Towing Hitch

[Eric]

Hi Rovie this is what I'm using to drop the ball height.

6 Hole Black Towbar Drop Plate

6 Hole Black Towbar Drop Plate. 10mm thick Drop Plate to drop your towball. Drops the height of a tow ball by up to 120mm.

gttowing.co.uk

It's illegal in the UK unless it has type approval with the towball fitted. LR defender and some Toyotas are the only vehicles I know that have type approval for a drop plate. The tow ball height is stated in the regulation at 320 -400mm when the vehicle is loaded

 

[Chris]

Don't you just use this type? I know they rattle a bit in use, but type approved etc

Dixon-Bate 100mm Adjustable 2 Pin Slider

3.5 Tonne Dixon-Bate 2-Pin Multi Height 100mm Adjustable Slider - 202117. 3.5 Tonne Dixon-Bate Multi Height Slider. 3 different positions in 50mm increments.

gttowing.co.uk

 

[Hannes01]

a picture of my configurator. says the tow hitch can be mounted at 3 different heights

 

[Hannes01]

The towing hitch, especially the ball joint, is not height-adjustable. The two upper pairs of holes are smaller in diameter and are not intended for mounting the ball head.
The distance from the ground to the centre of the ball is 53 cm. I have a problem with this.
The double-axle trailers I pull need a height of 40 cm so that both axles are equally loaded.
But I can't just make an adapter plate that screws in between. Because this has not been officially tested and officially approved.
Have any of you had such an issue in the past? What do you suggest?
I cannot adjust the height of the trailer.

S.o.

 

[Eric]

Don't you just use this type? I know they rattle a bit in use, but type approved etc

Dixon-Bate 100mm Adjustable 2 Pin Slider

3.5 Tonne Dixon-Bate 2-Pin Multi Height 100mm Adjustable Slider - 202117. 3.5 Tonne Dixon-Bate Multi Height Slider. 3 different positions in 50mm increments.

gttowing.co.uk

Sorry it is 350 - 420mm, I was using the phone and just recalled what I thought were the heights.
Two issues a) it is the drop plate actually fitted to the towbar that the vehicle manufacturers have to obtain type approval for there use. I doubt IA will have type approval because of b)
b) the holes in the tow bar are not aligned to the standard drop plate holes, only the bottom 2 are M16 holes and spacing the other 4 are smaller and closer together.
I had identified it as an issue because I have a number of trailers and horse trailer. My plan was wait until I get my hands on the vehicle first. It is not a showstopper and IA will be fully aware of the EU regulations. It may be when coupled the vehicle settles to an acceptable height.

 

[Eric]

a picture of my configurator. says the tow hitch can be mounted at 3 different heightsView attachment 7802343

I think you'll find that picture is computer generated and the 4 upper holes are smaller and closer together for a towball

 

[rovie]

Don't you just use this type? I know they rattle a bit in use, but type approved etc

Dixon-Bate 100mm Adjustable 2 Pin Slider

3.5 Tonne Dixon-Bate 2-Pin Multi Height 100mm Adjustable Slider - 202117. 3.5 Tonne Dixon-Bate Multi Height Slider. 3 different positions in 50mm increments.

gttowing.co.uk

I had such a height-adjustable tow hitch on my Defender, originally from Land Rover.

 

[rovie]

S.o.

My problem is that it is already at 53 cm in the lowest position. And I need 40 cm.

 

[rovie]

Sorry it is 350 - 420mm, I was using the phone and just recalled what I thought were the heights.
Two issues a) it is the drop plate actually fitted to the towbar that the vehicle manufacturers have to obtain type approval for there use. I doubt IA will have type approval because of b)
b) the holes in the tow bar are not aligned to the standard drop plate holes, only the bottom 2 are M16 holes and spacing the other 4 are smaller and closer together.
I had identified it as an issue because I have a number of trailers and horse trailer. My plan was wait until I get my hands on the vehicle first. It is not a showstopper and IA will be fully aware of the EU regulations. It may be when coupled the vehicle settles to an acceptable height.

I agree with what you said. Yes, I have no choice either. Wait and see and try it out. But I think the trailers are coming too high.

 

[Eric]

I agree with what you said. Yes, I have no choice either. Wait and see and try it out. But I think the trailers are coming too high.

Who ever gets the vehicle first, can sort it for the rest

 

[rovie]

Who ever gets the vehicle first, can sort it for the rest

Well, I'll have to take care of that myself soon.

 

[joejet]

My problem is that it is already at 53 cm in the lowest position. And I need 40 cm.

I think there is a reciever hitch that takes these (my old range rover L322 had that setup think that had a westfallia hitch) this arb one has E8 ratings.

 

[rovie]

I think there is a reciever hitch that takes these (my old range rover L322 had that setup think that had a westfallia hitch) this arb one has E8 ratings.

View attachment 7802351

@joejet Thank you. I'll take a closer look at that. Especially with regard to official approval.

 

[joejet]

@joejet Thank you. I'll take a closer look at that. Especially with regard to official approval.

ARB link

 

[Logsplitter]

There’s a thread somewhere discussing tow hitches. I think the 2” receiver hitches are not type approved in the U.K. and EU and that you may get away with using them on N1 vehicles only. I’ll try to find out more

 

[AZGrenadier]

You europeans have some crazy laws. We just throw one of these on in the good ole USA

 

[bigleonski]

I think there is a reciever hitch that takes these (my old range rover L322 had that setup think that had a westfallia hitch) this arb one has E8 ratings.

View attachment 7802351

That looks pretty flimsy for something coming out of ARB - I’m not sure if I’d want to tow much with that.

This is what I use to lower the tow height when I’m towing the camper. As solid as Thor’s hammer.

 

[Logsplitter]

Here’s a link from Towsure U.K. It seems adjustable height towbars are not type approved therefore not suitable for M1 passenger vehicles

Adjustable Height Tow Coupling

Adjustable height tow coupling for use with 4x4 vehicles etc

www.towsure.com

 

[Hannes01]

I think you'll find that picture is computer generated and the 4 upper holes are smaller and closer together for a towball

Maybe only for Germany?

found this in German by Google:

„Die Kupplungskugel der AHK muss im beladenen Fahrzeugzustand in einer Höhe von 350 bis 420 Millimeter vom Boden entfernt sein“, sagt Thomas Caasmann von der Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung (GTÜ)
Zugkugel-Kuppllungen für Anhänger werden nach DIN 74058 bzw. ISO 1103 mit einer Höhe von 430 ± 35 mm gebaut

translation:

"When the vehicle is loaded, the coupling ball of the hitch must be at a height of 350 to 420 millimeters from the ground," says Thomas Caasmann from the Society for Technical Monitoring (GTÜ).
Ball couplings for trailers are built according to DIN 74058 or ISO 1103 with a height of 430 ± 35 mm



So we have a standard in Germany that should be met when Ineos is approved!?

 

[Steve.B]

If you are towing a significant load, remember you want the trailer pivot point ( tow-ball ) as close to the rear wheels as possible for stability reasons, ( less weight transfer ).
So having the shortest tow-bar tongue possible will help.
That is one of the reasons that a current Defender 110 is a more stable towing platform compared to a 200 or 300 series LC. The 300 series has approximately 1.3m from rear wheel centre to tow bar. The Ineos has approximately 800mm from its rear wheel centre to the tow-bar, and a slightly longer wheel base so the Ineos should be a fantastic tow tug, I look forward to reading the Ineos towing reviews in hopefully the not to distant future, and like everyone els here testing it ourselves.
If you are towing significant weights often the weight out front of a roo bar and winch are not bad things.