Which A-Frame?

[ClareEC]

I am relatively new to motor-homing and want to tow a Kia Picanto behind my vehicle to enable me to do all the sightseeing etc that I want to do. I am looking into a-frames and have discovered there are 2 main types of frame - those that have elecrtonic braking and those with inertia braking systems. Each type of supplier is telling my their system is better, safer & 'more legal' than the other, so I am really confused. I will predominantly be travelling alone so need something that is reasonably manageable by myself. Any tips or advice from experienced motor-homers who have towed cars would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[PeterCarole29]

I am relatively new to motor-homing and want to tow a Kia Picanto behind my vehicle to enable me to do all the sightseeing etc that I want to do. I am looking into a-frames and have discovered there are 2 main types of frame - those that have elecrtonic braking and those with inertia braking systems. Each type of supplier is telling my their system is better, safer & 'more legal' than the other, so I am really confused. I will predominantly be travelling alone so need something that is reasonably manageable by myself. Any tips or advice from experienced motor-homers who have towed cars would be much appreciated. Thanks

I have had 2 smart cars that I have towed with a frames both frames were inertia they worked very well I liked the fact there was nothing to go wrong if fitted correct in my opinion

 

[Northernraider]

I have had 2 smart cars that I have towed with a frames both frames were inertia they worked very well I liked the fact there was nothing to go wrong if fitted correct in my opinion

That's where my thought lies.

Electronics can and do go wrong frequently. I prefer simple mechanics. Easier to fix

 

[Just us on Tour]

We went with TOW-BARS 2 TOW-CARS

The A frame is well made and they seem to have a good reputation. You just hitch it up and plug it in. It is a breaked system which works very well. I hardly notice it is there after a while.

They are up near Grimsby and we stayed at a local campsite for the night. They also loaned us a car for the day while they converted our little Fiat 500.

overall we are very pleased with it!

Yup , we used the same company . We have had 3 cars converted by them over the years . All been trouble free . I can’t recommend them enough .

 

[jollyrodger]

As an Ex AA patrol ,one method of breakdown was A-Bar . We were taught to be used only on recovery, no more than 40miles and max 40mph (which nobody stuck to )
That was underslung and rachet chained to suspension on vehicles that could be
a-bared.
Same equipment used to tow mates old Polo down to L'Ampolla Sp.
Coming off the ferry we were questioned by customs why we had it on the back ,answered broken down going to Morlaix so onwards we go.
Got away with it, as far as Lleida outskirts and pulled by GS .
Argued the toss for a while but still on the spot fine and told to disconnect.
Made a note of my passport details .
And then on our very way.

Just saying .

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[Carpmart]

I’ve had both. The electronic brake system we have from Towbars to Towcars is significantly superior to the overrun braking system one. I would definitely go that route.

 

[DDJC]

We went with TOW-BARS 2 TOW-CARS

The A frame is well made and they seem to have a good reputation. You just hitch it up and plug it in. It is a breaked system which works very well. I hardly notice it is there after a while.

They are up near Grimsby and we stayed at a local campsite for the night. They also loaned us a car for the day while they converted our little Fiat 500.

overall we are very pleased with it!

I don't recommend them. They said that my car, a Suzuki Ignis, was fine for an A Frame Towbar.

It totally isn't. They just wanted a sale.

Ask any mechanic. A roboticized gearbox with a west clutch cannot be flat towed. How did find out? Only two miles down the M25, we ground to a halt with smoke coming out from the bonnet of the Suzuki. Three grand for a new engine later, we spent another three grand on a trailer.

And they provided a piece of paper that we were supposed to show to any European cop, if we were stopped. After the new engine was fitted, I looked very carefully into this. The paper is nonsense. It quotes the Vienna convention, but misses the key issue of legality in the host country. A Frames are not legal in UK. They are just not illegal and the Dept of Transport won't make a ruling on it either way. Unless something is explicitly stated to be legal in the host country, Vienna doesn't apply. You can (currently) use an A Frame in Britain, and you are probably OK in Ireland, but that is all.

 

[eddie]

Looked into it, and had a Towbars 2 Towcars system fitted to our Suzuki Ignis three weeks ago. Modern, unobtrusive and you can reverse if you need to.

