Traveling in a toad?

Linda and Steph

Linda and Steph

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You know when you’re sitting down with nothing to occupy your mind? Well, a thought jumped into mine the other day.

Can you carry passengers in a toad? They would be travelling in a braked trailer, wearing seatbelts, so would that be legal?
 
as far as I am aware it is illegal to carry passengers in a trailer with the sole exception of an articulated bus.
 
mpdcymru said:
as far as I am aware it is illegal to carry passengers in a trailer with the sole exception of an articulated bus.
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That's true, but that's not a trailer..
It's not detachable and if it was the front end would fall over... It only has two wheels.

My mistake, could swear I've seen a 4 wheel bendy.
Still not a trailer in the true sense though
 
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Is that why immigrants are illegal?

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sorry but this has to be a wind up? surely nobody would be that stupid? well other than Dianne Abbot, Corbyn's lover
 
mpdcymru said:
as far as I am aware it is illegal to carry passengers in a trailer with the sole exception of an articulated bus.
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AN articulted bus doe not come into the category of a towed trailer or vehicle. The reason being ..the pivotal point on the articulation point of a bus..is actually classed as a part of its construction and not an addition.
That aside...its illegal to carry passengers in anything towed! Google it!
 
Ok, it’s illegal. So we don’t do it. But the OP has a good academic point, why not? Impact from sides and back would be no more dangerous than travelling in the car when it was being driven, and impact from the front would be fully protected by the Motorhome. Sounds pretty safe. I must be missing something
 
mpdcymru said:
as far as I am aware it is illegal to carry passengers in a trailer with the sole exception of an articulated bus.
Click to expand...
What about the "wally trollies" - the imitation steam trains towing a string of trailers used by sight seers - in tourist towns?
 
Burgo said:
What about the "wally trollies" - the imitation steam trains towing a string of trailers used by sight seers - in tourist towns?
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You could say the same about real trains.
They aren't road going vehicles as far as construction and use regs are concerned... They are a tourist ride.
 
They are limited to 20mph, same as carnival floats etc.
 
What about when you are recovered, as I was, one time many years ago by the AA with a solid tow behind a Transit. Not on a dolly, a solid tow bar! Not a particularly nice experience being about 5 or 6 feet behind, steering the car only being able to see the back end of the van or edging out to the right so you can see(ish) the road :eek::eek:
 
Its safer to tow on a solid bar than on a rope , as the braking is taken care of by the towing vehicle , not relying on 2nd driver reaction. The main thing tho is to stay in line otherwise it doesn't work !!! In many bendy buses the engine is in the second part
so its pushing the "trailer" , so not a trailer as such :)

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Ninovan said:
What about when you are recovered, as I was, one time many years ago by the AA with a solid tow behind a Transit. Not on a dolly, a solid tow bar! Not a particularly nice experience being about 5 or 6 feet behind, steering the car only being able to see the back end of the van or edging out to the right so you can see(ish) the road :eek::eek:
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Mange tout
 
Ninovan said:
What about when you are recovered, as I was, one time many years ago by the AA with a solid tow behind a Transit. Not on a dolly, a solid tow bar! Not a particularly nice experience being about 5 or 6 feet behind, steering the car only being able to see the back end of the van or edging out to the right so you can see(ish) the road :eek::eek:
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If memory serves its no longer legal to tow on a rope or chain, it has to be a rigid bar.
 
emjaiuk said:
There's one in Bournmouth I think

Malcolm
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There is but it runs along the promenade, which is not part of the highway.

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tacr2man said:
Its safer to tow on a solid bar than on a rope , as the braking is taken care of by the towing vehicle , not relying on 2nd driver reaction. The main thing tho is to stay in line otherwise it doesn't work !!! In many bendy buses the engine is in the second part
so its pushing the "trailer" , so not a trailer as such :)
Click to expand...
Construction and users act covers Bendy Bus now,,BUSBY.
 
pappajohn said:
If memory serves its no longer legal to tow on a rope or chain, it has to be a rigid bar.
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I think you may be right now, but then, it was not a nice experience! I certainly wouldn't want to do it again, rigid bar or toad. At least with a bar, if you were being towed & steering, you had a little lateral movement to be able to nudge out & see the road. Bit iffy with the brakes though :eek:
 
Mr Chrysalis said:
Ok, it’s illegal. So we don’t do it. But the OP has a good academic point, why not? Impact from sides and back would be no more dangerous than travelling in the car when it was being driven, and impact from the front would be fully protected by the Motorhome. Sounds pretty safe. I must be missing something
Click to expand...
Yes, a trailer isn't anything like as stable as the vehicle towing it ... would you really want to be sat in a caravan when its being towed? How many times do we hear about them being flipped over ... I'll stick to being in the main vehicle!
 
Pausim said:
There is but it runs along the promenade, which is not part of the highway.
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correct and another on the footpath at Hengistbury head both only do about 10mph
 
pappajohn said:
That's true, but that's not a trailer..
It's not detachable and if it was the front end would fall over... It only has two wheels.

My mistake, could swear I've seen a 4 wheel bendy.
Still not a trailer in the true sense though
Click to expand...
Not strictly true, The Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 defines an “articulated bus” as “a bus so constructed that—

(a) it can be divided into two parts, both of which are vehicles and one of which is a motor vehicle, but cannot be so divided without the use of facilities normally available only at a workshop; and

(b) passengers carried by it can at all times pass from either part to the other.”

A trailer does not have to be detachable - witness the number of showmens trailers, and others, that actually have a bar welded accross the fifth wheel king pin to prevent the semi-trailer becoming detached.
 
Burgo said:
What about the "wally trollies" - the imitation steam trains towing a string of trailers used by sight seers - in tourist towns?
Click to expand...
These vehicles are operated under an Individual Vehicle Special Order (Section 44 of the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986. They need the consent of the Secretary of State for Transport and they are operated on strictly pre-defined routes and times.

One of many interesting thing about these vehicles is that the driving licence required is a B + E or C + E (depending on the weight of the towing vehicle) and not a D + E which would be normal for a passenger carrying vehicle!

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