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Uber cheap tow car
speedyxjs - 11/1/11 at 06:50 PM

Ok, now that im hours away from finishing the locost, i want to start on my next project, a trailer to get the locost to IVA (im not driving it 60 miles as much as i would love to!).

Now as i can only drive a train weight of 3500kg (got license after 97) and assuming the trailer and locost weight is around 1300kg (300 for the trailer and 1000 for the locost maximum) i need to find a car capable of towing this. I dont really want to fit a tow bar to the jag and my parents dont like the idea of putting it under 'unnessersary strain'

I dont really have the money at the moment but budget will be around £500 but as it will only be used as a tow car and maybe a bit of round town driving, im not too worried about the condition.


P ? - 11/1/11 at 06:52 PM

might be cheaper to rent a trailer and a car with a towing bracket than buy and make !!!


LBMEFM - 11/1/11 at 06:55 PM

If it's just for the IVA why not hire a trailer and tow car/van for the day


JoelP - 11/1/11 at 06:56 PM

my honest advice would be to just put a bar on the jag, for economic reasons.

A car at that price will be a shed, you've got extra tax and insurance, plus the maintainance.

As opposed to a bar on the jag for about £150.


Benzine - 11/1/11 at 07:06 PM

Tow bar on the jag ^_^ new car purchase cost plus tax and insurance soon add up


rf900rush - 11/1/11 at 07:06 PM

This link may help

LINKY

Ford Sierra might do it. And then you have your next donar ready


speedyxjs - 11/1/11 at 08:12 PM

Forgot to add, its not just for IVA Il use it for future projects, parts etc

Edit, also insurance isnt a problem as i can do it through work

[Edited on 11-1-11 by speedyxjs]


mcerd1 - 11/1/11 at 08:42 PM

quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
Now as i can only drive a train weight of 3500kg (got license after 97) and assuming the trailer and locost weight is around 1300kg (300 for the trailer and 1000 for the locost maximum)


what ever you get will also need to have a min. kerb weight more than the max. gross weight of the trailer (unless you get yourself the '+E' license of course)

so even if your locost + trailer = 1300kg, if say the trailers plate says 1500kg gross, then your tow car will need to weigh more than 1500kg empty (min. kerb weight) and be rated by its manufacturer to tow 1500kg....

its a real PITA, so if your planning to use the trailer afterwards it would be worth getting your test


marcjagman - 11/1/11 at 08:53 PM

Problem with fitting a towbat to a Jag is the extra ECU you need, yes you do need one, around £400 on it's own. You can't just wire a towbar to an XJ40, it wont work.


theduck - 11/1/11 at 09:53 PM

Old BMW? I have an E34 5 series which I intend to do similar with.


speedyxjs - 12/1/11 at 12:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by marcjagman
Problem with fitting a towbat to a Jag is the extra ECU you need, yes you do need one, around £400 on it's own. You can't just wire a towbar to an XJ40, it wont work.


Wow, didnt know that! Jag is defo out of the question!


Benzine - 12/1/11 at 01:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
Wow, didnt know that! Jag is defo out of the question!


15 year (or older) Volvo for a few hundred quid 240, 740, 940 (over 15 y/o qualifies for classic insurance with footman james, need to be 25 IIRC, mine was £151 unlimited mileage, breakdown cover, fully comp) You could probably fit a whole car in the boot of an old volvo estate anyway, or use the towbar if it doesn't fit

[Edited on 12/1/11 by Benzine]


blakep82 - 12/1/11 at 01:25 PM

you wanted a land rover for your business yeah? well, what about a transit instead? use it for picking up parts and stuff, and towing a trailer. van tend to be quite light when empty too, so well able to tow most things


speedyxjs - 12/1/11 at 01:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
you wanted a land rover for your business yeah? well, what about a transit instead? use it for picking up parts and stuff, and towing a trailer. van tend to be quite light when empty too, so well able to tow most things


Problem is it is calculated on groos weight so either a landy of transit is going to be 3500kg leaving me to only be able to tow 750kg.

Getting the +e part of my license is an option but i would still need to get hold of a trailer and then the added cost of the test and i think by the time i have all that, it will be 2012!

