MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: BUNDYMARK on August 04, 2013, 11:25:45 PM
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Hello everyone,
We are looking into purchasing our first camper and was after some information as to which hitch is better.I had read that the poly block can be a pain to unhitch if the camper is not on level ground.
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They all have pros and cons. Make sure it's genuine. Not a Chinese rip off.
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Can't go wrong with the VC built DO35
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Hello everyone,
We are looking into purchasing our first camper and was after some information as to which hitch is better.I had read that the poly block can be a pain to unhitch if the camper is not on level ground.
We have a poly block type hitch on our camper and I agree with the comment about being difficult to hitch and unhitch when not on level ground. It can be a real pain and i reckon I will replace it with something different as soon as we finish our current trip. Not quite sure what type of hitch I'll go with so will be interested to see the replies here.
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Hi,
We also have D035 and very happy with it.
Cheers
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Have a look at this thread
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=14621.0 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=14621.0)
GG
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We currently have a high land hitch. Now some may say there an old design and yes they are but why modify something that works fine. It utilises the standard 50mm ball but you will need to get a raised ball which is cheap.
The reason I haven't changed hitches is mainly because we tow other trailers and that way we don't have to constantly changes couplings over.
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My CT has an Ozhitch......... I reckon it's great :cup:
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We currently have a high land hitch. Now some may say there an old design and yes they are but why modify something that works fine. It utilises the standard 50mm ball but you will need to get a raised ball which is cheap.
The reason I haven't changed hitches is mainly because we tow other trailers and that way we don't have to constantly changes couplings over.
x2
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Have a look at this thread
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=14621.0 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=14621.0)
GG
X2
You beat me to it, I was just about to go looking for that thread.
;D
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The reason I haven't changed hitches is mainly because we tow other trailers and that way we don't have to constantly changes couplings over.
I have two hitches for the towbar square receiver socket - one for the DO35 and one fitted with a 50mm ball. So changing from the camper to a borrowed trailer is just a matter of swapping the hitch.
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We currently have a high land hitch. Now some may say there an old design and yes they are but why modify something that works fine. It utilises the standard 50mm ball but you will need to get a raised ball which is cheap.
The reason I haven't changed hitches is mainly because we tow other trailers and that way we don't have to constantly changes couplings over.
x3
I've said this many times, but the only people who bag the Hyland are those who have never owned one.
I have two hitches for the towbar square receiver socket - one for the DO35 and one fitted with a 50mm ball. So changing from the camper to a borrowed trailer is just a matter of swapping the hitch.
That's fair enough, but if you have a choice of what hitch you use, why not get one that doesn't require you to change anything?
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McHitch for me. Works extremely well Offroad and hitching or unhitching pretty easy. Just another honest opinion
Cheers
Frank
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Just bought a McHitch. Yet to use but it came highly recommended.
KB
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DO35 for me........
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x3
I've said this many times, but the only people who bag the Hyland are those who have never owned one.
That's fair enough, but if you have a choice of what hitch you use, why not get one that doesn't require you to change anything?
x4
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Just bought a DO 35 to replace the old AT 35 on our camper. The AT 35 is a pin type like the poly block and was a real pain to get out in sand or on uneven ground. I haven't tried it out yet but reckon the new one should be much easier as you can just wind the jockey wheel to release the hitch.
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DO35 :cup:
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I'll put a vote up for ozhitch, has been really good. I also think a good thing to do is buy a hitch that not everyone has, so its not as easy to steal ;)
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A poly block style came on my 08 Camel Discovery
It was a little tricky at times, but much much better now I have a rachet style jockey wheel.
Unable to comment on others as I've had none of them
Cheersr
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
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Bundymark, keep in mind everyone will be like 'I'm SOO Happy!' with the hitch they have just purchased (or been sold ;) ), even if they have never. ever. used any other kind of hitch
Also consider that mud, dirt and stone strike/gravel rash can wreak havoc with delicate sliding plates, machined pins and the plastic shrouds that some hitches feature.
