Cutting Tow Hitch

[Strop]

I have just converted my teardrop trailer for extra ground clearance. With 14" tyres I have 32cm under the axle. Only using eye to eye springs no shockies. I have also fitted an off-road polyblock instead of the 50mm ball.

Last addition was a new rear hitch that lets me raise the height of the trailer connection as I am using the standard tow bar fittings.

When I put the new tow bar into the receiver it extends past and I can see it just touching the spare tyre. I am assuming that it will impact on getting the tyre out if needed.

Can I trim the part of the tow bar that extends through the receiver off. 2cm max.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/06/585.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/06/586.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/06/587.jpg

All the best

Laurie

[rangieman]

I would and can not see why not[wink11]

[AdamHunter]

If it's SHS it would be fine. If it is a cast section , not so much.

[Tins]

Looks like SHS. If so, then sure, but don't trim it back further than the end of the receiver.

[Strop]

SHS - square hollow section. Looks exactly like the standard hitch just a bit longer.

Cutting wheel out tomorrow then a bit of paint to tidy up.

[Chops]

That's a nice looking little Teardrop Laurie,,, they're cool units and light, I bet they'd be great out in the bush.

[cjc_td5]

If you are shortening the SHS Strop, I would be redrilling the pin hole so that the tongue could be slid in as close to the bumper as possible? There must be a huge bending moment on the coupling onto the rear crossmember with the SHS piece, tongue and TREG coupling?

[DoubleChevron]

Wow ... look how far that tongue is levered out ... You would have to derate the tow ratings by about 90% ... There was a similar setup last week on the lemons facebook group of the same setup with a VERY bent tongue as they had that setup with a full sized caravan

[Fluids]

... but the ball weight of the teardrop would be 2/5th of :)

[Rextheute]

Before you lop the end off .
jump on the Internet - Hayman Reece have their catalogue listed as a PDF file , measure what you require and match it .
Then you can have the pin hole further back and not have it touching the spare tyre . The leverage doesn't bother me so much , teardrop won't have a real effect , but if you were to tow something heavier it 'could have an effect '
also , modifying a tow hitch is possibly a no no - never give an insurance co an excuse .

Measurements are all listed so it's pretty straight forward .

ps , tell us more about your teardrop !

[Strop]

Ok, not sure now what I should do.


I would be redrilling the pin hole so that the tongue could be slid in as close to the bumper as possible?

Chris this is what I would like to do to bring it all in closer. Makes sense to me and I would have thought in my non technical brain stronger and less stress on all components.

Rextheute, Had a look at Hayman Reece site but not sure what I am looking for. Found one similar but not sure what it is telling me. Told you - non technical.
Not so worried about insurance companies, though perhaps I should be they are all .......

Some photos of the LR hitch with the purchased one.

I purchased the other hitch because when I originally built the teardrop I had a 2" drop axle so I could tow it behind my 2 Citroens (Hi Shane) and it was at the right height to look cool. Since I bought the Discovery I have flipped the drop axle to give it a 2" raise - easy ground clearance and I can still put the axle on the other side of the springs to get a bit more if needed. Hence the need for the hitch that sits higher. Cheaper than a Mitch Hitch.

The teardrop is not a lightweight unfortunately. I have probably over-engineered it. First time build. I am also rather large so built for my size (186cm).

You got me motivated so I went out and did some tongue weights and took it to a public weigh bridge to weight it fully setup. Fully setup (includes 85 litres of water, 150 AH Battery, 180W folding solar panels, 50 litre fridge, chairs, event 14 tent etc etc) it weights 1000kg. Weight over wheels 898 kg. Tongue weigh 102 kg. I put it on the scales before I went to the public weigh bridge and using bathroom scales I had a tongue weight of 105 kg with no water and 89kg with the water tank full. When I was towing it with my Citroen CX I towed it as setup now - just 4" lower. When towing it with my Citroen C5 I removed the Event 14 tent from the front box and placed it in the galley at rear and got the ball weight down to 70-75 kg. I have the spare wheel mounted underneath but as close to the axle as I could.

At the moment I just have cheap plastic drawers in the back. My original plan had me building proper cupboards and drawers but now just interested in taking it out rather than more woodwork. I should finish it as it was designed to have that extra weight at the back and it should lighten the tongue weight. Wife has said I should also so perhaps next thing to do.

We took it out for the first time behind the newly purchased Disco, 2 weekends ago. Dirt roads, corrugations & 5 river crossings (same crossing 5 times). For the first time found some issues with the teardrop. Dust - it gets in everywhere doesn't it. My doors seal up very well and never had a problem before but I did find dust leaks around the seals so going to have to add some more rubber. The front box also leaked dust but no rubber seals. When I got home I also found everything in the galley thrown around so I am going to have to do a few runs over corrugations to see if that was the problem or whether it was the river crossings that unsettled everything. It might also be a need to pack things differently.

The eye to eye springs are rated for 1000kg so that should be ok - it might need some shocks to stop bounce back. I did have some problems with the rear spring mount - we had put it too far forward and the spring was flattening out the back mount. I have since moved the mount back further, perhaps a bit too much as upright under full load. I not longer get it flattening out though.

So, all ply with a honeycomb walls filled with styrofoam and sandwiched with thinner ply to reduce weight. Covered in fibreglass sheeting. Underfloor storage (solar panels, bits and pieces and custom wine rack). The wine rack is now lined with kitty litter to protect the bottles and soak up and breakages - none so far.

I am having some trouble fitting struts to hold the hatch up - manual timber struts being used at this time. Didn't think this part of it out well enough during the planning stage.

Warm in the cold. Sub zero temps not an issue for keeping warm but as with all small enclosed spaces there is a bit/lot of condensation around the doors. Even happens with roof vent cracked open. We watched the internal temperature rise when last camping. Rose pretty quickly from our body heat even with the vent open. Now that I know dust can get in I know air can get in so perhaps sleeping with the vent closed will not be an issue.

Summer gets a bit hot. Originally fitted with a fantastic fan with the low power option about to be installed. I found that this worked fine on those hot nights with the windows open. Pulls air in over you. Wife not as comfortable. I have just recently bought a low powered fan for use on those hot summer nights to direct air straight onto the wife so she is comfortable. I can tell you that the transcool units do not work at the beach. Yet to go out to the dry to see if they work - I am thinking they will.

All the best

Laurie

[Rextheute]

http://www.haymanreese.com.au/2014-catalogue.pdf

Have a gander at page 13 , i think a 21126 hitch will be a good match .

ps, you need more wine ...... And the campers great !

[Strop]

I rang pro series, they are Hayman Reece. Bloke I spoke with said people have done it but it will void warranty. I would have thought if it was dangerous he would have said so.

Now to mates place for some cutting and drilling. Thank you.

I have never been able to empty the wine cellar on a trip. 🤣

Laurie

[Strop]

Now looks like this. Best $5 ever spent.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/07/495.jpg

[cjc_td5]

Now looks like this. Best $5 ever spent.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/07/495.jpg
Looks much better.
Don't forget the pin! 😁