tow hitch problem

[Annemc]

Just wondering if any other Disco 3 drivers out there have had any problems with their tow hitch.

Mine fell off! Yes, while I was towing a horse float (luckily it had no horse in it) along the Monash freeway, the tow hitch literally fell off the vehicle causing the float to swing wildly attached only by the safety chain. I have been told that the metal has "worn". The only thing I have ever towed is a double horse float well under the 3.5 tonnes towing capacity of the vehicle.

Luckily for me the float didn't hit another vehicle on the road or it could have been the scene of a major accident.

so, I would love to hear from other drivers who may have had a similar problem.

[KarlB]

Was the tow hitch a Land Rover supplied one or after-market, and who fitted it?

[101RRS]

Unfortunately is happening more often.

Landrover should be forced to do a safety recall on these things - they are a danger.

Report your failure to the relevant agency that coordinates safety recalls. My Mitch Hitch works for me.

Garry

[harlie]

Unfortunately you're not the first D3 or RRS to loose a trailer, there have been many. The tow bar arrangement is the stupidest thing I've ever seen - what the hell is wrong with a big lump of steel - why does some over educated idiot feel the need to have an artistic cast & pin heap of crap for what is essentially a VERY structural function. Bet he stood back with it in hand and said "O'yeah, no one makes anything that pretty".

When I was shopping for a car 4 odd yrs ago and found the numbers of failures, I went to L322 as it has a traditional towbar to chassis set up. Actually I nearly went away from LR all together after 15 yrs of LR ownership because of this reason.

As a side note:- This IS why you can't use Load Distribution Hitch (nothing to do with the official "Air suspension" line) - the tow bar assembly is rubbish, the casting just snaps off with a decent trailer let alone the torque forces a LDH generates.

Tow anything more than a box trailer - fit a Mitch - they do look solid.

[Mike_S]

As a side note:- This IS why you can't use Load Distribution Hitch (nothing to do with the official "Air suspension" line)

And where did you read that ? I'd be interested to see how that's been concluded.

[101RRS]

As a side note:- This IS why you can't use Load Distribution Hitch (nothing to do with the official "Air suspension" line)

I am not sure that is correct - the coil D3 can use a Load Distribution Hitch and it uses the same tow bar arrangement as the Air Suspended D3.

Garry

[Learner]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for challenging harlie on this. I suspect that I would have been less polite.

[Annemc]

Yes, It was a Land Rover hitch supplied and fitted by them when we bought the vehicle

do you know the name of the safety recall agency that I could go to?

Land Rover don't seem to want to take responsibility and I don't want to have to pay the Thousands $$$ for Land rover to fix - which apparently involves cutting off the rear end of the vehicle and then welding on a new structure?????

This could have been a serious accident


Also - we have paint peeling off the roof! Again, we have never had this happen on any car we have ever owned and Land Rover don't seem to care!

[Scouse]

Also - we have paint peeling off the roof! Again, we have never had this happen on any car we have ever owned and Land Rover don't seem to care!The D3 has a 6 year paint warranty so all but the very first cars will still be under this.

Why don't LR want to fix it? Have you had the annual inspections done?

[harlie]

Sorry to hear of your problems Annemc, unfortunately LR don’t like customer service at all. Can I ask, where is the cost? Garry will know better, but I didn’t think there was much to fitting a Mitch Hitch.

To respond to the others;
I have an old colleague (went through uni together) who was (until recently) an engineering consultant for a leading tow equipment manufacturer. When any failure occurred while using their product he was involved in the investigation. This is how I found out about these failures, and several of the early D3s that failed were coil (3 that he looked at if memory serves) using a LDH – he had great delight telling / gloating to me (LR fan) all about the problems. About this time they (not LR) decided the LDH was not to be used with (all) D3. This was 2005.

Yes Land Rover’s official line is that it’s Air suspension with D3/4 and RRS (no LDH with Air). Old and newer Range Rover is OK, they have air. D2 is OK as long as dealer part number xxxxx is fitted (it is a Hayman Reece manufactured towbar that replaces the factory structure underneath – couple of threads in D2 section about it). I know about the D2 story because the dealer sold me the upgraded tow bar which “is approved to use LDH with air SLS” when I purchased our D2 in 2000 (they sold heaps) – It’s not available through HR. WTF, I can use LDH with air SLS on D2 if I replace the towbar with this absurdly expensive steel structure under my car but without the upgraded bar it’s the Air that’s at fault – the upgraded bar actually looks like the towbar under D1/Defender, and we are still dragging 2.5-3t with LDH around some 12 yrs later. 4yrs with the L322, on air no issues.

Air suspension has the ability to put greater torque stress through the tow structure to the chassis with LDH. (This is the problem) As you tension the bars the ECU levels and you can’t see how much you’ve lifted / force you’ve applied. In 2000, the HR rep had a booklet for Air Suspension cars, still have it somewhere; it contains a very detailed procedure for the initial set up with several steps not required with steel springs. The Air suspension does not see any additional stresses. And these tow components can't handle the possibility of more stress - several cases have shown they can't handle the standard stresses (without LDH).

As a side note, none of the other vehicle manufacturers have an issue with LDH and air suspension – and there are quite a lot of them, especially in the US (where LDH were developed). In Aus - Toyota have no issue (admittedly Prado air on rear only), VW have no issue (3500kg), Merc have no issue. Have a look at the structure under an air sus Toureg, makes anything LR produce currently look lite. Why is Land Rover the only manufacturer? Do you really think they are going to come out and blame physical structure? Does it not seem strange that it is the tow assembly that is so different to anyone else's - not the air system.

Annemc has given fist hand example of a failure with a trailer of (what?) 600-800kg, that’s not much. Gary has hinted to knowing about failures too. No info on whether LDH was used on any of these examples has been provided. Either way, to have the towbar simply snap off the back of what is supposed to be a leading tow vehicle is pretty poor. Then have a look at the LDH they use in the US, far heavier than here producing far higher stresses, on air suspension vehicles, no worries.

