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Date:         Wed, 25 May 2011 14:35:14 -0700
Reply-To:     Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
Subject:      Re: Place to mount shackles?
Comments: To: mcneely4@COX.NET
In-Reply-To:  <20110525164656.H4G55.562750.imail@eastrmwml32>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The front tow loop, while not a piece of 12mm rod like the back loops, is also not "sheet metal". It is the same material of which the frame is made - about 3-4 mm thick, and firmly welded to the frame.

It is quite substantial, and has been used, at least once, to pull a fully loaded Westy out of axle deep river sand (yes, I know personally - I wasn't always this smart).

Karl Wolz

|-----Original Message----- |From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] |On Behalf Of Dave Mcneely |Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 1:47 PM |To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM |Subject: Re: Place to mount shackles? | |---- Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote: |> The single loop on the front of my Westy is sheet metal and |looks puny. |> |> The two rear loops are considerably sturdier, appearing to |be made out |> of something like 5/8'' steel rod stock, bent in a U, then |bent again |> to swing up where each is welded to a bumper mount. | |Thanks. That describes my loops, also. I guessed a little |smaller diameter than you did, but I am less experienced with |all things mechanical. mcneely | |> |> -- RJS |> |> On Wed, 2011-05-25 at 09:27 -0700, Roland wrote: |> |> > I'm with David on this one, the rear "tow hooks" are not very |> > sturdy. They sure look more like tie downs, same with the front |> > "tow hook", just a piece of flimsy sheet metal to my eye. |> > |> > My Syncro came with one rear loop already bent upwards. Then last |> > year we had a recovery job, and the driver of the recovery vehicle |> > attached a strap to the other rear hook and promptly bent |the other |> > "tow hook" upwards. Now I have a rear fiberglass bumper that is |> > also misaligned, the rear part is upwards and the 2 forward prongs |> > on each side are pointing downwards. It looks dumb, and |the license |> > plate access doesn't open as far anymore. Oh well... one |more interesting thing to fix. |> > |> > Longer story: son gets his 4Runner stuck in a creek, all |4 wheels buried. |> > Son-in-law borrows Syncro to go get him out (I'm busy with work). |> > Syncro gets stuck in creek, as darkness approaches. Lemmings. I |> > tell son he has to spend the night there to protect |vehicles. Next |> > day we get nephew with his F-150, with 2-3 year offroad |experience in Flagstaff and other places, |> > plenty of straps, winch, etc. What bent the "tow hook" |was the nephew |> > used a jerking technique, with a bit of slack in the strap he |> > quickly pulled his F-150 backwards to "jerk" the Syncro |out -- I had |> > never heard of this before, he didn't tell me, and it was too late |> > to stop his attempted technique. It didn't work anyway. Then we |> > got his winch out and, with some digging, got both of the vehicles |> > out. And I had rear drum brakes full of creek sand, bent |up bumper |> > and tow hooks, and out some $ because nephew is broke |college student. There is a fine line between fun and adventure. |> > |> > So, no, I won't trust those rear "tow hooks" again, and |when I get a |> > rear hitch, it definitely is not the gowesty version that |bolts to these 2 hooks. |> > |> > We need to get Rocket a Syncro! |> > |> > Roland |> > |> > |> > |> > On Tue, May 24, 2011 at 6:10 PM, David Beierl |<dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote: |> > |> > > At 07:56 PM 5/24/2011, Dave Mcneely wrote: |> > > |> > >> Mr. Squirrel, my '91 camper has tow loops on the front, as well. |> > >> |> > > |> > > Does yours have two? I've only ever seen one on the |front, on the |> > > right side. |> > > |> > > Just to be picky, neither the one(s) in the front nor |the back are |> > > "tow loops." They are "holdfast points" by means of which the |> > > vehicles are lashed down to the deck during their ocean passage |> > > from builder to point of sale, and they're meant to take |a strain |> > > pointed maybe 30-45 degrees downward. What you do with them |> > > afterwards is entirely up to you. |> > > |> > > In particular I'd be inclined to be very cautious about applying |> > > side loads, especially to the forward one. I don't have |any hard |> > > data on this, just a feeling. |> > > |> > > Yours, |> > > David |> > > | |-- |David McNeely | |----- |No virus found in this message. |Checked by AVG - www.avg.com |Version: 10.0.1375 / Virus Database: 1509/3659 - Release Date: |05/25/11


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