Before towing a car, MAKE SURE IT IS INSURED

[TerryG]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... -roof.html

I'm not sure what hurts more, knowing it's your fault your new car is ruined or knowing that it's your fault it's not insured.

Either way my sympathies go out to the owner of this roller.

[harvey]

RR Shadow on a trailer towed behind a Toyota Rav is just asking for trouble.

[rich.]

my sympathy to the owner..

[JPB]

Meh, that'll buff out. Sympathy? The article doesn't say whether he's being prosecuted for something to do with towing the two and a half tons of Rolls Royce with one ton of Chelsea tractor, but if he's not then he's actually had a really lucky day after all.

[Mitsuru]

I knew without even opening the thread it was going t be about that Shadow!
The cost maybe monetary but at least it didn't cost lives!

[History]

2400 kg of car plus the mass of the trailer say 3000kg.
The owner was just plain ill informed about max tow weights.

I have a Jeep Cherokee (1750kg) and IMO the max tow weight is 1000kg. I wouldn't feel safe with any more. The jeep has 180 bhp. Its not a power problem. Its the mass behind thats the problem.

Cars on trailers are dangerous. Best get a slide and tilt recovery truck. This is third RRoyce I know off that been wreaked like this. Both of the others were towed by a Range Rovers.

I have had push ons from trailers and its seriously dangerous.

IMHO, no more than say 65% of the tow cars wieght.

I know that some will say that their 4x4 will easily tow 3 tons. But IMO its not safe. Its safe across a field at 5mph.

Incidently the Shadow wreaked was worth about £10k not 75k as the telegraph suggested.
Also lots of Rollers were brought by some one famous. So a famous owner doesn't really add value.

Bob

Beef burgers beans and chips for tea. Drool.

[rich.]

i know the guy cocked up but i would still be pi##ed off even if i had made a stupid mistake.. thank god no one was hurt & its only a roller that was damaged, imagine the shame if it was a really nice car like micra...

[History]

Because the guy was 66 he had grandfather rights to tow a trailer. My son in law is a farmer who has just had a trailer towing course and a test. The accident is the reason for the test.

I have grandfather rights on towing. I was fortunate to have a bit of training.

The heaviest I have towed with my Jeep is 750kg. And its noticeable. One can feel the mass behind. Imagine 3 tons.

Bob.

[History]

I forgot about the Selby Train Crash where a Landrover and a Peugeot 406 est on a trailer went out of control and ended up on the mainline.

The driver to this day denies he fell asleep. I think the trailer and car, probably 2 tons didn't help. Once he dropped off into a micro sleep and awoke to find his Landrover wandering to the left that 2 tons made recovery impossible. He got 5 years clink.

I don't know any professional car recovery that use trailers being towed by 4x4s. They use 7.5 tonne GVW trucks. And air brakes. And very well made trailers.

Fortunately as said no one got killed this time and Shadows are not rare and its only a car mate.

Bob

[tractorman]

We brought my little tractor back on a trailer towed by a Pajero (import Shogun) and, at a guess, it weighed about three tons total. My friend said it felt a bit hairy (and we did use the M6 for about 15 miles), but the trick was to go slowly (40MPH max on the motorway and about 30 on other roads) and not let the trailer take control. When I was a yoof, there was a 40MPH speed limit for trailers, later raised to 50MPH if the trailer was within certain (forgotten) limits and had a 50 sticker on it!

However, I very much doubt I would use a RAV for anything heavier than a few bags of coal - or a suitable caravan! Similarly, I wouldn't use a Land Rover for anything heavy, though I've seen them pulling rather large cattle trailers which had very large animals in them!