I’m sorry if some above have taken offence to my comments (as others have mentioned the D3/4 section seems to get nasty), I’m not trying to can anyone here, the OP asked for comments, I’ve wandered off to the SLS debate. I know many of us get a little sensitive when someone highlight an issue with our cars (and choices) – I should know my baby L322 is currently in the garage and doesn’t start!

[wardh]

Here's my WDH tow set up fitted to a 2006 coiler. The vehicle has 2 inch lift King Spring Coils, Heavy duty in the rear.

I fitted the D4 coupling (thanks to Redback for supplying) This cast steel coupling with its stronger shorter profile (unlike the older unavailable style plough) and the coil lift gives me all the clearance I require. Most of the issue with air suspension vehicles was clearance and obtainable ball height hence the very good solution in the Mitch Hitch. My tow ball is very close to the rear of the vehicle (Mitch Hitch protrude further) and is 520 high.

I tow a 2.5t Track-van caravan. The WDH and coupling attach solidly to the vehicle. When towing the rig is level and stable.

I have every faith in this set up. I make sure the hitch coupling is clean and functioning properly, that it locks into place and it is checked along with other routine checks while on the road.

For the people that are convinced that the failure of the LR hitch is material based ie cast. Have a look at what the Mitch Hitch is bolted to on the rear of the vehicle! its the same.

Cheers

Howard

[discotwinturbo]

Harlie....Vw have no issue (3500kg),

Not correct.....vw do not endorse use of wdh with airbags....it's in the manual and also advised by dealer.

New 2012 touareg don't endorse using wdh full stop....with or without airbags.

I have a 2008 without air and wdh is fantastic (I went for coil purely because I cold not use wdh with airbags...airbags try to mimic but not as well as they don't transfer the weight to the front)....it was supplied by vw and made by Hayman Reese (800 pound version). Was going to change to 2012 but vw are super clear on the non use of wdh with or without airbags (in the us and aus). Looks similar at the rear underneath (very strong mounting and a long way forward), so queried sales rep.....vw sales line is now ...no wdh at all now for the 2012.

I do agree the LR setup is crap.....fitted my Mitch hitch yesterday and much happier, even though it attaches to the cast fragile points on the hitch, the weight is spread much better over the whole area, and hoping as though the points won't be shock loaded, they should hold at maximim weight.

Brett....

[CaverD3]

Point of failure on LR hitch has not been the casting. It has been the attachment of the removable part to the cast part of the vehicle. It is also a rare failure.
Know of one case in UK of a vehicle that had to have the cast part replaced due to rust and this was on a a vehicle used for commercial car towing with 270,000miles on it. :eek:

[101RRS]

If I remember correctly there have been three other reports on AULRO of issues.

There was one where a car towing a van went into a service station to get fuel and the tow hitch fell out with the van attached. There was another where the hitch (nothing attached) fell out of the hitch in the owners driveway after coming back from a drive. There there was the recent report where the actual casting cracked - oh there was the report of the separation of van from car but this was not a hitch issue but the casting where the safety chains were secured failed.

Whether there is an operator issue (should be failsafe) or a design issue or a combination of both a record of failure is starting to develop - how many have not been reported here??

Garry

[Annemc]

Scouse - our D3 is always serviced at a LR Dealer so I presume all inspections are carried out - the paint - our vehicle is just out of warranty - although I had queried the paint prior to the expiry of warranty - the dealer at that time told me that it was already out of warranty!

LR are happy to fix the problems but only if we pay! I am atm not a happy customer although I love my D3 it has always performed well and the only problems we have had have been caused by human (technicians) error!!!!!

I believe the tow hitch problem is a major design flaw and as such LR should take responsibility before someone gets hurt! As I said I was unbelievably lucky that the float did not hit a passing car and cause a serious accident - it was quite a scary experience.

[roamer]

Land Rover are not alone with hitch failures and lack of recall.

[CaverD3]

Yup, Crush tube too long and so bush not able to be tightened. Batch issue I think. Now have a fatter pin too.

[discotwinturbo]

Land Rover are not alone with hitch failures and lack of recall.

This is off the Mitch hitch ?

How did you know that the bush was buggered....did you hear something ?

Brett...

[CaverD3]

Yes. I saw the result of one where the bolt had gone through. Top of hitch bent down and van stayed attached.

[discotwinturbo]

Here's my WDH tow set up fitted to a 2006 coiler. The vehicle has 2 inch lift King Spring Coils, Heavy duty in the rear.

I fitted the D4 coupling (thanks to Redback for supplying) This cast steel coupling with its stronger shorter profile (unlike the older unavailable style plough) and the coil lift gives me all the clearance I require. Most of the issue with air suspension vehicles was clearance and obtainable ball height hence the very good solution in the Mitch Hitch. My tow ball is very close to the rear of the vehicle (Mitch Hitch protrude further) and is 520 high.

I tow a 2.5t Track-van caravan. The WDH and coupling attach solidly to the vehicle. When towing the rig is level and stable.

I have every faith in this set up. I make sure the hitch coupling is clean and functioning properly, that it locks into place and it is checked along with other routine checks while on the road.

For the people that are convinced that the failure of the LR hitch is material based ie cast. Have a look at what the Mitch Hitch is bolted to on the rear of the vehicle! its the same.

Cheers

Howard

Howard, your towball is tilted a fair bit forward. An engineer from Hayman Reese fitted my cam to my touareg and the ball points a little backwards...they indicated that in all cases the ball will point either directly up or backwards before using the bars. When you use the bars, if set correctly, the ball will move towards the upright position.

I am sure you have it right, but looked this way in the pic.

Brett.....

[roamer]

This is off the Mitch hitch ?

How did you know that the bush was buggered....did you hear something ?

Brett...


Hi Brett,

It starts to tilt down,and could sense knock when slow off roading,
bolt was bent and ready to sheer off.
If its not level get it looked at
It would have been putting alot of pressure on the LR cast bar where the bolts go thru.
I tow a 2ton KK

When spoke to Mitch Bros about it,
"oh yeah if you use off road should have larger 16mm bolt"
They knew there was a problem but never did a recall on them, they know where they are from the serial numbers.

