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Girlfriend in the next town

Third From Texas

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Is that the deal on the long steel (old) ones vs. the ibis tech towbars ?
I love the look, size, weight of the Ibis Tek ones. But I've read some horror stories about them...

That said, we did manage to break one of the arms with my first one of the steel telescopic towbars doing a recovery. I'd borrowed feet and we started our first turn out of the yard. The yard guy had climbed back up into the truck and "secured" the steering wheel with the seatbelt for us (after he noticed I had untied it). Grrrrrr. We were about half-way extended with it. The towbar arm snapped like a twig, Fortunately, we were able to pull the broken section out and fully collapse the rest of the bar.

When I got my new bar, I read the TM and was surprised to see we're not meant to tow in the extended position.
 

Third From Texas

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Niceeeeeee!! Pictures of the different feet and chain deelies please. I was wondering how to attach the safty chains.
Sure thing.

The chains are still in the boxes and never opened.

The feet just have different-sized holes/pins for various vehicle/mounting eyes.

And I'll snap a pic of the TM page with the "do not extend" details...
 

chucky

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I had one of those in the garage with no feet. I'd been keeping a eye on the auctions for feet and scored a complete NOS set (bar, four sets of various sized feet, and the chain/bumper mechanism (that's a $3000 scalper value for only $190). ;) Inside the crate was the manual, the first I'd ever seen. That's how I discovered not to extend it (even though normal logic would indicate you could).

The manual is a little weathered with some warped paged so it would be a pita to scan, but if I can't locate the TM online I may give it a go.

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View attachment 864617
Your not going to ever feel good about yourself unless you fasten that stuff onto the pallet more secure with straps and screws and a label with my address on it. And a postage paid stamp ! Then and only then will you first start to heal and overcome your obsession to horde nice gifts that would help others out like myself and the joy it would bring me to have my very on towbar from my FRIEND in corpus. You can look at the eyes on the front of my winch tray and just send me the 2 that fit that application so that you keep the rest of the box and save on postage ! Let me thank you in advance for the nice gift ! There is hope for you yet !!!!
 

Guyfang

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Sure thing.

The chains are still in the boxes and never opened.

The feet just have different-sized holes/pins for various vehicle/mounting eyes.

And I'll snap a pic of the TM page with the "do not extend" details...
Is the TM in the TM forum? If not, please post it, and or Post the TM number here. Maybe someone has it in digital.
 

Guyfang

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I knew something in one of the pictures bugged me. Thought about this for the last two days and looked at the pictures, I don't know how many times. Then it caught me eye. Look close at the phone hook up boxes. Top left is labeled with "Class A". This is Army speak for a normal, every day phone line, from Ma Bell. The top right is a Spare. Bottom left is labeled STU-111, (Spoken, STU-3). This is Army speak for: STU-III is a family of secure telephones introduced in 1987 by the NSA for use by the United States government, its contractors, and its allies. STU-III desk units look much like typical office telephones, plug into a standard telephone wall jack and can make calls to any ordinary phone user.
This was the "Hot Line" in the 80's. Few Units below BDE level had them, in Europe anyway. Our Ordnance Unit, 611th Ord., Had one, (we also had a Major as Company Co.) Reason being ADA, Air Defence Artillery was incredibly important at the time. Any Patriot firing unit going non-op, was reported to a "five sided" building on the American East coast. We were the main DS/GS Unit, for repair for Hawk & Patriot East of the Continental United States. So this office was indeed made by the Military. It was not for the unwashed masses. I would say who ever sat in it was at the very least a 1 Star officer. Very interesting, this M109.

