General Panda Towing

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General Panda Towing

enty01

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Hi - Just taken delivery of a new model year Panda Eleganza Dualogic.

Can the Dualogic be towed behind a motorhome & if so does anyone know of any limitations re: speed & distance?

Many thanks
 
The Dualogic has a conventional gearbox with a robot shifting the cogs for you so there should be no difference from towing a manual car. Provided there's a means to ensure it's in neutral. Your manual should say something about that.
 
no car can be towed behind a motorhome unless all 4 wheels are off the ground (then you have the Max trailer weight restrictions)

http://www.ntta.co.uk/faq/default.htm

I have a motor home and want to tow a Fiat Seicento behind it using an A-frame. This car has a kerb weight under 750 kg so am I legal with this outfit? Sorry no is the answer. The law regards this as an unbraked trailer and you are allowed to tow up to 750 kg Gross Trailer Weight, not a car’s kerb weight. The figure you have to use is the car’s Gross Vehicle Weight or Maximum Permitted Weight. This is usually at least 300 - 400 kg more than the kerb weight. We have no knowledge of any car sold in the UK that has a GVW under 750 kg. The only vehicle we know that is completely legal to tow with an A-frame is the French Aixam small "car". This is a full four seater and details can be obtained from Aixam UK on 01926 886100. An A-frame or dolly can only be used to recover a broken down vehicle to a place of safety. Transporting a car is, therefore, illegal. A-frames may be offered with a braking system that applies the car's brakes. These do not conform to the law as the car then becomes a "braked trailer" and has to conform to European Directives contained within the Construction and Use Regulations. It does not conform to the European Directive 71/320/EEC and amendments regarding braking requirements in any way. The use of this A-frame for transportation is illegal. It is still OK for use to recover a vehicle to a place of safety.
 
Thats interesting, there must be millions of people still breaking this law. A small trailer is likely to be the best option and is probably easier to manoevure (sp) although it will be easier for someone to take the car.

My dad for instance did millions of miles to and from auctions using a dolly or an a-frame. Both bought new in the uk but a while ago.

He still uses them but not on such a regular basis.


Suppose if the camper was taxed as a showmans vehicle you could get away with towing a huge weight unbraked.
 
Thats interesting, there must be millions of people still breaking this law. A small trailer is likely to be the best option and is probably easier to manoevure (sp) although it will be easier for someone to take the car.

My dad for instance did millions of miles to and from auctions using a dolly or an a-frame. Both bought new in the uk but a while ago.

He still uses them but not on such a regular basis.


Suppose if the camper was taxed as a showmans vehicle you could get away with towing a huge weight unbraked.

Yep, I sold my towing dolly for the reasons in Andy's post.
 
Curiously, although descried as illegal in the earlier posts, there are still companies listing them for sale online, and suggesting that they can still be used, eg here.

The confusion seems to relate to whether a wheeled towing 'dolly' is being used (such as those used by the AA or RAC to recover cars). In that case, the dolly is seen as a trailer and the car as a second towed item. Using two 'trailers' is not permitted except in the case of items less than 750kg, (a common-place method with farm machinery for example.)

With an A-frame bolted to the towed car, and where the only wheels involved are those of the towed car, this discussion and also what purports to be a fact sheet from the Dept for Transport, here, might suggest that using such a frame is still legal, so long as brakes are operable on the towed vehicle. The last line reads "From the above I hope it is clear that we believe the use of "A" frames to tow cars behind other vehicles is legal provided the braking and lighting requirements are met."

But don't take my word for it...
 
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