getting literally soaked to the skin one year in Spain getting from the car to the caravan

 

[AG 2602]

Another update.

Today I spoke to LNB and the upgrade is required to the 13 pin socket to full function so that it trickle charges the tow car battery.

Unfortunately they can’t do anything until the end of May and we were planning to take it away end of April.
I spoke to an independent auto electrician (also booked until end of May) who seemed to think I wouldn’t be driving it far enough to drain the car battery whilst towing.
So the question is should I take a chance on towing if I can’t get the work done before we go away?

 

[Guffy60]

Another update.

Today I spoke to LNB and the upgrade is required to the 13 pin socket to full function so that it trickle charges the tow car battery.

Unfortunately they can’t do anything until the end of May and we were planning to take it away end of April.
I spoke to an independent auto electrician (also booked until end of May) who seemed to think I wouldn’t be driving it far enough to drain the car battery whilst towing.
So the question is should I take a chance on towing if I can’t get the work done before we go away?

You can always stop part way and let the car engine run at a fast idle to put some charge back into the battery

 

[rob1234]

Another update.

Today I spoke to LNB and the upgrade is required to the 13 pin socket to full function so that it trickle charges the tow car battery.

Unfortunately they can’t do anything until the end of May and we were planning to take it away end of April.
I spoke to an independent auto electrician (also booked until end of May) who seemed to think I wouldn’t be driving it far enough to drain the car battery whilst towing.
So the question is should I take a chance on towing if I can’t get the work done before we go away?

hi I'm not sure but they seem to be the only ones that say this ,,lots of people who tow ,dont have the car battery charging, while its being towed ,,

 

[Marie-Claire]

We dont have our aygo on charge, we were advised to shutt down the screen on the dash as that draws the most power.

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[Maggie and Raddie]

We make sure our Aygo is getting trickle charged. You would be surprised how quick it will go flat if not. I was. Indicators, brake lights etc.

 

[David and Sally]

We make sure our Aygo is getting trickle charged. You would be surprised how quick it will go flat if not. I was. Indicators, brake lights etc.

The road lights will be run from the towing vehicle. The radio will kill the toad battery so we switched ours off.

 

[AG 2602]

Right so I think we will take a chance what’s the worst that can happen I have to recharge the toad battery!
So turn off radio and screen in toad and the towing vehicle operates the lights and indicators on toad

Thanks all as usual your feed back is much appreciated

 

[rob1234]

Right so I think we will take a chance what’s the worst that can happen I have to recharge the toad battery!
So turn off radio and screen in toad and the towing vehicle operates the lights and indicators on toad

Thanks all as usual your feed back is much appreciated

Good idea...and get yourself a little jump pack...very hand to carry in the motorhome..

 

[Happy Jim]

AG 2602 my van had 7 pin electrics fitted and needed upgrading to 13 pin when I got a fiat500 with the LNB kit fitted…..my old 7 pin electrics wouldn’t “properly“ work the brake lights or indicators, so if you are going to use your existing setup just make sure all the lights on the Toad actually work when hooked up.
When they fitted the 13 pin kit it came with a widget box that could handle the LED lights on the tow car!

Jim

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[AG 2602]

AG 2602 my van had 7 pin electrics fitted and needed upgrading to 13 pin when I got a fiat500 with the LNB kit fitted…..my old 7 pin electrics wouldn’t “properly“ work the brake lights or indicators, so if you are going to use your existing setup just make sure all the lights on the Toad actually work when hooked up.
When they fitted the 13 pin kit it came with a widget box that could handle the LED lights on the tow car!

Jim

Thanks Jim I’ll be checking it on Saturday when I get the car.
I’ve got the 13 pin socket and the guys at LNB have tested and said that all in working order just needed the upgrade for the trickle charge.
Fingers crossed all works ok

 

[Badknee]

hi I'm not sure but they seem to be the only ones that say this ,,lots of people who tow ,dont have the car battery charging, while its being towed ,,

We do

 

[Northernraider]

If you fit a battery isolator on the positive terminal of the tow car and just isolate the battery when it's being towed it won't drain . The lights etc work from the mh so it doesn't need to be connected. It takes less than a minute to isolate etc.
Also an added anti theft bonus

 

[Happy Jim]

If you fit a battery isolator on the positive terminal of the tow car and just isolate the battery when it's being towed it won't drain . The lights etc work from the mh so it doesn't need to be connected. It takes less than a minute to isolate etc.
Also an added anti theft bonus

Don’t do this on a car fitted with the LNB Towmaster system, it uses the cars battery to run a small Vac pump for the servo and an actuator for the brakes.

Cheers
Jim

 

[Northernraider]

From reading this thread the Lnb system sounds expensive and complicated .

Both toads I owned ( albeit briefly ) were a simple caratow mechanical over run braked and an ordinary 7 pin socket. Ignition on to take steering lock off and battery isolated while towing to stop any drainage. Lights worked off tow vehicle, simple and inexpensive

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[Marie-Claire]

We decided against the electronic braking also, even without brakes the aygo isnt heavy enough to affect the mh braking capability

 

[rob1234]

From reading this thread the Lnb system sounds expensive and complicated .

