Transporting classics

BrianD3 · 28-01-2005 6:30pm #1

How do you guys transport vehicles which are not driveable or road legal.

I know there are car transporter trailers available but you'd really need an EB licence to use one of these if you plan on moving anything heavier than a Mini or 2CV.

Are there transporters available to buy/rent which are based on say a Ford Transit pickup and have a max d.g.v.w of less than 3.5 tonnes. This would mean they could be driven on a normal car licence. Anything heavier would require a C1 or C licence.

Most of the car transporters that I see are based on small trucks and would have a d.g.v.w of around 7.5 tonnes, putting them into the C1 category.

BrianD3

Merrion · 28-01-2005 7:33pm

The vehicle that transported my car to the UK was based on a transit (albeit a 6 wheel version) - see [URL=https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/10698/9936.jpg[/URL]

But the company I used doesn't seem to exist any more - at least their web site is gone...

Silvera · 28-01-2005 7:51pm

BrianD3,

You can use a resonable-sized transporter trailer with a B licence.
For example, a trailer with a d.g.v.w of 1450kg (i.e carrying capacity of c.1200kg = Ford Capri sized car) towed by a vehicle with a unladen weight of 1500kg - e.g Audi A4 or similar-sized car.

Failing that you could opt for an A-frame or a Towing Dolly (though insurance cover is a grey area using these!

)

Haven't seen Transit sized transporters < 3500kg - yet.
(Not a prob for me though.......have a C licence

)

Silvera · 28-01-2005 7:54pm

....actually, here's a pic of a guy in the UK who regularly uses his A Frame to tow his classics home !

BrianD3 · 28-01-2005 8:43pm

I did some reading on this and Transit based transporters

.5 tonnes do exist. They seem to be known as "beaver tail" bodies. However they are generally quite limited in what they can carry due to the 3.5 tonne limit and relatively short deck. And the slope of the deck can also cause problems when loading which are not found on larger transporters with longer decks.

Merrion: the pic of your GT6 + the transporter is what prompted me to start this thread. From what I've read, covered, triple axle transporters like that one generally have a gross weight of around 5 tonnes so require a C1 licence.

Silvera: yep, I may have slightly exaggerated about needing an EB licence to tow anything bigger than a Mini

But I thought that an unladen trailer would be quite heavy (say 400-600 kg) which will obviously increase the gross weight. Are you sure than a trailer capable of moving a 1200 kg car would only weigh 250 kg?

Completely forgot about the A-frames/dollies. I don't know what the insurance/legal situation is with these. Anyone here use one?

BrianD3

Merrion · 28-01-2005 9:00pm

Would it be difficult to get a C1 license? (Don't know about this as UK license comes with C1E and D1E as standard)

Silvera · 28-01-2005 9:42pm

BrianD3,

I have looked at www.brianjames.co.uk (manufacturer) and they do a gvw 1400kg transporter with a 900kg load capacity.
However, if you used a 'locally made' car transporter - and there are loads of them about - they have no weight plates on them, so you could plead ignorance in the (unlikely) event of an insurance query !

(Most cops and ins companies haven't a clue re weights etc.)

Re: A Frames and Dollies - I have used both.
The A Frame is so convient, it dismantles and fits into your boot. However, you have to be careful on sharp bends, easy to 'jacknife' :eek:

(Incidentially, there is a Solomatic A Frame in the Buy & Sell for €400)

The Tow Dolly is handy too - e.g. no large trailer behind your car !

With either you have to drive carefully, and anticipate road conditions/other drivers even more so than you would during normal driving ! ........ it takes longer to stop when you have another car pushing you forward !!!

As I said earlier, insurance is a grey area re both of these.
Also, legally speaking they are for 'recovery', not 'transporting' vehicles.

That said, most cops 'turn a blind eye' to them, as is also the case in the UK.

Silvera · 28-01-2005 9:47pm

Merrion,

To get a 'C1' licence you have to either take the test in a C1-class vehicle (e.g. large pick up truck or delivery van) OR, take the 'C' test (Rigid truck over 7500kg) and you automatically get C1 too - which is what I did.

Category C1 and EB used to come automatically when you passed your car test pre 1989 (i.e. old type licence). My brother has both and he only did car test.

Saying that, my father has ALL categories, and he NEVER did a test !

Alfasudcrazy · 29-01-2005 1:54am

I just went out and bought an ordinary car transporter €1,200 new - saw it in the buy & sell. I tow it with my 1.9TDi caddy van. Brought several cars from the UK with it no problem.
Its a double axle of course, with its own braking system - you have to be careful with it as the trailer wheels extend beyond the width of the Caddy - and have lights rigged up on the mudguards etc. I have a EB licence. My insurance co - after some deliberation had no problem with covering me under my normal (private ) premium once it was being used for my own private purposes. They never even asked me what class license I had. :rolleyes:

I brought my TR6 back from the UK in 1993 using a similar transporter using my Golf 1.9 diesel (non turbo) - again no problem - except for getting lost a few times - well it was my first time driving in the UK

shagman · 29-01-2005 2:27am

AlfaSud What is involved in getting a EB licence? Do you have to be good at reversing with a trailer?
My chevy van is 3350kg so shouldn't really be towing with it would go over the max total 3500kg rule and my scimitar is only 1011kg so trailer plus car being towed must be less than that which is a bloody light car!! Am I correct in my reading of these rules?

stratos · 29-01-2005 5:33am

Brian you buy the biggest trailer you can, tow it with the smallest car you have, and you STOP WORRYING!

