a bit of a warning re hyland trailer couplings.

**abaddonxi** · 19th April 2007, 10:01 AM

Here's a page of descriptions for those of us who have no idea what you're talking about.

http://www.campertrailers.org/couplings.htm

Would I be right in saying that: because the load levellers stiffen the whole joint up, and because the Hyland hitch has the axes of rotation at two different points along the shank that all of the movement is transferred to the ball and socket join and since the Hyland has a socket that runs completely over the socket and runs flush to the tongue.

Take a breath.

So, a lot of pitch and roll that should be absorbed by the pivots is carried by the ball and socket, but the Hyland hitch doesn't allow enough movement of the ball and socket to absorb that movement.

From the Kedron page there is this:

They like a Hyland Hitch for this sort of use. It still uses a 50mm ball, but the ball is set on a higher shank than standard and the hitch allows a full 360 degree rotation as well as more than adequate articulation through gullies and creek crossings.

I wonder if the trailers that had problems had the higher shank, and if having a higher shank allows movement of the ball and socket.

Cheers
Simon

**incisor** · 19th April 2007, 12:53 PM

on the long shank 2 tonne ball, the levelers cause the hyland to lean over till it grabs the ball or shank and rips the crap out of the lip of the cup as it moves around, or gouges the ball if it is softer than the cup casing. it does it without the levellers on very heavy offroad use as well aparently.

this can be a slow or fast process depending on the environment and weight of the van etc etc

nothing really centers the cup except weight, it fully floats fore and aft.

on the 3 tonne ball it levers against the towbar and ball, slowly undoes the ball or rips it off or rips the crap out of the cup, depending on how many right and left turns you happen to make.

the fact that hyland now recommend the 2 tonne ball indicates to me that they are well aware of the problem and have a solution to help solve it, but that it doesnt help in all circumstances.

levellers start to be needed from 90kg ball weight and up behind many popular vehicles i am told.

and using the old 10% rule thats only a 900kg trailer weight...

that list is pretty much the peak user group for camper trailers in AU and i find it disturbing that they are not prepared to investergate something like this, other than to ring the supplier and ask if he knows of any problems :P

i sent the list owner a private email, with my mates email address so he could contact him as an independant third party and verify what i was saying. he never even had the curtesy to answer my email :P

i know of no other hitch design that can exhibit these problems, yet.

**seqfisho** · 19th April 2007, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by incisor

it isnt hard at all once you work it out :P

i remove the whole hitch from the drawbar, i get the missus to back the truck while i line it up... after a few initial practice runs we do it in no time flat most of the time now :P

padlock never comes off the at35 these days and i have modified a plastic bottle to put over the assembly to keep the crap out of it.

To be honest we really have very little problem either and they take alot of the shock transmission out of towing that you get with a ball connection.

What do you mean about a padlock Dave? what part is permanently locked?

I'm lucky enough to have two tounges one with the AT35 hitch and the other with a standard 50mm ball.

**seqfisho** · 19th April 2007, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by incisor

the fact that hyland now recommend the 2 tonne ball indicates to me that they are well aware of the problem and have a solution to help solve it, but that it doesnt help in all circumstances.

that list is pretty much the peak user group for camper trailers in AU and i find it disturbing that they are not prepared to investergate something like this, other than to ring the supplier and ask if he knows of any problems :P

i sent the list owner a private email, with my mates email address so he could contact him as an independant third party and verify what i was saying. he never even had the curtesy to answer my email :P

i know of no other hitch design that can exhibit these problems, yet.

I have seen a few hylands in operation and every one I saw had the cup angled over against the ball on either the LH or RH side, to me this means that the cup is wearing on the ball stem and or cup rim, it is not rocket science it has to wear

the other reason I declined the hyland and went the extra couple of $$ for the AT35 is that to remove any sloppyness in the coupling (ball and cup) you need to have it perfectly adjusted which to me means tight and that then works against the principal of having the smooth movement in the coupling, add to that dust, sand and corrugations etc and heavy ball weights you are just asking for trouble.

I would think the CT forum owners are just doing some CYA and looking after potential sponsors etc, if they were really serious they would put the damn forum on a decent service and not that stupid yahoo crap

**Utemad** · 19th April 2007, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by seqfisho

I would think the CT forum owners are just doing some CYA and looking after potential sponsors etc, if they were really serious they would put the damn forum on a decent service and not that stupid yahoo crap

I have a standard coupling on my camper trailer. Still don't know what to replace it with. I was thinking of the Hyland for ease of use. Like when we had to disconnect the trailer in soft sand (DI Point no.1 cutting) and turn the Disco around, spin the trailer around and reconnect. Would've been a real bitch with a Tregg or similar. Also thinking Orac for simpleness and low profile.

However this doesn't sound good. I was already sort of put off the Hyland just by looking at it. It just looks weak and complicated.

I don't bother with the campertrailer Yahoo thing either. It is just a PITA along with all the other lists. Unless I really really really want to know something and I have exhausted every other avenue.

**seqfisho** · 19th April 2007, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by Utemad

I have a standard coupling on my camper trailer. Still don't know what to replace it with.

Go for the AT35, you will never break one and they aren't really that hard to hitch up, they haven't caused any break ups between the missus and me yet and we did do a hook up one night on very uneven cut up ground, just nice and slow with good directions and we got it first attempt

**Utemad** · 19th April 2007, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by seqfisho

they haven't caused any break ups between the missus and me yet....... just nice and slow with good directions and we got it first attempt

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha

The first time I asked her to help me I hit the trailer before she said stop. Now she is scared and stops me a foot away

**abaddonxi** · 19th April 2007, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by seqfisho

Go for the AT35, you will never break one and they aren't really that hard to hitch up, they haven't caused any break ups between the missus and me yet and we did do a hook up one night on very uneven cut up ground, just nice and slow with good directions and we got it first attempt

Funny thing, same thing with my missus, and we haven't got a trailer.

Cheers
Simon

**Redback** · 11th December 2007, 06:45 AM

I found some info on this and it's the same theroy as abaddonxi had, apparently the tow ball for these is supposed to be higher than a standard towball, to keep the hitch off the tounge and give some clearence for locking it down.

Some owners of this hitch have been having their locks break on the locking mechinisim over rough roads, maybe this is what is causing this one with the hayman load leveler to undo the ball, the ball isn't high enough.

Baz.

**incisor** · 11th December 2007, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by Redback

I found some info on this and it's the same theroy as abaddonxi had, apparently the tow ball for these is supposed to be higher than a standard towball, to keep the hitch off the tounge and give some clearence for locking it down.

the ball gripping isn't solved by the higher shank on the ball, it does alleviate it to some degree but doesn't solve it. the ball can still rotate and jam under some situations.

not to mention the problem of people not being made aware of how dangerous these hitches are if you put load levellers on with them....

Thread: a bit of a warning re hyland trailer couplings.

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