(http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii518/GTCampers/GT%20Campers%20promo%20pics/IMG_7850_zps10887068.jpg) (http://s1257.photobucket.com/user/GTCampers/media/GT%20Campers%20promo%20pics/IMG_7850_zps10887068.jpg.html)
Compatibility with a standard tow-ball is an asset (a must for me personally) as it allows carriage by other vehicles in a recovery or emergency
Balls are also often easier to line-up (compared to pin types) when hitching, although that is not much of an issue if you simply leave the car attached when camping. And you can't lose the pin.
TBH, a stock standard trailer hitch can go a LONG way off-road so maybe start with that and 'upgrade' later if actual situations deem it necessary.
Hope this helps
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TBH, a stock standard trailer hitch can go a LONG way off-road so maybe start with that and 'upgrade' later if actual situations deem it necessary.
True hey ... a standard tow ball hitch will work very nicely, most of the time. If I was to choose differently I'd more than likely go with the Hyland hitch, although the reasonably new to the market AL-KO off road coupling looks interesting. It works similarly to the Hyland style.
Its this puppy ... http://www.alko.com.au/uploads/2008/12/Off-Road-Coupling-Fitting-Instructions.pdf (http://www.alko.com.au/uploads/2008/12/Off-Road-Coupling-Fitting-Instructions.pdf)
Theres some discussion here ...http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=20224.0 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=20224.0)
Mind you the Hyland is tested, tried and true ... if it aint broke ... ?
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Bundymark, keep in mind everyone will be like 'I'm SOO Happy!' with the hitch they have just purchased (or been sold ;) ), even if they have never. ever. used any other kind of hitch
Also consider that mud and dirt can wreak havoc with delicate sliding plates, machined pins and the plastic shrouds that some hitches feature.
but than there are the guys that do a lot of research prior to buying our first offroad hitch...
my hitch has a sliding plate and machined pins.......i haven't had an issue with mine to date nor has a mate of mine that tours extensivly on dust roads....i do like the simple operation and that it drops straight on
when selecting my hitch i not only asked the quesiton online but also checked out all the types of hitchs my friends and others had and quite often watched the struggle some had with their type of hitch........with a bad back my main pirority was not having to struggle
i do agree a standard tow ball and hitch gives good articulation as my first road camper trailer went to many offroad places
i too did think about what if somebody else needs to tow my camper trailer, it wouldn't take long to swap a set up over
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but than there are the guys that do a lot of research prior to buying our first offroad hitch...
my hitch has a sliding plate and machined pins.......i haven't had an issue with mine to date nor has a mate of mine that tours extensivly on dust roads....i do like the simple operation and that it drops straight on
when selecting my hitch i not only asked the quesiton online but also checked out all the types of hitchs my friends and others had and quite often watched the struggle some had with their type of hitch........with a bad back my main pirority was not having to struggle
i do agree a standard tow ball and hitch gives good articulation as my first road camper trailer went to many offroad places
i too did think about what if somebody else needs to tow my camper trailer, it wouldn't take long to swap a set up over
For all these reasons I purchased an OzHitch. Much easier to hitch than my former genuine Treg, and nothing 'delicate' about its cast, galvanised construction.
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True hey ... a standard tow ball hitch will work very nicely, most of the time. If I was to choose differently I'd more than likely go with the Hyland hitch, although the reasonably new to the market AL-KO off road coupling looks interesting. It works similarly to the Hyland style.
Its this puppy ... http://www.alko.com.au/uploads/2008/12/Off-Road-Coupling-Fitting-Instructions.pdf (http://www.alko.com.au/uploads/2008/12/Off-Road-Coupling-Fitting-Instructions.pdf)
Theres some discussion here ...http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=20224.0 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=20224.0)
Mind you the Hyland is tested, tried and true ... if it aint broke ... ?
Love to see one in the flesh, it looks pretty good. The ONLY thing I don't like about the Hyland is that the locking pin sometimes is pretty hard to pull out, but a good dose of WD40 soon fixes it.
