Towing via 80 series Pintle attachment???

[Schattenjager]

Desperate to make my way South, it looks like I have a green light for a late November drive out of Alaska. I will be pulling a u-haul trailer as shipping will cost more than the rental, extra gas expenditure considered. My first hope it so pull the trim off the LX450 rear cross member and bolt my pintle w/ ball on and tow that way. Looking at the setup this morning, I am unsure if that crossmember will be strong enough to tug a trailer (guessing about 800 pounds of gear plus the trailer) down the Alaska Highway and the Cassiar Highway. It's about a 4K mile trip.

The other option of course is to buy an aftermarket Class III receiver setup, but that will be used one time and then ditched.

Any experience you can offer?

Largest Trailer I may need weighs 1960 pounds empty!:

 

[MoGas]

I tow our boat (21 foot sterndrive), our ATV, and my M416 (fully loaded in this video with sandbags at our off road test facility) with my pintle hook. I've never had a problem.

 

[MoGas]

I don't know how to post a single post, but if you look at post 100 in this thread, you will be at ease.

Ignore that Idaho Doug guy. I had 3 different Engineers at my office look at my pintle mount and they all agreed that it should be good for as much as a class 3 setup. The bolts on a Class 3 on an 80 are working most of the load in shear, which is weaker than working in tension. The Class 3 on an 80 does use 6 mounting points instead of 4, but they are smaller diameter bolts. The pintle hook is doing most of the work in tension. I personally think that the US has gone primarily to the use of receiver hitches because some are too stupid to remember to lock the pintle down and then try to sue someone over the trailer coming off. If you try to make something idiot proof, soon enough a better idiot will come around.

The military tows with them, most other countries tow with them, look at post #69...
This guy is from England where they use pintle (or NATO) hooks:

Over here the 80 series is rated to pull 3500kgs so over 9000lbs.

Paul

I did some research once and found that the 80 series frame is the same all over the world except for up front for RHD and different engines. The rear crossmember sections are all the same.

 

[Schattenjager]

Dave - you da man. Thanks!

I was less concerned about the actual pintle or bolts as I was about stressing the rear crossmember. Seems like it can handle an insanely unsafe load safely.
:elkgrin:

 

[thecriscokid]

Looks like you are set! Better get out before too much snow. A friend just returned a few weeks ago because the mine he was operating was close to being snowed in. I guess he was way up though. Safe travels

 

[kai38]

I also towed my M416 off the pintle mounted to the rear on my 80.
In the USA it's not rated for towing but, as far as I know its the same frame used all around the world and its used for towing in those countries. Its a stong mount, its bolted to the rear frame cross member with four bolts & 2 nuts.

 

[Schattenjager]

Dave - where did you get the safety chain plate? I put a call into TrailerCraft and they thought I was making it up!

 

[MoGas]

http://www.tnjmurray.com/militaryve...roduct/id/AB35A7C0-5056-A361-12202AC73BC33BDC