Caver it was not the crush tube the bush had pulled up OK,
early serial no first batch


Cheers Ken

[CaverD3]

The two halves pull together into place after that the bush will bulge and tighten and be forced against the recovery eye. If the crush tube is too long it will not allow the extra movement. Over time slight movment allows it to wear and it comes loose. Some of the early ones had the crush tubes cut slightly too long I think.

[wardh]

Howard, your towball is tilted a fair bit forward. An engineer from Hayman Reese fitted my cam to my touareg and the ball points a little backwards...they indicated that in all cases the ball will point either directly up or backwards before using the bars. When you use the bars, if set correctly, the ball will move towards the upright position.

I am sure you have it right, but looked this way in the pic.

Brett.....

G'day Brett to answer your observation and to the rest of you sorry for being slightly off topic.

The tow ball in the picture is actually perpendicular it is an illusion.

My literature that came with the hayman reece WDH actually says that the ball can tilt slightly back or forward and does not effect the hitch. Obviously you would not take it to the extreme but tilting the ball slightly fore and aft via the cams assists in chain linkage length adjustment and torsion bar clearance.

Example if the ball tilts back the chains will be longer and the bars could hang very low below the van chassis and foul the ground. In reality every case is slightly different hence the adjustable cams.

Howard

[TerryO]

I purchased a second hand a Mitch Hitch and had it fitted, the bush lasted about two months and then failed. It turned out to be an early one, we took the car to Mitchell engineering and they replaced the parts in about 2 hours.

In the end it was about the same price as buying a new one after I paid for the upgrade.

Re the casting failing the only one that I have read about is the guy who came on here after a discussion started and from memory he couldn't be 100% sure that he hadn't set the chains to tight for the sharp corner he went round when it failed.

The problem I see with the original hitch is it isn't 100% fool proof even if you lay on the ground and check it everytime you fit it. As I put myself in the category of not wanting to lay on the ground or be uncertain about the hitch everytime I fit it I decided to just get a Mitch Hitch, it might not be pretty but it is functional and that to me was far more important.

I read elsewhere on here today of a new owner of a RRS not likeing the way the Mitch Hitch sticks out, to me that means he thinks it takes away from the look of a RRS, it would seem that he has made his decision based on form not function.

cheers,
Terry

[mowog]

I am a recent convert to the Mitch Hitch. When I pulled the original LR hitch out you could see there was wear on the hitch. You could see where it had been working. I have towed about 30000klm with the original hitch. I changed to a Mitch hitch for a few reasons and at the end of the month it will get its first road trip test.

[NutoLR]

TerryO, I think I could be the "new RRS owner" who made the comment about the appearance of the Mitch Hitch, but that was before I learnt about various failures of the D3/RRS plough elsewhere in this thread. However, I still want to explore other hitch options before I go to the Mitch Hitch.

So far as the D3/RRS hitch is concerned I agree that its design seems to be at odds with its function as a critically important dynamically loaded structural element. (It doesn't really pass the commonsense test!)

I note the D4 hitch shown in Howard's post in this thread is a much more sensible and compact design, which looks as if it could be used on an RRS. Are you or other members able to confirm this please?

In fact, I was concerned enough about the D3/RRS plough that I was planning to design my own unit for the RRS (to fit to same way as the original). But the D4 hitch, which I hadn't seen before today, is pretty close to the geometry I was planning. So why reinvent it?

By the way, I cannot see how the hitch could just fall out if it was fitted properly in the first palce. I agree that it is a bit difficult at first but there is a knack to it which takes a bit of practice. Also, so far as I can see, the only time you can remove the key is when the plunger is fully protruding - ie in the locked position. (Please correct me if this statement is wrong ...)

If anyone with an RRS has had negaitive experiences with a D4 hitch I'd be very keen to know.

Cheers,

John

[CaverD3]

D4 hitch is how LR Aust should have designed the original hitch.

[mowog]

If anyone with an RRS has had negaitive experiences with a D4 hitch I'd be very keen to know.

Cheers,

John

John

From what I have seen here the D4 hitch will fit.

The hitches can and do fall out if the locking pin is not correctly engaged for what ever reason my cause that.

I have removed my D4 in favor of a the Mitch Hitch and I can see the wear in my D4 hitch, it has done a lot of towing with a big van.

[discotwinturbo]

I have a D4 6 month old hitch for sale.....Mitch hitch fitted yesterday.

Brett...

[NutoLR]

John

From what I have seen here the D4 hitch will fit.

The hitches can and do fall out if the locking pin is not correctly engaged for what ever reason my cause that.

I have removed my D4 in favor of a the Mitch Hitch and I can see the wear in my D4 hitch, it has done a lot of towing with a big van.

Thanks mowog - your reply appreciated.

I agree that the locking pin is key.

As the combination of the taper fit and the pin seat produces a very tight fit (with my D3/RRS hitch, at least), I'd be very interested to know where the D4 hitch showed wear.

Cheers, John

[NutoLR]

I have a D4 6 month old hitch for sale.....Mitch hitch fitted yesterday.

Brett...

Hi Brett,

I could be interested; it is my preferred solution provided it passes the sleep test, otherwise I might have to fall in line & fit a Mitch Hitch. What is your asking price please? PM or email me if you prefer.

Have you replaced it with the Mitch Hitch because of any prior bad experience, or because of a sort of consensus concern that the LR unit(s) are/have been problematic?

Thank & regards
John

[discotwinturbo]

I will pm you.

No bad experience.....just don't like how low they are (higher than the D3), and worried about what I have read. I tow a 3.5 tonne trailer with horses, plus go offroad towing a 2.5 tonne trailer, so the mitch hitch gives me more confidence with the extra height. If I was not towing what I tow and where I tow, I would not change.

Brett......

[NutoLR]

Brett,

Somehow I missed your PM. Think my browser blocked it. (Not sure if I can retrieve it without you resending)

I can understand how a person could be become worried about LR hitches - the have attracted a lot of bad press. Of course, I am bit concerned about that too. I'll be towing a largish caravan (ATM 2900kg) which isn't as precious as a couple of horses, but naturally I still want to be confident it all hangs together! I need final ball height of 485mm which I think the D4 hitch will give me with a modest lift of the tongue- ball assembly. I am not planning off-road work with van - just black-top and some good dirt roads.

