Towing a Patrol using a Patrol

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Originally Posted by dom14

If I get a piece of steel pipe or a bar and modify each ends that should do it?

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I would go A frame off the disabled vehicle recovery points but if you go single bar maybe 2 inch square section.
Drill one end for a Reese Pin and weld a plate on the other for a Trailer Hitch attachment point
I would go for a hitch that has a Universal Joint style like McHitch or whomever

Using a single bar the disabled vehicle will need a damn solid attachment point in the centreline
Not many people have a Hitch Receiver on their front bar.
I happen have that on mine as it is where my Winch and Cradle attach if I am winching from the front or a tongue and tow ball for pushing my Van around (my winch and cradle are normally attached to a 2 inch receiver on the back cross member of the chassis)

I have a piece of 32mm water pipe, with 16mm flat plate ends and tapped holes to suit the load rated lifting eyes, I think they are tapped M16 from memory. The towing bar is 2.5m long. I went this way for a couple of reasons, based on previous experience with an A frame device. The eyebolts are fitted with loctite and also have a couple of small weld tacks to stop the eyelet unwinding.

1) the A frame is very short, so you have very limited room for turning.
2) Also the vehicle behind has absolutely zero forward vision.
3)The A frame is more suited for your vehicle to be towed rather than you towing with it, unless you have a tow hitch as @ET mentions. My A frame I had before had two mounts on the bullbar and a standard 50mm towball hitch to mate with a tow vehicle's towball. This updated design allows me to tow or be hard towed, so an improvement. An A frame device might be worthwhile perhaps if all vehicles in a group convoy perhaps were fitted with identical connections front and rear to help recovery.
4) I found that hard towing on 4wd tracks presents all sorts of twisting and elevation differences between the 2 vehicles, so a bit of length between the vehicles seems to lessen the severity. Using this method is the last resort in my view but you may as well optimise the situation if you can if snatch straps don't suit.
5) negotiating tight=ish tracks requires 'swing room for both vehicles', so again a bit of length helps - mind you if the length is too long it works against you also.
6) don't forget the connections as I simply use rated shackles and these work well in the lifting eye and the vehicle mount points provided they are actual holes and not simply hooks. There is enough free rotation room for the system to work from what I have found.
7) the RHS design is fine but bear in mind the dead weight. Round bar seemed the right move for me and I have used it 3 times with success, 2 out of the bush and once on the bitumen.

I dragged a Range Rover out of Wonnangatta Valley using this system up Zeka Spur track before it was re-aligned. It wasn't easy, there were times it got tight, but a snatch strap just wasn't working because of the stop start lack of momentum going on.(We started with the strap then switched over to the drawbar) The RR had a blown rear diff and was basically a dead weight. After we got to level ground the RR was unhitched and it clanked its way home to Melb under its own steam. Without this single draw bar we would still be down there I reckon.

Hope this adds some further info in the discussion .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PeeBee

I have a piece of 32mm water pipe, with 16mm flat plate ends and tapped holes to suit the load rated lifting eyes, I think they are tapped M16 from memory. The towing bar is 2.5m long. I went this way for a couple of reasons, based on previous experience with an A frame device. The eyebolts are fitted with loctite and also have a couple of small weld tacks to stop the eyelet unwinding.

1) the A frame is very short, so you have very limited room for turning.
2) Also the vehicle behind has absolutely zero forward vision.
3)The A frame is more suited for your vehicle to be towed rather than you towing with it, unless you have a tow hitch as @ET mentions. My A frame I had before had two mounts on the bullbar and a standard 50mm towball hitch to mate with a tow vehicle's towball. This updated design allows me to tow or be hard towed, so an improvement. An A frame device might be worthwhile perhaps if all vehicles in a group convoy perhaps were fitted with identical connections front and rear to help recovery.
4) I found that hard towing on 4wd tracks presents all sorts of twisting and elevation differences between the 2 vehicles, so a bit of length between the vehicles seems to lessen the severity. Using this method is the last resort in my view but you may as well optimise the situation if you can if snatch straps don't suit.
5) negotiating tight=ish tracks requires 'swing room for both vehicles', so again a bit of length helps - mind you if the length is too long it works against you also.
6) don't forget the connections as I simply use rated shackles and these work well in the lifting eye and the vehicle mount points provided they are actual holes and not simply hooks. There is enough free rotation room for the system to work from what I have found.
7) the RHS design is fine but bear in mind the dead weight. Round bar seemed the right move for me and I have used it 3 times with success, 2 out of the bush and once on the bitumen.

I dragged a Range Rover out of Wonnangatta Valley using this system up Zeka Spur track before it was re-aligned. It wasn't easy, there were times it got tight, but a snatch strap just wasn't working because of the stop start lack of momentum going on.(We started with the strap then switched over to the drawbar) The RR had a blown rear diff and was basically a dead weight. After we got to level ground the RR was unhitched and it clanked its way home to Melb under its own steam. Without this single draw bar we would still be down there I reckon.

Hope this adds some further info in the discussion .

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Thanx Phil, very useful indeed.

I think the customized straight bar is more practical to carry than the A frame.
I think, creating a double hinge on each ends of the bar to allow the rugged terrain & vehicle height mismatch issues
would be a good idea. I think 2-2.5m length is as far as we can go 'cos only practical spot to carry a bar that long is
the roof rack.
And yeah, you're spot on that these ideas most suitable for getting mine towed as I can modify the front tow point on the towbar
to suit it.

Any chance you can post a photo of your makeshift 'tow bar'. Pictures of each end would be great, when you get a chance.

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dom14

I think, creating a double hinge on each ends of the bar to allow the rugged terrain & vehicle height mismatch issues
would be a good idea.

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I'm thinking, welding a uni joint on each side that I can scavenge from an old driveshaft might be a good idea?

I don't think so DOM. A universal joint is not designed to take tensile load, only rotational. The 'pins' at each bearing points are only really needles. I will take some photos in the morning and post.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PeeBee

I don't think so DOM. A universal joint is not designed to take tensile load, only rotational. The 'pins' at each bearing points are only really needles. I will take some photos in the morning and post.

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Yes, you're right on that. It would be considerably weaker on pulling action, perhaps break if stressed enough. Bad idea on my part. :D

Probably a simple bolt hinge fabricated by cutting a piece on the end of the pipe and joining using a bolt put through a drilled hole will do.

Actually there are fully rated towing systems that use Universals.

If you use a single bar and "hinge" both ends in the horizontal plane be very careful... you will no longer have horizontal stability.
If you use twin unis and the towing vehicle slows the unis will allow the disabled vehicle to skew left or right with no resistance and plow into the tow which is why an A frame principle (full or short with an extended draw) or solid point at the disabled vehicle is used for unmanned apps.

Anyway, back to universal joints in towing applications...
Here is a link to the Mchitch site.
I have both of the hitches, the vertical drop on pin style and the horizontal pin auto coupler.
The Auto coupler is a twist on the truck style ringfeeder and is absolutely the best hitch I have ever used, on road or off.
My off road van is two tonnes and I travel alone and using it is a breeze... much, much better than a Treg

They do A.S rated universal joint couplers to 6 ton

http://www.mchitch.com.au/

There you go, I stand corrected. I do recall seeing these but was thinking more along the lines of the little uni's DOM was suggesting to use. I suspect these ones might have higher tensile capacity?

Here is the set-up I use and its simple, robust and hasn't failed yet.Attachment 73293Attachment 73294Attachment 73295Attachment 73296Attachment 73297

Luv the ring billet adapter, Pee Bee... good thinking