I'd avoid anything hanging down below the front bumper.  Even a half inch
will affect your approach angle if you do any off-roading (BTDT).

That tow hook under the front bumper is strong enough to pull the van out of
deep sand (once again, BTDT).  I keep a couple hell-for-stout D-shaped
(D-shape important - it moves the stress to the side away from the latch)
carabiners in the van, since most beefy tow ropes won't fit in the tow
hooks.

Karl Wolz

|-----Original Message-----
|From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]
|On Behalf Of Rocket J Squirrel
|Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 1:53 PM
|To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
|Subject: Re: Place to mount shackles?
|
|On Tue, 2011-05-24 at 13:29 -0700, James V wrote:
|
|> On Tue, May 24, 2011 at 12:47 PM, Rocket J Squirrel
|> <camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
|> > Thanks, Michael. The rear tie-down loops are presently occupied by
|big
|> > bolts holding a hitch. Maybe I can mount the D-rings to
|the hitch's
|> > crossbar.
|>
|> You can try something like this: http://tinyurl.com/3cjjcot
|
|It's true -- I /could/ try something like that, were it not
|for the fact that there is a trailer hitch already inserted
|into the receiver, and said receiver came with a bunch of weld
|bumps on the seam on the inside and while I did what I did
|what I could to file them bumps down the hitch had to be kinda
|hammered into the receiver. It's unclear whether it can ever
|be removed.
|
|It's an option, though, and I guess I whang at the thang with
|a mallet or something, see if I can bust it loose.
|
|For the front, the stock tie-down loop isn't very impressive-looking.
|Seems like a fellow could put some bolts through the bumper
|and the front of the van like Gary Lee did to mount his hitch
|-- see bottommost photo on this page:
|
|<http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/winch/winch.htm>
|
|and use them bolts to mount d-rings on the bumper underside.
|Dangling down a la truck nuts. Anyone got any thoughts on that?
|
|-- RJS
|
|-----
|No virus found in this message.
|Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
|Version: 10.0.1375 / Virus Database: 1509/3657 - Release Date:
|05/24/11