Thread: snatch strap used for towing?

Three of us out of seven carried solid tows on our Madigan Line trip a few years ago. It meant that we could have connected four Landys together for a push/pull recovery if required - fortunately we they were not required. But we still don't know how they would have performed under those circumstances. We were tempted to hook up at Big Red and drive over like a train but after more than a week out in the scrub involving a double crossing of the Simpson, some of the group were more keen to reach Birdsville and the pub.

On a previous extended trip I did tow a fully loaded Defender with a solid bar, from Ivanhoe to Broken Hill, a distance of 320kms - my fuel consumption suffered somewhat but apart from that, the 38mm pipe tow bar worked well and we had no problems. Radio comms between vehicles was, of course, necessary especially during the initial stages while confidehe in the system was building.

Must get up to Stockton sometime and try out the 'train with one dead carriage' sometime as I'm still interested to experience how it would work under actual conditions as opposed to theory.

Originally Posted by Xtreme

Who carries and/or has used a solid tow bar for long distance 'recovery' towing and how did you find it worked?

I have a solid tow tube/bar for general flat towing & a purpose made A frame for Morris Minors.

Both work very well but the tube/bar needs to be secured tightly to the towed vehicle to have a nice solid connection.

Thanks Guys for all that infor, it was more than I was expecting

love the wealth of knowledge on the forum

solid tow can double as a rockslider for storage/space reasons

I've towed several times with a solid hitch, they certainly have their advantages however the driver of the towed vehicle has to be very careful to keep the hitch in a straight line in the direction of travel, if you get a bit off-line when the towing vehicle is under brakes, the rear vehicle wants to dart off to the side. Mine has an ORAC-style coupling on one end and a plain tongue on the other. Certainly easier than trying to keep a tow-rope taut.

An old cocky and truckie I know swear by the following towing arrangement: two short lengths of steel cable with an old car tyre in the middle! Works a treat as a towrope-come-snatch strap.

Just a note guys if you get seen flat towing for any reason even with a solid bar in nsw 3 points lost for each driver and a fine over $300 each. Even on dirt roads. Have had to attend many times and tow broken down cars and console drivers after they have been caught .

and you cant use a drag chain to tie anything down with,,
also cant use it to lift with,,

Had to tow the 91 RR home the other day with the 94RR, after the auto died on my way to work. As we approached where the dead vehicle was, we passed a traffic cop who was sitting waiting for customers. In knew we would have to go past him on the way back unless we wanted a long detour over rough roads, so we did. He pulled out and followed us for about 5km, then overtook and went on his way without bothering us. I was much relieved, as I was not 100% sure of the legality of flat towing esp with solid hitch.
I've got an offroad trailer coupling on one end of my solid hitch, but the towed end just gets attached with shackles. Unfortunately this makes for a bit of slop, would be nice to have a solid coupling either end but that would require a dedicated mount on the towed vehicle. I'd be interested in methods of securing a solid hitch to the front of a vehicle without slack?