Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Towing a Three Wheeler

I recently spoke to the Three Wheeler owner who was planning to tow his MTW behind his motorhome....not on a trailer but using some form of A frame set up.
Talking to a dealer today at the factory, they had a client who towed his and wrecked the gearbox! Apparently there is a warning in the "handbook" NOT to tow!!

There is indeed. I suppose if you really had to, you could remove the drive belt.

That rather suggests the gearbox on the five speeder is a bit like the ones fitted to some +8s where the input shaft needs to be turning for the lubrication pump to be driven. Ok to tow a very short distance, but no more.

Or a Plus 4 Supersport

Probably easier to drop the propshaft out than try to remove the belt!

Couldn't he lift the back wheel onto a dolly and tow it backwards?

Get a trailer! I bought one that is used for motorcycles and with only minor modification made it work! I had the option to put a wind skirt on the front made out of steel that keeps debris from the tow vehicle clobbering the M3W. It doesn't take much of a trailer and it has to be cheaper than replacing a transmission!

I've never heard of a manual trans with an oil pump to force lube the gears and bearings etc.

I know that on an automatic it's the front pump that needs to be turning to pump ATF through it.

Maybe it's that I've been out of the loop on manual transmissions of late, but as a service manager at a Chevy/Pontiac dealership for 15 years, we always allowed a manual to be towed.

So what am I missing here?

I see a lot of RV people tow their Miatas on flat fours, no tow dolly.

The only thing I can think of on towing on a dolly with front wheel up is that the trans fluid may not be in the right spot to get circulated by the gear splashing.

The more likely reason Mazda says no on the towing is a legal one. Ford and Mazda have the same transmission in one of their joint venture cars and Mazda says not towing and Ford says yes to towing; the same darn transmission.

There are two ways I would tow a M3W, again my opinion only, I would make up a tow bar and tow with all three wheels on the road with the steering wheel loose to self steer. The other would be a dolly, but modified for a center wheel. I would then back up onto the dolly and strap down the rear wheel and tow with the front wheels on the road. You would have to strap the steering wheel solid so the wheel will not turn, but that's not a big deal.

I saw on the RV forum where guys towed their Miatas thousands of miles and many different year cars without any issues.

Now with the M3W's, warranty enters into the equation. If Morgan says no and you do tow and something happens later to the trans, they could refuse coverage.

Over the years I've towed many vehicles from dune buggies to my 4x4 1/2 ton trucks behind my motorhome and never had any issues.

So good luck with the towing and it's up to you to decide how you do it.

From what I was told about it, it was something to do with when the car is tipped the gears can engage due to the lack of oil. I was shown a picture of a rear wheel that was almost down to the rim of the wheel. Driver unaware until smoke and honking from other road users. Gearbox, prop, bb and rear wheel all wrecked.

If the handbook says don't tow & you do then MMC I doubt would cover this under warranty if anything happened nor should they IMHO. Put it on a trailer is surely the answer.

Interesting thread. I'd however follow Dave's advice.