Cheers , John

[discotwinturbo]

Have sent again John by PM and email.

No hurry.....if it works for you please sing out.

Brett.....

[wardh]

You started me thinking about adding extra strength and support to my hitch.

Today I started to fabricate an extra brace that will connect my WDH to the D3 tow ring via a bush and 6mm thick box section. Attached picture should give you the idea.

Another member of the forum did a similar modification a while back but using the old style long plough coupling.

I will keep you posted on the project.

Howard

[ADMIRAL]

You started me thinking about adding extra strength and support to my hitch.

Today I started to fabricate an extra brace that will connect my WDH to the D3 tow ring via a bush and 6mm thick box section. Attached picture should give you the idea.

Another member of the forum did a similar modification a while back but using the old style long plough coupling.

I will keep you posted on the project.

Howard

The Mitch Hitch uses a similar attachment without the extra 15-20kgs of steel

[CaverD3]

Interesting to see what the conclusion of this is:

DISCO4.COM - View topic - CHECK YER TOW BARS THIS WEEKEND.... VOSA ARE ON TO IT!!! (http://www.disco4.com/forum/topic80952.html)

"Beyond this it is my understanding that JLR have been agreed to write to all existing owners of a vehicle that left the factory with a tow bar, to point out that this tow bar is for "light towing/occasional use" ONLY and not to be used as an alternative to a normal fixed one."

[wardh]

The Mitch Hitch uses a similar attachment without the extra 15-20kgs of steel

Hi ADMIRAL.

My situation is a little different. I have a raised coil sprung D3. (read earlier posts) Using the later shorter design LR hitch works fine for me.

Because I don't have air suspension I choose and can use a WDH to level my vehicle when the caravan is attached.

A Mitch Hitch would be to high and the required WDH would protrude a long way out from the rear of the vehicle. It would also foul the tail gate.

Cheers

Howard

[mike7]

This thread has me concerned, I tow a 2T caravan and the other day I was coming out of the shopping centre with a small dip in the road and my tow bar whacked the ground (no van attached). Ive only had my D4 for 6 months and absolutely love the car but can't believe the tow bar hit the ground at my local shopping centre as my other car with tow bar comes nowhere close to hitting. So lesson learnt and I now remove the tow assembly unless I'm towing.

I am gonna go to my LR guy and get a new tow assembly, $500 but it will give me a little more piece of mind as I'm doing a round oz pilgrimage in few months with the caravan.

Cheers
Mike

[CaverD3]

I am assuming you had the tongue and ball attached and that is what hit?

[mike7]

That's correct, the protruding nut of the towball underneath hit the ground. I'm concerned that there might have been some bending etc and since the wedge is cast iron I'm a little paranoid.

[CaverD3]

Cast steel actually not as brittle as cast iron but not as maleable as cold steel.
The tongue bit is HR and should be ok.

[NutoLR]

Have sent again John by PM and email.

No hurry.....if it works for you please sing out.

Brett.....

Brett,

It sounds good to me, but I just first want to determine what the height of the D4 receiver is relative to the D3 part.

May be you know, (or may be someone else knows....) but if you don't I will go to my local LR dealer and measure up the D4 part. Looking at at the photo of Howards D4 hitch I reckon it might be about 40mm higher, but I'd like to know exactly what it is.

John ..

[NutoLR]

Cast steel actually not as brittle as cast iron but not as maleable as cold steel.
The tongue bit is HR and should be ok.

It might also be SG (spheroidal graphite) cast iron which is very tough and fatique resistant. 40 years ago Ford were using hollow SG iron cast crank shafts in their Anglia and Cortina engines - and may be in other variants as well. I don't know if they still use it now.

Cheers
John

[wardh]

Brett,

It sounds good to me, but I just first want to determine what the height of the D4 receiver is relative to the D3 part.

May be you know, (or may be someone else knows....) but if you don't I will go to my local LR dealer and measure up the D4 part. Looking at at the photo of Howards D4 hitch I reckon it might be about 40mm higher, but I'd like to know exactly what it is.

John ..

John,

The difference between the D3 hitch receiver (old longer type) and the newer short D4 type is exactly 50mm

Howard

[M D3]

3 months into a new D4 with the shortened hitch receiver. Previously, I towed with my D3 and never had any trouble.

I am now using my D3 hitch (treg hitch attached) on my D4 to tow a1.5 tonne camper. I get a shudder taking off from stationary. Feels like the hitch moves in the receiver.

Anyone know whether the receiver been modified/narrowed in width between Disco 3 and Disco 4?

M D3

[NutoLR]

John,

The difference between the D3 hitch receiver (old longer type) and the newer short D4 type is exactly 50mm

Howard

Howard,

You've just saved me a trip to LR dealer tomorrow. Thanks for that.

Cheers
John ......

[wardh]

Howard,

You've just saved me a trip to LR dealer tomorrow. Thanks for that.

Cheers
John ......

Glad I could help John, this forum has assisted me greatly over the years.

Cheers

Howard

[Ean Austral]

Gday All,

After reading this thread I decided that its something that I should have a look at as we tow our camper trailer long distances when we travel, and I was very surprised to see that whole tongue assembley is held up into the tow bracket by the retractable pin.

We haven't done alot of towing, but you could certainly see some slight wear on the flat bottom of the pin, and as the square cut out that the pin sits on is alot bigger than the pin, you can see how not alot of wear could result in the pin working its way out and the whole tongue falling down.It doesn't even protrude all the way thru the square hole.

Wonder if some sort of rubber bush would help to stop it being able to work itself loose. Driving over the rough stuff would just increase the speed of wear I would think. Time to investige some options before the next major trip.

Thanks to all who have posted.

Cheers Ean

[NutoLR]

Have sent again John by PM and email.

No hurry.....if it works for you please sing out.

Brett.....

hi Brett,

Your D4-hitched was delivered mid-morning today; it traveled well because you packed it well. It fits like a glove without any hint of play (just as my D3 hitch does).

