Sometimes, you just need a helping hand.
Towing Your HMV
by Steve Turchet
B
ack in the early 1970s, I purchased a 1944 Dodge 3/4-ton
carryall from an Indian school in Arizona. The school
had acquired the vehicle through government surplus in
the 1950s, and though originally configured as a Signal Corps
truck—having a 12 volt electrical system, a massive 8D battery in a box on the right side running board, and a voltmeter in
the dash in addition to the standard ammeter—the only civilian
modifications were two rear bench seats and a school-bus yellow paint job. The truck was otherwise original, even retaining
its blackout light system. The truck had been sitting for about
ten years before I bought it, but it started up willingly and was
in good running condition. Aside from removing the rear seats,
installing an 8-track stereo, and painting the truck OD, I made
no other modifications except adding a mattress in the back for
desert camping.
That truck served me well for about a year in Arizona, then
I moved to Mariposa, California, driving it over Tioga Pass in
the Sierras, and having a few more adventures in the mountains,
including the salvage of a Caterpillar Thirty that had thrown a
track and been abandoned in an almost inaccessible canyon.
However, in February of that year, I had a chance to buy a Kaiser M715 and, needing money, I sold the carryall through Hemmings Motor News to a gentleman in St. Louis, Missouri, with
the stipulation that I deliver it.
Having had some experience with flat-towing vehicles, including my first jeep, an M38, my original plan was to tow bar
the Dodge with a 1955 Chevrolet 1/2 ton panel truck. After only
two miles on my way down the mountains to Fresno, I found that
a 1/2-ton Chevy panel truck will not tow a 3/4-ton Dodge carryall... at least, not in a straight line! Anyone who has ever walked a
large joyful dog on a leash should know what I mean—wherever
the Dodge wanted to go, it took the Chevy with it.
After finding myself more often than not on the wrong side
of a two-lane highway, I switched the tow bar from the Dodge
to the Chevy. I clamped the tow bar’s ball type hitch into the
Dodge’s pintle, and towed the Chevy to St. Louis!
The much heavier Dodge handled the Chevy with no problems at all, though being much lower-geared, the journey took
four days at an average speed of about 35 mph. (This, I say again,
was in February. The Dodge had no heater, and we arrived in St.
Louis at 02:00 during a snowstorm...but historic military vehicle
(HMV) heaters are another article.)
This illustrates the first rule of flat-towing: The towing vehicle should always be significantly larger and heavier than
the vehicle being towed.
The tow bar, in this case, was a homemade one, rather
roughly constructed of angle iron. Although it looked sturdy and
had towed the Chevy well, I learned the second lesson of flattowing on my return trip to Mariposa.
While making a side journey from St. Loius to Mississippi
to visit relatives, I discovered a 1958 Ford 1/2-ton 4x4 pickup for
sale at a farm for a very reasonable price. Since I could easily
sell it for twice that amount in California, I bought it with the
intent of tow barring it home. This time, however, after learning
the first lesson in flat-towing, I made a test run. The Ford, being about equal in weight to the Chevy, towed well enough and
didn’t drag the Chevy all over the road.
But the second lesson was learned on the second morning
The first rule of flat-towing: The towing vehicle should always be significantly larger and heavier than the vehicle being towed.
The second rule of flat-towing: If you build you own towbar, build it at least twice as strong as you think it should be.
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Civilian style ball type hitches are usually not the best for towbars. Whenever possible, build or use towbars with military lunette hitches. Also
remember that the following information applies to genuine military towbars and, even if you have one, you must be sure it’s in good condition
and has all of its proper parts.
of the trip back to Mariposa when, just after sunrise on a rural
stretch of (thankfully) almost deserted Interstate in the Texas
panhandle, the Ford blew a front tire. This threw both vehicles
into a spin. We careened across the weedy strip of center divide
and ended up facing the wrong direction in the opposite freeway
lanes. Fortunately, as stated, there was almost no traffic at that
early hour; and though the tow bar was mangled, it held together
long enough for me to get both vehicles off the roadway and onto
the shoulder.
After hiking a mile to a farmhouse, I was treated to oldfashioned Texas hospitality when, after calling the only tow
truck in the area (which turned out to be a CCKW owned by a
wrecking yard), I was invited to a Texas-sized breakfast by the
farm family. This country generosity was reflected by the wrecking yard owner, who towed both my vehicles for a very reasonable price and built me a new tow bar: A very massive one. I
completed the trip without further incident, sold the Ford for a
nice profit, and finally got the M715.
