25

DataSheet
Towing with a motorhome

A typical large motorhome towing a car on A frame

Towing behind your motorhome

For many campers a significant choice is whether to tow a
caravan or drive a motorhome, but towing with a motorhome
Driving license issues
can often enhance the enjoyment of using your vehicle. While Drivers with a driving licence
a VW campervan provides a terrific daytime base, for some gained before 1
its accommodation is too cramped for the evenings, but with January 1997 are
a small caravan in tow you can be comfortable at the permitted to
campsite while still enjoying the benefits of a daytime base drive a
anywhere. At the opposite end of the scale, a large motorhome
motorhome is fine on the campsite but its size is limiting out without a trailer
and about. Tow a small car to the campsite and your daytime up to a maximum
roaming knows no bounds. Alternatively if you wish to take a authorised mass
small boat or canoe on your travels a small trailer can make (MAM) or gross
that possible. vehicle weight
(GVW) of 7,500kg. If towing a trailer the combined MAM of
So there are many good reasons to tow, but there are also motorhome and trailer must not exceed 8,250kg. Thus a
some drawbacks concerning reversing, reduced speed limits motorhome with a MAM of 7,500kg can only tow a trailer with a
and the detailed legal constraints of towing a trailer. This MAM of 750kg.
Data Sheet is intended to raise awareness of the issues
involved in towing. All references to trailers also apply to In practice most coachbuilt motorhomes have a MAM of about
towed caravans and A-frame systems. 3,000kg to 5,000kg so this driving licence tends not to be
restrictive. If you drive a heavier motorhome and are limited in
trailer weight you can consider a further DVLA test to widen your
Matching motorhome and trailer driving entitlements.

Matching a trailer to a motorhome is similar to that of car and When such a driver reaches 70 his or her licence has to be
caravan. You need to ensure you operate within the capability of renewed and unless a medical examination is taken the original
the towing vehicle and the conditions of your driving licence. entitlement is downgraded to leave just categories B and E. This
Details of such matching can be found on the Club’s Data Sheet means the driver is now limited to driving a vehicle with a MAM
20 – Matching Car and Caravan. not exceeding 3,500kg, but because the category E remains any
weight of trailer compatible with the towing vehicle can be
You’ll find an explanation of the various vehicle weight terms towed.
used in the text in the definitions panel on page 4. Please note
also that the legal term for a motorhome is ‘motor caravan’, The position changes dramatically for drivers who gained their
though we use the more commonly used term (motorhome) here. licence after 1 January 1997 as their entitlement is simply a

Revised February 2012 1

category B, which limits them to driving a vehicle with a MAM
not exceeding 3,500kg and a maximum trailer weight of 750kg. A A base vehicle weight plate
trailer in excess of 750kg is permitted if the combined MAM of next to convertor’s plate
trailer and motorhome does not exceed 3,500kg and the trailer
MAM does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle.
Thus a driver of a motorhome having a MAM of between
2,750kg and 3,500kg is only permitted to tow a trailer of up to
750kg. So in most cases motorhome drivers with a driving licence
gained after 1 January 1997 will need to take the B+E driving test
in order to tow a trailer with a MAM over 750kg.