And as Howard advised, the hitch receiver is exactly 50mm higher than that of the D3 unit. It was much easier to measure the height difference when fitted the vehicle that is was on the dealer's counter. No surprise there.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks.

Cheers
John ....

[NavyDiver]

That's correct, the protruding nut of the towball underneath hit the ground. I'm concerned that there might have been some bending etc and since the wedge is cast iron I'm a little paranoid.

Never had a hit from a car park exit but off road the "landrover plow" would have allowed a fair amount of wheat to be sown behind my D3 :cool: It was worse over steep rocky bits and was replaced as my off road trailer was also draging on the draw bar due to the Landrovers hitch low tow height. The Mitch Hitch is really the only option if you venture off road or have a steep on road angle as you must have Mike.

It is about $600 or so for a Landrover hitch and about the same for a Mitch Hitch. Sorry $660 Mitchell Bros 4x4 & more - Online 4x4 Store - Discovery 3 Hi Rise Tow Hitch (http://store.mitchellbros.com.au/discovery-3-4-and-rrs/discovery-3-tow-hitch.html) Took me a hour or three to fit myself.

[Steve223]

changed to the Mitch hitch last week after bottoming out over a little wooden log, only did a small tour but so far very happy.

But seem like the mitch hitch needs a bit more maintenance (i.e re tightening nuts)


http://www.4sdata.net/skitch//hitch-20120718-094126.png
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/%C3%AF%C2%BB%C2%BF%C3%AF%C2%BB%C2%BFhttp://www.4sdata.net/skitch//hitch-20120718-094126.png

[Tombie]

This thread has me concerned, I tow a 2T caravan and the other day I was coming out of the shopping centre with a small dip in the road and my tow bar whacked the ground (no van attached). Ive only had my D4 for 6 months and absolutely love the car but can't believe the tow bar hit the ground at my local shopping centre as my other car with tow bar comes nowhere close to hitting. So lesson learnt and I now remove the tow assembly unless I'm towing.

I am gonna go to my LR guy and get a new tow assembly, $500 but it will give me a little more piece of mind as I'm doing a round oz pilgrimage in few months with the caravan.

Cheers
Mike

Depending on how fast you had got to the exit too...

Were you by chance still lowered? Or had the vehicle got to normal ride height?

I always manually raise mine leaving car parks.


Also only requires minute angle / direction changes in vehicles to clip some parts on roads :)

[PeterOZ]

guys,

my D3 plough bit appears to fit in quite well with little slop or movement however the hitch part the fits into it with the ball attached is very sloppy.

It can be moved up and down about 1/4". Not sure if this is normal or not but it creates a hell of a racket and clunking when towing.

Thoughts?

Cheers
Peter

[wardh]

guys,

my D3 plough bit appears to fit in quite well with little slop or movement however the hitch part the fits into it with the ball attached is very sloppy.

It can be moved up and down about 1/4". Not sure if this is normal or not but it creates a hell of a racket and clunking when towing.

Thoughts?

Cheers
Peter

Peter there was a post quite a while back that showed a U bolt and plate arrangement to take out the rattle and loose fit between the hitch and square section insert, perhaps some other forum member can recall it.

My own solution is to build up a pad of weld on the top of the insert and carefully grind it back so it is a snug fit inside the LR receiver.

Cheers
Howard

[PeterOZ]

Howard,
might just do that mate. Good idea.

Was thinking of getting the D4 version of the plough, is that the receiver?

cheers
Peter

[wardh]

Peter.

Correct the Land Rover plough is the receiver. I now use the shorter D4 version which because of my raised coil suspension D3 I no longer refer to it as a plough. I have all the clearance I require.

Howard

[PeterOZ]

thanks mate.

When I get a bit of spare $$ I will get a D4 "plough" from fleabay and modify my gooseneck as suggested. Need an excuse to play with my welder again!

Cheers
Peter

[wardh]

D4 Member/owners who have fitted Mitch Hitches may have a D4 hitch surplus to their needs? :angel:

[PeterOZ]

happy to receive all PMs in relation to any surplus D4 hitches :)

[Allkar]

Hi,
This is now 2016 and our tow hitch fell out last month just like yours did. I am in correspondence with Landrover and it is proving very difficult. Consumer Affairs have suggested to take this to VCAT. I will will explore this option. Landrover just don,t want to know about it. Their CRC is absolutely useless.

[Walruslike]

Hi,

This is now 2016 and our tow hitch fell out last month just like yours did. I am in correspondence with Landrover and it is proving very difficult. Consumer Affairs have suggested to take this to VCAT. I will will explore this option. Landrover just don,t want to know about it. Their CRC is absolutely useless.


Hi, I have recently had the Land Rover standard towbar fitted to my Freelander 2. It's created problems for me because it is too low.

I've read this thread and the other carefully but can't work out whether my new towbar is at the same risk as yours or not. Do you know if the one I've had installed is the same design and therefore at the same risk as yours?

[BMKal]

Hi,
This is now 2016 and our tow hitch fell out last month just like yours did. I am in correspondence with Landrover and it is proving very difficult. Consumer Affairs have suggested to take this to VCAT. I will will explore this option. Landrover just don,t want to know about it. Their CRC is absolutely useless.

Other than the hitch, or some component of the hitch actually breaking, the only way that I can see for the hitch to possibly "fall out" is if it was not correctly installed in the first place. ;)

Unfortunately, it would seem that it is easy to "incorrectly install" the hitch due possibly to poor quality control when these components are manufactured / assembled. My hitch "fell out" twice after I did not have it correctly installed, before I realized what the problem was. Luckily, both times it occurred in my back yard, once when I gave the hitch a good rattle by hand immediately after installing it, and once when I was in the process of attaching a trailer.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/10/488.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/xx7ln5e9v/)

When you are inserting the tow hitch into the vehicle, the "locking pin" is in the "retracted" position. As you push the hitch fully up into the housing, the "trigger pin" strikes the top of the housing, and the "locking pin" pops out into the "extended" position, thereby locking the hitch securely in place.

