High low adapter needed for rv to raise hitch height when. Trailer ball mounts have 3 key measurements length, rise and drop. Raise or lower the hitch height to accommodate what youre towing. If the opposite is true than you need your ball mount in the drop position. Check trailer is locked on ball hitch by raising the jack back of the vehicle should. I need to raise the towball height as my twin axled trailer is a bit nose downlooking to raise it around 50mm or so. To correctly set a caravan for towing, use a height adjustable hitch picture 01. Boat trailers often vary by tire size though, the key is often to get the boat as low as possible, this means that the tongue is often pretty low. Raise the front of the trailer and rear of the tow vehicle approximately 69 with tongue jack. Getting the right rv toad tow bar height posted by.
Jul 30, 20 anyway im now reading the best way to level the van is to fit a thulewas brink 4089 as this raises the ball height. May 03, 2017 check trailer is locked on ball hitch by raising the jack back of the vehicle should raise. It is at a point four or five feet behind the axle. You can find the right ball mount for you at any of our uhaul stores or in our online store. The top of the tow ball is about 480 mm above the ground with the trailer hitched, with a nose weight of about 70kg. Youll have to measure the distance from the ground to the centre of the tow ball. This will depend on the hitch used and the height of the trailer coupler. Then measure from the ground to the top of the hitch receiver and add 3 inches to accommodate the height of the ball. Mar 05, 2015 use under mounted springs underslung to lower the frame height and over mounted springs overslung to raise the frame height. The tow behind trailers big weak spot is the point that it is hitched to the tow vehicle. The difference between a towball height of 510mm on a long suspension travel vehicle and a fully laden caravan or trailer with a. To choose a ball mount with the correct rise and drop, youll first need to take two measurements. If your coupler height is greater than your hitch height, youll need a ball mount with a rise. Towball heights pf jones witter tow bars, westfalia.
Your tow ball height should be such that the trailer sits level when fitted to the tow vehicle. As you can imagine, the hitch on the dakota was inverted in order to raise the ball to the correct towing height. Everything you need to know about your trailer hitch. Measurement from bottom of plate that sits on tongue to under head is 55mm. Tow vehicle uncoupled ball height should be set 1 higher than coupler height measured in step 2, to allow for vehicle squat when coupled to trailer. The simple way to determine how high to tee your driver shots.
Suzuki would only fit their preferred tow bar which could not accommodate the stabilizer, hence i. Add 1 to the measurement from step 2 and record here. Apr 27, 2012 the standard height of a tow ball should be 400450mm when the caravan is connected. The tow vehicle and trailer must be as straight and inline as possible. Ensure the hitch ball is completely inside the coupler socket and close the coupler ball latch if it is not yet closed. To correctly set a caravan for towing, use a heightadjustable hitch picture 01. Make sure a hitch pin is properly securing the ball mount to the receiver hitch before you begin towing.
Low towbar height rav 4 club toyota owners club toyota. The rise or drop afforded by flipping the hitch shank so the step is up or down can change trailer tongue height by three inches or more, depending on the design. How to hook to a trailer with a ball hitch trailering smart. The ability to adjust the height of your tow ball allows you to maintain a level stance of pretty much anything you tow, making for a. A high rise towball is a must for towing englisheuropean imported caravans which have the aks3004 stabilizer coupling fitted. How do i know how high the ball should sit above the ground. Therefore you must check the rating of the towbar and the vehicles rated towing capacity which is included in the towing section of the cars handbook. This will tell you how many inches youll need to raise the receivers hitch. These cm trailers towballs are especially designed to be used on nz fixed tongue 75mm wide these 50mm towballs and locking plates are a manufacturers madatory requirement for use with the imported european caravans fitted with the alko aks stabiliser couplings. A device on the trailer that is used to raise and lower the trailer. I think the legal requirements are that you must have a weight on the towball of between 15kg and 100kg.
Towing a trailer hook up a trailer popular mechanics. You must keep this distance in mind when youre trying to get your caravan to sit level on the ground. How to select the correct ball mount for your hitch uhaul blog. We know your concerns,that is so important that a high quality towbar to the drivers outdoor activities, compared to conventional towbar,in the forging process,the liquid. On the other hand, if they need to put it on the fairway, they tend to lower the tee height. If the tow ball is at 350mm on a fully laden vehicle and the trailer coupling is at 510 mm on an empty trailer, the difference in height is extreme. I am in dispute with my tow bar fitter and westfalia on the ball height on my recently fitted tow bar. If your coupler height is greater, use a ball mount with a rise. When calculating the necessary drop or rise hitch height, you will need to know. If you have an adjustable tow ball assembly, simply lower the tow ball on the.
