CAR-A-TOW whats the rules in france (1 Viewer)

[mark91068]

Hi I am off to france in August 2010 and towing my Fiat sicento on a bracked car-a-tow, I have tried to read the regs :Blush:can someone tel me in plain English is it leagle to tow in france:Sad:

 

[vwalan]

yes .as a visitor you should be able to go through europe with no probs. also i think its towtal or one of them as a french firm jattell i think thats got homolagation for a frames .i actually met him in maroc last winter . if you go on the manufacturers webb sites they give you a letter in several languages that should cover you. some one will come in a minute that knows where the letters are .sorry i cant use these things very good but talk alot. hee hee. cheers alan.

 

[Ash]

Yes , we have an A-Framed car and it is Legal to tow it in France , have you got the documentation for your A-Frame to carry with you ? I believe it is Spain & Portugal where there may be a problem .

Ash:thumb:

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[mark91068]

yes just downloaded it thanks for the help:thumb:

 

[weymard]

I confirm, it is now legal in France:thumb::thumb:

 

[lebesset]

my gendarme neighbour tells me that if there is a french homologation it is ok , but not otherwise ; I get the impression this is fairly recent , they all used to be illegal ..is that so ?

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[vwalan]

before jattel got the homolagation it was ilegal for a french registered /frenchman to use one as a visitor we could use the eu law of ok in uk as to be legal in all eu.
holland as a similar problem .
i have aframed volkswagens to holland and germany many times and always it caused alot of enquiries at the vw shows .mine never had brakes but never been a problem.
also used a single spec to tow the trikes all over europe .again no brakes .dont know how we got away with it ,was oner 13 yrs ago mind you.
here our local salvage yard travel miles with a car on a spec lift dragging the back wheels ,no brakes ,never have a problem asked only last week when i was there.
they are one of the biggest in south west.
cheers alan.

 

[lebesset]

well , as far as I can see this business of it's ok in the uk so it is ok everywhere in the EU is just tosh

eg , a 44 tonne truck operating legally in the UK can only run at 40 tonnes elsewhere [ unless carrying an ISO container ]

and don't try telling a spanish guardia man that unless you are prepared to put your hand in your pocket !

 

[scotjimland]

As I understand it,

In the UK everything is legal until made illegal, whereas on continental Europe, everything is illegal until made legal.

According to the DVLA, 'A' frames are legal provided the towed vehicle conforms to trailer regs.. but AFAIK this has never been tested in court..

Until now I believe the French and German police have turned a blind eye to visitors with 'A' frames. .. but not so the Spanish, they have legislation forbidding 'towing a car with all wheels on the ground'.

Wymard,

I confirm, it is now legal in France

.. have you seen the legislation or can you point to a site with the information ?

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[vwalan]

jim ,i cant remember if it towtal or caratow .jattel is their outlet in france .he parked next to me in larache winter before last .i questioned him and he produced the paper work showing all the trouble he had getting the homolagation ,. i also talked with the british side at malvern last year and we talked about mr jattel .(hope thats how you spell his name)
i had a card from him but lost it .
really i think either you do or you dont tow every where . if you want peace and quiet dont do it.
if you need a car when you get to where you are going .then use a car n caravan or get a 5er .chuck a small m,cycle in the back sorted. definately a car on a trailer seems like alot of space when unloaded .
cheers alan.

 

[scotjimland]

jim ,i cant remember if it towtal or caratow .jattel is their outlet in france .he parked next to me in larache winter before last .i questioned him and he produced the paper work showing all the trouble he had getting the homolagation ,.
cheers alan.

Hi Alan

I knew about Jattel and it is the Car A Tow frame..

on their website they have the legislation they are using to say it's legal in France.

What do you make of it ??

http://www.jattel.com/accueil_030.htm



French to English translation:

Community legislation in force

Document 394L0020

394L0020
Directive 94/20/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 May 1994 concerning the mechanical coupling devices of motor vehicles and their trailers and their attachment to those vehicles
Official Journal No L 195, 29/07/1994 P. 0001 - 0060
Finnish special edition ...: Chapter 13 Volume 26 P. 136
Swedish special edition ...: Chapter 13 Volume 26 P. 136

Text:

