Towing Tubes on a Toon

[Puto]

I have a question for the group. We have a pontoon that does not have any kind of ski tow bar or an arch or any other easy way of hooking a line to the pontoon to drag a tube. I'm thinking of using the tow-strap hooks on the rear of each pontoon tube. Maybe "clicking" onto it with a mountain climbing carabiner? They're usually aluminum so shouldn't cause any electrolysis issues. I can't find any that are coated, so the banging would get annoying fast, I assume.

What do you guys use to tow tubes with if you don't have a tow bar or arch?

[mofn]

My tubes (older) have eyelets welded on top. I have a tow line that has a spreader built in it with the "carabiner" on both ends. Once towing they are tight no banging, when stopped or slowing down engine drowns out any noise. When done I take them off, that easy.

[Steiner]

Such an animal already exists. Look up "airhead tow harness". Less than $15, and they make self centering ones that are about twice that. Other brands make them as well.

BTW, never use an aluminum carabiner for something like that. They're for securing stuff and saving weight not repeated stress. I think if you ever shock load one you're supposed to throw it away, and retire them after a certain amount of time. Aluminum also has no fatigue limit...which sounds good but it's not. That's basically a load limit that it can be cycled at indefinitely without breaking.....having no fatigue limit means that if it's cycled enough times regardless of load it WILL break and even at a much lower limit than what it's rated to secure.

[Marc K]

I use the Airhead spreader setup attached to the lugs on the tubes. I used the steel hooks once for about an hour and I could see where the aluminum lugs were taking a hit. So, I do NOT use the steel spring clip hooks directly on the aluminum eyelets. I use a short loop of stout nylon rope for the connection.

Our typical tubing speed with the young kids is 12-15 MPH. Our "Super Mabel" tube weighs well over 500 lbs. when loaded with riders, so making a fast turn at 25 MPH for the big kids/adults involves a lot of stress on the lugs when the tube whips around. I really should invest in a tow bar setup.

[Puto]

This is all very good information, thank you! Especially Steiner's detailed reply regarding aluminum climbing carabiners and their limits and loads.

MarcK, is this the setup you were using (link below)? Seems the looped line would feed through the lugs and then clip onto the clips at the loop, thereby creating a loop of line that goes through the lug where the clips don't necessarily touch the lug unless at stop/rest.

https://www.airhead.com/products/heavy-duty-tow-harness

I'm off to go look at airhead tow harness setups.

[Marc K]

MarcK, is this the setup you were using (link below)? Seems the looped line would feed through the lugs and then clip onto the clips at the loop, thereby creating a loop of line that goes through the lug where the clips don't necessarily touch the lug unless at stop/rest.

https://www.airhead.com/products/heavy-duty-tow-harness

I'm off to go look at airhead tow harness setups.

Yes, Sir that is it. The knot on their line is far too big to fit through my eyelets on the tubes.

[steve1313]

Anther great option is the Turboswing. It's what I have on my boat.

https://turboswing.com