The problem that I found was that the "locking pin" was not fully extending, and in fact was only just catching the tip of this pin on the lip of the hole it is meant to go into. Obviously, it did not take much movement for the entire hitch to drop out when this occurred. It did not matter what I tried, I could not get the "locking pin" to fully extend into the hole it is meant to sit in.

After some investigation, I discovered that the entire hitch assembly was not going up far enough in the housing to allow the "locking pin" to line up properly with its intended resting position and go all the way home. I cleaned out the top of the inside of the housing as best I could, and this still did not fix the problem. So I then dressed up the very top of the hitch with an angle grinder. Did not remove much - probably not much more than the thickness of the paint really - and it did the trick. The hitch now goes up into the housing just that little bit further, and the "locking pin" fully engages every time without fail.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/10/489.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/kdtz8u5lp/)

I don't know if there was a casting problem, or maybe just too much paint (possibly inside the top of the housing - you can't see up in there). But I have had no problems with the hitch since doing this, and I use it regularly.

It is quite easy to check whether the "locking pin" has gone fully "home" when installing the hitch. Simply run your hand around the back of the housing - you will feel the hole that the "locking pin" should be sitting in. If the pin is fully "home" - you will not be able to push your finger into this hole, as the tapered end of the pin will be about flush with the outside edge of this hole. If you can put your finger inside the hole, the "locking pin" is not fully engaged.

Earlier in this thread, somebody posted that you cannot remove the "key" unless the locking pin has fully extended. This is not true. I can turn and remove the key on mine as long as the "trigger pin" has been pushed down. The position of the "locking pin" has no effect on whether or not the key can be removed.

Even though I have had no further problems, I have to agree with the comments of many that the overall design concept of the tow hitch is pretty poor. An earlier post on here along the lines of "an over qualified engineer standing with it in his hand and admiring how pretty his design looked" came across to me as a pretty appropriate description. :D

Hope this helps. Mine is not the only vehicle that I have known of with exactly the same issue. ;)

[l00kin4]

Certainly not relevant for everyone, but I bought my D4 6 months old and it had seen plenty of red dust. One of the many things I had to clean out was the workings of the hitch receiver.
Looked cleanish on the outside but the dust had settled inside the housing (there was a good 5 or 6mm just sitting in it!), had delubed (is that a word?) its mechanism and was stopping the locking pin extending properly in the nice spring loaded way it normally should. It would just drop out because of this.
Pretty easy to open it up - remove the little silver cover, clean it out and lube it up.
David

[PerthDisco]

Certainly not relevant for everyone, but I bought my D4 6 months old and it had seen plenty of red dust. One of the many things I had to clean out was the workings of the hitch receiver.
Looked cleanish on the outside but the dust had settled inside the housing (there was a good 5 or 6mm just sitting in it!), had delubed (is that a word?) its mechanism and was stopping the locking pin extending properly in the nice spring loaded way it normally should. It would just drop out because of this.
Pretty easy to open it up - remove the little silver cover, clean it out and lube it up.
David



There is a red plug provided to seal the hole when receiver is removed to stop this. It lives in the foam mount in the LHS compartment in the back.

[Walruslike]

Ah I see... not the same as mine at all.... please ignore my earlier ignorant question.

[BMKal]

There is a red plug provided to seal the hole when receiver is removed to stop this. It lives in the foam mount in the LHS compartment in the back.

Lost the red plug from mine about a week after I bought it. ;)

After a bit of a drive along a couple of beaches and over some dunes north of Perth, the plug was never seen again. :(

[PerthDisco]

Lost the red plug from mine about a week after I bought it. ;)



After a bit of a drive along a couple of beaches and over some dunes north of Perth, the plug was never seen again. :(



There is a clip on it that needs encouragement to be engaged. Same designer as receiver...........

[LandyAndy]

CRC type lubricants are the worst you can apply.They attract dust and make the problem worse.
Either get Graphite powder or a Dry Film lubricant(normaly Teflon based).They lubricate exceptionaly well without attracting dust.
Andrew

[l00kin4]

There is a red plug provided to seal the hole when receiver is removed to stop this. It lives in the foam mount in the LHS compartment in the back.
Sorry, to be clearer, when I talk about the receiver I don't mean the wedge shaped slot permanently attached to the car (where the red plug goes) but the receiver for the tow hitch i.e. this piece pictured below. And what I cleaned out was the mechanism behind the silver cover so the whole locking pin etc. moved freely.
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=115344&stc=1&d=1476656168

A bit confusing because there is a receiver for the receiver...! :)

David

[Allkar]

Thanks everyone for your input into this topic. I have read all and can only assume that I had it installed correctly, as I had installed it in Mareeba and had hitched and unhitched the van many times in my journey down to Nanango and also driven many kilometres on varying types of road surfaces with out the hitch falling out. Surely if it was fitted incorrectly it would have fallen out well before almost 2k kilometres of travel.
After reading this thread I can't understand that Landrover still haven't recognised there is a serious and life threatening issue here. I have submitted a near miss safety issue on the towbar with the ACCC product safety department.

[Allkar]

Hi All,
Have just received a letter from Landrover Australia reference the Towhitch falling off and as suspected they are wiping the hands of the issue because I used a WDH, even though my D3 has coil springs. They have stated a WDH is not to be used with the vehicle.
I have requested a copy the part of the manual which deals with how to balance the combination on a vehicle with coil springs. As far as I know there is no such writing covering this in the manual.
They have also stated in the letter that they have not experienced any failures of this system. I am interested to know how many who have experienced this issue have notified Landrover australia from this forum.
I also read in this thread that using a WDH with a D3 with coil springs is ok. This seems to be contradictory to what Landrover is stating . Is this in writing anywhere.
I will be writing a formal response to Landrover in the next couple of days.

[Gypsy_Pete]

Thanks for these pictures and the suggested modification. When I feel around the back for the locking pin, should it feel flush with the casting? If it is a little recessed, could that mean that it hasn't extended fully?

[BMKal]

Thanks for these pictures and the suggested modification. When I feel around the back for the locking pin, should it feel flush with the casting? If it is a little recessed, could that mean that it hasn't extended fully?

