front tow bar

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in fact just ordered some for the bars so no need to panic over a plastic cap worth about £1.30
 
scott301004 said:
in fact just ordered some for the bars so no need to panic over a plastic cap worth about £1.30
Click to expand...

Scott, you are a gent, can I ask if retaining pin will be just that with a clip or a bolt
and nut which I guess can be finger tight to secure slot in bar.
 
Now then the situaton is if you use a bar and clip then you will have to drill a bigger hole in order to use a bar big enough to take a clip and will in effect reduce the steel left and weaken it. So I thought would be best to use an M10 bolt with a wing nut for ease
 
scott301004 said:
Now then the situaton is if you use a bar and clip then you will have to drill a bigger hole in order to use a bar big enough to take a clip and will in effect reduce the steel left and weaken it. So I thought would be best to use an M10 bolt with a wing nut for ease
Click to expand...

sounds reasonable no point weaking steel for bigger bar then. as still needs to be set up
for shunting and if left on will be clearer and sturdier for it.
 
tiz all looking good.

stif nuts might be a better bet, last thing you want is the bolt to drop out and you push the towhitch through the bumper.
 
zippy656 said:
tiz all looking good.

stif nuts might be a better bet, last thing you want is the bolt to drop out and you push the towhitch through the bumper.
Click to expand...
surely a wing/nut fully onto thread of bolt isnt going to go anywhere and an M10 guess
tougher than 2" tubes. Prefer not needing spanners but then hey always got a set in the
boot amongst other really useful kit, no wonder mpg is shot with ballast we carry around!
 
depends what you feel happy with, maybe bolt wing nut and a "R" pin just to stop the wingnut falling off.
 
zippy656 said:
depends what you feel happy with, maybe bolt wing nut and a "R" pin just to stop the wingnut falling off.
Click to expand...
As you will only be using it to move the van into place can't see you losing the wing nut doing less then 5mph.
 
on a slightly different tack but, i have never found a front tow/push bar to be all that usefull, in an off roading situation if one were strong enough to also act as a recovery point then i could see the point.

but in 'normal' situations towing caravans around etc i have never felt the need despit having them fitted.

I did use one once on a swb land rover manouvering a large static caravan inot place, but I probably could have done it with the normal towbar in reverse and only used the fron one because i could.

My point is, unless you are really convinced dont rush in to the exspencse of one and would it affect your insurance? would it need to be type aproved like the rear one? i dont know, just food for thought!
 
scott301004 said:
Now then the situaton is if you use a bar and clip then you will have to drill a bigger hole in order to use a bar big enough to take a clip and will in effect reduce the steel left and weaken it. So I thought would be best to use an M10 bolt with a wing nut for ease
Click to expand...


hi Thomas-the-Terrano2, what i meant was use the spring pin to fit hole in m10 bolt instead of using wing nut. thats what im using on mine, hopefully fitting it tuesday. :thumbs


tezzer
 
PLANK said:
on a slightly different tack but, i have never found a front tow/push bar to be all that usefull, in an off roading situation if one were strong enough to also act as a recovery point then i could see the point.

but in 'normal' situations towing caravans around etc i have never felt the need despit having them fitted.

I did use one once on a swb land rover manouvering a large static caravan inot place, but I probably could have done it with the normal towbar in reverse and only used the fron one because i could.

My point is, unless you are really convinced dont rush in to the exspencse of one and would it affect your insurance? would it need to be type aproved like the rear one? i dont know, just food for thought!
Click to expand...

I never thought you was meant be driving round with them on car just for fun, that why you can take them of.

And the type approval is for road use Would you need road legal tyres for going off road?????
 
PLANK said:
on a slightly different tack but, i have never found a front tow/push bar to be all that usefull, in an off roading situation if one were strong enough to also act as a recovery point then i could see the point.

but in 'normal' situations towing caravans around etc i have never felt the need despit having them fitted.

I did use one once on a swb land rover manouvering a large static caravan inot place, but I probably could have done it with the normal towbar in reverse and only used the fron one because i could.

My point is, unless you are really convinced dont rush in to the exspencse of one and would it affect your insurance? would it need to be type aproved like the rear one? i dont know, just food for thought!
Click to expand...



hi plank, they are a god send if you have a back or neck problem, as for insurance, if it does affect your insurance so should a winch and winch bumper, what do you reckon. :nenau




tezzer
 
I've always found front hitch points a godsend. On and off road.

You only have to watch tractors & landrovers positioning aircraft and other equipment on an airfield to see the difference in speed and precision between forward and reverse hitched manoeuvres. Believe you me when you've got multi buck wing tips and rotor blades passing within inches on the push, precision is all but you've still got to get it done at a decent rate.

I learnt that the hard way. Closely scrutinised reversing and pushing with normal fixed hitches and articulated links. Good fun and an excellent grounding for caravanning.

I think in caravanning terms we're only talking here about pushing them into a slot. The vast majority of people I've met who do that will tell you its much easier.

Having had quite some use out of wildbri's design on a twin axle 26ft van I can heartily support a front tow hitch for easy parking
 
scott301004 said:
I never thought you was meant be driving round with them on car just for fun, that why you can take them of.

And the type approval is for road use Would you need road legal tyres for going off road?????
Click to expand...

surely not all front tow ball systems are removeable I have had several vehicles with fixed front towballs! I must admint (and i know it is me being paranoid) but I dont like removable tow bar systems I dont have a lot of trust in them


off road? no no type aproval required I wouldnt thingk, but what would you need a front push bar for come to that? and how are you going to get to your off road location, fly? bear in mind green lanes are not strictly 'off road' but a normal part of the road network and your vehicle should be fit fo the road! though how well this is policed is anybodies guess!

I know some people like to swap wheels, move sockets etc. but the off road driving I do is not extreme but is still a part of every day working life, as is towing trailers and caravans on and off road, hence the swapping of bits and pieces being a bit too much trouble. I am usualy on 'elective' bridal paths and fields.

I have also found that unhitching and rehitching to the font bar is more troble than jsut reversing the trailer / caravan into a 'slot'

I often do this with a van with no back windows or rear view mirrors so back pain isn't an issue as I dont turn my head just look in the mirrors.

I am not ciriticising front puch bars, just advisng caution and be sure it is what you want before you spend money if its not what you need. I am sure in some situations of very poor access etc they are a brilliant, especially if the trailer is too heavy (or you have problems with) pushing into a tight spot if all else fails.

having read all your positive feelings towards them i may give one another go! see if I ave changed my views with age!
 
Plank, are you warming to idea? having discussed these with you personally I appreciate
your thoughts and experiences come from years of moving vans and trailers for a living.

For us meer mortals though the extra tug point is something we can gain more
experience of shunting with...personally my aim to to reduce number of watchers
required as it does come to point sometimes into my land where an unhitch is necessary
and then its down to shall we all push it in or get car back on. often its ends up with
both in that order when its remembered that even 3/4 folks are not a match for the
grunt of a t2.

A slightly offset bar i reckon will bring truck out to rivers edge of van to help with siting/
sighting issues. removable but quikly installed will mean no issues with vehicle profile,
though will mention to insurance, as it will become lowest part it may end up taken off
for heavier off road work to prevent grounding.

Finally at £52 delivered compared to Watling-towbars £150+ it is incredible value and I
hope Scott gets plenty more work out of this, I certainly think when demonstrated
on various other Clubs' rally fields there will be much interest. Good luck with Scott,
thanks also to Wildbri for originally sharing with us the main design features which we
grafted into a download last year.
 
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