MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: grafy82 on May 29, 2014, 03:20:46 PM
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Hi all,
Looking at upgrading the ORAC copy hitch on our camper before we use it again. I've been checking out the McHitch website and although I'd love the automatic coupling hitch they have, the $350 price tag puts it out of reach. They have their 2 tonne drop on hitch for $169 which is a great price but I'm just wondering if the 2 tonne model will be suitable for our camper which comes in at about 1200kg loaded. Obviously there's a bit a room there to play with but they seem to say on their website that the ratings are for on road use. Any opinions or people who have this model on their off road trailer that can vouch for their suitability?
Cheers
Wes
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Why don't you send them an email? I have the 3500kg bought it off eBay for $100 and will be putting them on all my trailers.
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I have them on all my trailers
and even when this happens the whole lot stays conected ;D ;D ;D
a very strong hitch IMHO towbar snapped off and folded up hitch rotated past 180 degrees and never let go pin was still in there and the hitch was usable after removal..(never did though)
Jet ;D ;D
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Wes,
I have that very hitch on my CT. I will say that I only have an ATM of 1000kg, so Ive halved what the hitch could handle.
Very easy to fit, use and connect up!! I already had a hand break, so I didn't need the hand break they provide.
But as Brits said, send them an email or ring them! They were very helpful.
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I gave Mchitch a call already and he recommended going to the 3.5 tonne so if I ever upgrade trailers it will still suit. But I was looking for real world experiences and Jet, Wow, that's an experience :o Was that the 2t or 3.5t model?
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Thanks Strvy, I've also got a separate handbrake. My ATM is 1250kg and I think the hitches destruction testing is 5 times their rating so I would assume it will be fine.
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I gave Mchitch a call already and he recommended going to the 3.5 tonne so if I ever upgrade trailers it will still suit. But I was looking for real world experiences and Jet, Wow, that's an experience :o Was that the 2t or 3.5t model?
It was the 2 tonne model with mechanical override.. it certainly surpassed my expectations of a hitch , that impact was 80k/ph and wrote off 2 cars, after the car was exasperated from the trailer they simply undid the hitch via the top handle and the pin popped out all good ..well all good for the hitch anyway LOL. any doubts I had about the strength of a uni joint in an articulating fashion are well and truly proven IMHO.
Jet ;D ;D
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I've got the exact hitch on mine and would guess my camper loaded would be pretty close to your also. Not had a problem to date although I've only had it in a true off road situation ( not just a dirt road ) once so far, where it performed faultlessly. DannyG also has one on his camper, although I'm unsure on what rating it is. He's been all over the place with it and I haven't heard any complaints and believe me if anyone's gonna sook it'll be him ;) . His trailer would weigh more than mine to. Maybe send him a PM if he doesn't chime in and check what his is rated at.
Great value if you ask me
Sent from your iPad using Mental telepathy
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Thanks Marcus73,
It's definitely a great price at $169, cheaper than some of the Treg Chinese knock offs on eBay. I guess it's the thousands of kays of corrugations and washouts that worries me more than real rough 4wding where you would likely be going slower.
Might be a good excuse now to go and have a look through DannyG's thread again.
Cheers
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I've got the exact hitch on mine and would guess my camper loaded would be pretty close to your also. Not had a problem to date although I've only had it in a true off road situation ( not just a dirt road ) once so far, where it performed faultlessly. DannyG also has one on his camper, although I'm unsure on what rating it is. He's been all over the place with it and I haven't heard any complaints and believe me if anyone's gonna sook it'll be him ;) . His trailer would weigh more than mine to. Maybe send him a PM if he doesn't chime in and check what his is rated at.
Great value if you ask me
Sent from your iPad using Mental telepathy
Lol now I know why you were asking what mines rated to princess!
Yes mines a 2 tonne and my camper can weigh in at 1500kgs on a big trip. As Billy Ray Cyrus just said we have given ours a fair amount of abuse and there is no sooking from me ;D
Mind you Marcus lays under his prado and hand polishes the under carriage every time he has been caught out driving it in the rain so his idea of off road is accidentally dropping a wheel off the edge of a highway ;D
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Thanks DannyG,
I've just been looking back through your awesome build thread and noticed the 2 tonne on the hitch. That settles it then, it'll be good enough for me.
Cheers
Wes
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You may want to check your local Roads Authority, just to be sure...BUT in NSW [at least] the hitch needs to be rated at or above what your trailer rated to carry.
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You may want to check your local Roads Authority, just to be sure...BUT in NSW [at least] the hitch needs to be rated at or above what your trailer rated to carry.
Same in all states as the VSB1 (or whatever its called) document outlines. And rightly so id suggest ;)
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You may want to check your local Roads Authority, just to be sure...BUT in NSW [at least] the hitch needs to be rated at or above what your trailer rated to carry.
Yeah mate, I'm at 1250kg on the compliance plate so there's a fair bit of room there if I ever decide to put heavier springs in it (I can hear my non-turbo Cruiser groaning in the carport at the very mention of towing even more weight ;D)
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Sorry to bring this back up again, but I'm still deciding between the 2t or 3.5t now as I thought they both had replaceable bushes in the main trailer side housing (i.e. the cylinder that rotates 360 degrees) but have just called them and they said the 2t model is steel on steel. This was one of my concerns on my knockoff ORAC hitch which seems to have worn quite a bit in the 5-6000km's it has done. Are the bushes that much better or will the steel on steel be fine?
Cheers
Wes
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Sorry to bring this back up again, but I'm still deciding between the 2t or 3.5t now as I thought they both had replaceable bushes in the main trailer side housing (i.e. the cylinder that rotates 360 degrees) but have just called them and they said the 2t model is steel on steel. This was one of my concerns on my knockoff ORAC hitch which seems to have worn quite a bit in the 5-6000km's it has done. Are the bushes that much better or will the steel on steel be fine?
Cheers
Wes
I can't speak for the replaceable bushes because mine doesn't have them but my hitch has done about 15000 kays and quite a bit of that was on some pretty shocking corrugations and it hasn't slogged out yet.
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Thanks again DannyG. Sounds great to me. I'll place my order now. :D
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Just put two of the 2t hitches on order (one for the BIL as well). Now I've got to weld a new plate onto the drawbar to accommodate the bolt pattern of the new hitch as my plates to short. Can't wait for it but should be here Monday morning ;D