who tows their westie with an A-frame

[RedditchJay]

there are some cheap trailers around at the moment and even a light weight one discussed this year that folds away

[JeffC]

I need something to tow the Caterham with and tbh I had never considered the A frame as much as i rate them , I think Blatters must have brainwashed me    

have you got a link to the ones that are braked as im very curious to how it would operate the brake on a car       if legal it would solve a lot of probs for me as storage of a trailer is an issue  and the reason I dont have one  

[JeffC]

ah ive found one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm....wt_1413

looks like the brakes must operate via the handbrake , the way they couple up to the car wouldnt work on a westy but it would be quite easy to adapt the legs to work the way the non braked A frames do and tow by the wishbones .

this is the type ive used in the past

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm....wt_1163

If they are legal there could be a little business for someone there    

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Also I read somewhere that there are changes happening in 2014 which MAY cause their use to be banned

It's probably not connected in anyway and therefore I'm talking complete rubbish but from Oct 2012 IVA testing of new trailers becomes mandatory.  

That being the case, if a car attached to an A-frame is classed for the purposes of current legislation a a trailer would it need to undergo a separate IVA test as a trailer in addition to the IVA it already had to pass to be a car  

[StanS]

Sites for A-Frames

http://www.caratow.com/home.php

http://www.armitagetrailers.com/Aframes.htm

The latest trustworthy info re A-Frames.

"Many "better" ones will meet all the requirements for the UK and are deemed "legal" at present (but not publicly admitted by the DfT) but definitely not abroad esp France who pounce on A-frames at the ferry terminals and suppliment the gov income by lots of fines ! (surely not)

The key point is that very few use a "mercury" type switch to allow the A-Frame to be reversed up a hill. Many can be reversed steadily without this switch, but not up an incline. The mercury switch senses its reversing and disengages the brakes on the car. Probably an expensive sensor and electro-hydraulic valve on the inertia brakes.

But the key killer to the argument for A-Frames is Bill 55 from the EU coming out next year or 2013 which will effectively make them illegal in their current form."

I suspect that as they are illegal in France, they want us to follow suit"

Unless I can find out why Bill 55 is going to kill the use of A-Frames it looks like a trailer

What's this folding trailer ??

Found Kendon (USA). Anyone found a UK version ?

[20v toy]

If the brakes work via the handbrake of the towed car it would not comply with trailer construction and use rules which states that brakes must work on all wheels - 2 wheels on a single axle trailer 4 on a tandem axle.

[V 8]

You're  missing the point here. The brakes on the towed vehicle are operated via the hitch which acts on the a frame handbrake assembly as on a normal trailer or caravan. The towed vehicle brakes are operated on all four wheels via a cable connected to the brake pedal from the hitch.