Hitch advice

I fitted a bolt to my factory setup on one of my tow ponies.
Foward of the pin so it pushes up holding the ball end down.
I only use it in limited situations as I'm regularly swaping the tounge and tow receiver.
1 use for the bolt is our dog trailer.
The ball wieght is @30kg and it rattles, I'm going to re-chassis it moving the axle to the rear.
The only other time I bolt it tight is when on longer off road trips.
This is only to stop any movment as the hitch wieght changes over conservation mounds or cresting sand dunes etc..


Back the Op's post...
As I've said we swaped to a DO35.
I've used it on 2 trips and it did all it was supposed to testing it at the river crossing at the potato patch.
I've moved the van a couple of times at home and it is sooo easy to hook up.
Only down side is the plastic cord to save the cover if it falls off looks weak.
I may upgrade it to a steel one(fishing trace or 4mm electric wire).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

How do you guys find the hitch receivers on your cars.... I've noticed the slop in the receiver .... maybe 1/2mm becomes 3->4mm by the time you add a long tongue. They also rattle like buggery. I reckon the tongue being able to be moved a few millimeters in any direction effects stability of the caravan too.
seeya,
Shane L.

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My opinion is the height of your tyre sidewall is much more likely to induce movement. especially those huge offroad tyres fitted to vans these days. Those sidewall will flex inches! (and that just at the axle, add 3M and work out the movement at the tail!:o)

The hitch on my new work ute now has a piece of thin flat metal on 2 sides riveted to it to help stop the slop. Seems to work ok - I've towed the van around 600KM with it and it isn't noisy at all. It's like a more refined version of what Chops did with his.

If we decide to keep our van I will be swapping the Treg hitch for one of the new horizontal McHitchs. I know several people who have swapped over to them and they all think they are the best thing since sliced bread.

Mind you the McHitch / Treg conversion unit Tombie has shown in post #19 is a very affordable compromise worth considering.

Yeah, the DO35's looking good at the moment, but that's only because I haven't seen the other up close and personal yet. If I manage to find one in use, I may yet choose the McHitch.

Did you check out the McHitch conversion for a Treg that Tombie put an attachment up for Marcus?

Yeah I did Terry, but as before, I'd like to see it in the flesh.

I've been rather busy with family issues the last two months or so, so haven't been able to get out and about as such. Things are back to normal now, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can chase up where to get a gander at them.