Demco Self-Aligning Tow Bar User Manual

1-08

TB20017,Rev.12

Page 1

WARNING: Exceeding weight limitations or not using a towing vehicle larger and at least 500 lbs. heavier than the tow bar and the towed vehicle combined can result in loss of towing vehicle control, separation of the tow bar from the towing vehicle, or separation of the towed vehicle from the tow bar, causing severe personal injury, death, and/or property damage.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Warranty Registration ..................................................................................................................	3-4
Safety Sign Location ........................................................................................................................	5
Safety Definitions..............................................................................................................................	6
Equipment Safety Guidlines & Lighting and Marking .......................................................................	7
Safety Sign Care & Before Operation...............................................................................................	8
During & Following Operation...........................................................................................................	9
Highway and Transport Operations ............................................................................................	9-10
Performing Mainenance..................................................................................................................	10
Safety and Maintenance.................................................................................................................	11
Important Notice .............................................................................................................................	12
Bolt Torque......................................................................................................................................	12
Hooking up, and Operating Instructions ...................................................................................	13-14
Unhooking Tow Bar...................................................................................................................	14-15
Aluminator® Tow Bar Parts Breakdown ................................................................................	16-17
Lock Collar Assembly & Disassembly Instructions .........................................................................	18
Safety Cable Kit Parts Breakdown..................................................................................................	19
Auxiliary Lighting Cable Kit Parts Breakdown ................................................................................	19
Optional Tow Bar Light Bar Parts Breakdown.................................................................................	20
Optional Extended and Drop/Lift Hitch Attachments ......................................................................	21
Optional Locking Pins.....................................................................................................................	22
Warranty Statement........................................................................................................................	23

Page 2

		Ag
Warranty Registration		RV
		Rental
4010 320th Street • Box 189 • Boyden, Iowa 51234		Brakes
		Marine
Toll Free 800-54DEMCO (800-543-3626) • FAX [phone]
www.demco-products.com		Very
Very
Satisfied	Satisfied	Dissatisfied Dissatisfied

How satisfied are you with our product?

How satisfied are you with the dealership/distributor sales staff? Dealer/Distributor Name City

			State

How satisfied are you with the company sales staff?

How satisfied are you with the delivery?

Did you have any contact with a Demco Representative?

YES

NO

If YES, how satisfied were you?

I would recommend this product to my family and friends.

YES

NO

Would you purchase again from DEMCO?

YES

NO

Since taking delivery, have you been contacted by the dealer?

YES

NO

Did you have any problems with this DEMCO product?

YES

NO

If YES, are you satisfied with the company’s resolution of your problem?

Why did you purchase this product?

Please list the specific source of information prompting this purchase.

After purchasing this product, do you see any needed product improvement?

If yes, what improvement?

What other products would you like to see DEMCO offer?

Comments

Owner’s Name:

Mailing Address:

City:

State:

Zip Code:

Model#:

Serial #:

Purchase Date:

Owner’s Signature:

Please return to DEMCO By FAX or tri-folding this form to the backside, it is pre-addressed.

Page 3

Postage

Demco

4010 320th Street, Box 189

Boyden, Iowa 51234

Page 4

SAFETY SIGN LOCATIONS

Types of safety sign and locations on the Aluminator™are shown in illustration below. Good safety requires that you familiarize yourself with various safety signs, type of warning, and particular function related to that area, that requires your SAFETY AWARENESS.

WARNING

Rating - 6500 lb. Capacity

2" Receiver hitch with proper weight rating required

To Prevent Serious Injury Or Death:

WARNING Do Not Exceed Capacity of Towing Hitch,

Towbar, or Towing Vehicle

DETHMERS MFG. COMPANY

4010 320th St., P.O. BOX 189	Patent numbers: RE35,482
BOYDEN, IA. 51234	5,887,497 - 5,957,477
TOLL FREE: 1-800-54DEMCO (1-800-543-3626)	Patent pending
www.demco-products.com	TB21008
REV 2

WARNING

Page 5

SAFETY

TAKE NOTE! THIS SAFETY ALERT SYMBOL FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS MANUAL IS USED TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO INSTRUCTIONS INVOLVING YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY AND SAFETY OF OTHERS. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAN RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH.