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Love to see one in the flesh, it looks pretty good. The ONLY thing I don't like about the Hyland is that the locking pin sometimes is pretty hard to pull out, but a good dose of WD40 soon fixes it.
Do you reckon that would survive the mud in my pic above?
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Other factors to bear in mind.
Any trailer will tow better if the towbar is as close to horizontal as possible: this may mean getting an adjustable towbar or turning the hitch bar (the square section that fits into the receiver) upside down. With the hitch at the right height, check that the model you select is then low enough to allow the tailgate to open. Most ball hitches sit high above the hitch plate.
With my Jeep, I have the hitch bar upside down (Hitch on top) and the DO35 has a low enough profile to allow the tailgate to open. When I borrow my neighbour's trailer I have the ball hitch the right way up (hitch on bottom) and even with the hitch sitting 60mm-70mm lower the handle on the ball latch stops the tailgate from opening.
So check to see that you have the height to operate the hitch you select - or more importantly select a hitch that doesn't interfere with the tailgate opening.
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Do you reckon that would survive the mud in my pic above?
Yup. Mine got buried in mud like that when I crossed Palm Creek, I had no problems uncoupling the trailer later that day.
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OzHitch for me......Nice low profile, and tuff as nails
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I've had a hyland hitch and obviously standard ball hitches and now a mchitch.
Hyland was more than adequate and used a standard 50mm ball, albeit had to be a higher ball but mchitch is my favorite for the conditions I tow our soft floor camper.
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I have an AT35 and find it can be difficult to line up and am thinking about replacing with a Hyland if I ever get around to it.
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The main consideration with any hitch for off road use is 360° articulation. How it is achieved is possibly irrelevant.
Most people only consider the articulation for towing over extremely undulating ground, but my understanding from driving Mk I and II Landrovers towing army trailers is that they were developed for safety. If the trailer rolled over the articulating coupling would help prevent the tug from rolling over as well.
A good mate of mine was killed in a Landrover rollover because the army trailer coupling had a pin in it that was used to stop the coupling rotating fully. The trailer rolled and so did the Land rover. He was sitting on the toolbox behind the front seat with his back to the direction of travel and broke his neck. There were no roll bars or structural member above the bottom of the window level.
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I have the OzHitch but I think it would be fair to say all of these off road hitches mentioned should be adequate to do the job. I replaced the TREG copy that I had on the CT purely because it was a copy and I did not trust it. I was thinking of replacing it with a real TREG but a mate has the OzHitch and recommended it, so that is what I got. So far, so good. I have only hitched and unhitched about 7 or 8 times so far without a problem. The 3or 4 times I used the poly lock had no problems either.
My bro in law has the DO35, it sure looks like a quality item as well.
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Another one for the ozhitch, worked pretty well compared to the standard Greg on my mates truck, his wasn't too bad in 95% of cases, but some of the 5% was a real pain.
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A hyland hitch also. The benefits have been outlay in previous post and the biggest plus is that you can use the ball with a standard trailer hitch
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Yup. Mine got buried in mud like that when I crossed Palm Creek, I had no problems uncoupling the trailer later that day.
My bad, Symon, due to an odd 'quote' - I have NO doubt a Hyland will survive anything (that's what is in my pic - they are bombproof) I meant would pretty plastic bits last in mud etc...
I reckon not!
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Thanks everybody for your recommendations.I think I am leaning towards the hyland types basically because of the towball setup.What I am finding with manufacturers that have say a poly block hitch on their trailers they want to charge full retail for the new hitch and not a "changeover" price and when the minister for finance picked that up she said the new hitch could wait.
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Mate,
I went with a McHitch. I have electric brakes on the CT and a controller in the tug.
I have a hand brake on the trailer as well and didn't want to have to change to much.
The McHitch allows me to have both the electric and mechanical brakes working. But I zipped tied the mechanical brakes off and use only the electric brakes. If something goes wrong with the electric, I can use the mechanical to get me home. I got this idea off another swagger!!