Hadn't thought of a Volvo but seeing as my sister wants one, i may be able to sell it to her next year when she has a license!


blakep82 - 12/1/11 at 01:37 PM

ah, is it? i thought as long as the train weight didn't go over 3500kg, then it was ok, ie you could tow 1300kg, as long as the van was empty?

i went in to ask my local van hire place if they had a bever tail to hire to take the truck to cumbria for getting the loom made, they said if i could hire a trialer, they could do me a van with tow ball. now the guy there races cars, so he knows how much they weight, and how much trailers weigh, he knows my car is about 750kg fully built. race ones are ballasted to about 800kg i think.


blakep82 - 12/1/11 at 01:41 PM

here you go

Category B: Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes MAM and with up to eight passenger seats
Category B vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM (allowing a combined weight up to 4.25 tonnes MAM) or a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle, and the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_10013073

it gets confusing, but you don't seem to be restriced JUST to a max trailer of 750kg

basically, if your trialer is 1300kg with car on it, you want a car with an unladen weight of between 1400kg and 2200kg, and you'll be alright think transits come in about the lower end of that?



[Edited on 12/1/11 by blakep82]


mcerd1 - 12/1/11 at 02:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
basically, if your trialer is 1300kg with car on it, you want a car with an unladen weight of between 1400kg and 2200kg, and you'll be alright think transits come in about the lower end of that?


almost

the MAM (maximum allowable mass) still needs to be 3500kg or less

in other words:
for a trailer with a plated MAM of 1300kg
the tow car would need to have a plated unladen (kerb) weight greater than 1300kg
and a plated gross weight (MAM) of less than 2200kg
and be rated by the vehicle manufacturer to tow 1300kg

and it is all on the plates - they don't car if your currently carring less than the max or not....


so say a transit is ~1500kg unladen - that parts ok
I think they are good to tow more than 1300kg - so thats fine too
but most can have a gross weight of 2600kg, 2800kg or more - so 2600+1300 = 3900kg - which needs a B+E license
(landrovers have the same problem)

[Edited on 12/1/2011 by mcerd1]


speedyxjs - 12/1/11 at 03:07 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
basically, if your trialer is 1300kg with car on it, you want a car with an unladen weight of between 1400kg and 2200kg, and you'll be alright think transits come in about the lower end of that?


almost

the MAM (maximum allowable mass) still needs to be 3500kg or less

in other words:
for a trailer with a plated MAM of 1300kg
the tow car would need to have a plated unladen (kerb) weight greater than 1300kg
and a plated gross weight (MAM) of less than 2200kg
and be rated by the vehicle manufacturer to tow 1300kg

and it is all on the plates - they don't car if your currently carring less than the max or not....


so say a transit is ~1500kg unladen - that parts ok
I think they are good to tow more than 1300kg - so thats fine too
but most can have a gross weight of 2600kg, 2800kg or more - so 2600+1300 = 3900kg - which needs a B+E license
(landrovers have the same problem)

[Edited on 12/1/2011 by mcerd1]


thats how i understood it. Why they cant make it simple il never know!


JoelP - 12/1/11 at 07:07 PM

why are landrovers allowed to tow 3.5 tonne trailers then, since they cannot possibly have an unladen weight over 3.5t.


mcerd1 - 12/1/11 at 07:38 PM

quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
why are landrovers allowed to tow 3.5 tonne trailers then, since they cannot possibly have an unladen weight over 3.5t.

that requirement isn't for the vehicle - just if you havn't got your trailer licence

(the B+E bit that all you who sat your test before 1997 get automaticaly)


a4gom - 12/1/11 at 08:25 PM

Peugeot 406 Estate 1.9TD, thats what I use. Loads about for your budget, I got mine last year its on an S plate, '98 cost me £600 i've done 13,000 miles since probably 2-2,500 of that with the westfield on the back and all my spares and tools in the car. Touch wood no problems so far.
We have a better car in the family but with two kids we use this most of the time it's like a tardis, scooters, bikes, body boards etc it's hard to fill up.

[Edited on 12/1/11 by a4gom]


JoelP - 13/1/11 at 09:33 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
why are landrovers allowed to tow 3.5 tonne trailers then, since they cannot possibly have an unladen weight over 3.5t.

that requirement isn't for the vehicle - just if you havn't got your trailer licence

(the B+E bit that all you who sat your test before 1997 get automaticaly)


yeah, i realised that as i thought about it last night!

Speedy, one solution for you could be to build a trailer capable or carrying 1500kgs, plate it as 750kgs, then you can legally tow it on your B license. Once you have a bit of practice, read up what you need for your B+E test, and have a go without any lessons. Once passed, replate the trailer at 1500.

Thats what i plan to do anyway.


Doctor Derek Doctors - 14/2/11 at 12:53 PM

I recently bought a Pug 406 1.9DT Estate for £500 T&T and it had a tow bar fitted. Its a bloody good car as well. My mate picked up a saloon 406 DT for £190 with T&T last year also.