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Towing Safety (Please Read)

alphadeltaromeo

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I really enjoyed reading that. Thanks much for posting...as I know it will be a helpful reminder to us all about how to safely tow another vehicle.

Andy
 

oifvet

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Things like this are good to download, print, and put in a trip binder.

A simple, "Take-5" for safety is what each one of us should do before we roll out. Everytime!

Got to do it!
 

Rattlehead

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M1075 said:
Thanks for the tips. Here is a picture of how I do it. Any suggestions for improvement appreciated.
Cross those chains. Same with any trailer, the purpose is to catch the hitch (towbar in this case) in the event of breakage/disconnect.
 

Rattlehead

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I believe crossing them also provides more control of the towed vehicle than when the chains are in parallel. Not really on a bumper hitch trailer, as the chain mounting on the towing vehicle are inches apart.
 
377
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Thanks for posting the pic. I'll be picking up my M35a2c along with my uncles 2 M35a2c's from Camp Lejuene in the next two weeks since his EUC cleared yesterday. I'm bringing the towbar with us just incase we have a breakdown. I don't really want to tow one through the smokey mountains!

How do you hook the chains to the truck being towed? Do you have any pics?

Thanks,
Andy
 

M1075

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Good suggestion on the criss cross. The manual indicates attaching chains to the spring perches, but I had 1 chain and just looped it around the bumper. Both ends of it are attached to the towing vehicle at the shackles to keep it from coming off.
 

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MilitaryRestoration

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crossing chains a must...it is also stronger as not only will it catch the tounge of the trailer but also catches one chain onto another creating more strength when needed. Same rule applies to loading truck/vehicles/etc onto flat deck trailers/or trailers in general. always cross chains, ie- from the driver front of trailer hook a chain and then take it to the passenger front of the vehicle/etc being tied down then do the front passenger side of the trailer to the driver front of vehicle, then do the same in back as well. Also if using chain binders always have the handle part of binder pointing down and if you can wrap chain around it or zip tie even, so when on those bumpy roads there is no chance of it bouncing loose.
 

Rattlehead

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MilitaryRestoration said:
...Same rule applies to loading truck/vehicles/etc onto flat deck trailers/or trailers in general. always cross chains, ie- from the driver front of trailer hook a chain and then take it to the passenger front of the vehicle/etc being tied down then do the front passenger side of the trailer to the driver front of vehicle, then do the same in back as well.
That's how I tend to do it, though it is funny how many vehicles I see that are not tied down this way. Many pics of commercial deliveries of MV's that I see on this site do not show the chains crossed.
 

MilitaryRestoration

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Thats because there are alot of guys out there just in it for the money and quickly getting on the road...instead of taking the extra 10 mintues to properly secure a load, eventually it will catch up with them, or others and thats the sad part, is when someone else's life is taken due to pure neglegence
 

Cdub

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I dunno, I've seen some guys that cross their chains.........but while in the Towing and Recovery business for 10 years, I never crossed my chains. Neither did any of the other tow companies that I visited or stopped by for a pick up....The only people I've seen do that are the hobbyists.

Even Underdog Towing didn't cross his chains on a 23,00 lb load.........

C'dub
 

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Jake0147

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Crossing safety chains is a big plus for most of the reasons listed, allowing tighter chains with more turning radius, catching the toungue (towbar) should it fall, guiding a flat towed vehicle behind the tow vehicle, preventing the entire "catch" of a fallen trailer toungue from landing on just one chain, etc.

Crossing tie down chains on a carried vehicle is not necessarily so. If it can be done, it's not a bad idea, the trouble is that you have to watch the angles of the chains. This often makes it impractical or downright dangerous to cross the chains. You can take what should be a 5,000 pound per chain tie down and turn it into a 50,000 pound tie down with just by changing the angle of the chain a bit. In this application, the actual act of crossing the chains accomplishes nothing. As Cdub's photo points out, the desired effect of "triangulaton" of the tie downs is easily accomplished without the crossing. If you took that same load, same four tie down points, but crossed the chains, the actual load applied to the chains in many expectable events would be greatly increased.

For a slightly different, yet remarkably similar example, look at how particular the instructions are for securing a shelter to a deuce. The cables are not to be crossed, not because the cross isn't just as directionally stable, but because crossing the cables causes an angle that signifigantly weakens the cable. The recommended "V" tie down gives a much better angle to maximize the strength of the cable.
 

Floridianson

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I was told by the Virginia DOT that when I hauled on the flat bed the important thing was if in an accident, roll over what ever the load did not come loose from the trailer. So strong tie down points, right chain for the load.
 
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