i have seen today a recovery truck that had a bus on a suspended tow,the said recovery truck had broken down somewhere and the recovery truck is now on suspended tow by another recovery truck,so you have two recovery trucks and a bus all on suspended tow i was wondering would this be legal,im not sure either way
Yes. It’s legal. I remember Cieranc (a member on here who does heavy recovery) quoting this scenario before. Also if they are towing an artic with a trailer. That has a dual pivot.
hanson:
i have seen today a recovery truck that had a bus on a suspended tow,the said recovery truck had broken down somewhere and the recovery truck is now on suspended tow by another recovery truck,so you have two recovery trucks and a bus all on suspended tow i was wondering would this be legal,im not sure either way
I’d be very surprised if it wasnt legal those recovery blokes have really got it down to a tee,all the ones that I’ve come into contact with anyway,excellent!!
i would agree i thought it was a brilliant set up whether it was right or not and great way to get all back to the yard
Yep, legal, also as mentioned, recovering a loaded artic is great fun 
Used drive Leyland Octopus (Ergo cab) recovery,pulled over 60 tonnes on straight bar (low loader with crane on board Higgs&Hill!)also sus towed artics many times even REME Scammel with RL4x4 &trailer back to command workshops Mill Hill,Octopus was classed heavy locomotive legally able tow more than one trailer (same as showmen)The old Octo only had a Leyland 0.600 engine + splitter g/box but could pull like a train, I loved pulling in Volvos with blown turbos!,over 30 years ago, now I have a Hino & a Volvo!!
Yep, totally legal. Wreckers operate outside the C+U regs, and are classed as heavy locomotives. There are specific terms in the STGO regs for ‘Road Recovery Vehicles’.
but doesn’t every axle touching the road have to be braked? towing an artic you just connect up the lines to the trailer, but not the unit, giving at least 1 axle with no functioning brakes
Nate:
but doesn’t every axle touching the road have to be braked? towing an artic you just connect up the lines to the trailer, but not the unit, giving at least 1 axle with no functioning brakes
cieranc:
Yep, totally legal. Wreckers operate outside the C+U regs, and are classed as heavy locomotives. There are specific terms in the STGO regs for ‘Road Recovery Vehicles’.
Your question was answered before you asked it 
You sure the wrecker was broken down?
2 wreckers have 2 trucks/busses to move down country.
Get tipped the other end then get a bus as a backload to go back up country.
Save a tank of diesel one way by hooking one wrecker with another 
We do that when we’ve got 2 trucks down the road at the same time, one hooks the other back to save diesel and to share driving time for the drivers.
Backloads are rare in recovery, for obvious reasons.
cieranc:
You sure the wrecker was broken down?
2 wreckers have 2 trucks/busses to move down country.
Get tipped the other end then get a bus as a backload to go back up country.Save a tank of diesel one way by hooking one wrecker with another
We do that when we’ve got 2 trucks down the road at the same time, one hooks the other back to save diesel and to share driving time for the drivers.
Backloads are rare in recovery, for obvious reasons.
but wouldn’t that mean you would be transporting a perfectly roadworthy working vehicle that has a vehicle suspended? Isn’t there something in the C U stuff about only immobile or broken down vehicles being allowed to be suspended towed? Just asking. Don’t seem quite right.
mucker85:
but wouldn’t that mean you would be transporting a perfectly roadworthy working vehicle that has a vehicle suspended?
Yes
mucker85:
Isn’t there something in the C U stuff about only immobile or broken down vehicles being allowed to be suspended towed?
cieranc:
Wreckers operate outside the C+U regs
mucker85:
Don’t seem quite right.
Write and complain
It seemed odd that the law would allow it. Not complaining.
So how do the fairground chappies get away with it? rigid, trailer trailer caravan. all doing 15 mph usually. 
lilysgranpa:
So how do the fairground chappies get away with it? rigid, trailer trailer caravan. all doing 15 mph usually.
They got there own rule they can tow up to 90ft,
I think it’s same as wrecker firms they can tow up to so many feet
[quote=“mucker85”
but wouldn’t that mean you would be transporting a perfectly roadworthy working vehicle that has a vehicle suspended? Isn’t there something in the C U stuff about only immobile or broken down vehicles being allowed to be suspended towed? Just asking. Don’t seem quite right.[/quote]
wouldn’t take long to “break” it so it needed a tow that’s all we do when we need to recover our coutesy cars somewhere. pop a wire off a sensor so it’s then showing a management fault. recovering back to the workshop for investigation as no roadside mechanics available 
I think fair ground people can do it because their rules are different. They are classed as Showmen. If i’m right can tow up to two trailers.
tortoise:
I think fair ground people can do it because their rules are different. They are classed as Showmen. If i’m right can tow up to two trailers.
Two trailers and a caravan I was told
lilysgranpa:
So how do the fairground chappies get away with it? rigid, trailer trailer caravan. all doing 15 mph usually.
They’re locomotives. Loco’s can tow more than 1 trailer, but are limited to (I think) 40mph on motorways and twin tracks, 25 on single carriageways.