The drawing shows a height, when measured to the centre of the tow ball of 350mm to 420mm vehicle loaded. This trailer coupling is different to what is used in new zealand and reduces caravan sway when towing. Note some manufacturers quote different downloads for the same tongue when it is in the up and down positions. My understanding of this is that if you took a short piece of wood and put it under the drawbar on the caravan and you put a scale on the ground under the piece of wood it should read between 15kg and 100kg. Its a 3000kg trailer towed by a 3500kg van so not even considering using a. Fourth, now engage the leveling mechanism on your hitch and check to see if the tt is level, by measuring from the frame to the ground at the front and back. If you have a tow vehicle with soft rear suspension, fit adjustable pressure airbags so it sits level before the van is attached. We have just bought a new suzuki grand vitara but an older caravan, a 93 coachman mirage 3502, which came with a bulldog stabilizer. I have an alco kober tow bar fitted to a low ride fiat chassis my question is the height to the top of the 50mm ball is only 34cm from the ground and i need the height to be approx 44cm as i have a 4 wheel trailer to give me the correct ride height.
Before towing, always be aware of your vehicles weight limitations. Always tow with your hitch ball adjusted to the correct height for the trailer being towed. I believe when you load your trailer and it looks parallel to the truck and road, as you stated, the ball height will almost definitely be 1712. The difference between them will be your rise or drop. In europe the tow ball height and trailer hitch height are covered by ec directive 9420ec titled. Repeat this process if the loading of your trailer changes, or. Trailer at right height to hook up before backing under. Do not tow your trailer through profound ditches, dips, or swales where the ball mount could impact the ground. Check trailer is locked on ball hitch by raising the jack back of the vehicle should raise. Try driving back and forth a little bit to make sure that everything is secured and that nothing. Having said that, modern caravans tend to have a higher hitch height than in days gone by so the problem should not arise. Prior to the eec trailer and hitch manufacturers worked to a centre tow ball height of 14 355mm.
Wilk and the current jurgens range is 400 mm from the ground to the top of the towball. For instance, if your hitch height is 15 inches and your coupler height is 10 inches, youll need a ball mount with a 5inch drop. How to select the correct ball mount for your hitch u. Suspension enhancements will raise the rear of your tow vehicle time for reading. You should have a 2 inch ball hitch for towing your scamp. May 21, 2020 to tow a trailer, use the tongue jack to raise the trailer and align it with the ball. Your vehicles towing capacity can usually be found in the owners manual, on the manufacturers website, or on the driver side door sticker. Height to top of westfalia detachable towball skoda yeti. If you lift up with your hands and wrists, the driver head will go right over the ball and it will be left in place. Suspension enhancements will raise the rear of your tow vehicle.
A fixed tongue hitch includes the ball platform, while a receiver style. Prior to 2005, most foot trailers used a 1 and 78 inch ball. According to the australian design rules, the tow ball height should be anywhere between 350 mm and 460 mm from the ground. How do you know you are hauling at the right tongue height. Tow ball high rise 50mm 1 12 lift 3500kg caravan trailer. When pros want to get more distance off the tee, they tend to tee it up higher.
Bolton hitch permanent undercar hitch a device which attaches directly to the tow vehicle providing the connection between the tow vehicle and the trailer. If the rear end of the car goes down more than about 20mm when you connect the van, something is wrong and you wont fix it with a raise plate. Attachment of coupling balls and towing brackets 2. The class iv rating adjustable ball mount offer a 10,000 lb. Do not tow your trailer on excessively rough roads. While most trailers do vary, id have to say the average tow height of most is about 18. Height to top of westfalia detachable towball sign in to follow this.
Drawtite ball mount for 2 hitches 234 rise, 4 drop 9 long 7. Now, the hitch will need to have a drop in order to get the trailer level. How to increase height of trailer hitch ball to allow boat. Select your year, make, model and engine to find those that fit your vehicle. To find the proper hitch height for your travel trailer, follow these steps. Jul 21, 2005 one subject that interests me is towball height. As you start your swing, try to use the head of your driver to roll the ball back away from the tee. Some are telling us we need a new tow bar fitted and others say a drop plate. Determine the target uncoupled ball height for the tow vehicle 4. Unlock the hitch lock, then lower the trailer onto the ball and secure the tongue.
If the adjusted towing height falls between two adjustment holes, choose the lower of the two. The sliding section is also adjusted via the pullout pin, lifting or lowering it to the correct height and reinstalling the pin in one of the seven height slots. Tow ball high rise 50mm 1 12 lift 3500kg caravan trailer towbar raise l2h. With the tow vehicle parked on level ground, measure from the ground to the top of your. Au 4000kg adjustable height tow hitch 50mm ball towbar drop mount. Jeff jenkins, uhauls towing expert, suggests using 18 inches as the trailer height in step two if you plan to tow a uhaul trailer, as this is the standard coupler height for uhaul trailers.
