Snapped Hitch Receiver

[Briar]

Not mine, but have a friend who is towing his Quantum van with a 2016/17 D4 HSE. He is currently near Exmouth in WA

Last week he snapped his hitch Receiver whist towing at about 25km/h over some medium corrugations. Picture attached. I have never seen this happen before. He was stuck for a week whilst waiting to get a Mitch Hitch and attachments sent to him. He has allowed me to post images. He has towed van to Cape York and Fraser and went to WA via the Great Central Highway.

Has anyone else had experience with this. It's a concern as I also tow a van. If the standard Hitch Receiver has some inherent weakness I'll do something about mine as well. I do not want to get stranded somewhere with a snapped Hitch Receiver.

Snapped Receiver on left and new setup on right.

Trevor
HitchReceiverBroken.jpgMitchHitch.jpg

[trout1105]

With an extended hitch like that something has to fail.

[Konradical]

May be why LR specify a max off road towing of 1000kg. Saying that though, even my '89 RRC states that in the operator's manual.

[Briar]

With an extended hitch like that something has to fail.

I'd be pretty sure there are many other D4 owners who are using a McHitch which does extend the overhang a little. However, the Quantum is only 2500kg ATM so ball weight is about 250kg. There are plenty of people towing with a ball weight of 350kg which is what the D4 is rated to. Even with the extension of the McHitch over a standard ball the weight on the Hitch Receiver would still be around the 250-300kg mark max.

[trout1105]

I'd be pretty sure there are many other D4 owners who are using a McHitch which does extend the overhang a little. However, the Quantum is only 2500kg ATM so ball weight is about 250kg. There are plenty of people towing with a ball weight of 350kg which is what the D4 is rated to. Even with the extension of the McHitch over a standard ball the weight on the Hitch Receiver would still be around the 250-300kg mark max.

It's not the weight doing the damage it is the "Leverage" that a long hitch setup like this that will do the damage.
Keeping the towball weight as close to the vehicle as possible is the Best option.

[Briar]

May be why LR specify a max off road towing of 1000kg. Saying that though, even my '89 RRC states that in the operator's manual.

Got a point there Konrad. I don't know exactly what level off "off road" the hitch has been subject to in the past but I guess Fraser and Cape York qualify (although I don't know which road was used to cape york.

[Tombie]

It's not the weight doing the damage it is the "Leverage" that a long hitch setup like this that will do the damage.
Keeping the towball weight as close to the vehicle as possible is the Best option.

Not in this case mate...

The one that failed - was factory - with factory overhang.

The length of the hitch from Pin to Van is not relevant as the leverage to the van wheels doesn’t matter at that resolution.

The MCHitch has 3.5t on many a D4 etc zipping around the country without issue.

[trout1105]

The factory hitch is designed so that the van, trailer or boat is hooked up to the towball.
Adding another hitch onto the towball and extending it "Has" to put added strain onto the hitch.

[101RRS]

It's not the weight doing the damage it is the "Leverage" that a long hitch setup like this that will do the damage.
Keeping the towball weight as close to the vehicle as possible is the Best option.

I think you are getting confused between the old standard tow hitch which broke and the new arrangement which is shown with the van attached. Yes the new arrangement is long with the hitch, the tow bar, coupling and then gear on the van - but it is on a Mitchell Bros tow bar, a very different arrangement to the broken standard hitch.

To tow that van with using the standard LR hitch what changes would you suggest.

I suspect the LR hitch (plough) has taken a solid hit on a rock or something at some stage and a small crack has occurred which has grown due metal fatigue when towing and finally broken. Looking at the break, it is certainly not a fresh break with the crack being there sometime before finally breaking.

Garry

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Its not the length from the hitch to wherever,,
its the length from the rear axle to the ball,

Any type of trailer is towed better when the trailer hitch is closest to the tow vehicles rear axle.
Both sway and pitch are reduced in magnitude the closer you get.