Towbar Height

**TerryO** · 26th August 2014, 09:39 AM

Barry this what they refer to when off road towing is discussed,

Off-Road Couplings (Non-50mm ball type)
Off-Road couplings are designed for use where high degrees of articulation are required. Some use a separate pin to connect, whilst others use a built in locking mechanism. Many have polyurethane components to absorb shocks.

All of these couplings are required to incorporate a positive locking mechanism plus a separate means of retaining this mechanism in the locked position. This locking must be readily verifiable by visual examination.

The use of tools to engage or disengage is not allowed on couplings up to 3500kg.

Both parts of the coupling must be marked with the Manufacturers name or trademark, the words “use with model (identified model)” and the maximum allowable trailer ATM i.e. 3500kg at which the coupling is rated.

**Redback** · 26th August 2014, 11:26 AM

That part I get Terry, but what is considered OFFROAD, is the Birdsville Track offroad and if a gazetted road is not classed as offroad, then any track in any area in Australia marked on a map is not offroad.

This means if you pull off the road with a van over 1000kg attached to your 4WD, it's now illegal

Because you are now OFF the ROAD

**TerryO** · 26th August 2014, 11:38 AM

Sorry I don't get where your coming from Barry, where does it say anything over 1000 kg is illegal to be towed off road?

DiscoMick · 26th August 2014, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by Redback

That part I get Terry, but what is considered OFFROAD, is the Birdsville Track offroad and if a gazetted road is not classed as offroad, then any track in any area in Australia marked on a map is not offroad.

This means if you pull off the road with a van over 1000kg attached to your 4WD, it's now illegal

Because you are now OFF the ROAD

No, because you're almost certainly in the road reserve, which is normally much wider than the constructed road, so if you're in the road reserve, you're not off-road.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using AULRO mobile app

**ADMIRAL** · 26th August 2014, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by TerryO

Sorry I don't get where your coming from Barry, where does it say anything over 1000 kg is illegal to be towed off road?

The LR manual under 'towing', states Maximum permissible towed weights - off road , trailers with overrun brakes 1000kg.

Again you would need a definition of off road from LR.

**TerryO** · 26th August 2014, 10:55 PM

Stating something is a restiction in a LR book doesn't make it illegal, it just gives the distributor a potential excuse to void warranty if something goes wrong and brakes. As the D4 is four years old there is no warranty so who cares what the LR manual says.

As I have said before you take your chances and accept the responsibiity if something goes wrong.

**Redback** · 27th August 2014, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by TerryO

Sorry I don't get where your coming from Barry, where does it say anything over 1000 kg is illegal to be towed off road?

In your owners manual Terry!!

**TerryO** · 27th August 2014, 01:40 PM

You reckon it says its illegal?

Tombie · 27th August 2014, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by TerryO

You reckon it says its illegal?

Exceeding a manufacturers specification certainly is

**TerryO** · 27th August 2014, 02:31 PM

Ok so it was illegal for me to tow my 2.5 ton caravan off road when I lived on a farm? Or when bush camping on private property, which I have a number of times? Or similar?

I may be wrong but my understanding is Off road means off road, not off bitumen road or on made made dirt roads or tracks on public land or even on public land without tracks. A fenced and gated rural farm property is also off road as well, so is private fenced and gated bush property's they are also considered off road.

You can drive an unregistered uninsured vehicle on a farm or privately owned bush property and it's not illegal so what makes towing a van over 1000 kg with your Disco on the same off road property's Illegal?

So again does the hand book say its illegal?

Thread: Towbar Height

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