A-Frame towing

[speights_bud]

Has anyone had experience registering a gutted vehicle (Ie Van) fitted with an A-frame/Drawbar and used it as a trailer?

Basically the van engine Crapped itself and it was much cheaper to buy a good tow wagon. Would sell newly recon'd gearbox etc to pay for the build

Now the vans just sitting there and gutted out could make a good sealing enclosed trailer. And as it has Decent Chassis Rail's too.

But it doesn't appear to fit into the light trailer rules as the axles are spaced apart?


A simple trailer has one, two or three axles arranged close together in an axle set.

Other than that i can't see any issues other than they recommend 10% load weight on the tow coupling which wouldn't happen with a pivoting A frame. And i wouldn't think a solid drawbar would be a good idea as the trailer wouldn't pivot on a center axle.

A-frame towing is allowed of a vehicle and it doesn't have to have WOF or Rego, but only for temporary purposes.
Would be easy to hook up as a braked trailer too.

I've seen a local business here do it with a Terrano 4WD which is setup as a billboard/covered in sign writing. I'd give them a call but they aren't open on weekends.
Anyone else done it before?

Light Trailer Specs:
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/13d/trailers-light-simple.html

[Mental Trousers]

Weld the A frame to the front of the van take the front wheels out.

Otherwise you're looking at one of these http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/13c/full-trailers.html

[FJRider]

Weld the A frame to the front of the van take the front wheels out.

Otherwise you're looking at one of these http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/13c/full-trailers.html

No need to do that even ... many stock cars/race vehicles ... are registered as trailers.

A light-bar at the back ... hooked into the towing car's light connection plug.

A hydraulic trailer fitting can even be added to the drawbar to make it a braked trailer with bugger-all extra effort/$$$

[speights_bud]

That what i thought, but make use of the Vans existing tail lights etc.

Sounds like a few of the classic club racers have been doing it for a while instead of hiring a car trailer. Although they do get away with it i"m not entirely sure how legal it is. though they are towing on a 'temporary' basis.

Might pay to just drop into a testing station for some info and hope they don't put it into the too hard basket



Weld the A frame to the front of the van take the front wheels out.

Otherwise you're looking at one of these http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/13c/full-trailers.html

I thought that might be what they'd try class it as, although it does start the chapter with:

"The axle set requirements described here apply to heavy trailers. They don't apply to light trailers (with a gross vehicle mass up to 3.5 tonnes).

Then goes on to say:
A full trailer has two axle sets, one of which is connected to the towing vehicle by a drawbar which steers the front axle set

An A-frame doesn't steer the 'axle'/front wheels independently from the rest of the trailer does it? It's fixed to the chassis and the wheels self align?

[FJRider]

Then goes on to say:
A full trailer has two axle sets, one of which is connected to the towing vehicle by a drawbar which steers the front axle set

An A-frame doesn't steer the 'axle'/front wheels independently from the rest of the trailer does it? It's fixed to the chassis and the wheels self align?

If the connection from the towed vehicle is permanant, in other words ... not a temporary connection (temporary as in, be easily removed) ... and the A frame means the front wheels have to follow.

A vehicle can be towed with an A-frame without a driver in the towed vehicle ... and perfectly legal.

[Rhys]

you should check your tow vehicle unbraked tow rating as you will probably need a independent brakes on your ''trailer' , most vehicles are rated about 500 kg s

[speights_bud]

you should check your tow vehicle unbraked tow rating as you will probably need a independent brakes on your ''trailer' , most vehicles are rated about 500 kg s

Yep Quite aware of this, would definitely be braked, all the brake lines etc are already in the van, all I'd need to do is run lines to the tow coupling.

If course a temporary tow is assuming the vehicle is still registered as a car, to register as a trailer would be the ideal.

I figure the forestry/Road works guys tow their utes behind graders etc. but it's all about whether or not i can re-register it as a trailer...

[Drew]

Ever tried to reverse a car on an A frame? Good times right there, it's why heave trailers have a solid front axle connected to the draw bar solid styles.

[Flip]

You can tow a vehicle provided it is disabled, ie as in it can't be started.

I used to tow a old hunting wagon landrover around the south island. I used to have it in writing form the LTSA that it was fine. All I did was to disconnect the battery.

Provided the towed vehicle was within the towing vehicles raiting its all fine as far as I am concerned.