tow bars

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
Ernie Baals
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tow bars

Post by Ernie Baals » Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:12 am

Hi
there has been much discussion about the merits of towing you jeep with a tandem tow bar.
Some have even stated that the tow bar and its mounting points are not strong enough to with stand towing the jeep.

What do you think puts more stress on the frame and tow bar? Flat towing the jeep, that weighs aprrox 2500 pounds.
Or the stress of 2 jeeps hooked together, both engines and drivelines running towing a very heavy piece of artilery?

The tow bars were made to withstand heavy stresses and use. The simple act of flat towing puts much less stress on the bars than they werre designed for.
Ernie
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Re: tow bars

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Aug 16, 2009 6:24 am

I've towed Jeeps for over 50 years using military and civilian towbars of all types, have towed Jeeps with Jeeps and with M-62 Wreckers, haven't pulled one apart yet.
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Re: tow bars

Post by Ernie Baals » Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:49 pm

Hi
I would not pay $1500 for a tow bar..
But the ones we have on our jeeps we have had for years, we got the from Sarafans in the late 70s.
I believe they were either $25 or $50 each. nos in a crate.
Ernie
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Re: tow bars

Post by Ernie Baals » Sun Aug 16, 2009 4:55 pm

Hi
You don't have to undo the frame horns to put on a tow bar. Unbolt the bumper, 4 bolts. bolt on the tow bar 4 bolts.
No welding, no grinding, no etc, all the painting that needs to be done is to paint the tow bar.
Have you ever looked at a properly installed tandem tow bar ona WWII jeep?
Even on the M38 and M38A1s you do not even have to remove the bumper, it is a spacer kit that bolts right on.
Paul, just because you do not like them is no reason to crucify those if us that do.
If you do not want one on your jeep fine. but again, it is not civilized to attack those that happen to like them.
And, just as a note all my tagged and running WII vehicles, 2 GPWs, 1 MB , a WC4 a WC53 aWC52 and my CCKW before u sold it all had water buckets 8) , My staff car, my CUCV and M880 do not have water buckets, although i could put one on the water can in the back of the M1009 :D
And they all have driven to shows under thier own power as well as being trailered and flat towed depending on how far the show was, what kind of roads and how many i was taking to each show.

Lighten up, opinions are like, well you know,

Ernie
Rip Dad 1/22/24 to 12/21/11
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Ernie Baals MVPA 104C and 3104, AACA, SJC MVPA

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Re: tow bars

Post by jklier » Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:18 am

My jeep had one on it when I bought it. The previous owner gave me the bumper as well but I decided to keep the bar on for the following reason.

I've put a receiver at the front of my trailer with a pintle hitch in it. When I load the jeep I attach the tandem bar to the pintle on the trailer and then secure it in the back with ratchet straps. I can have the jeep loaded and secured in less than 5 minutes.

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Re: tow bars

Post by dennis baker » Mon Aug 17, 2009 1:38 pm

and what was that about winches being useless.........................shut up.

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Re: tow bars

Post by tamnalan » Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:06 pm

dennis baker wrote:and what was that about winches being useless.........................shut up.
Depends on who she is! :)
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Re: tow bars

Post by Dan S » Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:59 pm

Prarber,

I have always kind of liked the looks of the WWII tow bar. If you ever find one that you do not want, I would be glad to pay the shipping for you to send it my way. I don't see myself ever paying the going rate for one. I love those stories of folks paying $25.00 for them NOS in the 1970's.

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Re: They are not tow bars...Tandam Hitches.

Post by David Neale » Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:46 pm

Its not a towbar. Its a tandam towing hitch to move a gun into a useful position with two jeeps.
Its obvious this gentleman hasn't the proper knowledge to make a judgement on the subject. But in a combat situation, this would be an important piece of equipment that should not be derided simply because it doesn't fit into a persons idea of a usefull accessory 60 years later. They are an historical artifact that may have saved many combat soldiers lives when fitted and used as designed.
My humble opinion.
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Re: They are not tow bars...Tandam Hitches.

Post by HDN » Mon Aug 17, 2009 9:11 pm

David Neale wrote:Its not a towbar. Its a tandam towing hitch to move a gun into a useful position with two jeeps.
Its obvious this gentleman hasn't the proper knowledge to make a judgement on the subject. But in a combat situation, this would be an important piece of equipment that should not be derided simply because it doesn't fit into a persons idea of a usefull accessory 60 years later. They are an historical artifact that may have saved many combat soldiers lives when fitted and used as designed.
My humble opinion.
I agree. However the tandem hitch is quite practical as a towbar. I have towed '42 Ford to many carshows with the old tandem hitch when there weren't enough of my friends around to drive all of the trucks at once, and it follows right along.

I have never had a tandem hitch fall apart yet (or the front end of my jeep) and I'm not expecting it to :) They were designed to withstand the rigors of beings pulled by another jeep while pulling a 105 howitzer through the sands of a beach and into dense brush where the larger deuces couldn't get through.

