off road hitch

[weeds]

soon i will be getting my sisters camper trailer ready for the high country

i will need to fit an off road hitch......i'm guessing the treg seems to be a popular choice, is there any other brands that i should look

[incisor]

any of the usual culprits will do the job, i prefer the at35 myself but the others do a fine job as well and can be cheaper...

[Reads90]

Here is the one we have on Out camper. Pretty cheap as they go and really good and fine. We used it to its full use, and can keep the normal tow hitch on the car

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/01/1403.jpg

[Bigbjorn]

Pintle hook and lunette is the way to go. Easy to align when hooking up. Less likelihood of trailer theft. Plenty of articulation. A Land Rover and camp trailer will not break this combination.

[PhilipA]

What sort of car?
The Obriens ORAC hitch or Queensland Caravan Accessories gives best ground clearance and tailgate opening on RRC., as it is "flat". They are also the only ones which can go 360degrees in either direction.
If you do not care about clearance and the height of the hitch a TREG is great.
Or for ease of hitching the Hyland as shown.
On my RRC I have found the ORAC type to be best as I can have the tongue in the high position and still open the tailgate without touching the coupling.
Regard sPhilip A

[weeds]

Pintle hook and lunette is the way to go. Easy to align when hooking up. Less likelihood of trailer theft. Plenty of articulation. A Land Rover and camp trailer will not break this combination.


good point, i do have a pintle hook already, didn'y think to just get the ring



What sort of car?


95 defender

[Reads90]

The thing i do like about my tow hitch is i can just put it on any car.
The neigbour borrowed it and put it behind his Rav and i have taken to places behind the Falcon. Just makes life a bit easyer

[JohnR]

We too have the Hyland hitch and love it as said you don't need a special ball so it can go on any vehicle. My only issue which I have ment to take up with the manufacture is that it does not seem to be centred exactly on the ball, therefor as you brake or accelerate the hitch rocks backwards or forwards and "clunks". I don't think it should?

Cheers,

[Larry]

Pintle hook and lunette is the way to go. Easy to align when hooking up. Less likelihood of trailer theft. Plenty of articulation. A Land Rover and camp trailer will not break this combination.

X2.:thumbsup:

[incisor]

We too have the Hyland hitch and love it as said you don't need a special ball so it can go on any vehicle. My only issue which I have ment to take up with the manufacture is that it does not seem to be centred exactly on the ball, therefor as you brake or accelerate the hitch rocks backwards or forwards and "clunks". I don't think it should?

Cheers,

the very reasons i dislike them....

they do need a special ball to work correctly. ;)

imho the basic design is flawed and allows the cup to wear at the lips amongst other things.

many have been known to lean over that much they jam on the ball and undo it, especially if using a std tow ball instead of the longer shanked 2.5 tonne version.

sure they are convenient and most of the time they behave just fine, but are too easy to use incorrectly. many idiots use them with load levellers.

one of my clients, an ex police forensic automotive engineer, has / had some nice examples of ones gone bad he showed me once when i rolled up to buy one.

he always recommended the orac btw.

[harlie]

Here is the one we have on Out camper. Pretty cheap as they go and really good and fine. We used it to its full use, and can keep the normal tow hitch on the car

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/01/1403.jpg

BE VERY CAREFULL WITH THE HIGHLAND HITCH. You must use a special tow ball with a longer collar or there is a chance (many reported cases) that it will bind on the ball (there is nothing ensuring that the socket remains square to the tongue) and turn the ball undoing the nut underneath. Some are lucky to notice that the tow ball is loose when unhitching at the destination – some don’t make it....

Even with the longer collar they wear the internal locking mechanism extremely quickly due to the same square alignment problem.

I personally think they are a brilliant idea and agree with the reasons above for wanting the Hyland hitch but I won’t use one.

[harlie]

i will need to fit an off road hitch......i'm guessing the treg seems to be a popular choice, is there any other brands that i should look

Hi Kelvin

After reading your spring thread (quote from below) and I asume that this is the same trailer - I have to ask if you need an offroad hitch. A heavy duty 50mm ball and coupling is fine unless you require the articulation for serious off road tracks – and save $300...

just my 2c


its an onroad trailer, won't really be doing too much offroad stuff, will be doing plenty of dirt roads though

[cockie55]

If Hyland is used with a 50mm 3.5 tonne longer collared ball the problems Insisor mentions don't occur. There is a ball warning sticker on the hitch which people seem to ignore. This is a great hitch and has never let me down.

[Reads90]

If Hyland is used with a 50mm 3.5 tonne longer collared ball the problems Insisor mentions don't occur. There is a ball warning sticker on the hitch which people seem to ignore. This is a great hitch and has never let me down.

Agreed

[incisor]

If Hyland is used with a 50mm 3.5 tonne longer collared ball the problems Insisor mentions don't occur. There is a ball warning sticker on the hitch which people seem to ignore. This is a great hitch and has never let me down.

the unscrewing the ball problem occurs way less often but does still occur esp with ball weights in excess of 90kg and the wear at the cup lips still occurs but again occurs more quickly the heavier the ball weight. and we wont mention the swivel housing problems...

not to mention that it also doesn't solve the problems with people using them incorrectly by using load levellers with them either....

nice idea i agree, but some people pay a big price for that little bit of convenience.