DIRECTIVE 94/20/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 30 May 1994 on the mechanical coupling devices of motor vehicles and their trailers and their attachment to those vehicles
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 100a
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1)
After consulting the Economic and Social Committee (2)
Acting in accordance with procedure laid down in Article 189b Treaty (3)
Whereas the internal market comprises an area without internal frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is ensured; it is important to adopt measures necessary for that purpose;
Whereas the technical requirements to be met by motor vehicles and their trailers under the national laws relate, inter alia, the mechanical couplings of vehicles;
Whereas these requirements differ from one Member State to another, it is necessary that the same requirements are adopted by all Member States is in addition to or instead of their existing regulations to allow such implementation of the EEC type that is the subject of Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to the type of motor vehicles and their trailers (4);
Whereas this Directive is one of the directives under the approval procedure has been established by Directive 70/156/EEC, therefore, the provisions in Directive 70/156/EEC on the systems, components and separate technical vehicles will apply to this Directive;
Whereas, to improve road safety and to facilitate the interchangeability of motor vehicles and trailers in international traffic, it is important that all types of vehicles forming a road train or articulated vehicle shall be equipped with systems mechanical coupling standardized and harmonized;
Whereas it is desirable to follow the technical requirements of Regulation No. 55 of the ECE (Economic Commission for Europe UN) on uniform provisions concerning the coupling of mechanical combinations of vehicles, that the regulation is annexed to the Agreement of 20 March 1958 concerning the adoption of uniform conditions of approval and reciprocal recognition of receipt of equipment and parts for motor vehicles;
Whereas international standards (ISO) were mainly taken into account for the uniform size of the mechanical coupling systems to ensure the interchangeability of individual vehicles forming road trains or articulated vehicles and ensure the free movement of goods within Member States,
HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:


Article I
For purposes of this Directive, means:
- "Vehicle", any motor vehicle as defined in Article 2 of Directive 70/156/EEC, complete or incomplete, intended for use on the road, having at least four wheels and a maximum design speed exceeding 25 km / h, and its trailers, with the exception of vehicles which run on rails, agricultural and forestry tractors and all mobile machinery,
- "Type of mechanical coupling, a mechanical coupling device for which the type of a component within the meaning of Article 2 of Directive 70/156/EEC, can be issued.

Article 2
Member States may not refuse:
- The EEC type-approval or national type of vehicle, or refuse or prohibit the sale, registration, circulation or use for reasons relating to its optional equipment devices coupling mechanical
- To grant EEC component type-approval or national type of a component for a mechanical coupling, or prohibit the sale or use of a mechanical coupling device,
it meets the requirements set out in Annexes to this Directive.

Article 3
States shall adopt and publish the laws, regulations and administrative provisions to comply with this Directive within eighteen months after the date of its adoption. They shall forthwith inform the Commission.
When Member States adopt these measures, these shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such references on their official publication. The procedure for such reference shall be adopted by Member States.
They apply those provisions eighteen months after the date of adoption of this Directive.

Article 4
Member States are recipients of this Directive.

Done at Brussels, 30 May 1994.
For the European Parliament The President E. KLEPSCH Council The President Th PANGALOS
(1) OJ No C 134, 25. 5. 1992 p. 36.
(2) OJ No C 313, 30. 11. 1992 p. 10.
(3) Opinion of the European Parliament of 29 October 1992 (OJ No C 305, 23. 11. 1992, p. 115). Council Common Position of 27 September 1993 (not issued in the Official Journal). Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
(4) OJ No L 42, 23. 2. 1970, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive 92/53/EEC (OJ No L 225, 10. 8. 1992, p. 1).

 

[Wintonian]

Trailer Legislation - EU

Just as I uploaded the identical post to Jim's I saw that his was posted 1 minute earlier! So I have deleted the repeated legislation. Thanks Jim.

I will highlight, though, the following:

Article 2
Member States may not refuse:
- The EEC type-approval or national type of vehicle, or refuse or prohibit the sale, registration, circulation or use for reasons relating to its optional equipment devices coupling mechanical
- To grant EEC component type-approval or national type of a component for a mechanical coupling, or prohibit the sale or use of a mechanical coupling device, if it meets the requirements set out in Annexes to this Directive.

So an A Frame approved for use in the UK must be allowed to be used by a British user in every other EU country.

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[vwalan]

simple the coupling we use is a 50mm ball how it is connected to the trailer is irelevant . once the aframe is connected to the car it becomes a trailer .coupled through a 50mm ball to the towing vehicle.

the paper work i was shown was about the results of his meeting with the french vehicle inspectors .he had a great load of stuff in a folder .he was so proud to display it to me as he took along time to get the homolagation.
we have to stop thinking of it as acar being toad .its a trailer .and can be not taxed and mot,d. went through this with towing bikes on single specs .like the rac /aa use. at the time brakes were never mentioned lucky for us. .because we used a 50mm ball to connect we had a trailer when we put on a bike or trike .we argued both under 750kg and it was accepted ,at the time .years later i found out about the if brakes are fitted they must work thing .but they dont need mot or tax.