PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-741
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 741
AUGUST 2014
16
PS 741
AUG 14
17
PS 741
AUG 14
Dear Editor,
After reading the towing safety article on Pages 10-11 of PS 735 (Feb 14),
I came up with a few more tips that might be useful to your readers:
•±
Check the TMs for both the towed and towing vehicles for any special
towing instructions.
•±
Never substitute anything for the tow bar pins or safety clips. Use only the
authorized hardware that is listed in the tow bar’s TM.
•±
Always insert tow bar pins with the head facing up and the safety clip on the
bottom. That way, if the safety clip fails, the pin is less likely to fall out.
•±
Be sure to put the cotter pin in the pintle hook. This keeps the tow bar and
towed vehicle from disconnecting during stops.
•±
The towing vehicle operator should always make a final safety check of the
tow bar pins and safety clips before moving out and at all rest stops.
CW4 Steve Locascio, USA, Ret.
Redstone Arsenal, AL
Editor’s note:
Great advice
for anyone to take along on a tow,
Steve. Thanks for passing it on.
M
ore than a few drivers are scratching their heads over a data plate mix-up for the
M129A3/A4 12-ton van semi-trailer.
New trailers delivered from the manufacturer have a data plate attached to the
van body. The data plate identiFes the trailer as an M129A4M, so Soldiers logically
assume the trailer is an M129A4. Problem is, that’s an incorrect assumption!
Refurbished M129A3 trailers received a modiFed M129A4 van body.
That’s why
the van body data plate reads M129A4M (modiFed).
If the data plate on your trailer’s van body reads M129A4M, go to the data plate
on the frame.
It’ll list the trailer as either an M129A3 or M129A4 and will not have
the M after it.
More
Tips for Towing the Mark
Check the
Right
Data Plate
Safety…
More
Tips for Towing the Mark
Looks good to me,
Grimes. C’mon, let’s
hit the road.
Hold up. Gotta make sure
everything’s
secure.
Don’t
want these two parting
company too soon.
M129A3/A4 Van Semi-trailers…
Check the
Right
Data Plate
Data plate on van identifies
van body, not complete trailer
Check data plate on frame
for trailer’s model number
Hey, check out
my data plates!
How’s that for
some bling?
Um.
..I think
that might be a
bit
too much.
How am I
s’posed to tell
what
model
you
are?
741 16-17.indd
1-2
6/23/14
5:36 PM
Click here for a copy of this article to save or email.
Click here for a copy of this article to save or email.
Back to TopBack to Top
