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[Markie]

Okay....Markie has got the go ahead for the grand plan.....cant say anymore than that. But doesnt involve track cars or horses  

Slight hint of Deja Vu but to some on here as initially I will be buying a third vehicle. Cash waiting  

Because i know the marque it will need to be veccy or omega for fixability and trade club prices.

Can anyone advise the following...

1. Whats the difference between single and double electrics on a towbar - and are there any requirements for towing with regards to this?
2. Lets pretend i have my "tow car" and i insure it quoting i have 0 NCB, as i cant use my NCB being used on the MV6. Assuming that i go for 1 year without a claim i would have two lots of ncb, and i could use them both on two different cars - am i right?
3. And finally, i presume insurance companies must know of me using a car to tow or....do they? ie those with caravans - do you need to tell your car insurer you tow and if so does it affect premium?

 

[STMO123]

1  dont know

2  yes

 3   dont know

[Markie]

1  dont know

2  yes

 3   dont know

you sound like a lawyer....no infact you dont - the middles answer is wrong  

[STMO123]

1  dont know

2  yes

 3   dont know

you sound like a lawyer....no infact you dont - the middles answer is wrong  

No its not. Both our cars are insured in the wifes name and we have five years and 14 years no claims

[TheBoy]

Okay....Markie has got the go ahead for the grand plan.....cant say anymore than that. But doesnt involve track cars or horses  

Slight hint of Deja Vu but to some on here as initially I will be buying a third vehicle. Cash waiting  

Because i know the marque it will need to be veccy or omega for fixability and trade club prices.

Can anyone advise the following...

1. Whats the difference between single and double electrics on a towbar - and are there any requirements for towing with regards to this?
2. Lets pretend i have my "tow car" and i insure it quoting i have 0 NCB, as i cant use my NCB being used on the MV6. Assuming that i go for 1 year without a claim i would have two lots of ncb, and i could use them both on two different cars - am i right?
3. And finally, i presume insurance companies must know of me using a car to tow or....do they? ie those with caravans - do you need to tell your car insurer you tow and if so does it affect premium?

 

twin leccy for caravans - the extra socket mainly for fridge, battery charging etc.  I seem to recall fogs or reverse lights also on extra socket - do a search for 12n 12s wiring diagram

Most insurance will do 'multicar' policies. Eg, my insurer gave me 5yr NCD on the tractor, despite having no NCD for it.  I had to negociate it with them.  If I move to different insurer next year, obviously I will only have 1 yr NCD on the tractor (and the full whack on MV6), though is I stay with my current insurer, it will be 5 on both...

[STMO123]

Okay....Markie has got the go ahead for the grand plan.....cant say anymore than that. But doesnt involve track cars or horses  

Slight hint of Deja Vu but to some on here as initially I will be buying a third vehicle. Cash waiting  

Because i know the marque it will need to be veccy or omega for fixability and trade club prices.

Can anyone advise the following...

1. Whats the difference between single and double electrics on a towbar - and are there any requirements for towing with regards to this?
2. Lets pretend i have my "tow car" and i insure it quoting i have 0 NCB, as i cant use my NCB being used on the MV6. Assuming that i go for 1 year without a claim i would have two lots of ncb, and i could use them both on two different cars - am i right?
3. And finally, i presume insurance companies must know of me using a car to tow or....do they? ie those with caravans - do you need to tell your car insurer you tow and if so does it affect premium?

 

twin leccy for caravans - the extra socket mainly for fridge, battery charging etc.  I seem to recall fogs or reverse lights also on extra socket - do a search for 12n 12s wiring diagram

Most insurance will do 'multicar' policies. Eg, my insurer gave me 5yr NCD on the tractor, despite having no NCD for it.  I had to negociate it with them.  If I move to different insurer next year, obviously I will only have 1 yr NCD on the tractor (and the full whack on MV6), though is I stay with my current insurer, it will be 5 on both...

See...Jock

[Markie]

1  dont know

2  yes

 3   dont know

you sound like a lawyer....no infact you dont - the middles answer is wrong  

No its not. Both our cars are insured in the wifes name and we have five years and 14 years no claims

Steve - You missed my subtle and cheeky attempt at humour and a dig at lawyers there - no dispute your answer is correct  

Jamie  - Cheers for the heads up on multicar - i have 4 years NCB with Admiral....worth talking to them  

[STMO123]

1  dont know

2  yes

 3   dont know

you sound like a lawyer....no infact you dont - the middles answer is wrong  

No its not. Both our cars are insured in the wifes name and we have five years and 14 years no claims

Steve - You missed my subtle and cheeky attempt at humour and a dig at lawyers there - no dispute your answer is correct  

Jamie  - Cheers for the heads up on multicar - i have 4 years NCB with Admiral....worth talking to them  

 

[TheBoy]

To clarify the NCD - if you only have 1 lot of NCD, you can only use that on 1 car. If you insure a 2nd car, that should start on 0yrs NCD (though as said, most insurers will do a deal).  Then you have 2 lots of NCD to use on 2 different cars as you see fit...

