A-Frame Recomendations (serious responses please :o) (1 Viewer)

[John&Kate]

Hi Funsters

We have been pondering over expanding our use of our MH, we've gone back and forth of our requirements while away and have settled on wanting to tow a small car (namely a little Citroen C2) as we have children and they will be just about able to sit in the back.

I am well aware of the restrictions of A-frames on the continent and for that we will consider hiring a trailer to transport the car abroad. When in the UK we would take advantage of being "able" to use an A-frame.

My question is does anyone have any "valid" recommendations of systems to use. Ive spoken so far with Car-A-Tow and being able to use their DIY kit to install myself (I am capable of doing so), I want to spend my hard earned wisely.

Thanks in advance (I hope this thread doesnt open up a whole can of worms !!)

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

I currently have an Armitage's tow bar on my SmartCar road. It was not expensive, about £900. It works fine and there is nothing wrong with it. However I find it to be too heavy to carry back and forth to my garage when I am not using it, and I worry about the bungee strap method of ensuring the brakes don't stay on, and don't really like the way the brake cable sticks out of the front when the toad is not being towed. I have decided to change it next month to the electronic braked tow cars 2 tow bars at Grimsby for about twice the price. I am also thinking about a Smart Trailer which costs about the same, but don't really have anywhere to keep a trailer

 

[John&Kate]

I am also thinking about a Smart Trailer which costs about the same, but don't really have anywhere to keep a trailer

Thats the problem, we thought that hiring a trailer will require no storage and when in the UK use the A-Frame

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[Brian and Jo]

Hi John we use the towmaster system .Its a brilliant A-frame system .Its electronically braked using the cars servo ,making the braking very smooth.The A-frame is only 9kg so is very light .It takes me about 3 min to attach frame to car and attach to motorhome.Its not cheap but excellent quality and you do get what you pay for.
Brian & Jo

 

[Doctor Dave]

Hi @John&Kate

I use one from Smart Tow which I am very pleased with. Not cheap but the best things are not cheap.

http://www.smart-tow.com/towframe.htm

HTH

Dave

 

[Ivory55]

We have been thinking of either trailer or A frame. The bit that concerns us is that the tow car is our only car so will clock up more mileage and if we change cars the cost of transferring the A frame is nearly as much as a new one. The jury is still out, haha.

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[Doctor Dave]

We have been thinking of either trailer or A frame. The bit that concerns us is that the tow car is our only car so will clock up more mileage and if we change cars the cost of transferring the A frame is nearly as much as a new one. The jury is still out, haha.

The mileage doesn't clock up on our (Peugeot 107) tow car because the ignition is OFF when being towed.

Dave

 

[John&Kate]

We have been thinking of either trailer or A frame. The bit that concerns us is that the tow car is our only car so will clock up more mileage and if we change cars the cost of transferring the A frame is nearly as much as a new one. The jury is still out, haha.

We are buying a specific "small" holiday car that wont cost a bomb, that way it doesnt really matter how or when it gets used.

 

[John&Kate]

@Brian and Jo & @Doctor Dave What did your systems cost (if you dont mind me asking) they dont have any prices on their sites so have to wait till Monday to contact them ?

Thanks .. john

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[Ivory55]

The mileage doesn't clock up on our (Peugeot 107) tow car because the ignition is OFF when being towed.

Dave

I did not mean when towing I was thinking of the normal mileage we do every day for work etc. The modern car seems to be knackered with some sort of electrical problem as it gets older so it's cheaper to px it and get another which is ok if the A frame was not on it.

 

[Brian and Jo]

@Brian and Jo & @Doctor Dave What did your systems cost (if you dont mind me asking) they dont have any prices on their sites so have to wait till Monday to contact them ?

Thanks .. john

Hi John our system was £1800-00 2yrs ago.
Brian & Jo

 

[Doctor Dave]

@Brian and Jo & @Doctor Dave What did your systems cost (if you dont mind me asking) they dont have any prices on their sites so have to wait till Monday to contact them ?

Thanks .. john

As I needed to get a towbar & ball fitted to my van the cost was approaching £2000 but I think the A-frame was in the region of £1000 - £1200. Had to have the towbar made specifically for my van as none were available "off the peg".



Dave

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[Ninjabob]

Another vote for Smart Tow - a long way from cheapest but very good.

