Shakles

NeilandRaine · Guru

Shakles

hako · Guru

I found something interesting about this as well but from an American forum. It appears that Avan Aliners use a cable instead of chains plus they use "S" hooks instead of shackles. Extract below:

My 2005 Expedition came with safety cables instead of chains with
S-hooks that have no keepers. I only have limited experience with
towing, a couple of U-hauls & about a dozen runs with a little 1-horse
trailer. All of those has safety chains. The set up on my Aliner doesn't
look terribly strong. So I either need some confidence boosting or I
need to swap these things out for something else.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

the whole deal with shackles and towing chains is a total joke. Each State has its own ideas of how the regulations should be interpreted and enforced. Currently, you can get away with almost anything as the regs with respect to the various ratings for both use the word "SHOULD", rather than "MUST or WILL".

If you got a ticket for it and the chain and shackle looked ok for the rig youre towing, a Court would have no option but to dismiss any police agency taking you to Court. Their road staff are well aware of this, but relaise that if you are a traveler, youre hardly going to stick around for months waiting for a Court appearance (or return inter-State for it).

This information has been supplies to me by one of Australias major chain manufacturers who supplies to most caravan dealers, the chassis maker of my 'van (who buys and its the chains), the manufacturer of my 'van and the WA Dept of Transport who enforces these regs.

They are currently looking at the NZ Regs which don't have any "SHOULD" words in it and are very clear. These Regs will be applied right across Aust (eventually when all the States public servant pen pushers agree)