[Kevin Wood]

As TB said you only need twin electrics for a caravan. The fob light is on the 12N socket. Reversing light is on the 12S IIRC.

I've found that insuring a 2nd car they will consider your existing NCB. Just shop around.

I've never informed them of towing. They won't cover whatever you're towing so that may need to be insured on top, but I don't think they need to know. Don't recall an insurance company ever asking if I tow.

Kevin

[STMO123]

As TB said you only need twin electrics for a caravan. The fob light is on the 12N socket. Reversing light is on the 12S IIRC.

I've found that insuring a 2nd car they will consider your existing NCB. Just shop around.

I've never informed them of towing. They won't cover whatever you're towing so that may need to be insured on top, but I don't think they need to know. Don't recall an insurance company ever asking if I tow.

Kevin

Martin is your man

[STMO123]

Only a newbie and I seem to know so many people already.

[Markie]

thanks for the input guys.......worryingly i am loking already at a 2.0 mondeo estate  

so to clarify car insurer doesnt seem to need to know about my towing activities.
second car will in time accrue ncb on its own policy
single electrics are sufficient.

The trailer is going to be hired from a company and they deal with the legalities and insurance of their product  

oh and the purchase of this will let the MV6 get its respray  :-/

[STMO123]

thanks for the input guys.......worryingly i am loking already at a 2.0 mondeo estate  

so to clarify car insurer doesnt seem to need to know about my towing activities.
second car will in time accrue ncb on its own policy
single electrics are sufficient.

The trailer is going to be hired from a company and they deal with the legalities and insurance of their product  

oh and the purchase of this will let the MV6 get its respray  :-/

Perfectly acceptable tow car...but remember, you wont get the weight pushing down on the driving wheels, so dont go muddy

[Martin_1962]

Never needed to inform on towbar fitment nor that I am towing, trailer insurance is included as TPO, ie if you clobber an illegaly parked van the car insurance pays for a new door and the trailer insurance for the dent to be filled and repaired and awning strip replaced

Mondeo

Cheap Omega/Carlton/Senator - don't want WRD for towing.

My old 2.0 was OK

The second socket is used for battery charging and fridge, but there are two wiring layouts.

[Marks DTM Calib]

A Mondea is not big enough to tow a trailer with an Omega on it....probably wouldn't legaly be able to tow a trailer with a vectra on either......

[Elite Pete]

I was told by a trailer hire company that my Omega wasn't big enough to tow an Omega on a twin axel trailer so I had to hire a van

[Markie]

A Mondea is not big enough to tow a trailer with an Omega on it....probably wouldn't legaly be able to tow a trailer with a vectra on either......

tow an omega....me ?

ideally i would like an omega for towing though... :-/

[Kevin Wood]

If you are going to tow any vehicle on a trailer I wouldn't go for a lighter tow car than an Omega, TBH. Yes, it can be done but a FWD car with spongey rear suspension will be nothing like as stable as an Omega.

An Omega can tow IRO 1700 Kg. Once you've accounted for the weight of the trailer itself you're talking about a small to medium hatchback on the trailer.

Kevin

[Big Rod]

I've towed lots of stuff with frighteningly inadequate cars.

A Rover P6 with a Renault 19, A Pontiac Firebird with a Sierra etc etc, but after the last time I towed a Sentor in my Carlton estate and nearly fell off a bridge because it started 'penduluming' due to the cheap rear shocks that were fitted to it.

I'll be towing a stripped out Monza with my MV6 soon and that's about as far as I'd push it, (Someone recently had a Monza and trailer weighed and it met the max trailer weight. 1750 KG IIRC.) Then I'm getting a Range Rover!!

[Martin_1962]

I have seen a small WRD car stuck in my road for an hour because the trailer was too heavy - smell of clutch ect.

Pity it was pre tow bar because an Omega would have shifted it no problem

[Martin_1962]

I've towed lots of stuff with frighteningly inadequate cars.

I moved out of my bedsit and into our first house with a large box trailer behind the Sunbeam.

