|
Here is a little digression. I have made tow bars for five of my cars over the years and there is no "one size fits all"
My first towbar I built in 1957 to fit a 1948 Oldsmobile to tow a caravan to Cairns (in the days before sealed roads). I designed it and had the parts cut from steel and welded up. The goose neck I shaped cold from 4" x 1/2" steel bar, what a job, took about a week to bend and three weeks to get the aches out of my arm!
While we were travelling north from Rockhampton both springs on the caravan broke. This jammed the brakes on in the van and pulled the towbar back about 6" stretching some of the steel. I got a jack under it and managed to get it back into position. I "repaired" the caravan springs with #8 fencing wire from a nearby fence (should never be without it in the bush) and continued to Cairns.
No more trouble till the return trip (other than I nearly got left on Green island (with my girl friend) when I missed the boat). The boat came back for us. How embarrassingg.
When I got through Rockhampton I was cruising along the sealed road at about 60MPH when the tow bar finally gave up and the when I braked the caravan rode up on my bumper bar. The time was 4:30 in the afternoon. My brother and I got the bits of the tow bar off and put them in the car and we got back to welder in Rocky 18miles away in about 14 minutes and caught him just about to close. He welded and plated the damaged bar and we headed back to the van.
Put the bar on, hooked up the van and we were on the way again before 6:00PM
The final outcome I got new springs in Brisbane, and lost my deposit on the van (it was a bit of a wreck by now)
Barry
|