BrianD3 · 29-01-2005 2:19pm

shagman, you will find that very few people bother to do the EB test. I have never heard of anyone doing it - most people who have EB on their licence did their "B" test years ago and got awarded "EB" automatically.

In other words there are loads of people driving around unlicensed and uninsured towing heavy trailers on a B licence, although as Silvera says this is rarely/never enforced. The biggest trailer you can legally tow with your Chevy at the moment is 750 kg d.g.v.w.

As to what the EB test involves - I would assume it is somewhat similar to the EC (artic lorry) test. You probably have to do most of the things that you do for a normal car test plus showing that you can reverse your trailer in a straight line and can reverse it around a corner into a restricted opening. So yeah you would have to be reasonably competent at reversing a trailer. You also have to use a large trailer for the EB test but that's not a problem as large trailers are easier to reverse. You also need a sufficently large vehicle to pull the trailer - not a problem for you

BrianD3

Silvera · 29-01-2005 2:56pm

I recall talking to a woman who works in the Motor Tax Office, she said she has NEVER seen an application for an EB licence (she said people don't bother with it) ! .......... though I soon changed that when I applied for my provisional 'EB' licence

BrianD3,
If you got an EB provisional, presumably you would then be legally covered/insured for towing a transporter ? ..... look at all the provisional licence holders about who are covered when they are in accidents !
(albeit it a somewhat temporary solution!)

I took/passed my 'C' test in 1999 and kinda hoped I might get class 'EB' also - but no

So I must either take the 'EB' test OR if I take the 'EC' (Artic) test, THEN I will automatically get category 'EB' too.
I have no plans to do either in the near future - but someday I will do one or the other

Alfasudcrazy,
I though most folks drove their cars home from the UK, rather than the added cost of taking a van and trailer ? (presuming the in question car is 'drivable' ofcourse)

As a matter of interest, does it cost much extra to take a transporter over on the ferry ?

BrianD3 · 29-01-2005 3:19pm

Yes Silvera, if you have an EB provisional you would be licenced and insured (3rd party anyway) to tow a big trailer. You'd be breaking the rules if you drove on a motorway or unaccompanied by someone with a full EB licence. But the chances of ever getting "done" for that would be negligible, and you would still be insured for 3rd party damage even if you had an accident on a motorway and/or while driving unaccompanied.

Although like the woman in the tax office I have never heard of anyone applying for an EB provisional, let alone anyone passing an EB test

BrianD3

Silvera · 29-01-2005 3:27pm

Glad to know I'm 'breaking the mould'

JohnBoy · 31-01-2005 10:32am

We (myself and two mates) decided that we wanted to play with cars a few years ago, and realised that the first thing we'd need was a trailer.

So we built one.

not some heap of ****e made from angle iron with no brakes or suspension mind, it's a full flatbed, aluminium checquer plate over plywood deck, 14 foot long 6 foot 2 wide, brakes lights. suspension, all the bits and pieces.

tis the job.

we've moved land rovers, recovered broken down members of the family, hauled a three series on it, nearly destroyed it trying to load a cadillac eldorado onto it and it takes some massive amounts of hay on it too.

It's a majorly useful piece of kit, built for around €1700, strong as hell and capable of withstanding a lot more abuse than a brian james.

on the flip side it's bloody heavy and did take a fair bit of time to build as we were learning as we went along.

a lot of space and some decent equipment are also needed to build something like this and it's not for everyone.

I'll try and post pics sometime

Alfasudcrazy · 31-01-2005 12:28pm

Is it feasable to fit a wench - (the electric pully type) onto the front of a transporter to pull cars onto it if they are not starting - if so what types and has anyone done this?

Silvera · 31-01-2005 8:12pm

I'm sure it's not a prob to fit a winch to a transporter - be it electric or manual (though most that I have seen are manual winches).

I have often seen electric winches for sale in UK car mags, the type that is fitted to the front of 4X4's - usually fairly cheap too !

Silvera · 31-01-2005 8:14pm

...btw, Alfasudcrazy, got any pics of your transporter ?

Alfasudcrazy · 01-02-2005 2:17am

Silvera wrote:

...btw, Alfasudcrazy, got any pics of your transporter ?

OK will do - its nothing special though - presently the lights are not working on it - the guy I bought it from was a bit of a chancer me thinks :rolleyes:

stratos · 01-02-2005 10:32pm

Yes it's ok to use a winch. Just be carefull on set up, especially if trailer not attached to a car. As from past experience you can winch the trailer under the car and not as you intended the other way around

Transporting classics

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