We are finally on the move, having sold the house and purchased a 2014 Ford Ranger XLT 3.2L with 3500kg towing capacity to tow our 25ft 6" Caravan.
The ford towbar supplied has the capacity to tow the above weight. I'm not sure if I need a Weight Distribution Hitch?
The problem being that the Hayman Reese's tongue is too long for the ford towbar. The receptacle for the tongue on the ford towbar is only about 70mm long and therefore will not accommodate the tongue of the HR WDH.
Has anyone else had to deal with this problem and is there a solution?
Ive got exactly the same issue, I said on another post that I had phoned Hayman Reese and they confirmed if I can get the first hole engaged it will be OK. Looks a bit long but its never let go.
Safe travels
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P B Crockart EX RAAF Electrician,
Aircraft Avionics tech. Senior high school teacher.
Hello
I have a ranger and had the same problem
Talking to HR they say you cannot cut it down but to buy a HR towbar ???what the
local HR agent said they cut them all the time with no worries
Take it to an engineering works and get them to cut it down and redrill the hole
It is very hard steel and harder still to cut it with a drop down saw
Should not be that expensive
Ken
they have enough holes ..you just can't push the damn things in due to that huge unnecessary length... just cut it back.. whats an inch off it going to do?
nothing...
always use stabilisers, levellers, what every you want to call them..
nothing worse than seeing an unlevelled van heading down the road half out of control...
doug i see u have a colorado do u get any shake in the seats and body
Nope, no problems, so far anyway. Towing or not towing. I have it fully loaded at the moment and no difference, wouldn't even know it was loaded the way it is. Will have the Den in tow tomorrow but don't expect any problems.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
look at fiting 800 series H M WDH to our 2015 silver line , its 3.2 T and 300kg on the ball with 3 tanks of water ,we tow with a 2015 ford ranger wildtrack with 150kg in the tub
the ball drops 60mm when the van is attched ,but whole rig sets dead level mesureing from road to under the guards ,as rear of the truck is higher then the front with out the van on (suspention is OEM ) what im asking is if i put level riders on wont the van sit high in the front and truck high in the rear when the bars are tenshioned up we have done 7,000k with out the bars , but the truck tends to hobyhorse a fair bit on uneven roads
they have enough holes ..you just can't push the damn things in due to that huge unnecessary length... just cut it back.. whats an inch off it going to do?
If you are getting confused with answers like this I think it will be because there are two different styles of hitches for HR WDH. The one being referred to here is the newer standard shank like this one.
Most of the others are referring to original shank like this one that only has one hole for the pin.
I suggest you make it clear as to which shank you are referring to when you reply.
-- Edited by PeterD on Tuesday 29th of December 2015 05:27:51 PM
I had the same problem with my 2017 Wildtrak. I cut about 90mm off the hitch to accommodate. Been towing 2 1/2 T vans for 7 years no problem. ( Still sticks out quite a bit.)
Only thing is there is play up and down and sideways. I have put shimmies in for up and down haven't worried about sideways.
Now trying a single lighter hitch but movement still there.
Usually 50mm tongue on most hitches but the Ford opening around 60mm. Don't know if Ford hitches are bigger than 50mm.
If anybody has further info I would be interested to hear, thanks.
Dick.
-- Edited by littledick on Saturday 8th of March 2025 12:12:05 PM