The length is the distance from the center of the ball hole to the center of the pin hole. With your trailer on its jack on a level surface, measure up from the ground to ascertain what the correct ball height is and then measure up from the ground at the back of your tow vehicle to calculate what your drop needs to be to make that so. Dec 21, 2016 even if the ball is even with the sweet spot, you will have to have the sole of the club on the turf at impact, which is a difficult position to reach consistently. Figuring out your caravan tow ball weight is much easier than you may think. Fasten the safety chains, crisscrossing these underneath to form a. Everything you need to know about your trailer hitch davis. Setting up a hitch for the perfect tow trailering boatus magazine. So even though youre within the permissible range, the difference is still high. Never exceed the manufacturers tow rating, hitch rating or hitch ball rating. Raise the ball holder to the adjusted towing height, and re. Au 4000kg adjustable height tow hitch 50mm ball towbar drop mount tongue trailer. How to determine the proper hitch height for a travel trailer.
This will give as much as 300mm in height variation by having it inserted into the receiver hitch, or rotated 180. Suzuki would only fit their preferred tow bar which could not accommodate the stabilizer, hence i had a witter towbar fitted. Dont confuse towing a trailer with driving a carthey only look the same. Autozone carries hundreds of thousands of parts and accessories. As i have stated before iw, suggests that the optimal ball height is 1712 from the ground to the centre of the ball and the trailers should be loaded correctly, given the correctish nose weight. The unique design of this adjustable ball mount allow you to adjust height, rotate ball size or stow under the vehicle. Determine the target uncoupled ball height for tow vehicle 4. Towball heights pf jones witter tow bars, westfalia towbars. Unfortunately i was unable to check the ball height prior to the truck swap.
Be sure your hitch and tow vehicle are rated for the gross vehicle. Coupler height b hitch height a rise d select a ball mount with a drop c or rise d measurement that is closest to the difference between your hitch and coupler heights. Third, adjust the height of the ball on your hitch so that when the trailer is just set on the ball, the trailer depresses the same distance that was measured in the preceding step. Suspension enhancements will raise the rear of your tow. The ball mount is placed inside the opening of the receiver hitch which is mounted to the vehicle. Details about tow ball high rise 50mm 1 12 lift 3500kg caravan trailer towbar raise l2h. The standard height of a tow ball should be 400450mm when the caravan is connected. Instead of bringing your caravan in to us you can even have a go at following our easy steps below firstly, you can figure out the tow ball weight by weighing the back of your car. Be knowledgable about your vehicles towing capacity. It has a tow bar fitted, but this appears to have only two rows of holes for the tow ball and it is in the lowest one. This requires a ball with a 1inch diameter shank such. As a guide the centre of the tow ball should be between 400mm and 450mm from the road surface when measured on level ground with the trailer on the vehicle.
Bear in mind that this height will be affected when weight such as occupants and holiday gear is loaded into the car. Use under mounted springs underslung to lower the frame height and over mounted springs overslung to raise the frame height. The ball hitch height on the tow vehicle should be about 18 inches high for the foot trailer and 21 inches high for the 16 foot trailer. Details about adjustable height tow hitch 50mm ball towbar drop mount tongue trailer 4wd car. Have just tried it with my brian james clubman 4 wheel trailer towing a caterham and the tow ball is too high for the trailer to sit level the rear wheels of the trailer are clearly taking more load than the fronts. Cross the safety chains to the hooks near the vehicle hitch, making sure there is enough slack in the chains but not so much that they drag on the ground.
It is better to tow with the trailer level, or with the tongue angled slightly downward. Adjustable height tow hitch 50mm ball towbar drop mount. Jul 28, 2010 if the towing vehicle was registered before 1st august 1998, it is permissable to fit a drop plate in order to achieve a nose down attitude for the caravan. Different ball mounts can be used to raise or lower the height of the ball to allow for level trailer towing. Understanding all about tow ball height caravan chronicles. You can select a different ball mount for your hitch that gives you additional height rise by using the link provided at right. The main reason for this is the car, a skoda octavia scout, that has a raised ride height compared to the standard octavia. A drop plate must never be used to raise the height of the tow ball. If you use your daily driver for occasional light towing, we discuss inexpensive suspension products that will boost the vehicles rear ride height back to where it should be. I am now reading the thule website that the 4089 is not suitable for tyre size 2157016, but ok for 2356016, and im being told its because the towball falls outside the 350420mm range. The difference between a towball height of 510mm on a long suspension travel vehicle and a fully laden caravan or trailer with a coupling height of 385 will be 125mm. The difference between a towball height of 350mm and a vehicle fully laden with a coupling height of 510mm on an unladen caravan or trailer is 170mm. Jun 15, 2011 this type of hitch permits the user to rotate the towbar tongue 180, raising or lowering ball height by around 75100mm. Apr 21, 2015 suspension enhancements will raise the rear of your tow vehicle time for reading.