THIS SYMBOL MEANS

ATTENTION

BECOME ALERT

YOUR SAFETY IS INVOLVED!

SIGNAL WORDS

Note use of following signal words DANGER,

WARNING, and CAUTION with safety messages. Appropriate signal word for each has been selected using following guidelines:

DANGER:

Indicates an imminently hazardous situation that, if not avoided, will result in serious injury or death. This signal word is to be limited to the most extreme situations typically for tow bar components which, for functional purposes, cannot be guarded.

WARNING:

Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in serious injury or death, and includes hazards that are exposed when guards are removed. It may also be used to alert against unsafe practices.

CAUTION:

Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. It may also be used to alert against unsafe practices.

If you have questions not answered in this manual, or require additional copies, please contact your dealer or Dethmers Mfg. Co., P.O. Box 189, 4010 320th Street, Boyden, IA 51234

ph: [phone] or [phone] Toll Free: 1-800-543-3626 Fax: [phone] http://www.demco-products.com

Page 6

SAFETY...YOU CAN LIVE WITH IT

EQUIPMENT SAFETY GUIDELINES

Every year many accidents occur which could have been avoided by a few seconds of thought and a more careful approach to handling equipment. You, the operator, can avoid many accidents by observing and following precautions in this section. To avoid personal injury, study following precautions and insist those working with you, or you yourself, follow them.

Replace any caution, warning, danger or instruction safety decal that is not readable or is missing. Location of such decals is indicated in this booklet.

Do not attempt to operate this tow bar under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Review safety instructions with all users.

Operator should be a responsible adult. DO NOT ALLOW PERSONS TO OPERATE

OR ASSEMBLE THIS TOW BAR UNTIL THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND HOW IT WORKS.

Do not paint over, remove, or deface any safety signs or warning decals on your tow bar.

Observe all safety signs and practice instructions on them.

Never exceed limits of a tow bar. If its ability to do a job safely is in question

DON’T TRY IT.

LIGHTING AND MARKING

It is the responsibility of owner to know lighting and marking requirements of local highway authorities and to install and maintain equipment to provide compliance with regulations.

Light bar kits are available from your dealer or from manufacturer.

Page 7

SAFETY SIGN CARE

•Keep safety signs clean and legible at all times.

•Replace safety signs that are missing or have become illegible.

•Replacement parts that displayed a safety sign should also display current sign.

•Safety signs are available from your distributor, dealer parts department, or factory.

How to install safety signs:

•Be sure installation surface is clean and dry.

•Decide on exact position before you remove backing paper.

•Remove smallest portion of split backing paper.

•Align decal over specified area and carefully press small portion with exposed sticky backing in place.

•Slowly peel back remaining paper and carefully smooth remaining portion of decal into place.

•Small air pockets can be pierced with a pin and smoothed out using piece of decal backing paper.

REMEMBER

Your best assurance against accidents is a careful and responsible operator. If there is any portion of this manual or function you do not understand, contact your local authorized dealer or manufacturer.

BEFORE OPERATION:

•Carefully study and understand this manual.

•Give tow bar a visual inspection for any loose bolts, worn parts, or cracked welds, and make necessary repairs. Follow maintenance safety instructions included in this manual.

•Be sure there are no tools lying on tow bar, towing unit or towed vehicle.

•Do not use tow bar until you are sure that area is clear, especially around children and animals.

•Don’t hurry learning process or take tow bar for granted. Ease into it and become familiar with your new tow unit.

•Practice operation of your tow unit and its attachments. Completely familiarize yourself and other operators with its operation before using.

•Securely attach to towing unit. Use an appropriately sized and rated hitch ball and/or a class III, class IV receiver and attach safety cables.

•Criss cross safety cables under tow bar, secure to mounting loops on towing vehicle.

•Do not allow anyone to stand between vehicles when backing up.

•Make sure tow rating on towing unit is high enough for what it is towing.

•To prevent swaying of towed vehicle insure all tires are inflated to specifications. Failure to inflate tires evenly will result in towed vehicle to pull unevenly.

Page 8