The second rule of flat-towing should be obvious: If you
build you own tow bar, build it at least twice as strong as you
think it should be.
I’ve only broken one of those rules in all the years since
then, when I used my 1965 Nissan Patrol L60 to flat-tow an
M211 cab and chassis. Even though the M211 towed fairly well
for the thirty-mile trip, I kept my speed under forty, was very
aware of its presence behind me, and allowed three times the
stopping distance normally required by the Patrol. One could
call this the third rule of flat-towing: When you flat-tow another vehicle behind your car or truck, you have only one
set of brakes to stop two vehicles, so your stopping distance
greatly increases. I’ve heard many horror tales over the years
of people forgetting this third rule, and being pushed past stop
signs or lights into busy intersections by the vehicle they were
towing.
I’ve probably flat-towed at least a hundred vehicles so far,
many on fairly long journeys of over a thousand miles, and each,
though usually not as eventful as that trip to St. Louis and back,
has presented its own set of challenges and more than a few
heart-stopping moments. I’ve also heard many horror stories—
besides the ones already mentioned—from people who’ve seen
their towed vehicle cruise past them on a freeway, often with
some variation of: “There’s a jeep (M37, MUTT, M715, G506,
or whatever) just like mine!”
How NOT to flat-tow
What’s wrong with this picture? Just about everything!
The tow bar is very flimsy and lacks a reinforcing crossbar in the “A.” Therefore, it will not withstand a heavy side
stress, such as when making a sharp turn, or if the jeep
should blow a front tire. The hitch on the tow bar is a
relatively weak stamped steel type, better suited to small,
light trailers, The safety chains, while appearing strong,
should be attached to the jeep’s front bumper—not to
the tow bar. They should be long enough to permit sharp
turns but short enough to keep the jeep from swerving
into another lane should the tow bar jump its hitch, The
chains should also be arranged to prevent the bar from
dropping to the ground.
The downward angle of the bar (instead of being level)
will encourage the jeep to “climb” during hard braking.
During a panic stop at high speed, it will likely override,
bend the bar and bash into the back of the van.
Additionally, the wiring for the jeep’s towing taillights is
almost dragging on the ground... and probably will during
a sharp left turn. Nor is it secured to the jeep’s windshield
frame (nylon ties would work), so will probably slip off.
Lastly, the only things actually attaching the jeep to
the van are what appear to be two half-inch bolts—not
nearly strong enough should any stress be applied.
Military Vehicles Magazine December 2013 31
Remember, all of the following information applies to genuine military tow bars. Even if you have one, you must be sure it’s in good
condition and has all of its proper parts.
While I’ve never had that experience, I did once have an M38A1
jump its ball type tow bar hitch. Though it remained captive—
thanks to substantial safety chains—it was still a challenge to
keep under control behind a ‘47 Willys pickup and bring both
vehicles to a stop without bashing up the rear of the truck or the
front of the jeep. This brings up another point of safe flat-towing:
Civilian style ball type hitches are usually not the best for tow
bars. Whenever possible, build or use tow bars with military
lunette hitches (which should be the norm since this article is
about flat-towing HMVs).
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Always use two substantial safety chains arranged long enough
to permit sharp turns but short enough to prevent the towed vehicle from wandering into another lane should the hitch come
loose. These chains, like the tow bar itself, should always be at
least twice as strong as you think they should be. Many of us
have seen “safety chains” on civilian trailers that wouldn’t hold
a determined Pekinese... much less an escaped boat or camping
trailer.
It’s also important that the chains be arranged in such a way
that the tow bar can’t drop to the ground should it come loose.
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I’ve heard two tales of towed jeeps coming loose and doing somersaults when their tow bars dropped and dug into the road...
one jeep actually landed upside down in the back of the towing
pickup!
Whenever possible, safety chains should be attached with
clevises and the clevis pins wired in place. At least they should
be bolted, with double nuts on the bolts. At the very least, if using hooks, they should be safety hooks and wired in place.
Flat-towing usually presents more potential hazards than
other alternate means of transporting one vehicle with another.
These alternates include trailering a vehicle or using a tow-dolly.
Also, of course, a smaller vehicle may often be carried in the
back of a larger one—such as a jeep or a MUTT in a deuce—
though loading and unloading may be problematic. Nonetheless,
flat-towing is generally safe with many combinations of vehicles... provided those first three rules are followed.