Both toads I owned ( albeit briefly ) were a simple caratow mechanical over run braked and an ordinary 7 pin socket. Ignition on to take steering lock off and battery isolated while towing to stop any drainage. Lights worked off tow vehicle, simple and inexpensive

for me i went for towaframe expensive,, yes but at 9kg i can fit it easily on to car, the last one i could hardly lift ,put me off taking the car ,,now its connected up in a couple of mins and i am happy with it stored in the boot ,,i did not like the idea of putting nearly 30 kg in the boot and driving around with in there ,,if you were to have an accident, i can assume, it would do some damage if it came though the windscreen , but that was my choice and i am very happy so far

 

[AG 2602]

Yes I’m already committed to the purchase and happy with the reviews on the Towmaster so only time will tell.

 

[Northernraider]

for me i went for towaframe expensive,, yes but at 9kg i can fit it easily on to car, the last one i could hardly lift ,put me off taking the car ,,now its connected up in a couple of mins and i am happy with it stored in the boot ,,i did not like the idea of putting nearly 30 kg in the boot and driving around with in there ,,if you were to have an accident, i can assume, it would do some damage if it came though the windscreen , but that was my choice and i am very happy so far

Hmm

The 2 tow cars I had , one a Renault clio the other a suzuki alto both came with towkits , they were certainly never In the 30kg region as that's a 2 man lift , I'd have estimated 15-20kg max , they were made of steel , I would expect them all to be made out of steel and considering the job they are doing and the fact that a frames are already a grey area I'm not sure I'd trust one that was made out of lighter material.

In addition I very rarely had the frame in the car boot , if I was using the car with the motorhome then I'd leave the frame with the van when using the car , when just using the car as my daily driver I left the frame in the shed. I know they're designed to be carried In the boot buy I never saw the point.

 

[rob1234]

Hmm

The 2 tow cars I had , one a Renault clio the other a suzuki alto both came with towkits , they were certainly never In the 30kg region as that's a 2 man lift , I'd have estimated 15-20kg max , they were made of steel , I would expect them all to be made out of steel and considering the job they are doing and the fact that a frames are already a grey area I'm not sure I'd trust one that was made out of lighter material.

In addition I very rarely had the frame in the car boot , if I was using the car with the motorhome then I'd leave the frame with the van when using the car , when just using the car as my daily driver I left the frame in the shed. I know they're designed to be carried In the boot buy I never saw the point.

Armitages Motorhome Towing A-Frame. Versions for cars Up-to-1550kg versions weigh 28kg. ok i was 2 kg over ,,i did say nearly 30kgs ,,I'm sure towaframe have had there units tested to pull the appropriate cars dont think they just make them and hope they dont snap off when towing ,,

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[heliart]

We ended up getting a tow car for the same reasons...an ageing dog. We love the flexibility it provides.

We used LNB Towbars in Bristol (Aztec West, Bristol) - they were very helpful. Great system (Towmaster 2), easy to fix and remove, all stowable in the boot.

LNB here too.
Insurance for the MH and car were not really interested in the towing aspect.
btw, I needed a 5 door car to tow (got 3 dogs and the wife). One is 17 years old, the other is over 50KG. I'll let you guess who/which

 

[AG 2602]

Got the car and electrics sorted towed it over to west wales and working out really well. First campsite was extremely remote so the car was really handy for getting out and about! Bit of a game changer!
Now on Wiseman’s Campsite in Saundersfoot, we have only been here a couple of hours but a great site right on the beach.
Thanks for all the help/advice.
Happy Travels

 

[the1andonly]

I also have the towaframe system and very happy with it.
It is simular to the LNB in that it uses the cars battery to run a small pump for the servo and an actuator for the brakes, it differs in that it requires 2 signals to opperate the actuator the brake light signal from MH and an accelarometer, we are braking and not stopped. The LNB system continues to drain battery whilst foot is on brake, hence need for trickle charge.(or did when i investigated 4 years ago)
Note there are at least 2 types of 13 pin cable out there,.
one is effectivly just the 12N connections and will not charge and the full 12/13 pin version. (In most cases of 13 pin connectors pin 13 is not used) Pin 13 in draft specs was for trailer identification.

 

[robnchris]

Or from a different point of view do what we do, when you get to where you want to be and you feel the need for a car, we just pick up the phone and hire a car, more often or not they will deliver and when you are finished with they will come and pick it up.
Saves all the cost and hassle of buying, towing, maintenance etc etc.

 

[the1andonly]

Hiring an option for some.
Me toad is car 1, so already exists, no real cost. Towing no agravTion, even wife is happy to, moreso than a caravan, not at all happy to tow a c.

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[Mike123]

How things evolve - buy a motorhome, some time later, a car would be nice, buy a toad car to get from A-B.

Want to go abroad - Um that's a problem.

Then you end up buying a trailer and take the car on hols with us....... - Love it