We had Car A Tow system on our last tow car, a Terios, and it was great at the time is very old, very heavy technology

My mate bought the Terios from us, and actually is using it this week while we are away, still works fine, but it’s greasy, messy and the irony is I’m helping him lug it around as he has a bad back

 

[rob1234]

had both types ,,i now have towaframe fitted, brilliant customer service ,,the old inertia one was 26kg put me off taking the car, as i could hardly lift, or stow it when on site ,,

 

[ClareEC]

Hi, ClareEC I have had both types- Brake cable and electric operated- On the brake cable type you have to make sure the cable is lubricated regularly as it can seize up and cause problems with towing a car with the brakes stuck on. (don't ask!)
With the electronic braked ones you don't have this problem- only difference is the price- can be a few hundred £s extra. Also you need to be aware of the weight of the unit- eg Total one was about 30kg- mine was a few years ago not sure if they are any lighter now, best to ask.
LNB units are about 15kg but there again more expensive but they use stainless steel for some of the components. Both types need getting used to for fitting, but eventually you should be able to do it in a few minutes.
Hope this helps your original question.
Cheers, Dave

Thank you Dave, very helpful. The weight and ease of use do have to be the main consideration for me.

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[ClareEC]

had both types ,,i now have towaframe fitted, brilliant customer service ,,the old inertia one was 26kg put me off taking the car, as i could hardly lift, or stow it when on site ,,

Thank you. Very helpful

 

[ClareEC]

I’ve had both. The electronic brake system we have from Towbars to Towcars is significantly superior to the overrun braking system one. I would definitely go that route.

Thanks. that's good to hear

 

[ClareEC]

I don't recommend them. They said that my car, a Suzuki Ignis, was fine for an A Frame Towbar.

It totally isn't. They just wanted a sale.

Ask any mechanic. A roboticized gearbox with a west clutch cannot be flat towed. How did find out? Only two miles down the M25, we ground to a halt with smoke coming out from the bonnet of the Suzuki. Three grand for a new engine later, we spent another three grand on a trailer.

And they provided a piece of paper that we were supposed to show to any European cop, if we were stopped. After the new engine was fitted, I looked very carefully into this. The paper is nonsense. It quotes the Vienna convention, but misses the key issue of legality in the host country. A Frames are not legal in UK. They are just not illegal and the Dept of Transport won't make a ruling on it either way. Unless something is explicitly stated to be legal in the host country, Vienna doesn't apply. You can (currently) use an A Frame in Britain, and you are probably OK in Ireland, but that is all.

Thanks for this. I am only planning on driving in the UK and Ireland so hopefully will be ok.

 

[ClareEC]

had both types ,,i now have towaframe fitted, brilliant customer service ,,the old inertia one was 26kg put me off taking the car, as i could hardly lift, or stow it when on site ,,

Very helpful. Thanks

 

[offagen]

It looks like you have used up your free posts ClareEC. To post more you will need to subscribe. £20 pa IIRC and very good value as you will have access to a lot of information and be able to post questions as often as you like. There are a lot of knowledgable members willing to help.

BTW if you prefer an easily manageable A-frame they don't come much lighter than the Tow-A-Fame one at around 7.5kg.

If you intend to also carry bike(s) on the back of your motorhome, make sure you get an A-frame with arms that extend enough that the bike carrier does not contact the car, particularly when turning.

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[gpat]

Nitpicking but A frames are neither legal or illegal in the UK.
There has never been a court precedence to decide but they are tolerated providing lighting, reflectors and braking complies with UK vehicle laws.
They are illegal in Europe.

I thought it was just Spain that didn't like them. You see one every 5 mins on the Spanish motorways so people must just risk it.

 

[Vic]

From what I have read here, Spain do not allow a vehicle to tow another vehicle. Therefore an a frame cannot be used.

 

[yorkiebar]

I thought it was just Spain that didn't like them. You see one every 5 mins on the Spanish motorways so people must just risk it.

That seems crazy to me. If the persons risking it were involved in an accident, perhaps their fault... I doubt that their insurers would say "yeah, we know it's not legal in Spain but we'll pay out for all the damage no worries!" Or would they refuse to pay up a penny.