Legality of tow bars

[fordy4]

Just a thought since the topic of buggies in moab came up.
Are tow bars legal when the towed rig is not street legal? Obviously not the best way to tow your rig, but if a large mud flap of some sort is used on the buggie, with correct lighting, would it be legal? I would assume not, but just wondering if anyone knows for sure if this could somehow be done legally for a short distance to get from camp to the trialhead etc.
Anybody know?
Thanks

 

[Caleb]

So how are you getting from home to camp?

 

[4x4phil]

I actually just called the highway patrol three weeks ago and asked them. Here's what I know about towing vehicles. With a towbar your vehicle is considered a trailer. You can have no occupants in the vehicle in tow, it doesn't have to be insured. You do have to have proper wheel coverage, and fully functional lights. Just like a trailer. I bought a really cool set of magnetic lights at a uhaul store that hook into your trailer lights and run to the back of your rig. I saw deadeyeJ wire his trailer lights directly into a bronco he was towing. That worked really well to. Did you also know that if you are towing a vehicle with a strap, ect, that the towed vehicle has to be liscenced and insured. If you just got done working on it or you want to take it to get inspected you have to go in to the dmv and pay the full liscencing costs and they give a temporary intransit pass that will allow you to take it wherever you need. If there is ever an occupant in the cab it has to be fully liscenced. I got a ticket for that, not too long ago. I was towing my car to get worked on and some a-hole cop gave me a no registration, no insurance ticket. It screwed up my insurance for years.

 

[PierCed_3]

I got a ticket for that, not too long ago. I was towing my car to get worked on and some a-hole cop gave me a no registration, no insurance ticket. It screwed up my insurance for years.

Yup, I saw him in the back of the patrol car on the way to work.



:-\

Freaking cops!

 

[ZUKEYPR]

I actually just called the highway patrol three weeks ago and asked them. Here's what I know about towing vehicles. With a towbar your vehicle is considered a trailer. You can have no occupants in the vehicle in tow, it doesn't have to be insured. You do have to have proper wheel coverage, and fully functional lights. Just like a trailer. I bought a really cool set of magnetic lights at a uhaul store that hook into your trailer lights and run to the back of your rig. I saw deadeyeJ wire his trailer lights directly into a bronco he was towing. That worked really well to. Did you also know that if you are towing a vehicle with a strap, ect, that the towed vehicle has to be liscenced and insured. If you just got done working on it or you want to take it to get inspected you have to go in to the dmv and pay the full liscencing costs and they give a temporary intransit pass that will allow you to take it wherever you need. If there is ever an occupant in the cab it has to be fully liscenced. I got a ticket for that, not too long ago. I was towing my car to get worked on and some a-hole cop gave me a no registration, no insurance ticket. It screwed up my insurance for years.

I gotta say that's pretty lame to cite a vehicle in tow.

 

[MR.CJ-7]

I had a UHP pull me over about a year ago and give me the full body cavity search while towing my CJ on a tow bar. He looked for lift, flaps, tire width, insurance, registration (on both my truck and CJ) , lights, towbar capacity. He finally wrote me for no safety chain even though I had my winch cable hooked up as a safety chain.

I suppose he could have written for no trailer brakes too, since I think Utah code says a trailer over 3000# needs working brakes.

Utah county's finest...What an ass!

 

[Badcop]

Yup, I saw him in the back of the patrol car on the way to work.



:-\

Freaking cops!

Ass!

 

[fordy4]

So how are you getting from home to camp?

We have a 40' toyhauler type trailer to haul to moab with, but would like to leave it hooked up to water and power at camp instead of moving it every day. Another reason a towbar might be handy is because I am building a street legal rig for my wife. We could tow the non-legal vehicle to the trail head with it and not have to return to the trail head after to pick up the trailer. We also have a 16' flatbed trailer, so we are just toying with options.

Thanks for all the info. everyone.

 

[PierCed_3]

Ass!

I was hoping you would see that

It's all about the love, yeah.. the love Brian

 

[fordy4]

With a towbar your vehicle is considered a trailer. You can have no occupants in the vehicle in tow, it doesn't have to be insured. You do have to have proper wheel coverage, and fully functional lights. Just like a trailer.

So, would you need to register it like a trailer? Or register it as a OHV or something?