overthehill wrote on 07/10/10 at 17:32:13:Anybody knows the MTO rules for towing on a tow bar? Assuming that I use a proper tow bar, chains and lights, can I tow a little Tercel behind VW Golf
? Or behind something a bit bigger? If you can, please reference any source material or experience in your answer rather than "I think yes/no, but don't really know..."
Thanks,
Paul
I don't really know (
), but here are a few references that might be useful.
First, according to the Highway Traffic Act, a towed motor vehicle is not legally a trailer:
Quote:“trailer” means a vehicle that is at any time drawn upon a highway by a motor vehicle, except an implement of husbandry, a mobile home, another motor vehicle or any device or apparatus not designed to transport persons or property, temporarily drawn, propelled or moved upon such highway, and except a side car attached to a motorcycle, and shall be considered a separate vehicle and not part of the motor vehicle by which it is drawn; (“remorque”)
IOW, in the HTA itself, anything that refers to "trailers" specifically wouldn't apply to your situation (though things that refer to "vehicles", "towed vehicles", "motor vehicles" or "vehicle combinations" would).
Also, the HTA says the following:
Quote:Permit requirements
7. (1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway unless,
(a) there exists a currently validated permit for the vehicle;
(b) there are displayed on the vehicle, in the prescribed manner,
(i) number plates issued in accordance with the regulations showing the number of the permit issued for the vehicle, or
(ii) number plates described in subsection (7.2) if the vehicle is an historic vehicle and the Ministry has issued a currently validated permit for it; and
(c) evidence of the current validation of the permit is affixed, in the prescribed manner, to,
(i) one of the number plates mentioned in subclause (b) (i) displayed on the vehicle, or
(ii) to a mini-plate attached to the number plate exposed on the rear of the vehicle, if number plates described in subsection (7.2) are displayed on the vehicle. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 7 (1); 2000, c. 29, s. 1 (1).
Now... does flat-towing a car constitute "driving" the towed car? I don't know.
Something that may be useful to know, though: according to
this guide from the MTO, a motor vehicle towed with a tow bar
does not require trailer brakes (see p. 5).
In terms of GVWR, only the weight of the Golf itself and the tongue weight of the tow bar would count toward the GVW of the Golf. Your Golf's GVWR should be stamped on it somewhere (it's on a driver's door in my Caravan). Comparing the actual weight of the Golf (including any load, including the driver
) and the tongue weight of the tow bar (which I assume wouldn't be much) will tell you whether your combination's under the legal weight limit. However, whether the combination feels safe and stable on the road... that's something I can't tell you.
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