Thread: D3 Tow Hitch

I'd be very surprized if it was the Simplicity suspension that is causing the swaying, I also have a Mitch hitch and our 2.5 ton van has Simplicity and there is no swaying.

Have you checked what your ball weight is both unloaded and fully loaded?

Anyone I have spoken with that tows a large van with a D3/4 have always been very happy with them towing, so chances are there is something in your set up that is not quite right.

I agree with Mowog though on just keeping it steady if you feel the van turning, counter steering only makes things worse in most cases.

cheers,
Terry

Ok I should qualify my comments about the simplicity suspension.

My van started life with 3 ton simplicity suspension. I towed it to Melbourne from Brisbane on the Simplicity. I had no problems with bad roads or cross winds or trucks the van never felt out of control but you defiantly knew it was there.

The Control Rider 3.5 Ton went on.

Bumps in the road that you feel in the car and then from the van when on the simplicity were very obvious. You could feel the van go over them just after the car.

On the Control Rider you don't feel the van when it goes over bumps its just simply amazing the difference. I was driving over roundabouts on a very tight section of road. I could see in my mirror the van putting wheels over them but I couldn't feel it.

The on road stability between the 2 is chalk and cheese and that covers conditions like cross winds and trucks and bad roads.

So from that perspective for me the stability issues improved not that it was bad its just that I never knew how good it could be.

Hi Terry I haven't been able to measure the ball weight when fully loaded but the plate lists a ball weight of 170kg which I think is a bit light for a tare of 2300kg. I have been tring to keep more weight over the axles or the front. the height of the van may be an issue as the combination of the simplicity suspensions height with the 6" chassis and a 2" raiser have made the van pretty tall. I have already swapped the 16" rims for 15" and swapped the airconditioner for a low profile unit. This put the overall height at approx 3m.
This was the reason I went for the Mitchel Bros hitch as the towball is at the level of the rear bumper. The standard LR hitch was about 7-8" to low when I went to pickup the van. So I do agree that the car isn't the problem, but I want to make the combination as easy to tow when I finally get do our lap of Oz (the sooner the better)

Regards David

Geeze David if your vans hitch height is at the centre of the Mitch hitch which is at the middle of the rear bumper then that is very high it would seem to me.

I don't know enough to be sure that what I'm saying is 100% correct, but I though the max legal ball height was around 550 mm. If that is correct then that is quite a bit lower then the middle of the rear bumper if I remember right.

My Jayco van is a tandem axle Outback which means it also has a 6" chassis plus the extra 2" Simplicity lift and 16" rims and quite tall A/T tyres but the bottom of the ball is quite a bit lower then the middle of the rear bar when the van sits level. I'm not keen on tow balls so I have a Trigg hitch which makes for smooth quite towing without any jerking.

Might be best to measure your ball height which from memory should be from the where the ball touches the A frame. I'd also check your ball weight when the van is loaded including full water tanks,

Your van does sound very high though and I thought mine had much taller then normal ground clearance.

Might be an idea to put up some picks of the van on the back of the D4 including the hitch etc.

cheers,
Terry

Originally Posted by TerryO

Geeze David if your vans hitch height is at the centre of the Mitch hitch which is at the middle of the rear bumper then that is very high it would seem to me.

I don't know enough to be sure that what I'm saying is 100% correct, but I though the max legal ball height was around 550 mm. If that is correct then that is quite a bit lower then the middle of the rear bumper if I remember right.

My Jayco van is a tandem axle Outback which means it also has a 6" chassis plus the extra 2" Simplicity lift and 16" rims and quite tall A/T tyres but the bottom of the ball is quite a bit lower then the middle of the rear bar when the van sits level. I'm not keen on tow balls so I have a Trigg hitch which makes for smooth quite towing without any jerking.

Might be best to measure your ball height which from memory should be from the where the ball touches the A frame. I'd also check your ball weight when the van is loaded including full water tanks,

Your van does sound very high though and I thought mine had much taller then normal ground clearance.

Might be an idea to put up some picks of the van on the back of the D4 including the hitch etc.

cheers,
Terry

Hi Terry
I will have the van out this weekend (to Dargo) so I will get some picks and measure the height of the ball with the van connected.
With the tongue in the hitch and car at std ride height the base of the ball - top of the tongue is approx 500mm without the van on.
I will need to find somewhere to get te ball weight measured. The Van 2960kg when I last measured, GVM is 2990kg

Regards David

Hi Terry, here are the pics of the D4 and van, after towing this weekend I agree that the van is the problem not the D4.
Went to Dargo over the weekend and the car had no trouble on the hills and windy roads, just on the highway where
the van had a bit of a sway at times. I did have the drivers side mirror fold in a times by passing trucks along with the swaying. Anyone recommend towing mirrors for the D4.
The height of the bottom of the tow ball measures 500mm.

Regards David

I fold my mirrors when I see a truck coming.