JeffC Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 I was booked in today for rolling road set up... I tried to load on trailer this morn and gouged the tub , {should have read b**cks + bl**** trailers first!!!} I agive up and rebooked for Thursday .....anyway I have been offered a tow dolly that will lift the front wheels leaving the rear on the road... question is... can anyone foresee any problems or know if damage will done to the quaife reverse box or bike gearbox if i tow at speed for a round trip of 160 miles??? obviously the car will be in neutral and the reverse box in forward position.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frau Vesty Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Do a search on towing dolly, there's loads of threads on here about how it's illegal to use them to tow (I think they're only legal to tow a broken down vehicle to a safe location). Edit: This thread is a good start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffC Posted March 14, 2005 Author Share Posted March 14, 2005 Do a search on towing dolly, there's loads of threads on here about how it's illegal to use them to tow (I think they're only legal to tow a broken down vehicle to a safe location). is that not an A frame?? Ive used A frame for years without any probs but I think i read something on similar lines think they are classed as an unbraked trailer dont think this dolly is braked so prob comes under same laws but lifts the car out the way of the stonechippings! ..am ok on tow dolly thing was more concerned about the gearbox issue? have heard reliability stories on reverse boxes??didnt want to do anything to reduce its life!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 You'd be safer with a trailer and some extensions to ramps* Where does tow dolly attach if to wishbones - don't use * planks of wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffC Posted March 14, 2005 Author Share Posted March 14, 2005 Where does tow dolly attach if to wishbones - don't use with the dollys you drive up ramps and the wheels drop into supports,ratchet strap goes around the wheel.. the car drives and steers on the wheels of the tow-dolly just follows the towcar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 As others have said trailer is best. The problems with dollys are that the majoritey are un braked and the car plus dolly makes it over half a ton, which is the point where brakes are required. With a bike engined westfield you will probably be just under the weight limit at a guess. If you must use a dolly you could reverse the car on fix the steering dead ahead and then the box etc is not in action. Trailer is the best though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 Can't comment on the reverse gearbox issue, but technically as the others have said a towing dolly or A frame is illegal, although most people do get away with it as I reckon most of the coppers are probably unsure as to their legality. I hired a trailer last year to take my car to be rolling roaded, it wasn't a tilting bed type so we lifted the front of the trailer up on it's jockey wheel and supported the back of it with a trolley jack, the car went straight on then without touching the underside, we then levelled it out and connected it to the towcar. HTH, Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffC Posted March 15, 2005 Author Share Posted March 15, 2005 problem solved...took a recovery truck in px against a car today!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firecracker Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 Just while everyone is on this subject, I was thinking of buying a dolly to tow my car to and from sprints etc. purely because I can't afford and have nowhere to store a trailer. There are a couple of dollys on Ebay for about 100 quid and I think they have braking too. After reading the above posts I reckon it might not be a good idea! What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 Extensive research in to towing law is here. Relevant posting about using dollies is in the quoted passage in the first post on page two... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffC Posted March 16, 2005 Author Share Posted March 16, 2005 Just while everyone is on this subject, I was thinking of buying a dolly to tow my car to and from sprints etc. purely because I can't afford and have nowhere to store a trailer. There are a couple of dollys on Ebay for about 100 quid and I think they have braking too. After reading the above posts I reckon it might not be a good idea! What do you think? Firecracker.... Im sure most people may disagree but ive towed on a weekly basis with A frames and dollys for the last 10 years and towed for thousands of miles ,Ive passed loads of police cars up and down the M1-A1 -M6 and never been stopped for doing so, to be fair untill recentley i never new it wasnt 100% legal! all police musnt be aware either as i was once got a pull in yorkshire towing a car with my towcar untaxed running on trade plates, i got a bollocking for that but no mention of the A frame.. I prefer to tow with A frame than a dolly , just my preference i find the car more stable as it sits on its own wheels, the other thing is an A frame folds up and takes no space in your boot.I carry one in the boot in case i buy any cars and can get them straight home..unfortunatley for me not all car can be towed, Autos cant and Audi A4"s A6"s and passats cant be! when you turn left the towed car turns right and jacknifes! think its something to do with the suspension set up??? I used to tow minis all over the country with an Audi A6 , you cannot tell they are on the back ive towed at speeds that a mini wouldnt do under its own steam!!! the only times ive ever had any problems is if the weight of the car being towed is getting on for as heavy as the tow car and you brake hard whilst turning on damp roads , it does kickout the rear end of the towcar as it is obviously an unbraked trailer . I had this towing a 406 estate with an A6 going round a roundabout a little quick... Speak as u find I personally dont think towing something as light as a westy with a decent size towcar would ever be a problem as long as you are sensible.. if you drive a discovery it will tow up to 3.5 tonnes ...a westy will be a fraction of that! ps. my original posting question was more about my reverse box than the dolly thing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 Point being that we have little or no empirical data about how the reverse box would react to the car being towed, mostly becuase none of us would reccommend using a dolly or an a-frame. I don't know of anyone with a BEC that has used either. Cue all the BEC owners... Speak as u find I personally dont think towing something as light as a westy with a decent size towcar would ever be a problem as long as you are sensible.. if you drive a discovery it will tow up to 3.5 tonnes ...a westy will be a fraction of that! Yeah but the towing weights and guidelines for motor vehicles are based on the fact that you'll be using a proper trailer... And whilst I appreciate that you may have towed cars using A-frames a lot, it's still illegal. If you were to be involved in an accident you may well have trouble with any insurance claim becuase you can bet yer bottom dollar that the insurance companies know that law. Traffic police are also pretty clued up too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firecracker Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 Just read up Here what the laws are. Guess my racing days are over before they have begun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffC Posted March 17, 2005 Author Share Posted March 17, 2005 Yeah but the towing weights and guidelines for motor vehicles are based on the fact that you'll be using a proper trailer... And whilst I appreciate that you may have towed cars using A-frames a lot, it's still illegal. If you were to be involved in an accident you may well have trouble with any insurance claim becuase you can bet yer bottom dollar that the insurance companies know that law. Traffic police are also pretty clued up too... Yes i understand what you are saying, im guessing the law is based on saftey issues and braking distances.. Im unsure how fair that is....my point for what its worth would be... A man with old Ford Sierra with drum brakes is towing 700kg legally A man towing his overweight westy with landrover discovery equipped with bigger and better brakes is towing illegaly , if both cars had to stop quickly i would take my chance with the discover? but as you say he would be braking the law! in terms of being legal on the road the speed limit is 70mph , im sure we dont all abide to that either... Also ... I put on my proposal form every year that i require extra cover for towing with an A frame, they have never declined me cover? I will ask the question when i renew this year I may be paying for something that they arn"t going to pay out on!!!!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilux Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Guess my racing days are over before they have begun. BJ trailer £800-1000 s/hand? 15+ trailer hires x £60 (or less) Hire one as you need it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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