Parking with a towbar
hello caravaners,
I share my car with my mum, she in her late 70s and not a confident driver. She sate putting a tow bar on the back will interfere with parking and could cause damage to other cars (car is too old for a detachable tow bar).
Does anyone have experience of this?
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I'm assuming your mum is referring to backing into another car when she says she is worried about damage to other cars. Sorry, but if your mum cannot stop her car before she backs into another then perhaps the inevitable question should, unfortunately, be asked.
The tow ball will only stick out 3 to 4 inches beyond the bumper. Having a tow bar should in no way interfere with parking but if she did reverse into anything the impact would be concentrated in one area and could cause more serious damage.
Conversely, it can offer some protection from other drivers getting too close to the back of your car, in car parks for example where we all know parking bays are almost too small for many cars.
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As already said, the tow ball will only stick out by a few inches which shouldn't cause any interference problems when parking. I wouldn't expect to get that close when parking anyway to make any real difference. If anybody drives or reverses into your vehicle however, they're going to come off worst.
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Get mum to learn from the sound of the reversing sensors when the towball is close enough. If you don’t have sensors it maybe an idea to fit them.
Incidentally, late 70s is not old for drivers these days. Tell your mum many folk in that age range tow caravans!
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What car is it? A detachable tow bar is probably available, This forum will probably advise if you say what your looking for.
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Yes - not quite 'late 70s' but I'm one of them.
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I am one too, and I AM late 70s!
We have a detachable towball, but way back in the early 1970s we had a fixed one. When stopped at lights in Glasgow, a bus inexplicably ran into the back of us, we drove home, the towball holed the bus's radiator and it had to be towed away.
Never mess with a fixed towball!
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