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Post Info TOPIC: Bent tow hitch thingie?
Mike Harding


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Bent tow hitch thingie?
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When I purchased my Jackaroo, secondhand, six years ago it came with a towbar, hitch/ball and brake controller none of which I used until I bought a caravan five months ago.

The caravan, loaded, weighs about 2.7T and I have towed it around 4000km over some very rough forest tracks (low range stuff) and over 1350m elevation in the Vic High Country so both car and van have had a good workout.

However: I did observe that the tow hitch thingie (the bit the tow ball is bolted to) was a bit bent? ie. not 90d but more like 75d. Funny I thought, it's a pretty hefty bit of steel and I'd be surprised if towing could do that. Interestingly (or maybe it's boring?), the previous owner used the vehicle to tow a horse box and had the thingie around the other way so for him it was bent up but as I changed it around in order to tow a caravan it's bent down for me.

I was in Supercheap this morning and had a look at these thingies with a view to replacing mine but I observed all of them, including the Hayman Rees, were rated for only 2250kg which is a bit of a worry.

Anyway; as mine hasn't broken so far I'm inclined to leave it be.

Any thoughts, people?



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Plain Truth


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Mike,you can get heavy duty ones.

http://pro-series.com.au/TBM.htm



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bobsa


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heaps on ebay, 3500 kg witha towball, you can get one for around the $55
just work out you offset drop etc
bob


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woolman


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If it has bent it will break one day. I would change asp. Neil

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yobarr


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Plain Truth wrote:

Mike,you can get heavy duty ones.

http://pro-series.com.au/TBM.htm

   Oops!



-- Edited by yobarr on Friday 10th of May 2019 04:52:48 PM

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Olive Oil


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Call in at the nearest Police Station, get them to do a safety check.

Tell them about your problem & they'll direct you to a place that can fix it.

We can all sleep at night knowing that you & us are safe.

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iana


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The first thing I would do is look for the compliance plate on the drawbar assembly, and see what it is rated for, then purchase a thingie to suit.

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dabbler


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Iana is correct. A bigger, stronger thingie is only legal if the whatsit is rated high enough. You need to know what your vehicle can legally tow and whether your towbar is rated appropriately.Then buy a tow hitch to suit. Rated weights are maximums (not recommendations), it's illegal and dangerous to exceed them.

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outlaw40


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From the description of where you travel with the van i think maybe you should be be looking at an offroad coupling for the van for extra angle between tow vehicle and van . this could be how you have bent the hitch .

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yobarr


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Mike Harding wrote:

The caravan, loaded, weighs about 2.7T and I have towed it around 4000km over some very rough forest tracks (low range stuff) and over 1350m elevation in the Vic High Country so both car and van have had a good workout. I was in Supercheap this morning and had a look at these thingies with a view to replacing mine but I observed all of them, including the Hayman Rees, were rated for only 2250kg which is a bit of a worry.

Hi Mike....Is the Jackaroo not rated at 2500kg maximum towing capacity? If so,I would suggest that your towbar is the least of your worries if your caravan weighs 2700kg.I dont have time just now to research,but I am pretty sure 2500kg is the limit for your car? Cheers



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Possum3


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Olive Oil wrote:

Call in at the nearest Police Station, get them to do a safety check.

 

It is not part of a copper's job - to do safety checks - Most members (Unless HWP) are not qualified to check. Go and get a DO35 or a Tregg hitch fitted if you are going to continue doing rough road travelling.

 



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Warren-Pat_01


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G'day Mike,
Have you accidently posted here in the Techies area instead of the "Tongue-in-cheek (light hearted humour) section" with Thingies, Whatsits & I'll add another Whatchamacallit?

I agree with the others - you need to find the label that should be attached to your towbar & see what the rating is. Often it is on the back of the towbar, near the tongue.
Another hitch - for you & Possum, is a TRIGG BROS hitch - similar to a TREG but a bit cheaper. Both TREG & TRIGG BROS hitches are made in Adelaide.

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Warren

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Aus-Kiwi


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Could be a sign of bad loading ? Too
much tow ball weight ? Only time Ive bent them is if someone runs up the back of van or trailer .

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Mike Harding


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I was hoping someone may say "Yes, sometimes they are a bit bent" or "No, they never are", one lives in ongoing hope.

"Ask the police to check it". Honestly! :)

Correct: the Jackaroo is rated at 2.5T towing capacity.

An offroad coupling: good idea, I have been wondering the same - sometimes I worry the van may jump off the towball.

The whatsit is OK capacity wise, I checked it before buying the van - can't remember what it is though.

The steel in this thing is probably 15mm thick, it would need one hell of a load to bend it, more I imagine than towing could impose and I've given it some stick.

Edit: missed word.

Edit2: removed missed word which wasn't.



-- Edited by Mike Harding on Saturday 11th of May 2019 04:46:03 PM



-- Edited by Mike Harding on Saturday 11th of May 2019 05:17:21 PM

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Possum3


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DO35 three and half tonne, All poly block hitches 2 tonne.

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yobarr


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Hi Mike....PM sent.Cheers.



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yobarr


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yobarr wrote:

Hi Mike....PM sent.Cheers.

        And another!



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yobarr


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    yobarr wrote:
yobarr wrote:

Hi Mike....PM sent.Cheers.

        And another!

    X3 



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Warren-Pat_01


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Hi Possum,
Polyblock hitches - Treg = 3000Kg (optional HD = 3500Kg)
Trigg Bros = 2000 & 3000kg (I have the latter one)

Both are from their websites.

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Warren

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2019 Isuzu D-Max dual cab, canopy, Fulcrum suspension; 2011 17' Jayco Discovery poptop Outback
Jaahn


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Hi Mike smile

Just another point of view on the 'thingie'.aww

It is possible that because you have it pointing down and the ball possible has a longish threaded shank you are dragging the thingie on the ground or snagging rocks or the raised center of the rutted tracks you are using. This combined with the actual towing forces is certainly enough to bend the tongue. Have a look at the ball shank or whatever part is likely to drag or snag on rocks. That will tell you the answer. no 

Good luck Jaahn



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Hylife


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If the "thingy" where the pin goes in is a hollow one they are only rated to two and a quarter ton.

Three and three and a half ton thingies are solid core.

The Holden Jackaroo has only a 2500kg towing capacity so it really doesn't matter if the thingy is not rated for your van, 'cause the bl00dy tug is already dangerously overloaded!



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