RTV 1140 tow bar. Why not? Where to get?

T

texasjohn

Member
Having used my 1140 for a while now, I find that I often have two vehicles out in the pasture and only one driver. The RTV and the tractor/pickup/etc.

The solution would be to put a tow bar on the front of the RTV and simply put it in 2wd neutral and tow it over the ranch roads to the next location with the tractor/pickup/etc.

I understand that this must be a rather slow speed tow..15 mph or less, never on paved roads...and that's fine with me. It just beats walking back to get the other vehicle, maybe under poor weather conditions.

I spent quite a while looking on the net for an RTV tow bar...didn't find a single one.

Questions:

Does anyone see a problem with towing an RTV using a tow bar properly attached to the RTV'S front bumper?
Anybody know where to get one already manufactured...or is this a do it myself project?
 
I can't think of any issues of doing it so long as you do it as described (slow...).

I've never heard of a tow bar specifically for the RTV so you may have to fab it up yourself.

Just to throw it out as an alternative, have you considered a trailer? You can tow it behind the RTV to do chores and at the end of the day, pull the RTV on it and tow it home.
 
For $100 your local welder buddy could soon build you one.

Like the Universal one here: http://www.hitchcorner.com/tow_bars.htm

Towing one of these on pavement should be no problem. I drive at 25mph all the time on pavement. You should be able to tow it at 20mph on any type of road. Faster than that would mean tire wear and parts rotating faster than designed. Could be explosive.
:myopinion:
 
have small dump trailer I pull behind the RTV almost always, too small to load RTV ...also have flatbed that can haul the RTV..... total tow distance would be less than a mile. Time and effort to use big flatbed for hookup/drive/load/drive/unload/unhook is more than just walking back to get the RTV....

Just wondering if someone is actually towing theirs....I can't be the only one with this idea since the RTV has been in service for years.
 
OK, I have the official Kubota answer.

Don't tow, ever.

I called the dealer salesman who talked to Kubota and also to their mechanic.

Story is that the transmission, even when in neutral, will have parts moving when being towed. The transmission, being HST, has extremely tight tolerances which depend on the engine running and providing pressurized oil to keep things lubricated. If towed, then the transmission would have parts moving in a "dry" environment... which the dealer mechanic whom I talked to also said would do damage rather quickly.

I didn't think to ask what the answer would be if towed in neutral with engine running.... it was clear that the Kubota answer is: "Don't tow, ever."

Thanks to all who answered!
 
Good idea. Engine running everything gets lubed. Trany in neutral no harm to engine or trany. Attach universal tow bar. Start towing. Problem solved.

Just checked my manual on the 1100 and I don't see how the HST would be turning. When in neutral the HST is no longer connected. Only the wheels, differential and some transmission gears and shafts would be turning. And they are sitting in 12 liters of udt. Even splash feed would look after that. Most geared transmissions only rely on splash feed.

But to be safe, either walk or tow while running. It's so easy on fuel it will probably idle for a month on a tank of fuel. Idling that is.
 
Last edited:
I second Spudhauler on that ..When the shifter is in neutral, the hydro is disconnected from the wheels. As long as the engine is running, I can't see a problem.
 
Using Kubota's logic I should have severe damage to mine by letting it roll down hills with the engine off while sneaking up on poachers and deer alike. I have done this for 1/2 mile increments since the day I had it.
 
Exactly. And if you have trouble back in the back 40 what do you do? Hire a helicopter to lift it out because it can't be towed. Get real Kubota! You are going to tow it out even if it 5 miles back and can't be started. And they say that will wreck your transmission. Dah..........
 
Have sent specific question about towing while running to my Kubota dealer...we'll see what they say. This is one of those questions where "NO" is easy to say while "yes" is much more difficult when people start worrying.

Good to know that some of you have experienced rolling in neutral, etc and are not talking about transmission replacements. Gives me hope:respect:
 
Last edited:
The only noise I have ever heard while free wheeling in neutral with the engine off is the wife screaming!:yum:I can't see it as doing anything since the pump is not trying to engage anything. Why would they have a neutral position if you can't use it?
 
Last comments.

1-We are not talking about towing it from New York to Florida. Simply a mile or 2 maybe once or twice a day.

2-We know transmission shafts are sometimes pressure feed as well as splash lubed. But this is a no load situation so the residue lube and splash lube is more than sufficient.

3-Nobody has the number to call for a Boeing CH-47 Chinook.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top