Use these tips as guidance when planning to tow or recover a car. Remember, safety must come first as a trailer carrying a car is extremely dangerous and has the potential to cause alot of damage!
Ensure that the combined weight of the trailer and its load does not exceed the maximum towing weight specified on your vehicles VIN Plate. If it does you may receive a fine or points on your licence.
Check your fluid levels regularily to help avoid unwanted breakdowns. For example, a low coolant level could indicate a leak or other problem with your cooling system which may lead to your engine overheating!
Trailers designed to transport cars should be fitted with Commercial grade tyres. Standard passenger car tyres do not have strong enough side walls and are prone to breaking up under excessive load.
Trailers are notorious for their poor, unreliable lighting systems. Ensure all lights are functioning correctly before beginning a journey. Also, When fitting lights try to seal the light units to stop the ingress of water.
Any car transporter trailer should be fitted with a hitch that includes an overrun brake mechanisim. Make sure that this mechanism is functioning correctly (Not Seized) and keep it well lubricated.
When towing a heavy trailer the front end of the tow vehicle may be forced upwards by the weight pushing down on the towbar. Make sure that you adjust your headlight beam downwards to prevent dazzling oncoming drivers with your lights.
When unloading a car from a car trailer be extremely carefull. Make sure there is nobody standing behind the trailer and do not simply assume that the brakes or winch will hold firm.
Make sure that the winch cable and hook are in good condition and NEVER winch a car onto a trailer unless the winch has a sturdy ratchet system. If the ratchet system does not work and you let go of the handle DO NOT attempt to grab it!
All trailers should be fitted with a Break Away cable. This is a cable that connects from the towhitch to your trailers brakes. If the trailer becomes detached it will activat its brakes.
The bearings on most car transporter trailers are the same type as used by boat trailers. These bearings are susceptible to water ingress and are often at the limit of their performance when loaded with the weight of a car. Check and replace them often
The ramps on most transporters take a real beating. If one breaks it can result in considerable damage to the vehicle being loaded. Take care positioning the ramps and inspect the often for cracks or signs of damage.
The best way to avoid a very heavy trailer from snaking is to load it correctly. Make sure that the weight is toward the front and there is little or no rear overhang.
Always use heavy duty (Typically 5 tonne) Car Recovery Straps. Light weight straps are simply not up to the job of securing a heavy car to the trailer in the event of emergency manouvers.
Many of the larger breakdown recovery companies will recover your vehicle even if you are not a member, provided you sign up to be a member when they recover you car. This can often work out cheaper than calling out a local company.
Rear engined cars are often Tail Heavy. This can lead to a trailer being unstable. The solution is simple, load the car on the trailer backwards with the engine nearest the trailer hitch.
When calculating the total weight remember to include the trailer, ramps, winch etc as well as the vehicle on the trailer. Extras such as a heavy winch can often take you over weight.
Its very easy to make sure your trailer is road worthy and your load is securely strapped down, but make sure that you have a legal number plate on the trailer that matches the number plate on the car. A hand written number plate is NOT legal.
A large 4x4 vehicle is your best bet when considering a tow vehicle for heavy towing. Smaller 4x4s and sallon cars do not have the legal Train Weight to enable you to tow a car on a trailer.
If you are loading a low car onto a trailer it may help if you lift the front of the trailer with the jockey wheel. This will lower the rear of the trailer and reduce the angle of the ramps making the spoiler and bottom of the car less likely to catch.
Many modern cars do not have a fixed towing point, instead they have a screw in towing eye. Unfortunately, after a few years, rust and dirt make it impossible to screw the eye in. In this event, find a secure point underneath the car instead.
Recovery winches differ from smaller 4x4 winches and boat winches. A recovery winch is far larger with a higher pull rating, thicker cable and stronger hook. In the interests of safety, only use a recovery winch to recovery a car
When you combine the weight of the trailer and the vehicle upon it you will understand that car transporter tyres need to run at a higher pressure than standard car tyres. The tyres are normally commercial grade tyres running at up to 60 psi.
