Check your towbar for-all job safety

Press, 27 March 1979, Page 15

Check your towbar for-all job safety

It is out of sight and mostly it is out of mind but it is the joint between car and caravan and it is vitally important. Your towbar can be either a factory-fitted option, a locally designed and fitted extra or something made by the engineering shop down the road. All can be quite satisfactory. Bu it is vitally important to make absolutely sure that the towbar you fit will be completely safe for the towing jobs required from it. There have been a number of cases where towbars have broken — usually the tongue snap-

ping away from the bar itself — and many where they have bent. The fitting of ride levellers and anti-sway devices to towbars puts extra strain on them and this together with the jiggling and juggling of a poorly loaded caravan can spell disaster. If you are unsure of the safety of your towbar get it checked out by an engineer — do not trust someone’s word that it is strong enough. You can also carry out the following checks to ensure peace of mind: At least once a year check all connecting bolts on the towbar and retigh-

ten if necessary. (This is most important, because a loose towbar will put undue stress on the car body and will make the caravan behave unstably while under tow). Visually check the whole towbar and inspect all welded joints for signs of fracture or metal fatigue. Inspect the towing tongue on its entire length for signs of metal fatigue — especially when stabilisers are used. Check the safety chain anchorage point. Chain anchorage is often inadequate and in an emergency would not hold the caravan in place, and so defeat its purpose. Remove any rust from the towbar and keep it in good condition.