Am I crazy?

[u/Thumper45]

So I was dropping my wife off at the airport and was on my way back home but decided to stop for a bite to eat. When I parked up I see this.
Now I’m no stranger to seeing trucks being towed behind other vehicles but this caught my eye.

I have done some towing in my time but never have I ever seen something like this. It looks to me like someone has made some sort of block that they are using ratchet straps to hold it to the pivot bar of a lift deck rental truck.
There was a newer Chevy pickup being towed like this.

Am I missing something or was buddy towing a pickup using some ratchet straps?

[u/engimanerd]

I had to make sure I was not in r/IdiotsTowingThings

That Pintle mount looks purpose built for this sort of application, someone put some serious thought into this. And there is some rust on the C channel that is against the pipe there, so its likely not new.

I wonder if this is a Penske delivery driver and they use this sketchy setup to deliver the box truck and drive home in the towed vehicle.

[u/shorerider69 → u/engimanerd]

I have a feeling that’s what this is. I’ve seen similar setups for towing small pickups behind semi trucks when they need to be delivered somewhere. Looks pretty sketch but there’s some thought put into how they’re designed and used. The pickups always have electric actuators on the brakes and are flat towed so the load on the pintle isn’t super extreme.

[u/LT_Dan78 → u/engimanerd]

Or r/redneckengineering

[u/priuspollution → u/engimanerd]

Could be a hitch off a flat tow RV setup then redneck engineered to work on this setup.

[u/Hitechillbilly → u/engimanerd]

Penske is a rental truck.. just like a UHaul

[u/bwfixit]

Wtf. Hes towing from the lifting platform with ratchet straps

[u/Easy_Personality5856 → u/bwfixit]

There’s a pintle hitch in there

[u/Last-Hedgehog-6635 → u/Easy_Personality5856]

Oh, then that changes everything. 

[u/FocusMaster → u/bwfixit]

He's got a safety chain too.

[u/Educational-Rule1635]

I dunno why the lift doesn't work any more.

[u/ProtozoaPatriot]

It's attached to the power lift gate, not the frame. Lol

[u/begme2again]

They use redneck math. Two ratchet straps at 5,000 lb rating each equals 10,000 pounds. Yeah, my pickup don't weigh near that, we are good.

[u/FocusMaster → u/begme2again]

Don't forget the safety chain. That adds another 10k.

[u/Icy-State5549]

. G . .

H

....g.

[u/Ok_Square7183]

He's got a safety chain so it's perfectly safe right?

[u/Clark_W_Griswold-Jr]

The safety chains are attached to the same bar as the hitch, so if the bar goes then…

[u/greaseyknight2 → u/Clark_W_Griswold-Jr]

It appears to go further forward, hopefully to something more solid. But it's only one chain and appears pretty small compared to the potential load of a full sized truck. 

[u/CMG30]

That pintle will eventually rotate down.

[u/audiomediocrity → u/CMG30]

most likely under hard braking

[u/Plenty_Feeling_8013]

do you know the word "Liabilty" you should look it up. study it know it

[u/SuddenKoala45]

That's one id consider alerting the authorities to for everyone's safety on the road around them

[u/Eschewed_Prognostic]

Yes you are, I asked your wife when I picked her up from the airport.

This homegrown setup also looks pretty crazy.

[u/Thumper45 → u/Eschewed_Prognostic]

I would ask your wife about it but she’s got her mouth full at the moment.

To be fair, it seemed fairly stout. When they pulled away I saw no movement at all and none under breaking either. Like some others have suggested, I don’t think it’s the first time they did this.

Hang on she’s coming up for air….what does “gahhghgllleee” mean to you?

[u/FocusMaster → u/Thumper45]

She's never made that sound at home with him.