MMM biased against A Frames

I've pondered the A-frame idea for years now, the problem is that in the UK A-frames are not illegal, probably, and that is pretty much the state of play. Abroad they are not illegal, maybe, except in Spain where they are just illegal. The only positive legal status is a trailer, everywhere.

I'm not sayng I agree with this situation, but contrairy to the sellers statements, A-frames are not legal, they're just not illegal. In the UK there is a difference unfortunately. 

Write your comments here...The DVSA or whatever they call themselves today, recently put out a notification, last November i believe, stating that the law  has NOT changed, and that A-Frames remain legal in the UK,(at least not proven illegal by precedant) overrun braking systems remain legal (otherwise thousands of caravans and trailers would be illegal!), so carry on A-framing.  However in the rest of the EU,   Towing a motor vehicle with another motor vehicle IS illegal,  with a tow rope, a towing pole or an A-Frame , trailers or purpose built recovery vehicles only. We will soon NOT be in the EU, so we can forget their odd laws for use in the UK.        

Please let's not start a debate on the legalities of A Frames. Just to touch on something that has not been discussed is the looming Brexit and what it will mean for us using A Frames. Nothing is quite clear about anything relating to our exit however, does it matter, We travel in Europe under the Vienna Convention on road transport 1968 which is a UN Mandate which pre-dates the  EC and stands above any local legislation the only exception being Spain who did not ratify the original agreement

Practically speaking, just covered 3,500 miles across 10 countries in and out of the EU and other than a lot of fellow German motorhomers wanting the details of where it was bought and lots of confusion trying to be honest at tollbooths and trying to pay for the car (on most occasions we gave up!), we had not trouble at all!.

You come into contact with a lot of police and customs officers at borders and tollgtes, never any negative interest.

I went with a car-a-tow system and found the bike rack a very useful storing place when not in use!!!.

Practically speaking, just covered 3,500 miles across 10 countries in and out of the EU and other than a lot of fellow German motorhomers wanting the details of where it was bought and lots of confusion trying to be honest at tollbooths and trying to pay for the car (on most occasions we gave up!), we had not trouble at all!.

You come into contact with a lot of police and customs officers at borders and tollgtes, never any negative interest.

I went with a car-a-tow system and found the bike rack a very useful storing place when not in use!!!.

Thanks Craig, good to hear from someone with actual hard evidence and experience. I have an a frame and you have helped convince me about taking the car to Europe.

We stopped using our A frame abroad after being stopped twice, once in Germany and again in Belgium. Neither times were we fined but on both occasions it was made clear that it is illegal to do so. We have met many that do still tow using A frames some of them French

You just need one awkward cop and your holiday is in a mess.

Your call.

You just need one awkward cop and your holiday is in a mess.

Your call.

Too true, which is why we stopped taking it, who wants to spend their holiday looking out for the police all the time.

Oh I do plenty of that TG

Oh I do plenty of that TG

To get things straight, there's no law anywhere, neither in the UK, in Spain, nor anywhere else, that specifically regulates A-frames. Technically, an A-frame plus car as a complete unit is treated exactly the same as a trailer, therefore so long as it complies with all rules and regulations that apply to trailers, it's not an issue. It has just become more complicated since the need for trailers to have whole vehicle type approval was introduced a couple of years ago. To my knowledge no A-frame/car combination has ever been type approved as a trailer.  It appears, however, that the UK is not enforcing the type approval requirement for A-frames, but has left it to the courts to make a ruling. Outside the UK one is not necessarily that tolerant and certainly not in those countries where trailers have to be registered, taxed and insured in their own right (which is most of them).