Noseweight and towbars

Noseweight is a significant factor in towing stability and the
Basic towing law issues
National Caravan Council recommends a noseweight of about When towing you are automatically restricted to a maximum
five to seven per cent of the weight of the loaded trailer. So a speed of 50mph on single carriageways and 60mph on dual
loaded trailer weighing 1,000kg should have a noseweight of not carriageways and motorways, except where a lower general
less than 50kg. The noseweight of the trailer applied on to the speed limit applies. Also you are not permitted in the outside
towball must also not exceed the motorhome manufacturer’s lane of a motorway where there are three lanes or more.
towball limit. It should be noted that the use of a chassis
extension on a coachbuilt motorhome may reduce the The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations limits you
permissible noseweight originally specified by the base vehicle to towing an unbraked trailer with a MAM not exceeding 750kg or
manufacturer. half the kerbweight of the towing vehicle, whichever is less.
Where a trailer is fitted with brakes, even if the trailer does not
With a luggage trailer or caravan, noseweight can be adjusted to exceed 750kg those brakes must be operative.
or close to the desirable weight by relocating kit fore or aft of the
trailer axle. Where trailers are used to carry one large item such Vehicle manufacturers also quote towing limits and these are
as a boat or car it is best to have a purpose-made trailer where normally given in the vehicle handbook. If only one towing limit
the trailer axle is located to give a desirable noseweight with that is given assume it is for a braked trailer. The best way to check
fixed load. the braked trailer limit for a motorhome is to inspect the weight
plate on the vehicle. The weight plate, which usually also carries
Whatever you tow, whether a normal trailer or car using an the vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), is normally
A-frame, you will need to ensure you have a good towbar and located under the bonnet or on one of the door pillars.
towing electrical system fitted. If you have a relatively recent
motorhome it is likely to have been the subject of European Type For coachbuilt motorhomes be sure to use the convertor’s plate
approval and as such must have a type-approved towbar fitted. (or AL-KO plate where the base vehicle rear chassis has been
Before buying a trailer check to confirm that a suitable towbar is substituted with an AL-KO chassis) in case the original specified
available for your motorhome. loadings as indicated on the base vehicle manufacturer’s plate
have been amended. The top figure on the plate is the vehicle’s
Sometimes there can be complications with underslung water tanks GVW and the second figure down is the gross train weight (GTW).
or other equipment impeding the satisfactory fitting of a towbar. A The GTW is the maximum combined weight of towing vehicle
towbar fitter specialising in motorhomes is therefore recommended, and trailer that is permitted. The figure you get when you
especially where a chassis extension or towbar needs to be subtract GVW from GTW is your towing limit when the vehicle is
fabricated for the particular requirements of your motorhome. fully loaded.

A towbar being fitted to a motorhome A typical unbraked trailer

2
 A typical braked trailer hitch with breakaway cable
Do not be surprised if the towing limit given by the convertor is
considerably less than the original base vehicle manufacturer’s
limit. This can be a result of the convertor increasing the original
GVW or the GTW can be reduced due to rear chassis extensions.
Although these extensions are adequate for the habitation load,
they often cannot sustain the same trailer load as the original
short chassis. Sometimes the base vehicle’s original towing limit
is reduced by half or more.

An unbraked trailer must have a secondary coupling that will

keep the trailer attached to the towing vehicle if the primary
coupling fails. Braked trailers up to 3,500kg must be fitted with a
breakaway cable that will operate the trailer brakes if the primary
coupling fails. Alternatively a braked trailer up to 1,500kg may
have a secondary coupling (such as a strong chain) fitted.

Towing a car using an A-frame There are also concerns about the ability to reverse a car on an
A-frame when using an inertia braking system. Traditional braked
The law when towing a traditional trailer is reasonably clear trailers can be reversed without problem because they have
whether in the UK or Europe. But tow a car behind a motorhome auto-reversing systems in the wheel hubs that enable the brakes
on an A-frame and the situation is not so clear. to collapse when rearward motion is instigated. Cars do not have
such systems. The DfT information sheet states: “From 1 October
For many years the Department for Transport (DfT) was clear that 1988 the inertia braking system was required to allow the trailer
the use of devices such as A-frames, spectacle lifts and dollies to be reversed by the towing vehicle without imposing a
were intended only for the purposes of recovery of broken down sustained drag and such devices used for this purpose must
vehicles. The current information sheet on this subject states: engage and disengage automatically. This will be very difficult to
“We believe the ‘A’ frame and car become a single unit and as achieve on an A-frame using an inertia (overrun) device.”
such are classified in legislation as a trailer.” It continues: “We
believe the use of ‘A’ frames to tow cars behind other vehicles is Some inertia-braked A-frame suppliers claim testing has proved
legal provided the braking and lighting requirements are met.” their system meets the necessary braking force regulations and
argue that cars on inertia-braked A-frames can be reversed
Lighting is one issue that can be largely resolved by a connection without the need to manually operate any mechanism. “It takes
to the motorhome electrics so all the car’s normal road lights a little skill, but with care, gentle reversing can be successfully
function correctly. The regulations require a trailer to display two achieved” one supplier is quoted as saying.
red triangular reflectors – which are often overlooked – and also
to display the number plate of the towing vehicle. In the past few years some A-frame suppliers have implemented
designs to operate the car’s braking systems, including the power
Braking requirements are not so easy to comply with as many assistance system using electrical power from the towing
A-frame systems use a relatively simple overrun (also known as motorhome. Suppliers claim these electrical systems provide the
an inertia) braking system, as used on caravans, to operate the required braking efficiency and allow trouble-free reversing as
car’s brakes. The DfT comments on its sheet: “If the trailer braking the car’s braking operation depends on the motorhome’s brakes
system has power assistance it is likely that this assistance will being applied.
be required while in motion to meet the required braking
efficiencies.” The continuing use of A-frame towing with inertia braking
systems is under threat from prospective European legislation
concerning trailers, which is due to come into force in 2014.
Present UK Construction and Use Regulations incorporate a
stipulation for trailer braking performance to conform to European
Directive 71/320/EEC or UNECE Regulation No 13.09. The new
legislation will require conformity with only the UNECE regulation.
This latter regulation only permits overrun braking systems to be
used on centre axle trailers such as caravans and traditional
trailers and not cars towed as trailers.

