Towing Again

[CountyV8]

When the configurator first appeared there were at least 3 options of tow hitch ,NATO 2inch ball and ball and pintle now when configuring a trail master only the 2inch ball is showing what's going on £600 for 2inch ball. The rear of the vechicle is drilled for NATO 2inch ball and also a 2inch receiver am I best deleting the 2inch ball and going for a ball and pintle off my old Defender as I sometimes tow plant equipment with a ring hitch.
Can't seem to get any sense out of Ineos regarding tow hitches drop plates etc.

 

[tartan shepherd]

Only 50mm ball type approved in Europe - unless you are in Military Procurement

 

[CountyV8]

Only 50mm ball type approved in Europe - unless you are in Military Procurement

So how do you tow a plant type trailer with a ring or a snakey trailer.

 

[tartan shepherd]

So how do you tow a plant type trailer with a ring or a snakey trailer.

I guess fit one retrospectively and take your chances. You'll still need the wiring, best done at the factory.

 

[CountyV8]

I guess fit one retrospectively and take your chances. You'll still need the wiring, best done at the factory.

Seems silly we have a superb towing platform but can't attach anything to it.

 

[DaveB]

When the configurator first appeared there were at least 3 options of tow hitch ,NATO 2inch ball and ball and pintle now when configuring a trail master only the 2inch ball is showing what's going on £600 for 2inch ball. The rear of the vechicle is drilled for NATO 2inch ball and also a 2inch receiver am I best deleting the 2inch ball and going for a ball and pintle off my old Defender as I sometimes tow plant equipment with a ring hitch.
Can't seem to get any sense out of Ineos regarding tow hitches drop plates etc.

I just looked back through old pictures and I can't see where it has changed,
In Australia we only have one option of a Hayman Reece style 2" receiver and ball
UK you have two options
Your money is also paying for the wiring
So I guess the 655 version is what you need

 

[CountyV8]

I just looked back through old pictures and I can't see where it has changed,
In Australia we only have one option of a Hayman Reece style 2" receiver and ball
UK you have two options
Your money is also paying for the wiring
So I guess the 655 version is what you need


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On a Trialmaster you only get the 2inch ball option not the ball and pintle. Factory electrics goes with out saying.

 

[Tom D]

Pin and ring twitches are legal in the UK, lots of plant trailers have them.

You could also get one of these so you can use a NATO type ring and still have the 50mm ball…

 

[CountyV8]

Pin and ring twitches are legal in the UK, lots of plant trailers have them.

You could also get one of these so you can use a NATO type ring and still have the 50mm ball…

But not when fitted to a Grenadier

 

[Tom D]

But not when fitted to a Grenadier

Got any info on that? I’ve used these and smaller pin hitches as well as rockinger hitches. I‘ve never heard any of these are ‘illegal”..

 

[CountyV8]

Got any info on that? I’ve used these and smaller pin hitches as well as rockinger hitches. I‘ve never heard any of these are ‘illegal”..

I. have been told by Ineos that only a 2inch(50mm) is legal on a Trialmaster.

 

[DaveB]

On a Trialmaster you only get the 2inch ball option not the ball and pintle. Factory electrics goes with out saying.

Strange
I built it up from basic Station wagon to Trialmaster spec and you get everything except the jacket
You can select either tow ball then

 

[Tom D]

I. have been told by Ineos that only a 2inch(50mm) is legal on a Trialmaster.

So the pin combination hitch is legal on the N1 vehicles but not the belstaff?

 

[Tom D]

I think that the hitch itself has to have type approval, thats all..

 

[DaveB]

So the pin combination hitch is legal on the N1 vehicles but not the belstaff?

I selected the Station Wagon not the Utility wagon
The station wagon is the same base vehicle that the Belstaff editions start with

 

[Rab]

Does the £600 not pay for the wiring and the towing bracket between the ball hitch and the chassis ? It is weird not being able to spec the ball and pin for a Trialmaster/Fieldmaster though.

 

[CountyV8]

Does the £600 not pay for the wiring and the towing bracket between the ball hitch and the chassis ? It is weird not being able to spec the ball and pin for a Trialmaster/Fieldmaster though.

Yes the £600 includes the wiring but on the UK config you cant spec a ball and pintle on a Trialmaster there is an E mark on the vehicle and you can get E marked hitches but so far Ineos say its not approved.

 

[Eric]

Only 50mm ball type approved in Europe - unless you are in Military Procurement

M1 vehicles yes, don't know about N1

 

[JonSutton]

Price seems ok to me vs what JLR charge. I was using a ball and pintle, correctly CE marked and type approved on a 2017 L405 bought new, specced with a removable factory hitch and drop plate. Looked at replacing the car in 2021, dealer told me that JLR dropped that towing solution around the end of 2020 which also contributed to me ceasing interest in new Defender car, plus the small engine did not seem up to heavy towing. I think the issue might be car vs commercial, though looking at the Defender hardtop instead it still didn’t have an option of drop plate and hitch. New Range Rover is even more restricted.
Maybe monocoque design is tricky to work through or it is a cost vs risk vs return issue. Perhaps not many folk use eye type trailers compared to those using a friction ball receiver - just a thought.

 

[DCPU]

Can't seem to get any sense out of Ineos regarding tow hitches drop plates etc.

I don't think you ever will.

Go along to any competent trailer dealer and they should be able to sort you out with what you want.

M1 vehicles need type approved equipment, so that's the towing bracket (vertical towing interface in Ineos' parlance) and the final means of connection ~ 50mm ball, 50mm ball & pin, & NATO pintle.

The vertical towing interface is type approved ~ you photo shows the mandatory labelling.

Anything you attach to it also has to be type approved & importantly fitted in accordance with the manufacturer's fitting instructions.

50mm balls, 50mm ball & pins, & NATO pintles are all available as type approved products. Here's a type approved NATO pintle:


The only thing you have to bear in mind is to take the lowest rated value of any component into account when assessing the overall rating of the system.

So fitting a NATO pintle with a D value of 30.95kN and S value of 350kg to an Ineos vertical towing interface with a D value of 17.2kN and S value of 350kg, gets you a system rating of 17.2kN and S value of 350kg.

And then onto one of things I think Ineos has cocked up. The 50mm ball and pin offered appears to be only a 2 bolt version (4 bolt versions are available). The 2 bolt versions (to best of my knowledge) all seem to only have a S value of 250kg. Is that appropriate for a 3,500kg train weight?

The second thing Ineos have cocked up on is stating in the configurator that the the 50mm ball can fit into any of the 3 sets of holes. It can't, the hole size and spacing are both different:


N1 vehicles don't appear to need type approval for towing equipment (in the UK).

Edit: The third thing Ineos have cocked up is telling people the removeable winch will fit if the towball is fitted in the lower of the 3 settings.