You should make several test runs of the combination—
preferably on a less-traveled road—to gain experience and “feel”
before setting out on a lengthy trip. While the following pages
contain information about flat-towing from a U.S. Army manual,
here are some tips based upon personal experience.
SOME TOWING TIPS
Most common HMVs, such as WWII MBs and GPWs,
M38s, M38A1s, MUTTS, Dodge WCs and M37s, and Kaiser
M715s, should be towed with their transmissions and transfer
cases in neutral. Especially with jeeps, if the transfer case is not
in neutral, it will turn the rear bearing in the transmission, which
will not be properly oiled in this mode.
For long-distance flat-towing, you should consider removing
the rear drive shaft. Front locking hubs should be in the “Free”
position. If the vehicle doesn’t have locking hubs, you should
consider removing the front drive shaft as well, especially for a
long trip. When flat-towing a MUTT, keep in mind that it still has
its propensity to flip over when making sharp turns. Related to
this, keep in mind that any wheel-alignment, wheel balance problems or front-end shimmy a vehicle may have will also manifest
themselves while the vehicle is being towed. Of course make sure
that the towed vehicle’s parking brake is fully released.
Tire condition, especially of the towed vehicle’s front tires,
is of utmost importance, as described in the beginning of this
piece. A blown front tire on a vehicle being flat-towed will not be
a happy experience at 60 mph! In fact, it’s not even happy at 25.
Most two-wheel-drive vehicles with manual transmissions
can be safely flat-towed with the transmission in neutral. Of
course, always consult the vehicle’s manual for instructions on
how to tow it. Generally speaking, most vehicles with automatic
transmissions should not be flat-towed unless the drive shaft is
removed, otherwise the transmission may be seriously damaged
or destroyed. If in doubt, always remove the drive shaft.
FLAT-TOW BASICS
To properly flat-tow, the towed vehicle must obediently follow the towing vehicle: this means that its front wheels must turn
side-to-side, so never tie the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position. The only exception is when flat-towing a “rolling chassis” and/or sometimes an vehicle without its engine that doesn’t
have enough weight on its front axle for its wheels to follow the
towing vehicle during turns. In such cases, the towing vehicle
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will be skidding the towed vehicle’s front tires sideways during
sharp turns, and there may be significant loss of control, especially if the towing vehicle is not much heavier than the vehicle
being towed.
Stop frequently during your trip to do a complete walkaround inspection of both vehicles. Thoroughly check the whole
towing arrangement, making sure the hitch is secure and the
safety chains properly attached. Also carefully check the towed
vehicle’s tires—especially the front tires—and feel all the wheel
hubs to see if they’re getting hot. Also keep in mind that many
vintage HMVs were never designed to go over 50 or 60 mph and
their low-geared differentials may become severely overheated by
being towed at freeway speeds. If such is the case, you may want
to remove the axle shafts and cover the exposed bearings somehow—tin can lids are often handy—to keep out dust and grit.
During these inspections, verify that the tail lights, stop
lights and turn signals are still functioning on the towed vehicle.
I don’t know if some U.S. states ever actually required it, but I
used to see “Towed Vehicle” or “Vehicle In Tow” signs on the
rear of some flat-towed vehicles. Since flat-towing seems less
common these days, such signs may prevent the confusion of
other motorists out on a freeway when they pass a driverless vehicle that seems about to run into you.
Flat-towed vehicles also present their own special challenges when pulling into gas stations, especially over curbs or
sidewalks. At these times they may misbehave and cock their
front wheels in the wrong direction. Unless you’re determined
to drag them—which puts massive strain on the tow bar as well
as skidding the tires—the only solution is to stop, get out, and
straighten their wheels.
Likewise, its almost impossible to back up a flat-towed
vehicle for any appreciable distance—for the same reason you
can’t back a set of doubles for any distance—so you may want
to consider fueling and eating at truck stops, and should at least
choose gas stations and parking lots with ample entry and egress
without having to do much maneuvering or any reversing.
When pulling into rest areas, go for the truck parking section. If you find yourself in a situation where you absolutely must
back up for any distance, the only solutions are either to unhook
the towed vehicle and drive it or push it, or get someone to steer
it.
Finally, always have your paperwork in order for both
vehicles. If pulled over by a cop who might have only wanted to
get a good look at your restored “Army jeep,” it still may not turn
out well if its registration and insurance papers are still at your
home! Remember: Even though it’s being towed, it’s still out on
public roads. J