VOSA, the Government’s Vehicle and Operator Services Agency,

has yet to decide how to implement the regulation into UK
national legislation and so it is uncertain whether the legislation
will be retrospective for existing A-frame systems. Electrical
braking systems should be able to meet with the UNECE
Smart car being towed by a motorhome (courtesy Smart Tow) Regulation No 13.09.

3
 Definitions

■ Unladen Weight
The weight of a vehicle when not carrying a load and
excluding fuel

■ Kerbweight or Mass In Running Order (MIRO)

This is defined in European Directive 95/48/EC as “the
mass of the vehicle with bodywork in running order
Above: Smart cars fitted with (including coolant, oils fuel, tools spare wheel and driver)”
A-frames designed for use with
braking systems. Right:
A-frame connectors being fitted ■ Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM), Maximum Gross
to the front of a car to be towed. Weight (MGW) or Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
(courtesy Smart Tow) The maximum a vehicle or trailer is allowed to weigh when
fully loaded
To avoid all the above
technical problems ■ Gross Train Weight (GTW)
relating to braking The maximum allowed combined weight of towing vehicle
requirements, some and trailer permitted
campers have argued the
braking requirements for A-frame towing of cars can be avoided ■ Towing Limit
by use of a lightweight micro car where the GVW does not The maximum permissible trailer weight quoted by the
exceed 750kg. The argument goes that with a gross weight towing vehicle manufacturer (usually quoted for a vehicle
(including A-frame) of less than 750kg, the unit can be when towing up a one in eight hill)
considered as an unbraked trailer. A simple answer but
regulations do require that if a braking system is fitted then all
the brakes must operate correctly.
Further information and contacts
While the DfT has set out its interpretation of the regulations, it ■ Department for Transport information sheet, A Frames
has declared it is unable to give an authoritive interpretation of and Dollies:
the law as this is a matter for the courts to decide. As far as the www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/info-
Club is aware, no one has yet been taken court in the UK for dollies.pdf
towing a car using a braked A-frame. As there is no mandatory
testing regime in place, it is down to individual manufacturers to ■ Specialist motorhome towbars
ensure their products meet the statutory requirements. If you
decide to purchase an A-frame it would be wise to seek written Watling Engineers: 01727 873661, watling-towbars.co.uk
assurance from your supplier that it complies with the regulations
as laid out by the DfT. ■ A-frame suppliers
Caratow: 01202 632456, caratow.com
The situation is even less clear in mainland Europe where Club Towtal: 01782 333422, towtal.co.uk
members towing with A-frames have been stopped by local Tow-Bars2Tow-Cars: 01469 560402,
police. You can fall back on European legislation that entitles you tow-bars2tow-cars.co.uk
to drive in another EU country on the basis that as a visitor with
an outfit legal in your home country it will be accepted there – ■ A-frames and car transporter trailers:
and hope you don’t fall into the arms of a difficult police officer. 0795 096 8348, smart-tow.com
Many A-frame suppliers provide letters in different European
languages that spell out the legality of such A-frame outfits, but ■ Car transporter trailers: 01327 308833, brianjames.co.uk
you may have to be prepared to argue the point with the local
traffic police. In several cases heard of in Spain, police officers Please note inclusion on these pages does not constitute
have insisted on the decoupling of the endorsement by The Camping and Caravanning Club.
A-frame and separate travelling, so be prepared for your partner
or travelling companion to drive the car if requested.
Contact
If you do go down the A-frame route, check your car can be
towed. Some cars, especially automatics, can have their The Camping and Caravanning Club,
transmission system damaged by being towed. Also inform your Greenfields House,
insurance company for both the car and your motorhome and Westwood Way,
check it is happy with the arrangement. And remember, reversing Coventry CV4 8JH
with a small towed trailer is notoriously difficult, especially when 0845 130 7632 or 024 7647 5442
it is out of sight. Using a rear view camera can be helpful. Such campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
cameras are now readily available as an aftermarket accessory.