Pulling a bus by towbar - long distance

[busboyjake]

I'm getting ready to pull my panel from Oklahoma to Colorado with this handy-dandy towbar.

Anyone done this for a long distance? Any suggestions or warnings?

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1960 Dove Blue Kombi
1965 Pearl White Caravelle Camper

[Brokenbus]

Suggestions warnings? Yes. Don't. Search this forum and you will come across stories and pics that will make you cringe. You will also read about other folks having great success and no problems having done what you are contemplating doing. Sorta kinda got make that decision yourself.

[Mikee]

I have towed buses over 1200 miles with my towbar, in a single trip nonstop towing. I probbaly have 5k miles with my towbar, as long as all tires are the same size they usually tow pretty straight. I have also put a tire ontop of my towbar below the bus to take some weight off the wheels to make a bus tow straight.
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[Mikee]

1200 mile tow, with a tire ontop of the bar.
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[sharpstick]

Any tow bar I have tried absolutely sucked at any speeds under 25 mph. It help to strap the steering wheel too so it has some tension on it.

[BulletBus]

Been using one for years. Never had a problem. They jump a little on slow short turns, but other than that, no problemo.
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53 Hatch Barndoor
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If it's not a bus, it's bus money waiting to happen.

[quartermilecamel]

I still want to see this tire under over over roger victor huh what towbar up close.
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Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I????

[kombisutra]

[[email protected]]

Make sure you are covered insurance wise just incase something goes wrong.

[Brokenbus]

[kombisutra]

[Loren]

Get a set of magnetic tow lights for the back of the bus and wire them up to the tow vehicle. This will keep Johnny Law off your back and let the drivers behind you know what the tow vehicle is doing.

[kombisutra]

Copy that BB, no offense. As I said, I had two fold on me as well, so we can agree that a good tow bar is important as they take some serious horse power. On the other hand, I have not seen any picture of tow bar accident yet, and these unfortunate examples are what happens when using a Tow Dolly.

I've had buses start to build a slow oscillation over 60mph on a Tow Bar, but was always able to arrest it by slowing down.

I've had a front tire blow on a Tow Bar and almost flip the bus, but still, no problem.

I've had shit inside the cab fall and kick the lever into gear, thus, turning the engine in second gear at up to 65mph.

I've had faulty steering dampeners allow the wheels to go lock to lock at slow speed in attempts to break a bus off a Tow Bar. As was pointed out, tie the steering wheel off and you'll never have that problem, only some skidding around the tighter turns. This also removes the possible oscillation at speed.

I've had engine-less buses blow their input shafts out not knowing that wiring a clutch disk on to them to arrest the rotation would prevent that.

However, I've had no problems with the towability design and concept of flat towing buses, just related issues. When those Tow Dolly images first hit the net, I was pretty mortified. Never have I used a Tow Dolly... and never will.

My challenge to your quote was in reference to the absence of your bad experiences with tow bars since you didn't use citation while damning all of the rest of us Tow Bar users to the padded room. Citing your experiences, it's clear we share that same experience with feeble bars.

I'll stand by for a first report about a bus that was damaged by going out of control on a Tow Bar. I'm sure somebody's had an accident, but I've just never heard of one.

[Mikee]

[Mikee]

I usually put the tire farther back, under the frame rails
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[kombisutra]

[Brokenbus]

[Brokenbus]

[bugcollections]

I vote for towing it on a trailer. I have hauled VW cars and busses for many thousands of miles on a trailer with no problem. I have professional tow bars for both bugs and busses that I will use on short hauls around town, but never out on the highway at speed. Have never personally had a problem with a flat tow, but have heard too many horror stories to try it. I know things can go wrong with a trailer haul as well, but the probability of a problem with a flat tow is much higher IMO.

[Busryder]