Safety Chains too short

New Wanderers · Veteran Member

Safety Chains too short

Cruising Cruze · Guru

Go back to were you've got the caravan from
I don't think they did that on purpose
Most likely they wil give you new one's

BTW how did you got your caravan home or did you changed tug's in the mean time

Cheers John

New Wanderers · Veteran Member

The caravan was connected to our tug using two D shackles to extend each safety chain. I counted the links on other caravans in the yard and they were all the same. I've advised the caravan salesman that i'm not happy with this arrangement, the response is that the way it come from the chassis supplier. I guess I'll have to follow this up with the chassis supplier myself to see what can be done.

Cruising Cruze · Guru

don't wait to long

Brenda and Alan · Guru

We had the same prob. with our van so fitted a hammerlock link to the tow bar and d shackle the chain to this. Hammerlock links can be obtained from industrial supply shops or specialised lifting gear suppliers. (We only require one chain for our van)

Alan

Bryan · Guru

I was told by the dealer that as long as the D shackles are rated correctly, it's legal. My tow bar is set back a little more than is normal to accommodate a hinged number plate and the chains were one link too short, hence the extra D shackle on each chain.

I have to take a trailer I'm building over the pits in the next few weeks, I'll pose the question to the inspectors.

D and D · Guru

The supplier of the van has a legal responsibility to make sure it conforms to legal requirements and from what you describe the van you've been supplied with doesn't and the supplier is therefore liable for rectifying the situation.

If you search on the forums for d shackles or safety chains you should find some threads discussing these issues in far more detail than this and there are also some links to the regulators' sites and summaries of the info they provider.

Regards

Dave

WAssa41 · Senior Member

Firstly it is up to the supplier to fix the problem and not you. Secondly check out the Hayman Reece site they use to hav a safty chain extension thing.

wassa

PeterD · Guru

WAssa41 wrote:
Secondly check out the Hayman Reece site they use to hav a safty chain extension thing.

Download their cattle-dog from http://www.haymanreese.com.au/images/downloads/20570/pdf_1376277379.pdf - you will see their offerings on page 69. (NB. the yellow bits in the pictures are hammerlocks.)

-- Edited by PeterD on Saturday 11th of October 2014 11:17:55 AM

Plendo · Guru

I would think that the safety chains fitted to the van would be an appropriate length for most situations, so would then be asking is there an exceptionally long distance between the tow ball and where the chains mount on the tow vehicle.

Saw a Pajero today with an incredibly long tow ball mount (the bit that fits inside the square reveiver), he had it that way for his jet ski trailer, but I doubt if you would be using one of those as it was only rated to 1,500kg.

If you have a long receiver, then a shorter receiver may be the best answer.

New Wanderers · Veteran Member

The manufacture of our caravan has changed the safety chains to the correct length for our setup, the issue came about by the following being installed, HITCHMASTER DO35 V2-R with the adaptor for HR WDH system which pushed the caravan connection back by about 90 mm. Thank you for your suggestions, now I can tow our caravan knowing that I comply with the regs.

NW