How often we see the safety chains of a 2.5 -tonne caravan attatched to a towbar with $2 D shackles? How would that prevent the van from going it's own way if the ball coupling failed? But at a caravan show i went to once the ring in bloke they had on one brand disply was assurring this newbie chap to caravaning that a small non- locking unrated carabiner would be adequete.If we cannot rely on salespeople at these shows to provide the right advice , then i recon things are really crook out in caravan world.Saftey chains must meet a required strenght  relative to the ATM or caravan mass recommended by the manufacturer for which the trailers with ATM up to 2500kg must have at least one safety chain, trailers of greater capacity must have two. As total weight designation increases, so too must the strength of chain used. The Australian Standards specifications are quite clearon the strength of saftey chains and complying with these regs is the resposibility of the manufacturer. HOWEVER it is up to the owner how to attach the chain/chains to the tow vehicle and this often where ---in my view everything comes apart....LITERALLY!!!!As time and time again we find vans over two tonnes with safety chains connected via a D- Shackle a twitch of wire, a padlock or a carainer. Do these devices meet safety standards is my question.

Saw a SA van a while back that had those snaplocks connecting the chains, when I questioned him he said it was legal in SA. Didn't convince me, fools & their vans are easly parted.

It  becomes part of the overall package, no education,no training, no towing test,no licience endorsements. Mix this with no common sense & thats why we have disasters. The system is no less than rediculas, Massive vans/fifth wheel's all on a car licience, & yet we need a light truck licience to drive a five tonn flat top truck when many of these rigs are more than five tonns.

Beats me when all other types of machinery that we operate you need to be trained, & obtain a operator's ticket.

JC.

 

 

Tomorrow while at work i will ring Qld DOTARS ( the federal Dept of Transport and Road Safety)and see if they have a ruling on this and get back with the response.

Regards Hernie.Easier to do it from work,as have almost a direct line to this department with issues regarding one thing or another,as rules appear to change from one qweek to the next regarding rules and regs(re work )..Also all the people m/f from other states can have all the latest up to date licenses re opperating different equipment or driving trucks/ machinery ,but NO way can the opperate on interstate licenses,FROM ANOTHER STATE. Some of these rules i am sure are just a revenue grab from one state Goverment to the next.As to get some of these tickets/ licenses re badged into the next state adds up to hundreds of dollars depending on how many they need to have re badged.

Here is a useful towing guide and the condition is on page 7,

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Safety/Vehicle%20standards%20and%20modifications/Loads%20and%20towing/Safe%20towing/Safe_towing_guide.pdf

Its easy to work out what shackle you need
The chains are required by law ro be rated and being a rated chain they are required to have the rating stamped on each link of the chain. The shackle is then required to be a minimum of the chain rating size.
cheers
blaze

Another way of stoping your D Shackles coming undone.

-- Edited by Olley46 on Thursday 16th of May 2013 04:05:04 PM

I am a recently joined member but have been using caravans for close to forty years on and off. I have always used a shackle which has the biggest pin dia to attach to the van to the tow bar. I take the view that the van and towbar manufacturers have done the necessary calculations to arrive at this dimension. Never lost a van yet, that sounds a little conceited but dont the equipment manufacturers have a responsibility to provide gear that will allow suitability of intended use.Therefore if i use the largest possible pin size i am well into the safety margin, or do you see a fault in my reasoning.

Tony (Friar Park)

-- Edited by Friar Park on Thursday 16th of May 2013 09:00:29 PM

From my rigging days.

Was taught to always mouse a shackle, still do it to this day.

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Moused_shackle.gif/220px-Moused_shackle.gif&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_wire&h=237&w=220&sz=16&tbnid=cHy0YHVLfr_O6M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=84&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmousing%2Ba%2Bshackle%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=mousing+a+shackle&usg=___gUQUFUr6UsKCZIT2D4HzAwYcq4=&docid=lGi3SKeoEHeV_M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=njmUUeGNNI7yiAe5n4GQAg&sqi=2&ved=0CFUQ9QEwBA&dur=1256

 

Attaching a Shackle:

If screw pin shackles have been used, then the pins must be moused. Mousing a shackle calls for bailing wire, or a plastic tie wrap, inserted through the hole in the thumb end of the screw pin. The bailing wire or tie wrap would be twisted or pulled as tight as possible so that the screw pin will be able to turn out of the shackle if live loading were applied. This is the last step in the installation of a screw pin shackle in a standard rigging point.

As Stan would say, good one Olley.

Dick.

I understand what you and some of the otherpeople on here are saying and useing, but i think you and others have missed my main concern,and that is

Manufactures have a legal obligation the equip their vans with chains of SUFFICIANT Tensile strength , But as i mentioned before a chain is only as good as it's weakest link, and customers have no way of knowing wheather the chains connection to tow vehicle is up to the job. The load ratings stamped onto SOME shackles are LOAD RATINGS for lifting things, But is that the same as SHOCK - LOAD- Ratings for Towing purposes??.And how do caravaners know the breaking load of each chain. 

herbie wrote:

---

.... a chain is only as good as it's weakest link, and customers have no way of knowing wheather the chains connection to tow vehicle is up to the job......

---

 Rated chain, like rated D shackles have their rating marked on them.

No markings, no rating, not legal.

The shock loads are accounted for by the safety margins required.

Must comply with Australian Standard AS 2741-2002 and the break limit of the shackle must be 2.5 times greater than the ATM of the trailer.    

 

No mystery, no doubts, it is all quite clear and understandable in the regulations.

 

Cheers,

Peter