I remember reading somewhere that it wasn't recommended to tow a jeep with the tandem hitch behind a larger truck such as a deuce, as stopping the truck would cause the jeep to keep moving right under the rear end :lol:
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Re: tow bars

Post by AndrewN » Tue Aug 18, 2009 1:30 am

In the UK we can’t use any sort of tandem hitch (A frame is the UK term) on the road unless the vehicle brakes are connected to an over run coupling on the hitch.

Effectively a vehicle towed in this way is classed as a trailer and the max mass of an unbraked trailer in the UK is 750Kg (1653Lbs) so the jeep at 2200lbs plus any kit stashed in the back gives us a problem…… not to mention if you took your car driving test after 1997 then you would need to another test to allow you to tow over 750Kg … and that’s only the tip of the towing story…..
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Re: tow bars

Post by Gary25 » Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:24 am

Hi Ernie,

Good to hear from you.

My 2 cent on the topic: The "Tandam Tow Hitch" is the technical term for what we commonly call the WWII Jeep tow bar. The Tandam Tow Hitch was designed to hook two Jeeps together to tow an artillary piece a reletively short distance under combat conditions (not highway speeds).

I have had an original WWII Tandam Tow Hitch on my GPW for about 25 years and I have used it many times to tow my Jeep to various parades and MVPA shows as far away as Lowell MA. But, I would warn others using an original or reproduction WWII Tandam Tow Hitch to check their bumper gussetts and spring mounts frequently. I have cracked the welds on front spring mounting area twice and I have experienced cracks in my origial gusset plates. I believe the cracks occur because at highway speeds (even though I don't tow faster then 50 MPH) cause a fare amount of flexing in the frame horns and gussets. Maybe this is unique to GPW's....maybe not.

As originall designed, the Tandam Tow Hitch was meant to get an artiliary piece probably just a few miles down a slow dirt road of field under combat conditions. Doubt is was used enough to experience many cracks or stressed to the frame or jeep.

I continue to use my Tandam Tow Hitch to tow my GPW, but I do inspect the front frame horns, gussets and welds frequently and I use a strong safety chain just incase!

Ernie....See you at the Gilbert Show in PA next Month.

Regards,
Gary

For those that said they don't like Tandem Tow Hitches or Capstan Winches on a G503.....you will hate my Jeep....picture below:
Image
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Re: tow bars

Post by jklier » Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:51 am

I've never seen a tandem bar and capstan installed together. Very neat!

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Re: tow bars

Post by SmarT » Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:24 pm

I personally was never a fan of the look of the tandem bars until I finally got further in my restoration and removed the tandem plate that was on the dash of my jeep revealing the original first coat of paint. I dont know how common it is to have a jeep that you know for sure had a tandem bar on it in it's military life, but Im proud to have one and hope to someday mate a tandem bar back to my jeep when I can find one that doesnt sell before I get to it :x I definitely like the looks and practicality of them, now. And, seeing as how there are so few original pictures of jeeps with tow bars, when I actually find a pic of one with one there is a good possibility it might be mine. What David said is true, they are a historical artifact just like the jeep is. Seeing as how I dont really trust anyone to drive my vehicles too much it would make it easy to hook the gpw behind my m37 and take both to a local car show. Anyone come across one for sale that isnt $1,000, please by all means let me know for my jeep has a right to one... :lol:
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Re: tow bars

Post by illustr8r » Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:32 pm

Gary25 wrote:My 2 cent on the topic: The "Tandam Tow Hitch" is the technical term for what we commonly call the WWII Jeep tow bar. The Tandam Tow Hitch was designed to hook two Jeeps together to tow an artillary piece a reletively short distance under combat conditions.]
Perhaps your "2 cent", but not according to Mr. Roos.

The narrow "designed to....." uses asserted.... "two jeeps", "combat situations", "short distances", etc..... PURE Nonsense.

No such limitations are stated in the lengthy claims regarding D.G Roos' conceived and patented "TOWING DEVICE".

Beyond that, other "POST conception, design, prototype, test, patent" uses such as tandem Jeep configurations for moving heavy artillery.... were an ADDED advantage, broadening the invention's usefulness.

Not "instead of", which is contrary the FACTS.

With respect to "Tandem Operation" dash plates... uphill, downhill, etc., those would be specific to two Jeeps, with TWO drivers, pulling a third wheeled object, and pertaining ONLY to those circumstances, per ORD. (Not per "designed for").

Sarge, the Jeep won't start. Guess we'll have to leave it 'cause all we've got is this darn tandem opp thing.

:lol:


http://www.google.com/patents?id=U0NQAA ... os&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Image
'44 GPW 192067, 4/1/44, U.S.N.
http://www.g503.com/serial-numbers/view ... rd_id=2897
'44 Bantam T3 #49202, 8/17/44, (#0704670 est.)
http://www.design-consultants.com/tempo ... W&T3.2.jpg


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