The locking pin is tapered. On mine, the leading edge of the taper is about flush with the outer edge of the hole it sits in. I can partially push my finger into this hole with the pin fully engaged, but only because of the tapered end of the pin.

[LGM]

I have just completed another 8000km of travel across this great land whilst towing.

Just a couple of points of note re my experience with the LR hitch. I have had a problem once where I could not get the lock on the hitch itself to 'unlock'. Admittedly this was after leaving the hitch on the vehicle for a longish period of time in crappy weather, rain dirt etc. Much CRC and swearing later I took it to my local dealer who kindly got it to unlock for me.

The second issue I had, on one occasion only, was that the hitch locking mechanism did not fully engage when I was offering it up into the vehicle receiver. Basically it dropped out in my hand! On checking I found the operating mechanism on the hitch was again 'gummed up'. :o

Anyhow I am aware that this removable tow hitch is a 'maintenance item' and needs to be serviced regularly. After each use I now remove it and give it a good once over.

I always check it for security on fitting it to the vehicle and have not had a towing problem over the last 5 and a bit years of D4 ownership. :)

Given the comments from others I will continue to check the hitch for security each time I use it!

[Allkar]

Hi All,
Further to my last post, I wrote a formal response to Landrover and with the help anecdotal posts in this thread Landrover have instantly advised me that they are sending a technical team member to visit me at home to inspect and discuss the falling out issue of the Towhitch, and have finally said they are happy that no one was injured in the incident, only taken eight weeks to acknowledge.will post results of the investigation when known.:)

[Gypsy_Pete]

Thanks Allkar. I'll be very interested to read about what LR has to say.

In our previous Disc 3 S, we travelled many thousands of kms towing a van without any problem with the tow hitch. We've recently purchased a 2011 D4 and from what I've read on this thread, I am concerned. The hitch was inserted by the dealer and I haven't had it off so it should be ok I think. It seems solid enough and I can feel the locking pin in place around the back.

Sent from my SM-T520 using AULRO mobile app

[Allkar]

Hi All,
Landrover are coming to inspect my Towhitch failure on the 15dec. I have spoken with another owner whose Towhitch fell and caused in the order of $80k to trailer and Monash freeway fencing and surface. Landrover wiped their hands of it and frustrated him so he did not pursue it any further. I have requested him if he wishes to to submit a near miss incident report with the ACCC this can be done on line.It would be a great assistance to me in pursuing this with Landrover if all members who have had this same incident could also submit a report of their Towhitch failure with the ACCC. It could also help if when submitted a copy could be sent to Landrover Australia. I could provide the name and address of the person who is the customer service director of Landrover Australia in Sydney. This could help in getting this issue the required attention it deserves with Landrover Australia.

[Gypsy_Pete]

Did LR come out as promised on the 15th of December? Is so, what did they have to say?

[Joc]

Hi I have also had the L/R tow hitch fail whilst towing a 3000 kg caravan , it basically fell out of the car. I replaced it with a Mitchell Bros hitch and have had no more problems. I have a D3 S with coils and did have a Hayman Reece WDH attached at the time. Cheers Joc.

[Fatso]

Hi All,
Landrover are coming to inspect my Towhitch failure on the 15dec. I have spoken with another owner whose Towhitch fell and caused in the order of $80k to trailer and Monash freeway fencing and surface. Landrover wiped their hands of it and frustrated him so he did not pursue it any further. I have requested him if he wishes to to submit a near miss incident report with the ACCC this can be done on line.It would be a great assistance to me in pursuing this with Landrover if all members who have had this same incident could also submit a report of their Towhitch failure with the ACCC. It could also help if when submitted a copy could be sent to Landrover Australia. I could provide the name and address of the person who is the customer service director of Landrover Australia in Sydney. This could help in getting this issue the required attention it deserves with Landrover Australia.

What was the outcome ????? , be good to know .

[RHS58]

What was the outcome ????? , be good to know .

Perhaps a settlement with a nondisclosure clause?

[jonesfam]

I posting this here instead of starting a new thread.

I have not used my trailer hitch for about 2 years. It has been sitting out in the weather.
Do I grease it?
If so, which part?

I will give the receiver on the car a good wash out to get all the dust & muck out.

Anything else before I fit the hitch tomorrow?

Thanks
Jonesfam

[Stuart02]

I posting this here instead of starting a new thread.

I have not used my trailer hitch for about 2 years. It has been sitting out in the weather.
Do I grease it?
If so, which part?

I will give the receiver on the car a good wash out to get all the dust & muck out.

Anything else before I fit the hitch tomorrow?

Thanks
Jonesfam
I think you'll know if it's on properly, the challenge could be getting it off again if you don't clean, de-rust and dry lube everything...

[ATH]

I've just had mine checked by the stealer as it's a bit of a worry when towing. They say it's OK but I might just check a bit more myself as the casting which goes up into the car receiving part seems to be a bit proud at the top which would indicate to me that it might not sit properly inside allowing the locating bolt to fully engage.
Anyway, who the hell devised this weird bit of crap? :o
AlanH.

[BMKal]

I've just had mine checked by the stealer as it's a bit of a worry when towing. They say it's OK but I might just check a bit more myself as the casting which goes up into the car receiving part seems to be a bit proud at the top which would indicate to me that it might not sit properly inside allowing the locating bolt to fully engage.
Anyway, who the hell devised this weird bit of crap? :o
AlanH.

That casting you refer to is exactly what was the problem with mine. The hitch would not go fully up into the receiver, and the locking pin was only just catching on the edge of the hole that it should have been fully engaging into. I could tell this by sticking my finger in the back of this hole and feeling the position of the locking pin. ;)

I "massaged" the top of this casting with an angle grinder. Didn't need much - probably not much more than the thickness of the paint on top of the casting. But this has allowed the hitch to travel fully up into the top of the receiver, and the locking pin now fully engages in it's intended position.

I still stick my finger in the back of the hole every time I fit the hitch to check that the locking pin has fully engaged though ..................... but have never had a problem with it since the "touch-up" with the angle grinder.

