Tow bar wanted for Renault 4 GTL

[Paul Narramore]

Yes and pretty soon as I have this evening bought a Cabanon Venus trailer tent. I have the dimensioned drawings to make one and if I cannot locate one, I'll make one.

 

[JonathanT]

Did you see my discreet towbar design ?
Posted on here a while back Autocad drawing can be given to laser cutters for the two fishplates

 

[Paul Narramore]

Yes Jonathan I did and have taken copies. If I have to I thought I'd hacksaw, file and drill them in the time it would take me to find a CAD workshop. Or are you about to tell me you have some extra end plates?

 

[Niels Svane]

I'm also considering a tow bar at the moment. My dealer gets them made at a local black smith shop then you do the wiring yourself.
Do any of you know where to find some sort of clearance from renault to allow the R4 to have a tow bare mounted and mot'ed?

Then I would like something like this to tow (the price is 1600 £ roughly):
http://www.veteranposten.dk/visAnn.asp?Id=243219

 

[Paul Narramore]

Niels, You aren't suggesting that Renault would have to grant their 'permission ' for us to manufacture a tow bar for a thirty year old car? No, I thought not.

 

[Niels Svane]

Nope not at all, but there might be some manual or the like where the maximum tow capacity is stated. And thats what I would like to have as it is enough for the danish mot guys to accept the towbar. Personally I would like to know what the little car is rated to tow from the factory - I gather its around the 400 kg mark.

 

[jjad]

In a UK manual from 1972, the trailer weight seems to be listed as 300kg. In a later UK manual, no data is given: instead it says that towing weights vary according to country so you need to contact your local Renault dealer.

 

[Niels Svane]

They seem to have forgotten the R4 I'll ask my partsdealer. It's him that makes the tow bars, so he might know.

 

[Paul Narramore]

Well I have just bought a Cabanon Venus trailer tent, a two-berth flyweight TT, so towing her should be fine. Niels, In the U.K. tow bars are not part of our MoT test. The only way we could fall foul of the law would be during a roadside check. Jonathan here happily tows an Eriba Puck lightweight caravan.

 

[jjad]

In the U.K. tow bars are not part of our MoT test. The only way we could fall foul of the law would be during a roadside check.

Hi Paul, I don't think this is the case any more. Since 2009 the tow bar is part of the MOT (see Section 6.6). And since 2012, the electric connections are also included (though only 13-pin sockets are fully tested) (Section 1.9). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...mot-inspection-manual-classes-3-4-5-and-7.pdf

 

[JonathanT]

Yes I think the tow bar is included but on a car older than a certain age the towbar itself doesnt have to have an approved design. As long as it's safe and works as it should of course

Should there be an accident and the tow bar the failure I guess the owner could be responsible

Paul a steel fabricators will have access to laser/plasma CNC cutting - it didn't cost much and I had them weld it professionally too.

 

[Paul Narramore]

Thanks to both of you for that info. We learn something new every day

 

[Niels Svane]

Sounds like the same regulations as here then. In reality they wouldn't say anything to it, other than if you tried towing 500+ kilos with the r4.

They are though discontinuing a dispensation for tow bars on micro cars (vw up, citroen c1 and the sort) this year as they are deemed too unsafe for towing.

 

[Iain]

Well I have just bought a Cabanon Venus trailer tent, a two-berth flyweight TT, so towing her should be fine. Niels, In the U.K. tow bars are not part of our MoT test. The only way we could fall foul of the law would be during a roadside check. Jonathan here happily tows an Eriba Puck lightweight caravan.

I have a 1986 Conway Camargue Trailer Tent and our '87 GTL pulls it no problem, save for slowing a bit on the hills. But who runs a Quatrelle for speed or rushing around?!

 

[JonathanT]

Paul

I've just noticed Der Franzose do an approved design tow bar for the R4

I'm sure your 4 will have no trouble pulling a trailer tent

 

[Paul Narramore]

Thanks Jonathan. It took a while to find (tow trailer coupling) and it's 169euro plus 19.90 delivery. It looks nothing like your design which is much simpler. The Cabanon Venus weighs 272kg easily withing the abilities of the R4GTL.

 

[mojobaby]

Here's something that you can scratch your head about.
It's an advert that I saw on LeBonCoin last night.

It's a Renault tow bar and it's for an R4. But I don't know what "pds" means or if the "520" is Kgs or pounds (lbs)
I also don't know if it means that the tow bar has a limit of 520pds (before it breaks) or if the car itself can only tow 520pds

I'll leave it to you to work out

 

[petak]

Will post link to thread where we talked about tow bar for R4

http://www.renault4.co.uk/forum/threads/r4-tow-bar.6423/

There is also drawing for tow bar i am using on my R4

And here is tag that is on my tow bar


It says.
Weight on tow bar max 50kg.
Max weight when pulling 800kg

In Croatia by law i am allowed to pull max weight 750kg but not more than weight of the car that pulls

 

[Iain]

Here's something that you can scratch your head about.
It's an advert that I saw on LeBonCoin last night.

It's a Renault tow bar and it's for an R4. But I don't know what "pds" means or if the "520" is Kgs or pounds (lbs)
I also don't know if it means that the tow bar has a limit of 520pds (before it breaks) or if the car itself can only tow 520pds

I'll leave it to you to work out
View attachment 17602
View attachment 17603

This looks pretty much like the tow-hitch fitted to my 1987 GTL, a French registered car with what seems to be an original hitch assembly.

 

[Paul Narramore]

Jolly good, I have located a towbar at last and it will be winging it's way to me from deepest Ireland. The next item for fun is to wire in the electrics to the car's wiring loom. Deep joy! Thanks Mr Reno for the offer of a lend of your towbar ;-)