Did you know, I didn’t?

[janderson]

SA Police have now confirmed that it is a legal
requirement nationwide and it’s the driver’s
responsibility to ensure compliance

Australian Design Rules and the Vehicle Standards Bulletin
govern Trailer design and Towbar design. While both are
very clear about minimum strength requirements for safety
chains, drawbars, towbars and towing hitches, there is no
mention of the humble shackle used to connect the safety
chain to the towbar. We’ve recently heard from reliable
sources that South Australian Police have been fining people
towing trailers for not using a rated shackle to connect the
trailer to the vehicle, and while it’s not a legal requirement in
any state as far as our research has revealed, it may be a case
of better safe than sorry, particularly if you’re planning to
travel through SA!
Tvans have a Gross Trailer Mass of 1500kgs, and a Topaz has
a GTM of 1990kgs, so make sure that when you buy rated
shackles you find ones with a maximum Safe Working Load
(SWL) or Working Load Limit (WLL) greater than the gross
weight of the trailer. Generally this will mean and 11mm
rated D shackle or Bow shackle for the Tvan and a 13mm
rated D shackle or bow shackle for the Topaz, but check the
SWL or WLL before making your purchase.
Rated shackles are available from most 4wd
stores, automotive stores, hardware stores, and
specialty lifting and rigging stores.
A great tip when installing your shackles is to attach a lanyard
to the pin and attach the other end to the trailer. This way,
if your pin works its way loose over corrugations, it won’t
just fall off and get lost. Don’t forget to do the same to the
shackle body too…
to ensure compliance.ure compliance.