My partner has just got back from the testing station, and was advised that his Towbar failed the WOF, as it's been welded on.
He's a tradie, so it's really important that he can use it for towing. He's also pretty pissed off, as we've owned this vehicle for 6 years, and never once has any testing station pulled him up on it.
Reasons for rejection: 1 - e - ii: "A high strength steel component has been heated"
Therefore welding tow-hitch to chassis (towbar) = fail. Must be bolted.
tc47,
Aug 6, 10:24pm
So how come it was never commented on before! It's been through the testing station probably 12 times since we purchased it.
He bought the vehicle with a warrant, and the tow bar already installed. If he had known it wasn't up to a warrantable standard, he would never have purchased it.
tc47,
Aug 6, 10:27pm
That seems to apply to heavy vehicles - this is just a Toyota Surf we're talking about.
tc47,
Aug 6, 10:36pm
Cheers Jason. Done.
kazbanz,
Aug 6, 10:50pm
tc47what happens is you get the guys at stations get bees in their bonnets over different stuff. One day its a towbarthe next its fluff on a seatbelt. If its a problem then probably worth the extra $40 to go elsewhere
kcf,
Aug 6, 10:55pm
If you've got something welded to a structural bit of the car, then yes, that'sa reason for rejection unless certified.Monkey welder might potentially have stuffed that section of chassis by incorrect welding.Yup, it's pretty tough that you've bought the car like that, but it is a genuine reason for rejection for wof.
bash,
Aug 7, 1:28am
a bolt can be seen as in good condition but a shit weld carnt and yes you are not aloud to welld to chassis
flagheaven,
Aug 7, 1:41am
can you not just get holes drilled and BOLT IT !
bitsy_boffin,
Aug 7, 2:07am
I'm confused, if it's been through the testing station 12 times since you bought it, then you bought it something like 6 years ago (barring retests), and complaining about not being warrantable when you bought it!
carmedic,
Aug 7, 2:29am
How many of you guys dispensing your own VIRM interpretation are actually AVI??
mrfxit,
Aug 7, 2:56am
Tow bars are subject to extreme stress from a small single contact point. All that stress is transfered directly to the chassis Normally . If the towbar is bolted, & the stress becomes too great, then the bolts will bend & possibly shear off releaving that stress on the vehicles chassis If the towbar is welded, That stress is stilltransferred to the chassis but will only be relieved when the chassis or the towbar it's self, bends or snaps.
Thats a major reason why they need to be bolted.
Same sort of thing with safety chains except that the stress is kept constant because the chain can swivel on the bolt in extreme conditions rather then being bent over
mrfxit,
Aug 7, 2:58am
Pretty sure it's been a constant reg over many years that towbars must be bolted to the chassis on domestic vehicles (at the very least domestic)
bigfatmat1,
Aug 7, 3:34am
2 piece tow ball is common or three piece and is legal.
owene,
Aug 7, 4:27am
From the WOF inspectors point of view why should he accept the risk! If it craps and kills someone then he has no certified welder or certication plate to fall back on and he'd be minced. So ponder it from his perspective. Of course you can't now take it anywhere else and the database will have the fail recorded (along with the reason).
loose.unit8,
Aug 7, 4:42am
Isn't the difference between a layman and an AVI a one day course!
sandypheet,
Aug 7, 4:48am
Exactly right,except the owner can take it somewhere else and get a wof.In my opinion the inspector is correct regardless of how many times it has been inspected,after all,he didnt fit it like that.
tc47,
Aug 7, 5:21am
I'm not sure why you're confused. Yes, we bougt the vehicle about 6 years ago, with the current towbar on it.
tc47,
Aug 7, 5:24am
So how come it took 12 or so tests for someone to find a problem with it! What if we'd been driving along with a trailer about 2 months ago, and it had failed. Who would wear the risk then!
rkauto,
Aug 7, 7:20am
it does not state that it is to be bolted.simple
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