Anyone know whether the front bumper mount is strong enough to use
for an attachment point for towing, using an A-frame?

I need to bring my Caravelle 365km to Dunedin from Christchurch,
where it's been stored.

The buular was attached to the bumper mount by 2 long 12mm bolts run
vertically through the bumper mount bulge. The metal there appears
thick enough to carry the load. Any ideas?

What I was thinking of doing was making an A-frame mount out of 2
bent box-section U-shapes, which fit over the bumper mount and bolt
on via 2x12mm bolts run vertically through the mount and spaced about
1090mm (~4ft) apart; these would have a horizontal tube welded
between them as a stay.

Will the bumper mount sheetmetal bear the load and will 12mm bolts
hold? If the bumper mount's too thin I'm screwed, as there is nowhere
to attacvh an A-frame elsewhere. Of course I could use 3 or 4 bolts
for attachment, but then I have to take the bumper mount curvature
into consideration, and I don't have the van here to measure... guess
the U-parts could be made one length and I could take a hacksaw along
to shorten them on the spot. But I'll need to use a cordless drill
for all this, and the battery may not be up to it!

Thicker bolts than 12mm are of course feasible.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
Friends don't let friends do Windows