Towing a car with an A-frame? all 4 wheels on the ground.

Post by **mike_nofx** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:31 pm

Just wondering if anyone can give some thoughts, and advice on an idea i have.

I am wanting to buy (if avaliable) or make a removable A-frame which can be connected to a Suzuki Sierra, to be towed by a Landcruiser. I have seen this many times overseas, and rarely here in Aus. Mainly i have seen campervans as the tow vehicle, towing a small run around.

Would most likely use a removable boat tail light set, with an "in tow" sign somewhere.

Is it legal to tow a car in this way, with all 4 wheels on the ground? Is it difficult to tow in this way? Would brakes be required for towing something of this weight? Is there anything else i am missing?

Thanks
Mike

Post by **Z()LTAN** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:57 pm

you will need to have the front or the back wheels off the ground for you to be able to tow it mate.

Post by **spamwell** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:16 pm

i saw a motorhome towing a 97 sierra in this way so they are around, the guy said he just had the transfer in neutral.

it definitely was an a frame

Post by **Bluefreak** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:54 pm

It's considered (Vic) an unbraked trailer while being A-frame towed - what's the unbraked towing limit of the cruiser...???

VicRoads A-frame towing

Post by **bogged** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:02 pm

there were a few indepth threads on this in the past with people wanting to tow 'comp' trucks to destinations.. I think theres a reason you dont see it done with cruisers etc.

Post by **Nat84** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:34 am

mike_nofx wrote:Just wondering if anyone can give some thoughts, and advice on an idea i have.

I am wanting to buy (if avaliable) or make a removable A-frame which can be connected to a Suzuki Sierra, to be towed by a Landcruiser. I have seen this many times overseas, and rarely here in Aus. Mainly i have seen campervans as the tow vehicle, towing a small run around.

Would most likely use a removable boat tail light set, with an "in tow" sign somewhere.

Is it legal to tow a car in this way, with all 4 wheels on the ground? Is it difficult to tow in this way? Would brakes be required for towing something of this weight? Is there anything else i am missing?

Thanks
Mike

what about one of these??

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/CAR-CADDY_W0QQit ... 240%3A1318

Post by **RRturboD** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:51 am

Years ago I brought a FJ back from Adelaide, behind a HQ Panel van, on an A frame. I patched a trailer lead into the wiring loom under the dash, much easier than running additional boat style light bar etc ...

Post by **g35me** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:52 am

I was in the States a couple of weeks ago and saw all these cars at the tourist destinations with what looked like a side ways folded tow hitch mounted on the front, it took me a while to realise that they were the tow cars behind the motorhomes. I took these pics because it looked like a good idea.

Post by **Turoa** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:01 am

A frames are really common over here and work great. Though you need to have good brakes on the tow wagon. On some vehicles though it doesn't like it if the caster etc is out to far and start to vibrate, but on most it is fine. The a frame just needs to be ideally parallel with the ground though as if it is pointed up when you brake it pushes the ass end of the tow wagon up. If its pointed down it does the opposite (some would say that isn't bad though).

Post by **v8zuki** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:13 pm

you can use an aframe in qld so long as you dont go over the unbraked weight of the tow car
you can get an electric controlled actuator that attachs to the floor and applies the towed vehicles brakes just like an electric trailer brake on a car trailer,dont know how much they are but that is the way to go
then with that set up you can legally tow up to the braked weight of the tow car

Post by **RED60** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:50 pm

v8zuki wrote:you can use an aframe in qld so long as you dont go over the unbraked weight of the tow car
you can get an electric controlled actuator that attachs to the floor and applies the towed vehicles brakes just like an electric trailer brake on a car trailer,dont know how much they are but that is the way to go
then with that set up you can legally tow up to the braked weight of the tow car

Be interesting to know how they make that system work... ie where they fit the electric brakes on the towed vehicle.....

Post by **mkpatrol** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:39 pm

Bluefreak wrote:It's considered (Vic) an unbraked trailer while being A-frame towed - what's the unbraked towing limit of the cruiser...???

VicRoads A-frame towing

750ks's, this is actually the max allowable un braked towing capacity of a vehicle under 4.5 tonnes.

Also trailers are resticted to this also, anything over 750kg's has to have brakes of some sort.

Heavy vehicles are a different story & the rules can vary from state to state although the NTC have a guide which is generally a rule of thumb.

Post by **grimbo** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:12 pm

as mentioned quite a few threads on this. Best bet is to contact your sates authority about it. I looked into it a few years ago as my Zuk was unrelaible but lots of fun and I had a GQ. thought cool will just tow the Zuk on an A frame as I couldn't afford a trailer or store one. Then the problems arose, the vehicle towing must be 3 times the GVM of the towed vehicle to use an a frame

Post by **bazzle** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:32 pm

Z()LTAN wrote:you will need to have the front or the back wheels off the ground for you to be able to tow it mate.

"Dont listen to this chap".

A frames work very well.
Tuff Stuf who used to be in Bayswater made a collapsible one years ago.
Army uses them a lot too.

Bazzle

Post by **Dane** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:38 pm

My old Scat. Never needed to use it. Probably not legal either. Comforting when you were in the middle of nowhere, knowing you could be easily towed to a more appropriate spot. Lots of roo shooters used to use them to tow their shooting vehicle behind their chiller truck up here, back in the good old days.

It was very basic. Had an A-frame, trailer coupling, a hinge, and a big piece if angle that bolted through the bullbar.

Post by **v8zuki** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:10 am

the actuator bolts to the floor of the towed vehicle and an arm connects to the brake pedal
it uses hydraulic power to move the ram,same as the electric/hydraulic brake actuators you get on the bigger boat trailers.they can cost up to 5g
very expensive
swagman motorhomes sells the brake system for flat towing cars
sorry dont know any contact details

i used to flat tow my rx3 rally car all over qld and never had any dramas
also used to have an a arm setup on my zuk same as the pic on the rocky used it many times when it broke,also fitted my brothers hilux.
he broke the unijoint on his steer column when he went up hilux hill had to flat tow him all the way home from there to brisbane easy as

Post by **Jeeps** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:55 am

When it's muddy and slippery and steep, 8 wheels is better than 4

Check out this video from Camp Coffs on the easter weekend. Check out the A-frame at work at 2:40 minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2AYR-983T4

cheers

Post by **BrettInUte** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 12:10 pm

Ive seen this done in NSW - all engineered + legit.
A falcon ute towing a suzuki ute.
Had an a frame setup - but the coupling had a cable that hooked (via ubolt) to the suzuki brake pedal.

essentially cable operated override brakes.

worked well apparently.

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Towing a car with an A-frame? all 4 wheels on the ground.

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