I just like to have a back up, especially when it comes to brakes and my trailer being 1000kg. If it's over 750kg, you have to have a brake system on the CT.
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Mate,
I went with a McHitch. I have electric brakes on the CT and a controller in the tug.
I have a hand brake on the trailer as well and didn't want to have to change to much.
The McHitch allows me to have both the electric and mechanical brakes working. But I zipped tied the mechanical brakes off and use only the electric brakes. If something goes wrong with the electric, I can use the mechanical to get me home. I got this idea off another swagger!!
How have you found the hitch? Is it easy to connect and disconnect?
Swannie
I just like to have a back up, especially when it comes to brakes and my trailer being 1000kg. If it's over 750kg, you have to have a brake system on the CT.
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I like it swannie, very easy to use!
Even if you don't line up straight to the hitch, you can still turn the locking mechanism to put it on! I think personally that the ball joint helps a lot!
The CT even fells better behind the tug! Don't really notice the pulling or pushing as much as the old one!
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Cheers mate, deciding between this and the DO35, but leaning towards Mchitch as it comes with the WDH adapter as standard which I use on the swan
Swannie
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Another reason I bought the McHitch was you can lock the trailer hitch - either whilst on the tow pin (locking it to the vehicle) or off (locking it so it can't be used). Add another locking hitch pin through the hitch receiver and you have some anti-theft security.
And yes I realise they will take it if they really want it.
KB
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yup the mc hitch is great gear......my camper was meant to be fitted with one, and the replacement IS is going to be fitted with one, poly block hitches are functional, but too much of a pain to hook up IMO.
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Its funny..... everyone seems to thing the poly blocks are hard to hook up.
I've done two hook ups in the sand, plus a handful of times on normal services with no issues or drama's.
Maybe i'm smarter than the average bear. Hmmmm, on reflection, no, that can't be it.
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Another reason I bought the McHitch was you can lock the trailer hitch - either whilst on the tow pin (locking it to the vehicle) or off (locking it so it can't be used). Add another locking hitch pin through the hitch receiver and you have some anti-theft security.
Not disagreeing with you, but you can do that with just about every hitch.
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Not disagreeing with you, but you can do that with just about every hitch.
For me, it was a decision between buying the DO35 and the McHitch and I didn't think the DO35 could be locked on the tow hitch. Maybe I am wrong. I know I could lock the standard ball hitch I currently have with a small padlock but that is a lot easier to cut than the locking hitch pin I was referring to on the McHitch. Didn't look at the Ozhitch so can't comment.
KB
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They all have pros and cons. Make sure it's genuine. Not a Chinese rip off.
arent u selling chinese manufactured Leisure matters trailers and tents .. seems a funny thing to bag your own product ??? ???Good on you for being honest big Nat, plenty arent so respec!!
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Hyland for me. We have 2 4wd's, box trailer, boat & camper trailer. Doesn't matter what truck I'm in or what trailer I'm hitching up, they all fit & no need to swap/change anything. You do need the 3.5t ball with the taller shank but other than that it's all good. Works for me.
Cheers, Mike.
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arent u selling chinese manufactured Leisure matters trailers and tents .. seems a funny thing to bag your own product ??? ???Good on you for being honest big Nat, plenty arent so respec!!
The topic is about hitches and I believe Nath would be referencing the imported copied hitch which have proved to fail numerous times
GG
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........I didn't think the DO35 could be locked on the tow hitch.........
It can't, but there are ways around that......eg a pad lock on one of the safety chains.
I think there's now a bung available, that can be fitted to the hitch when not hooked on.
I don't have either.....
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Have had a knock off treg, no issue for over 20,000 km. but I am concerned about the quality. At times on uneven ground it's a bit fiddly to hook up, not an issue really but just not great.
I just bought an oz hitch will fit it up this weekend.
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eg a pad lock on one of the safety chains.
Doh, why didn't I think of that.
KB
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Some good points, thanks for the advice.