Flat lining like a pro

Back in the early 1970s I purchased a 1944 Dodge 3/4-ton Carryall from a Navajo school in Northern 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 runningboard, 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 its blackout light system. The truck had been sitting for several years before I bought it, but 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.

The truck served me well for about a year in Arizona, then I moved to Mariposa, Calif., driving it over Tioga Pass in the Sierras. We had a few adventures while living 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 to a gentleman in St. Louis, with the stipulation that I deliver it. Having had some experience with flat-towing vehicles, my original plan was to tow-bar the Dodge with a 1955 Chevrolet 1/2-ton panel truck, but I found after only two miles on my way down the mountains to Fresno that a 1/2-ton Chevy panel truck will NOT flat-tow a 3/4 ton Dodge Carryall — at least not in a straight line! Wherever the Dodge wanted to go, it took the Chevy with it, and 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, clamping the tow-bar’s ball type hitch into the Dodge’s pintle and wrapping it with a short length of chain, and towed the Chevy to St. Louis with the Dodge.

The much heavier Dodge towed the Chevy with no problems, though being low-geared, the journey took four days at an average speed of about 40 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.

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 homemade and borrowed from a friend. Although it looked sturdy and had towed the Chevy with no problems, I learned the second lesson of flat-towing on my return trip to Mariposa. While making a side journey from St. Louis to Mississippi to visit relatives, I found 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 to flat-tow home. This time, however, after learning the first lesson in flat-towing, I made a test run and found the Ford, being about equal in size and weight to the Chevy, didn’t drag the Chevy all over the road, though it did require more than ordinary attention to steering.

The second lesson was learned on the second morning of the trip back to Mariposa when, just after sunrise on a rural stretch of 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, there was almost no traffic at that early hour; and though the homemade tow-bar was badly damaged, it held together long enough for me to get both vehicles off the freeway. After hiking a mile to a farmhouse, I was treated to Texas hospitality. 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 generosity was matched by the wrecking yard owner, who towed the Ford to his yard for a very reasonable price, installed two used tires on the front, and built me a new tow-bar — a very massive one. I completed the trip back to California without any other disasters, sold the Ford for a profit, and 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. But though the M211 towed fairly well for the 30-mile trip, I kept my speed under 40 mph, was very aware of the larger vehicle’s 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 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, or onto railroad tracks in front of an oncoming train. You should pay very close attention at all times to traffic and road conditions, begin slowing down well in advance of any situation that might require stopping, and a panic stop will probably not be a happy experience.

I’ve probably flat-towed at least 50 vehicles, many on journeys over 1,000 miles, and each, though usually not as eventful as that trip to St. Louis, has presented its own challenges along with more than a few heart-stopping moments. I’ve also heard stories of 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!”

While I’ve never had that happen, I did once have an M38A1 jump its ball-type tow-bar hitch, and 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.

It’s important to always use two substantial safety chains 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. I’ve heard two tales of towed jeeps coming loose and doing somersaults when their tow-bars dropped and dug into the road.

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.

The angle of the tow-bar between the two vehicles is also important. Level is ideal. If the angle of the tow-bar, either up or down, is extreme, during a hard stop the towed vehicle may try to climb or dive under the towing vehicle, which can bend or break the tow-bar.

Flat-towing presents more potential hazards than alternate ways of transporting one vehicle with another. These alternates include trailering a vehicle or using a tow-dolly. Also, a smaller vehicle may often be carried in the back of a larger one, such as a jeep or a MUTT in a deuce. Nonetheless, flat-towing is generally safe with many combinations of vehicles... provided those first three rules are followed.

One should make a test run of the combination -- preferably on a road with little traffic -- to gain experience and feel before setting out on a trip. While the following pages contain information about flat-towing from a U.S. Army manual, here are some tips based upon personal experience.

Most common HMVs, such as 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, one should consider removing the towed vehicle’s rear drive shaft. Front axle locking hubs should be in the Free position. If the vehicle doesn’t have locking hubs, one should consider removing the front drive shaft as well as the rear. 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 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 very important. A blown front tire on a vehicle being flat-towed will not be a pleasant experience at high speed!

Most two-wheel-drive vehicles with manual transmissions can be safely flat-towed with their transmissions in neutral. Of course, always consult the vehicle’s manual for instructions on how to tow it. Most vehicles with automatic transmissions should not be flat-towed unless the drive shaft is removed —including the front shaft on 4x4 vehicles, such as the Dodge M880 and other CUVCs — otherwise the transmission may be seriously damaged. Again, consult the vehicle’s manual and, if in doubt, remove the drive shaft or shafts.

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 engineless vehicle 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 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 larger and heavier than the vehicle being towed.

Stop frequently during your trip to do a walk-around inspection of both vehicles; carefully check the whole towing arrangement, making sure the hitch is secure and the safety chains properly attached. Also check the towed vehicle’s tires -- especially the front tires -- and feel all its wheel hubs to see if they’re getting hot. Also keep in mind that many vintage HMVs were not designed to go 60 mph and their low-geared differentials may become overheated by being towed at freeway speeds. If such is the case, one may want to remove the axle shafts and cover the exposed bearings -- 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 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.

Flat-towed vehicles also present 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 -- the only solution is to stop, get out, and straighten their wheels. It’s almost impossible to back up a flat-towed vehicle for a long distance, so you may want to consider fueling and eating at truck stops where there’s easy access, and/or should choose gas stations and parking lots that have clear entry and egress without having to do much maneuvering or any reversing. Likewise, 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 while you’re backing.

Always have your paperwork in order for both vehicles. If you get pulled over by a cop who might have only wanted to get a good look at your HMV it still may not turn out well if your registration and insurance papers are still at your home. Remember that even though it’s being towed, it’s still out on public roads and must be currently licensed.