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Watling Engineers -Additional Motorhome Services
To complement our bespoke towbar fitting service for motorhomes and other commercial vehicles, we offer a number of other products and services to enhance your towing experience and your safety.
Habitation Checks
Our comprehensive habitation checks cover all aspects of the internal workings of your motorhome. We fully check the 12v and 240v electric systems along with all gas appliances and the water system. These checks include a gas leak test and an internal damp test. We are also able to rectify many common issues associated with general wear and tear, from a broken step to a replacement window blind or rooflight. Please phone for prices and further details.
Trailers for Motorhomes - Car Transporters
We are able to offer a range of small car trailers if your aim is to take a car away with you to use as your local transport. The range we have is from Brian James Trailers who have been recognised as market leaders in vehicle transport for over 25 years. Their exceptional build quality and ease of use make them a first choice for car transport. In particular they cater well for the motorhome market with 2 of their smaller trailers, the Bantam Smart trailer and the A-Max.
The Bantam Smart trailer has been designed specifically for the Smart 2 seater car and has many design features which make it really the only trailer to use for a Smart car. These include fast and easy drive on loading, rear support stands and perfect weight distribution for the rear engined Smart.
If your car is a little bigger than the Smart then the A-Max trailer is the one for you. The A-Max comes in a range of different sizes and so will accommodate many of todays small cars.
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| Smart car and Bantam Smart trailer loaded up behind this Autocruise Wentworth |
| For further information on any of the above trailers, please call us on 01727 873661. |
Towing cars with Motorhomes
We are often asked about the legalities of towing behind a motorhome and in particular the use of A-frames and towing dollies. Our first piece of advice is to check your overall towing capacity by looking at the Gross vehicle and Gross train weights specified on your particular vehicle. They will tell you what you are allowed to carry or pull with your vehicle.
With regards to the legality of A-frames and towing dollies I would refer you to an excerpt taken from the FAQ pages of the NTTA (National Towing and Trailer Association) website who are the voice of the towing industry in the UK:
I have a motor home and want to tow a Fiat Seicento behind it using an A-frame. This car has a kerb weight under 750 kg so am I legal with this outfit?
Sorry no is the answer. The law regards this as an unbraked trailer and you are allowed to tow up to 750 kg Gross Trailer Weight, not a car’s kerb weight. The figure you have to use is the car’s Gross Vehicle Weight or Maximum Permitted Weight. This is usually at least 300 - 400 kg more than the kerb weight. We have no knowledge of any car sold in the UK that has a GVW under 750 kg. An A-frame or dolly can only be used to recover a broken down vehicle to a place of safety. Transporting a car is, therefore, illegal. A-frames may be offered with a braking system that applies the car's brakes. These do not conform to the law as the car then becomes a "braked trailer" and has to conform to European Directive 71/320EEC contained within the Construction and Use Regulations. A cars brakes do not conform to the European Directive 71/320/EEC and amendments regarding braking requirements in any way. The use of this A-frame for transportation is illegal. It is still OK for use to recover a vehicle to a place of safety.
We concur with this answer after many conversations with the Department of Transport and other legislative bodies who are involved with writing the construction and use regulations. As far as we, and they are concerned, the only safe and legal way of transporting a car behind a motorhome is on a trailer.
Trailers for Motorhomes - Motorbike Trailers
For those of you with motorbikes too large for our Motorack scooter carrier, we can offer 2 different motorbike trailers. The PM310 has a carrying capacity of 260kg and is ideal for single motorbike use. Small, lightweight and excellent value from just £370 inc vat.
The CH450 is a more adaptable trailer as not only can it be used to carry motorbikes, but with the ramp removed it can be used as a flatbed trailer. It has a load capacity of 350kg and prices start from £450 inc. vat £550 including 1 motorbike carry rail and 1m load ramp. |
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| CH450 motorbike trailer loaded up and ready to go. |
Trailers for Motorhomes - Luggage Trailers
If you just want more luggage space, we can supply the full range of Daxara luggage trailers. These start at just £170 inc. vat and are ideal for that bit of extra carrying capacity.
The Daxara range offers a comprehensive selection of sizes with a varied, flexible and affordable range of accessories to suit all purposes from cycle rails to side extensions.
For more information on any aspect of the Daxara trailer range please call us on 01727 873661 |
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| Towbar with full width steel
bumper and Daxara 198 luggage trailer on this Autocruise Starfire |
Motorbike and scooter racks/carriers
Our motorbike carrier is ideal for smaller motorbikes or moped scooters and will cope with most bikes up to 130kg with a wheelbase of up to 1500mm. Full details can be found on our motorbike carrier page. |
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Reversing Cameras
So, you are all set to go. You have your towbar, trailer and your bike or car is all loaded up and ready to go. But on your way down the motorway, how do you know it is still there? Most side mirrors on motorhomes are not large enough or angled enough to see a small trailer and so to give you peace of mind we can fit rear mounted cameras so that you can keep an eye on your load. Unlike most companies who wire the camera up to the power from the reverse light, we wire our cameras up to the ignition power. This means that you can check what is going on at any time and not just when you are reversing. We have found that most of our customers find this of great benefit. Of course, they can be used as standard reversing cameras when required.
Supplied and fitted reverse cameras with colour LCD monitor start at just £515plus vat.
For more information on the systems we offer, please give us a call on 01727 873661. |
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| Waeco reversing systems provide excellent visibility and great value. |
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