[Geedublya]

I posting this here instead of starting a new thread.

I have not used my trailer hitch for about 2 years. It has been sitting out in the weather.
Do I grease it?
If so, which part?

I will give the receiver on the car a good wash out to get all the dust & muck out.

Anything else before I fit the hitch tomorrow?

Thanks
Jonesfam

It is pretty easy to dismantle, clean and lubricate. Just be careful as the spring on the pin can fly out and in to the unknown. It took a day or two and a workshop clean-up to find it.

[ATH]

I will be doing exactly the same Brian, sticking my finger in the hole after installing the thing.
Actually I do that now on the Deafener check that the hole is visible, pin in then push and pull the hitch just to make sure it is properly inside the receiver as I had one fall out a few years ago but luckily the crossed chains saved the incident from being worse than a bit of bad wear on the part which hit the road surface.
I was and still am deeply suss as to why that happened as I always take care with it and have since used a lockable pin.
I'm not sure the service bloke could understand what I was on about even when I pointed to the offending bit which is definitely not quite right. Told him about the anecdotal evidence on this site and his response was "I've never heard that before". ;)
But don't they all get taught to say that by the caryards to deflect any possible criticism of what they're flogging?
You can clearly see where there's been a bit of fettling of rough bits off the casting but no attempt to reduce that small peak.
Anyway it's not a big job and it's good forums bring this sort of thing into the open so others are aware.
AlanH.

[ATH]

Even though the service manager at the stealers reckoned it was OK and I think he's basically right, I thought I'd do a complete check for my own peace of mind.
So I gently ground down the top of the hitch where the casting has this small peak I said about, and flattened it right off. Couple of minutes is all it took.
Then shoved it up hard and felt into the back of the locating hole and could feel the pin quite well.
BUT, when taking it out again and feeling into the hole I could feel a dag which I thought may have just stopped it going in a mm or two so out came a file and a gave it a bit of a fettle to remove it.
Then back in with the hitch and it felt as if it had definitely gone in a little further, not much, but every bit helps. (As the tart said to the vicar :o)
I'm quite happy all is well now and have no fears of it parting company with the D4 with the van hooked up.
Thx for your advices on this Brian.
AlanH.

[ATH]

Sod it! I've just typed a bit of info. which may help (I thought) if a tow hitch came off, pressed "submit" and it's bloody disappeared again which is not uncommon these days.
I know there's a lot of work going on in the background but this really is the last straw for me.
If I hadn't just bought a D4 I'd be back to PradoPoint.........
AlanH.

[ATH]

I've calmed down a bit now and haven't had a drink .....yet, so will retry to post what could be of assistance to others. Had my first tow with the D4 recently, only a light tow up the tip and back and everything went well.
BUT, when I removed the tow hitch the locking pin came out so far I could see a small bearing right on the edge of the bore in the casting which looked as if it should seat into an indent further in the bore to stop this happening. Didn't think to take a pic unfortunately.
I couldn't get the pin to return ready for the next use so went to the stealers. Workshop foreman (foreperson?) managed to get it in OK but I queried whether this pin should come out so far and he reckoned it was alright.
When I went back home I refitted it and then felt with a finger in the back of the hole how far it was in ....... quite a bit further it seemed. What I'm concerned about is could that locking pin come right out and the hitch drop down leaving only the chains to hold the trailer or whatever?
If so I reckon it could well be the cause of an accident and may be hard to prove it wasn't incorrectly installed by the driver in the first place.
AlanH.

[DiscoJeffster]

I find it far easier to simply leave it in once in place forever, and simply remove the tow hitch from the tow hitch receiver when not towing, to avoid hitting knees etc. This way once it's in, it's in, never think about it again.

[ATH]

I think you may be right DJ but the possibility of the locking pin coming right out and the hitch receiver dropping out is a worry. I think I'll investigate further as I'm not the sort to forget what could be a possible problem for me and other road users. Until I've satisfied myself it's safe, it'll be a niggling worry and I'm a bad sleeper at the best of times.
Probably just the Cooks cooking though...... [bigsmile1]
AlanH.

[Kandy]

Have used this hitch regularly since new (2016). Towed my trailer to our new home now it wont unlock to remove it as I always do to clean it. I turn the key but the green "handle" will not come all the way out to twist and unlock to retract the pin. Sprayed with Lanox, allowed a day, no result, light taps with hammer no result. Have moved to Tuross Head so no nearby dealers here. Anyone with similar experience ?

[ytt105]

Have used this hitch regularly since new (2016). Towed my trailer to our new home now it wont unlock to remove it as I always do to clean it. I turn the key but the green "handle" will not come all the way out to twist and unlock to retract the pin. Sprayed with Lanox, allowed a day, no result, light taps with hammer no result. Have moved to Tuross Head so no nearby dealers here. Anyone with similar experience ?Stay safe Kandy.
I'm in Kianga.
Trevor

[envee]

Have used this hitch regularly since new (2016). Towed my trailer to our new home now it wont unlock to remove it as I always do to clean it. I turn the key but the green "handle" will not come all the way out to twist and unlock to retract the pin. Sprayed with Lanox, allowed a day, no result, light taps with hammer no result. Have moved to Tuross Head so no nearby dealers here. Anyone with similar experience ?


Stay safe Kandy.
I'm in Kianga.
Trevor

Hi Kandy and Trevor, Potato Point here. Hope you and yours are all safe. (Sorry, off topic I know [bighmmm].)

Can't help with the stuck Tow Hitch sorry Kandy, I have a Mitch Hitch. If you are thinking of changing I have a "Recovery" Hitch for sale.

Cheers

Neil

[Geedublya]

Have used this hitch regularly since new (2016). Towed my trailer to our new home now it wont unlock to remove it as I always do to clean it. I turn the key but the green "handle" will not come all the way out to twist and unlock to retract the pin. Sprayed with Lanox, allowed a day, no result, light taps with hammer no result. Have moved to Tuross Head so no nearby dealers here. Anyone with similar experience ?

Lanox might be a bit viscous, try something thinner CRC or WD40. You could even try carby cleaner to flush it out and then the WD.