1649795035932.png
 

Rhino 5/4

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I knew something in one of the pictures bugged me. Thought about this for the last two days and looked at the pictures, I don't know how many times. Then it caught me eye. Look close at the phone hook up boxes. Top left is labeled with "Class A". This is Army speak for a normal, every day phone line, from Ma Bell. The top right is a Spare. Bottom left is labeled STU-111, (Spoken, STU-3). This is Army speak for: STU-III is a family of secure telephones introduced in 1987 by the NSA for use by the United States government, its contractors, and its allies. STU-III desk units look much like typical office telephones, plug into a standard telephone wall jack and can make calls to any ordinary phone user.
This was the "Hot Line" in the 80's. Few Units below BDE level had them, in Europe anyway. Our Ordnance Unit, 611th Ord., Had one, (we also had a Major as Company Co.) Reason being ADA, Air Defence Artillery was incredibly important at the time. Any Patriot firing unit going non-op, was reported to a "five sided" building on the American East coast. We were the main DS/GS Unit, for repair for Hawk & Patriot East of the Continental United States. So this office was indeed made by the Military. It was not for the unwashed masses. I would say who ever sat in it was at the very least a 1 Star officer. Very interesting, this M109.

View attachment 864637
Cool I'll see if I can find any more clues
 

chucky

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TN .
I knew something in one of the pictures bugged me. Thought about this for the last two days and looked at the pictures, I don't know how many times. Then it caught me eye. Look close at the phone hook up boxes. Top left is labeled with "Class A". This is Army speak for a normal, every day phone line, from Ma Bell. The top right is a Spare. Bottom left is labeled STU-111, (Spoken, STU-3). This is Army speak for: STU-III is a family of secure telephones introduced in 1987 by the NSA for use by the United States government, its contractors, and its allies. STU-III desk units look much like typical office telephones, plug into a standard telephone wall jack and can make calls to any ordinary phone user.
This was the "Hot Line" in the 80's. Few Units below BDE level had them, in Europe anyway. Our Ordnance Unit, 611th Ord., Had one, (we also had a Major as Company Co.) Reason being ADA, Air Defence Artillery was incredibly important at the time. Any Patriot firing unit going non-op, was reported to a "five sided" building on the American East coast. We were the main DS/GS Unit, for repair for Hawk & Patriot East of the Continental United States. So this office was indeed made by the Military. It was not for the unwashed masses. I would say who ever sat in it was at the very least a 1 Star officer. Very interesting, this M109.

View attachment 864637
Now the MEN IN BLACK are going to come spank you for having the super secret decoder ring ! GUYFANG got ya in time out !!!! Hes been up all night doin the chicken dance on youtube !
 
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Third From Texas

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Is the TM in the TM forum? If not, please post it, and or Post the TM number here. Maybe someone has it in digital.
I'm gonna see if I can locate it online first. I'm not really set up for flat bed scanning at the moment and the manual has some water-damaged pages. But if I can find it in digital format, I'll get a scanner and deal with it.
 

Mullaney

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I'm gonna see if I can locate it online first. I'm not really set up for flat bed scanning at the moment and the manual has some water-damaged pages. But if I can find it in digital format, I'll get a scanner and deal with it.
.
Here is a useful Towbar book.

EDIT:
Also added TM9-4910-496-10 that is pictures on how to use a Tow Bar
and TM9-4910-593-12P
 

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Third From Texas

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Don't want to hijack the thread further, but here's the TM that's here on SS already). I'm pretty certain this is the same little booklet I got (I'll know in the morning).

And here's the part that I got wrong. It says "Short as possible" and I may have remembered it as "not extended". Keep in mind I read this right after snapping my first towbar and the ALL CAPS JUMPS OUT AT ME :)

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Mullaney

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Ah, I did remember it right Different books altogether, though. Mine came with two but neither is an actual TM.

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The other pretty important part of using a tow bar is that line about DO NOT EXCEED A SPEED of 20 MPH over primary and secondary roads. I was fairly sure I saw in a TM recently that the number was "thirty" but either way, going fast shouldn't be happening...
 

Rhino 5/4

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.
The other pretty important part of using a tow bar is that line about DO NOT EXCEED A SPEED of 20 MPH over primary and secondary roads. I was fairly sure I saw in a TM recently that the number was "thirty" but either way, going fast shouldn't be happening...
No for sure slow and steady as she goes. This is great info thanks for sharing this.
 
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