Towing a Series III

Most trailers have over-run brakes. When the tow vehicle brakes, the hitch on the traier is pushed back and a linkage then applies the trailer brakes. No connection to the tow vehicle apart from the tow bar (and an emergency break-away cable which is intended to apply the trailer brakes if the trailer becomes unintentionally disconnected).

Trailer hire can be surprisingly reasonable, much better option than attempting a long tow.

David

I've moved a couple of cars back home on trailers behind a series 3

2.25petrol and a 2A (including a saab from lancaster to stoke in floods and snow! - it was so deep at one point even the car on the trailer got wet tyres!).

I now have a mate of a mate who has a dual axle trailer I can borrow, but before then I used to hire one off a local garage. It cost between £20 and £40 for the day depending how he felt and how long you had it for. That just had overrun brakes and was fine.

I've just been quoted about =A360 for a overnight hire from a place in Cannock - seems reasonable to me.

How do people with no tax get a vehicle to the MOT station? - the III i've brought needs a little work and is currently SORN - how do i legally get it to the MOT place once i've doen the work? - on a trailer again?

A strong enough bar would be ok - but it's an awful long way to tow something like that, never mind the T&T position.

Overrun brakes are fine, no special limkage required. You'd have to make sure the trailer was strong enough though - a lot of car transporter type trailers are not man enough - a big Ifor Williams would be best.

It'll certainly move it - with a 200Tdi onwards the legal speed limit is easily maintained - don't forget that your only allowed at 50 on sigle carriage ways and 60 on dual and no naughty using lane 3 on the motorway!

Bearing in mind the distance, perhaps a part load on a lorry may be a way to go?

Richard

You can legally drive a 'resonable' distance to a pre-booked MOT without tax.

Nearest station to me is about 6 miles away down a very quiet road, i'll try and find out what the law actually sayd on the matter before i set out, just my luck to get stopped en route.

Tom is 100% right, you are allowed to drive untaxed/MOT'd to an MOT station providing you have pre-booked the MOT with them.

just found this online...see

Matt

ive just been trying to find it in writing on the DVLA website but no luck yet. I have read it in the past as we have had discussions on what is a 'resonable' distance! (i.e. could i buy a car 100 miles away and drive it straight back home to an MOT test to save on trailer hire).

You are best off just ringing the garage first and asking them, they will be able to quote the rules for you.

Most of my cars end up being off the road for a while before their MOT. 6 miles is fine. I hsve to drive my 101 about 15-20 miles to find the nearest MOT place that will touch it!

Car should be insured and roadworthy but you dont need the tax to get to the MOT if it is prebooked.

Thanks Matt!

The relevant bit:

When can an untaxed vehicle be used on a public road?

An untaxed vehicle cannot be used or kept on a public road.

There is one exception:

You can drive an untaxed vehicle on a public road to and from a pre-arranged: # MOT testing station # VIC testing station # an approved vehicle weight testing station which covers design weight certificate or plated revenue weight # reduced pollution test # provided that adequate insurance cover for your use of that vehicle is in place

Interesting - it doesnt define any distance limitations, the thought of booking the MOT and driving it back from Yorkshire to it (120m) has now crossed my mind.

weve discussed this in the past!.

thread here

I wasnt brave enough when i bought the 101. I reckoned that if i was stopped a copper might take issue and ask me why i didnt book an MOT closer. There is also the question of what happens if you break down. I dont think the RAC/AA will cover you if the vehicle isnt roadworthy..

Mine is just the TD but its pulled other LRs well enough for me to expect to cope with the III - hopefully TomTom will help be advoid the motorways - i was looking forwards to getting it previoulsy now i have had some advise i am getting nervoius :-)

The series i brought - on the spur of the momment is

I've not seen it (isnt that all part of the fun) other than what can be seen from the pics online - seeing you bunch will probably have more of an eagle eye for details is there anything obvoulsy wrong with what i've just brought?

Any comments, even harse ones, will be welcomed.

Looks tidy enough! Hope you can get the brakes unstuck to get it on the trailer! :)

Last time I towed it was a 1.2 tonne car on a 1 tonne trailer, and to be honest I stuck to the motorways as much as I could. Nice easy bends, very little need to slow down or stop depending on local traffic situations of course, no problems with suddenly coming across a tiny road and a sudden need to reverse (tomtom will take you down tiny tracks if you avoid motorways).

My intercooler-enhanced 300Tdi pulled it fine, 50MPH was easy to maintain. I just sat behind a lorry or two at a safe distance and chugged along without worry. Much nicer than struggling with the A and B roads.

When towing you are better served on the motorways, a nice constant speed in a straight line is a lot more user friendly they farting about on A roads with traffic lights, roundabouts ect.

If you do hire a trailer make sure you get some decent ratchet straps to secure the SIII wheels to the trailer.

That beggs the obvious question, do insurance companies cover you for an un-taxed and un-tested vehicle which may even be proved to be un- roadworthy by the said MOT?. Greg

When applying for insurance, don't think I have ever been asked if it has T&T.

David

TomTom tells me that the easiest route would involve mostly motorways

- how much does a SWB Series III weight as i'm wondering if my 110 TD would be happy tugging it at 50+MPH