A five minute job to put on and off.

Normally at the NEC on the SWIFT stand.

 

[tonyidle]

Trailer storage option: park the Smart on it when at home?

 

[Ninjabob]

Trailer storage option: park the Smart on it when at home?

Good idea but the wife uses the SMART every dayĺ

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[snailtrailer]

We are at the Lincoln Show - quotes we got £2450 Bristol firm LNB Towbars

 

[Badknee]

Good idea but the wife uses the SMART every dayĺ

I had a twin axle trailer for a rally car I used to run that I stood on its side when not in use against my garage wall lifted with a winch off a Land Rover because I didn't have a lot of room and it wouldn't fit in the garage loaded.

 

[Allan & Loren]

Just throwing in a curve ball and maybe you've done this already but have you got costs for hiring the trailer as that can be really expensive pro rata

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[John&Kate]

Just throwing in a curve ball and maybe you've done this already but have you got costs for hiring the trailer as that can be really expensive pro rata

No quotes as yet .. Just trying to get off the ground with additional needs, I have the storage for a trailer if we do purchase.

 

[Tinker2]

We used cara tow Pontypool for the Smart. No problems with it, ok its not the lightest, I wanted something robust, after all the cars attached to it, folds up fits in the boot easy to fit. £1200 I think thats what I paid.

 

[Allan & Loren]

No quotes as yet .. Just trying to get off the ground with additional needs, I have the storage for a trailer if we do purchase.

I'd recommend costing the hire before you buy just so you can weigh up all options, especially if you can store a trailer. We've hired trailers a couple of times but only for odd days and not for cars. We hired for general use and one motorbike trailer but found it so expensive pro rata that we bought one for my sons motorbikes.

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[tonyidle]

Good idea but the wife uses the SMART every dayĺ

And?

 

[John&Kate]

We used cara tow Pontypool for the Smart. No problems with it, ok its not the lightest, I wanted something robust, after all the cars attached to it, folds up fits in the boot easy to fit. £1200 I think thats what I paid.

Im kinda leaning towards the "Car A Tow" system .. Whats the breaking like as this is electronically bracked as apposed to the other(s) vacum pump assisted ?

 

[phil1946]

Seeing where you are I would recommend www.unibrake.co.uk/

We had their system fitted to our Smart ForFour and RV several years ago and have never regretted it. Again not the cheapest but we feel worth the money and very unobtrusive on the car when not being towed.

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[Tinker2]

Regarding braking, I know some dont like the bungee around the pedal, but its only used to make absolutely sure the pedal retracts fully.
As for towing its as steady as a rock, good job I have a cam or I would forget its on. The guys at Pontypridd did a exelent job.

 

[donnkim]

Towbars to towcars Keelby nr. Grimsby. Had ours for over 4 years on Picantos. Expensive but light and easy to use. £500 to set up when changing car. We are on our 3rd. Picanto as we have them on a 3 year deal - early offer to change too good to pass up.
Only use in UK as facilties for motorhomes are fine in Europe.

 

[donnkim]

Electronic braking fine. Little red light comes on when car is braking. Just love the system and use it all the time.

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[Zoppydog]

Towbars to towcars Keelby nr. Grimsby. Had ours for over 4 years on Picantos. Expensive but light and easy to use. £500 to set up when changing car. We are on our 3rd. Picanto as we have them on a 3 year deal - early offer to change too good to pass up.
Only use in UK as facilties for motorhomes are fine in Europe.

Great system, had ours for 2 years.
Chris

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Seeing where you are I would recommend www.unibrake.co.uk/

We had their system fitted to our Smart ForFour and RV several years ago and have never regretted it. Again not the cheapest but we feel worth the money and very unobtrusive on the car when not being towed.

I've got that system and can recommend it. Also researched into Towbars2towcars who are equally good

 

[Northernraider]

I had caratow on a Renault clio I bought the complete car with a frame off eBay for £650 used it for a total of two weeks on the back of the motorhome and decided towing a car wasn't for me, but the a frame was light and easy to attach and detach
Have you considered buying an outfit that's already to go as it may be cheaper and you may like me discover it isn't a it's cracked up to be.
Often the places you use the car to go to you'd get to with the motorhome if you weren't towing the car, and it's a bugger when you take a wrong turn and can't reverse
I always see cheap tow cars on eBay

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