When purchasing a car transporter trailer try and get a twin axle model if at all possible. Twin axle trailers are more stable, they can take a heavier load and if you have a puncture the remaining tyre on that side can get you home if necessary.
Many small recovery vehicles are just converted flat bed vans. If you intend to buy one, make sure the conversion has been undertaken professionaly and the suspension and brakes have been upgraded appropriately.
It is widely believed that car transporters do not require and MOT or road TAX. This is incorrect, there are a few exceptions but a standard recovery truck with a beaver tail and ramps requires both MOT and TAX, regardless of the Logbook
It is far cheaper to buy breakdown cover in advance from one of the major providers (AA, RAC, Green Flag etc) than to have to pay for recovery when your car actually stops at the edge of the road. You can obtain breakdown cover for as little as £30.
Many people who need to transport a car think it will be cheaper to hire a trailer and do it themselves. In fact it can work out as cheap to get a locally car tranport company to do it. Phone around for a few quotes.
Loading broken down cars onto a trailer or truck can be very dangerous. Ensure that all the equipment, ramps, winch, handbrake etc is in tip top condition and keep children and small furry animals away.
Many breakdown companies do not have a website of their own so without websites like this if you make a search on the web you will not find their details! The running costs of this site are covered by the sponsored listings.
You can buy heavy duty ratchet straps on a popular auction site for very reasonable prices. These straps allow you to really tie a car down securely by each wheel so there is no chance of it shifting whilst in transit.
When towing a car transporter trailer it is important to observe the speed limits, these are different for trailers and also depend upon the number of axles a trailer has, check with the department of transport for details.
The best kind of breakdown cover is to avoid breaking down in the first place! Check your engine fluids regularily (oil, water, brake fluid etc) for signs of leaks or contamination.
When towing a loaded car transporter trailer down a steep hill prepare in advance. Reduce your speed before the slope and use a low gear and your brakes to avoid your speed from building out of conrol.
If you do not have breakdown recovery insurance then keep the phone number of a couple of local recovery companies in the glovebox of your car. Then, in the event of your vehicle encountering problems you wil have the numbers to hand.
If you are using a manual winch then loading a car onto your trailer is going to be hard work. Most manual winches have two gears so use the lower gear and take your time. Make sure there is nobody standing behind the vehicle as it is being pulled up.
Make regular checks of the tyres on your trailer or truck. These tyres are under exceptional load and often wear unevenly, so make sure that you check the inside and the outside of the tyre for bulges, flat spots or damage to the walls.
The load deck of your transporter may be constructed using ply wood. This is obviously susceptible to water ingress and can become soft and lose its structural strength. There is nothing more embarassing than having a wheel break through the deck.
There are a number of laws governing the towing of trailers in the UK. Make sure you have the correct licence, a vehicle that can legally pull the load that you intend to pull and that the vehicle and trailer or in good working order.
Knowing your intended route in advance can be of great help. With a trailer attached your overall length can make sharp turns nearly impossible. Also, if you accidently go down a narrow lane reversing out if you meet another long vehicle can be slow going
Make use of a good satalite navigation system or go online and use one of the many available route planners to avoid embarrassing situations. Being the person who blocks the road due to a wrong turn can be a very uncomfortable position to be in.
It is not unusual for the police or VOSA to pay particular attention to recovery vehicles and cars that are towing a heavy load. Keeping the entire rig legal ie, no cracks in the windscreen, good tyres, working lights and clean condition will help.
Car recovery is the act of assisting a broken down vehicle on the side of the road. Typically the recovery company will have a large flatbed lorry with a strong winch that can drag the stranded vehicle of the road and take it to safety.
A towing dolly would appear to be the obvious choice for a simple tool to tow a vehicle to your premises. However, in many most cases these are not legal in the UK and you could find yourself being stopped by the police.
Towing Dollys are not legal in the Uk for general purpose towing of vehicles. However, they can be used in an emergencey situation to recover a vehicle to the nearest safe location.