Need to move a car - ideas?

Nathan · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:38

Hi there,

I need to pick a car up locally to me. It has one broken front spring and one slashed tyre (spring went through it). It also needs tax and MOT.

How can I get it back to my house? My dad has an old landrover which is capable of towing. I take it I cant tow a car unless it has tax and mot? I think the only method possible is to hire a car trailer from a local garage, if I ask nicely. I am also a member of the AA, but they wont touch it without t&t I dont think.

-westy- · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:45

if you can get another tyre on it, then try and borrow a solid towing bar from someone, you can legally tow it then.

Nathan · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:47

Yes, I could bash the spring around with a hammer and put the spare on, that would be an option. Could I fabricate a solid towing bar?

[TW]Fox · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:48

-westy- said:
if you can get another tyre on it, then try and borrow a solid towing bar from someone, you can legally tow it then.

Surely you can't do this without tax and MOT - it needs to be on a trailer or have the driven wheels lifted?

-westy- · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:49

Nathan said:
Yes, I could bash the spring around with a hammer and put the spare on, that would be an option. Could I fabricate a solid towing bar?

Can't see why not, as long as its secure. We got ours online for about £25, its come in handy quite a few times. I'll ask my dad later on where he got it from.

-westy- · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:50

[TW]Fox said:
Surely you can't do this without tax and MOT - it needs to be on a trailer or have the driven wheels lifted?

As the car is connected with a solid towing bar, it effectively becomes a trailer. So can be towed without tax and MOT.

Nathan · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:50

something like this?

tow bar

-westy- · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:51

yep, thats pretty much the exact one that we've got. Depending on how far you're going, you'll also need a numberplate/light board.

[TW]Fox · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:53

But surely when it is made into a 'trailer' by use of a solid towbar, it becomes a trailer and is thus governed by the laws relating to the use of a trailer.

This means that if the trailers weight is in excess of 750kg, it MUST be braked. As it is a car, it isn't.

paradigm · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:54

[TW]Fox said:
This means that if the trailers weight is in excess of 750kg, it MUST be braked. As it is a car, it isn't.

Unless someone is sat in it and brakes?

Nathan · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:54

[TW]Fox said:
But surely when it is made into a 'trailer' by use of a solid towbar, it becomes a trailer and is thus governed by the laws relating to the use of a trailer.

This means that if the trailers weight is in excess of 750kg, it MUST be braked. As it is a car, it isn't.

Its only 20 miles, so I dont think it will be too much hassle

-westy- · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:55

paradigm said:
Unless someone is sat in it and brakes?

Yep, you'd need someone to sit in it and steer anyway

[TW]Fox · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:55

paradigm said:
Unless someone is sat in it and brakes?

It still counts as an unbraked trailer - a braked trailer is one which has brakes controlled by the towing vehicle.

paradigm · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:55

Nathan said:
Its only 20 miles, so I dont think it will be too much hassle

20 Miles is a damn long way to tow a car tbh. I hated being on tow for just 3 miles.

-westy- · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:56

[TW]Fox said:
It still counts as an unbraked trailer - a braked trailer is one which has brakes controlled by the towing vehicle.

We had no hassle towing a car over 100 miles using this method, we were followed by police on several occasions

[TW]Fox · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:56

Nathan said:
Its only 20 miles, so I dont think it will be too much hassle

If you were going to adopt this sort of viewpoint on it, why did you even ask if you could tow a car with no MOT? I'd have thought towing an unsuitable trailer is thought of more seriously than no MOT, if anything.

[TW]Fox · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:57

-westy- said:
We had no hassle towing a car over 100 miles using this method, we were followed by police on several occasions

"Someone I once knew" drove past a police car at 50 in a 40 the other day, must be 100% legal if they did nothing about it eh

Nathan · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:58

[TW]Fox said:
If you were going to adopt this sort of viewpoint on it, why did you even ask if you could tow a car with no MOT? I'd have thought towing an unsuitable trailer is thought of more seriously than no MOT, if anything.

Meh, looks like it will be ok if if westy has done it over 100 miles. Its better than driving it without insurance, tax and MOT which I was going to do.

[TW]Fox · 14 Jun 2006 at 10:59

If you are going to do something, do it properly, don't bodge it.

Hire a braked car trailer from a reputable hire company. Tow the car properly, on the trailer, using the landrover.

Job done, legally and safely.

The fact westy did 100 miles is irrelevent, refer to the analogy above

Nathan · 14 Jun 2006 at 11:01

If its going to save me money then I have no problem doing it 80% legally

I take chances daily. I will ask the local garage if he ll let me borrow his trailer for an hour on saturday for a bit of cash though