Towing a New Toyota AYGO with a Unibrake A Frame

Redpara
Redpara Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited April 2016 in Motorhomes #1

I have been towing a smart car behind my Bessacar Motorhome E572 for over a year, and the car I was towing via an A Frame was a Smart fourtwo Cabrio Passion. However I have just changed my smart car for a Toyota AYGO Expression, and now I have to figure out how to use my Unibrake system to tow the Toyota, which only has one towing point on the front of the car, which is situated on the right as you look at the car at the front and is below the headlamp. Can anyone tell me has the AYGO got a second point which may be hidden behind the body work panel on the opposite side, or do I have to have a point fitted. I cannot tow my AYGO with the Unibrake System I have got, as it's an A Frame which has to have 2 towing points which you fit towing eyes into, allowing points to take the weight of the towed vehicle equally opposite each other on the front of the car, so as to connect the A Frame to and allow equal towing pulling points.

Can anyone help me with this please !

Regards

Comments

  • peegeenine
    peegeenine Forum Participant Posts: 548
    edited April 2016 #2

    You will have to take your car to the A-frame manufacturer, Unibrake, for the necessary modifications to be carried out. There is a lot more to it than just fitting another towing eye. An additional braking system has to be fitted and a socket to connect
    the car to the motorhome so that the lights function. If you contact them they will give you the necessary information.

  • Stewartwebr
    Stewartwebr Forum Participant Posts: 171
    edited April 2016 #3

    As peegeenine has advised you will need to go back to Unibrake. I assume they would have also made an additional attachment for your Smart car, as like all cars they only come with one towing eye fiiting area.

    It may also be the case that the towing eye currently fitted in your Aygo may need altered. Towbars 2 Towcars who have converted my towcars for me advocate that the set up provided by the manufacturer is for the provision of recovery and not designed
    for the strains of frequent A Frame use. They do increase the engineering and strength along with also providing the additional set up on the other side.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #4

     

    ...... They do increase the engineering and strength along with also providing the additional set up on the other side.

    It always makes me think how the car woud then react in the event of a crash after the original impact strength has been altered Undecided

  • Stewartwebr
    Stewartwebr Forum Participant Posts: 171
    edited April 2016 #5

    In the case of the cars they have converted for me, it has been nothing more than adding the additional tow point on one side and welding an additional bigger nut onto the other side to increase the size for the towing
    eye to be screwed into, so not really much of a modification. Well, nothing in comparison to the modifications to the vehicle electrics to get the lights to work because of the Canbus wiring, and not helped by the auto application of the handbrake when it
    senses the car is rolling. It really took a lot of patience and expertise to carry out the modification. Hence the reason i have so much respect for Towbars 2 Towcars, it was not an easy job and they did it professionally overcoming a huge amount of hurdles
    along the way.

  • BrianJosie
    BrianJosie Forum Participant Posts: 391
    100 Comments
    edited April 2016 #6

    We have just bought a Toyota Aygo and are going tomorrow to Salop Towing in Shrewsbury to have a Towmaster electronically braked A-frame fitted .not many of these about.very lightweight at 9KG.will let you know how we get on.

    Brian & Jo

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