A sporty Metro tried to beat me at some traffic lights - no chance (trailer was empty - returning for another load)

[Danny]

wouldnt life be easier if no claims bonus was relative to a driver's continous insurance, regardless of the car they buy

i.e buying an extra car and declaring 4 years no claims purely for the fact you have been continuously insured for 4 years and never made a claim!

[Marks DTM Calib]

I just have visions of......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4g44_haEDU

[Danny]

that's hilarious!!

[Markie]

  nice video  

No ive decided it will be an Omega with already fitted towbar. Trouble is doing my usual search of ebay and autotrader shows none!! suitable within 100 miles.

Its got to be - considorably - sub £1000.

Final question. to those that have towed....is it hard cos looking at the size of a trailer and car i just worry about getting stuck  

[Kevin Wood]

is it hard cos looking at the size of a trailer and car i just worry about getting stuck

It's easy until you have to reverse

Best to think a little further ahead as you're driving and try to avoid getting into tight spots in the first place. Grab a trailer and practice your reversing somewhere quiet too.

The other thing I find I need to be careful of is to keep the speed under control. Leave a longer stopping distance and be wary that if you've been grinding up a hill for a few minutes with your right foot embedded in the axminster and the ground flattens out, you need to remember to come off the gas a little! Sounds obvious but when you're used to driving at 70+ it's very easy to let the speed build up and the first thing you know about it when towing is that it all starts to get a bit unstable! A powerful car and cruise control helps a lot here IME. Set the cruise to 55-60 or wherever you're comfortable (on the motorway) and leave it.

If you're really serious about it find a local driving instructor who gives towing lessons. There's a guy close to me who does, but not so close to you!

Have you discounted the possibility of a removable towbar on the MV6 then?

Kevin

[Markie]

i

Have you discounted the possibility of a removable towbar on the MV6 then?

Kevin

yes, decided I dont want to go down that route.

MV6 is going to get the full irmscher and full respray. Also potentially i wil be frequenting scrap yards to drop off the occasional shell of a car and i dont want it in that type of scenario...oh and finally i dont want the wife driving the MV6  

[smoothomega]

wouldnt life be easier if no claims bonus was relative to a driver's continous insurance, regardless of the car they buy

i.e buying an extra car and declaring 4 years no claims purely for the fact you have been continuously insured for 4 years and never made a claim!

I have never been able to work out why your NCD can't be carried over to a second car, after all you can only drive one car at a time anyway, just another way for the insurers to drain yet more money from our pockets

[Danny]

and as wisely said by chris rock, if we dont make a claim, shouldnt we just get our money back???

[Tony H]

wouldnt life be easier if no claims bonus was relative to a driver's continous insurance, regardless of the car they buy

i.e buying an extra car and declaring 4 years no claims purely for the fact you have been continuously insured for 4 years and never made a claim!

I have never been able to work out why your NCD can't be carried over to a second car, after all you can only drive one car at a time anyway, just another way for the insurers to drain yet more money from our pockets

Agreed

[Tony H]

On the point of third party cover on your trailer this only applies when the trailer is attached to the tow vehical. So its strongly reccommended to fix a chain or cable restrictor to your tow bar just in case the tow parts company and the trailer careers off on its own and writes off a Bentley( or similar)  

[TheBoy]

Markie, you'll have no trouble towing I'm sure.  Just remember extra space when turning, and remember when reversing the trailer pivots at the trailer axle....

[Chopsdad]

I tow a 16" caravan with no trouble.  If the Omega will fit through a gap so will the van/trailer.

You have to adjust your driving style to allow for almost Leaner type driving, plenty of gap in front, but not too much or an eager chav will cut infront and force you to brake. But tbh it really is no problem.

Try Direct Line for insurance iirc they have a NCB clause that is something like "You can only drive 1 car at a time so your full ncb can be used for more than 1 vehicle" and there is no need to mention purpose of car.
 

[Andy B]

.....
Try Direct Line for insurance iirc they have a NCB clause that is something like "You can only drive 1 car at a time so your full ncb can be used for more than 1 vehicle" and there is no need to mention purpose of car.
 

 .... but be carefull of promises of 'cheap' insurance. When I wanted to insure a 2nd car I phoned Direct Line as I'm a named driver on my wife's (which is obviously insured by Direct Line   ) car and so in theory should qualify for a no claims discount - as per the TV advert.  I was quoted something silly like £500 for a shed of an Astra diesel. I insured the car with AN Other company for £212

[Kevin Wood]

if we dont make a claim, shouldnt we just get our money back???

Who would subsidise all the uninsured scumbags then?

Actually, when you look at the cost of even a "relatively small" claim these days, especially if someone wants compensation for an injury, it's sometimes a wonder that premiums aren't higher.

Kevin