Are towbar drop plates illegal? I bought mine from a caravan accessories shop and got it fitted along with a new Al-Ko towball at a caravan service centre. Someone on the forum said they are illegal, does anyone know about this? If they are, why are they selling, fitting them? I have a Ford Fusion 1.6tdi and tow a mint 1987 Silverline Nova Vanden Plas (all 477kg of it!)
Does it not depend on the age of the tow car? Cars registered after August 1998 onwards, have to have EC approved towbars.
From the time that an "E" approved towbar had to be fitted. From then only towbars approved for use with specific drop plates would be legal, if they are not approved for use with the drop plate you purchased then the set up is illegal. Could bring insurance issues.
i think certain high ground clearance 4 x 4 vehicles are exempt from the drop plate ruling.. the rest of it is down to EU approval and it can be assumed that none of the tow bar makers bother getting approval with drop plates fitted.. my 4 x 4 tow truck has one and needs it to get my van vaguely level..
It depends on the towbar being type approved with a spacer between the tow bar and the tow ball. Witter tell you that the Fusion tow bar they manufacture is approved with a max spacer thickness of 10mm so you could fit a drop plate or bike rack bracket up to 10mm thick without any problem. It all depends on what the type approval allows for your particular tow bar.
Rob
PS I got the size wrong, it's a 25mm thick spacer, don't know why I wrote 10mm.
a spacer isnt quite the same as a drop plate.. the drop plates alters the stress angles applied to the bracket plus they come in several different drop sizes lets just say approval for a spacer dosnt mean approval for a drop plate..
Passenger cars first registered in the UK before 1 August 1998
These vehicles do not fall within the scope of Type Approval. There is no legal requirement to choose a towbar of a particular standard, but the Caravan Club advice is to select one which has been designed and tested to either of the following standards: British Standard BS 150 1103:2007 (supercedes the now withdrawn BS AU 113c standard) or - European Directive 94/20/EC
The DETR (Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions) states that
“...it is the responsibility of the user to contact the towbar manufacturer in order to determine whether or not the bracket has been type approved, taking into account the use of such additional devices that may be fitted. Some towbar manufacturers may already give such advice in their installation details.”
It is rare for manufacturers to allow for a tolerance on the vertical position of the towball, unless the towbar is one with a height adjustable facility built in. As such, it is usually illegal to fit a drop plate to a Type Approved towbar. There are a handful of exceptions to this, generally 4x4 vehicles. The onus, however, is on both the towbar fitter and the owner to check with the towbar manufacturer to ensure that any accessories fitted do not invalidate the Type Approval for the towbar. Using a towbar in a manner which results in its Type Approval `being invalidated is an offence.
(Taken straight from The Caravan Club Website - With Thanks)
No, pre 97 licence.It is a braked caravan I tow. When I called in to the caravan shop in Penrith they said I needed a drop plate. The Silverline's wheels are just 10" and it was sitting up at the front on the towbar.
The bigger shame, and total disgrace is that the dealer does not understand the law, it's not that it is something new it has affected new cars for 17 years.
if a dealer says you need a drop plate he would be technically correct.. tis a shame modern approval rules and regulations make such simple things difficult..
towing a smaller van with a low none approved (old) hitch height with a modern car seems impossible.. there are four answers.. buy an older none approved car with an older none approved tow bracket and drop plate.. buy a big 4 x 4 and fit a drop plate.. raise the hitch on the van.. or risk becoming a criminal and do the otherwise sensible thing..
i know what i would do in similar circumstances.. but i am a dodgy geezer.. i had the stick up my bum surgically removed long ago.. he he
i also have a drop plate on my old none approved 4 x 4.. but both its type and its age make such things legally okay.. drop plates are not illegal.. its the "none approval" that creates the legal problems.. i am rather glad i dont need it.. he he
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Topic: Towbar drop plate