[weeds]

Hi Kelvin

After reading your spring thread (quote from below) and I asume that this is the same trailer - I have to ask if you need an offroad hitch. A heavy duty 50mm ball and coupling is fine unless you require the articulation for serious off road tracks – and save $300...

just my 2c



figured it would be safest to fit one just incase i need/choose to drive down a track that need articulation

[cockie55]

the unscrewing the ball problem occurs way less often but does still occur esp with ball weights in excess of 90kg and the wear at the cup lips still occurs but again occurs more quickly the heavier the ball weight. and we wont mention the swivel housing problems...

not to mention that it also doesn't solve the problems with people using them incorrectly by using load levellers with them either....

nice idea i agree, but some people pay a big price for that little bit of convenience.

Incisor is spot on BUT these are issues attached to incorrect fitting/setup and use of the Hyland. For instance I would not use a Hyland and go straight to a AT35 or Treg if hitch and draw bar heights were different and for extreme use the AT35 or pintel/hook. Weeds for your offraod use and multi vehicle needs the Hyland would be ideal.

[roverrescue]

Regarding the "need" for an off road hitch, I too wonder at the requirement.

My boat trailer has been dragged behind the disco and now the 130 for the past 6 years over pretty much every road and track north of Cooktown. Not once has it suffered from being a standard 50mm ball hitch. The only thing that may be to its advantage is the axle is ~4m from the hitch such that articulation angles are less pronounced than on a short box trailer.

Maybe give it a go first and see how it behaves?

Steve

[weeds]

Regarding the "need" for an off road hitch, I too wonder at the requirement.

My boat trailer has been dragged behind the disco and now the 130 for the past 6 years over pretty much every road and track north of Cooktown. Not once has it suffered from being a standard 50mm ball hitch. The only thing that may be to its advantage is the axle is ~4m from the hitch such that articulation angles are less pronounced than on a short box trailer.

Maybe give it a go first and see how it behaves?

Steve

yep good point.......might drag it out to a friends farm and see how it goes

[DiscoTDI]

I have what is called an American style off road hitch (I cant find another name for it), depending on the load rating of the trailer, I have found it to serve me well and is easy to hook up as well. I believe they are cheaper than a treg too.

http://www.camelgroup.com.au/upload2/upload_pic/Bushman%20G2.jpg

Its a simple and effective design

[wardy1]

I have an O'briens camper and thus, the Orac hitch. It's brilliant! Easy to back up to, no long thread underneath (as with the Treg) and it's greasable:). The only things we've had a problem with are the D2 diff (broke that) and a shackle on the trailer (broke that too). The fact we've had these problems should give some indication of the places we drag our camper ;) and i've never had a concern about the trailer getting bound up on the hitch etc.
Not a cheap hitch I believe but hey, like all things in the 4wd world, you get what you pay for.

[justinc]

Kelvin,

Our Cape York Trailer came with an AT35, it is easy to hitch up, and has never been a problem in all the places we've taken it. Believe me, it HAS been some silly places during our 'testing' trials:twisted:

JC

[101 Ron]

jayco2005campervanhawk26122007001.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting (http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p299/101Ron/?action=view&current=jayco2005campervanhawk26122007001.jpg)

[incisor]

I have what is called an American style off road hitch

it's an orac ... ;)

[DiscoTDI]

it's an orac ... ;)
I knew that:angel:

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I knew that:angel:


:Rolling:

[Redback]

Regarding the "need" for an off road hitch, I too wonder at the requirement.

My boat trailer has been dragged behind the disco and now the 130 for the past 6 years over pretty much every road and track north of Cooktown. Not once has it suffered from being a standard 50mm ball hitch. The only thing that may be to its advantage is the axle is ~4m from the hitch such that articulation angles are less pronounced than on a short box trailer.

Maybe give it a go first and see how it behaves?

Steve


yep good point.......might drag it out to a friends farm and see how it goes

The Vic High Country tracks have some big errosion humps and the standard ball hitch just doesn't have the movement needed to cope with the angles of these humps, which can be 30 deg and over.

It's not worth the risk mate, don't want to spoil a good holiday.

Go the Pintle hook, seeing as you already have one.

Baz.

[BigJon]

Has anyone got pics of the orac and at35 hitches? I don't know what they are. I am familiar with the treg hitch.

[DiscoTDI]

This is an Orac
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/01/66.jpg

[DiscoTDI]

This is an AT35

http://www.totaltravel.com.au/photos/trackabout/offroadhitch-large.jpg

[BigJon]

Thanks.

The only downfall I see with both of those hitches is the extra leverage created by putting the vertical pivot point rearward of the ball mount. I guess a Treg hitch does the same.

[weeds]

thanks for the tips........but plans have changed, its only the boys and myself going to the high country so will not be taking the camper trailer