Chinese hitch legalities.

[kylarama]

If it is 30 + yo, them it it is 1&7/8 inch, not 50 mm.  Two very different sizes.

I removed the original 50mm override coupling (and drawbar) from our 1976 Millard caravan.  Even had 50mm cast into it.  Mates folks have a 73 Millard van with the same coupling.  I'd say in the 70's there would have been quite a mixture of weird and wonderful couplings, given the imperial to metric changeover.
The same mate has a genuine 50's 10ft bondwood caravan with a 2 1/4' (ish) coupling.  Has the old 2 piece ball.

[oldmate]

The point is it may make a difference where they are made. I have never heard of a Treg hitch failing rego yet they don't have the manufacturers name embossed on them, which is the reason mine failed.

Um. My genuine treg has "treg sa" and ADR # both embossed and stamped on the poly block. It has also being stamped on the fork. The receiver is stamped and has a sticker I think.

[grafy82]

The point is it may make a difference where they are made. I have never heard of a Treg hitch failing rego yet they don't have the manufacturers name embossed on them, which is the reason mine failed.

I don't know but is it possible your hitch was not a genuine treg? They do make the cheap copies look very similar.

[Marschy]

I don't know but is it possible your hitch was not a genuine treg? They do make the cheap copies look very similar.

I work 2 minutes walk from Treg, they don't have their name embossed on the the hitch, stickers only.

[oldmate]

Just saying!

[Marschy]

Just saying!

The rubber block means nothing, it has to be embossed into the metal casting. There is nothing on the casting other than a sticker and the hitch is stamped, i.e not compliant.

[oldmate]

The rubber block means nothing, it has to be embossed into the metal casting. There is nothing on the casting other than a sticker and the hitch is stamped, i.e not compliant.

Right, so WTF is this argument all over then, it obviously means that no treg, Chinese, Aussie,Indian,even a friken Egyptian one isn't compliant ??

[Marschy]

Hence they are putting bandaids on their hitches (i.e. stickers). Look at Mchitch and Ozhitch, embossed on the casting.

[oldmate]

So the op got knocked back cause his treg was not embossed with man name in nsw?  How do all the other trailer man in nsw putting a genuine treg hitch on get all their trailers rego'd in nsw if even a genuine treg is not complaint??

[geopaj]

Well, I just checked my Tregg hitch & coupling.

The hitch - is a mechanical override style and was installed when the trailer was new (2003). The rubber is embossed and there is a sticker stating manufacturer & rating but it does not appear to be stamped or embossed into the steel. (see first pic)

The coupling - I replaced in 2012 after the original got damaged. This has both a sticker and the manufacturer stamped into the steel. (see second pic)

[Marschy]

I reckon you'll find it's actually the knockoff Chinese receiver that is probably failing.

At least Treg has something on their receiver, the knockoff's have nothing.

Here is my Ozhitch receiver, embossed.

[oldmate]

I reckon you'll find it's actually the knockoff Chinese receiver that is probably failing.

At least Treg has something on their receiver, the knockoff's have nothing.

Here is my Ozhitch receiver, embossed.

No doubt it is the Chinese knock offs, but what has been suggested  is that no treg style, whether genuine or not, and d035's are not compliant, and therefore not legal?? Because they are not embossed on the metal casing?

[Marschy]

No doubt it is the Chinese knock offs, but what has been suggested  is that no treg style, whether genuine or not, and d035's are not compliant, and therefore not legal?? Because they are not embossed on the metal casing?

That is, according to the ADR, correct.

[Marschy]

So the op got knocked back cause his treg was not embossed with man name in nsw?  How do all the other trailer man in nsw putting a genuine treg hitch on get all their trailers rego'd in nsw if even a genuine treg is not complaint??

I would say they are discriminating when they can, but this is forcing the hand of Australian manufacturers to be 100% compliant. Hence the new players on the block, namely the Ozhitch and McHitch tick all the correct boxes.

[oldmate]

I'm not trying to argue with you ok, just trying to make sense of it all

12.4.                                Marking

12.4.1.                          Up to 3.5 tonnes ‘ATM’

Both parts of a ‘Coupling’ specifically designed for use between LA, LB, LC, LD category and sub category LEM towing vehicles and trailers up to 750kg ‘ATM’, or specifically designed for use between towing vehicles and trailers up to 3.5 tonnes ‘ATM’ must be marked with the following information:

12.4.1.1.                    The ‘Coupling’ manufacturer’s name or trademark; and           

12.4.1.2.                    the maximum allowable trailer ‘ATM’ and its units of measurement, kg for an ‘ATM’ up to 750 kg and tonnes otherwise), at which the ‘Coupling’ is rated; and

12.4.1.3.                    the words “use with model (identified model)”.


Taken from here
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2010C00153

Not sure if I am looking in the right place???  But this just says marked with trademark or name? 
I don't know if this is current or old???

I would say they are discriminating when they can, but this is forcing the hand of Australian manufacturers to be 100% compliant. Hence the new players on the block, namely the Ozhitch and McHitch tick all the correct boxes.

Yep that's fair enough too

[Marschy]

I'll concede there, the ADR states

12.4.3.   All markings must be stamped, moulded or printed with letters not less than 2.5mm high and must be visible when the ‘Coupling’ is installed and connected. The markings may be on a metal plate that is permanently affixed to the ‘Coupling’ or to the vehicle adjacent to the ‘Coupling’.

Printed??? The markings may be on a metal plate that is permanently affixed to the ‘Coupling’ or to the vehicle adjacent to the ‘Coupling’. which is where the 'sticker' fails.

[dazzler]

I don't like crap stuff but how many of these have failed?  Question not statement.

We seem obsessed with this issue but don't bat an eyelid at the crap wheel bearings that are used, crap tyres, crap welds etc.

?

[Ratbag]

Gidday Muzza

If it is 30 + yo, them it it is 1&7/8 inch, not 50 mm.  Two very different sizes.

Nah, mate. It is a 50 mm ball. Stamped as such, like several others I have lying around. The coupling has the size and weight cast into it, along with "Do Not Weld", but not the manufacturer's name. I have one 2" ball (50.8 mm) too. My old '68 LC and horse float had 2" ball and couplings. Interestingly, some 50 mm couplings would fit that 2" ball, and some would not (I'm talking about a long time ago now, 35-40 or more years).

I've never had any ball or coupling smaller than 50 mm (or 2" back in the old days) on any of my personal vehicles/trailers.

The McHitch pin has all the details etched into the SS. The coupling has them cast into it, as well as a plastic sticker that advertises what it is.

[oldmate]

I don't like crap stuff but how many of these have failed?  Question not statement.

We seem obsessed with this issue but don't bat an eyelid at the crap wheel bearings that are used, crap tyres, crap welds etc.

?

Yep totally agree with ya dazzler. How many people go over there imported box trailer the same way?

Marschy agreed

Yes the sticker fails, as it is removable, but treg is stamped in the casing on hitch and receiver

[#jonesy]

Can't see a problem with marking moulded on the rubber block as it is part of the coupling and can't be removed.  Is a metallic sticker "metal". Yes it can be removed, just like a metal plate held on by rivets.

Wait until the start checking lights and tyre compliance.....

[grafy82]

I don't like crap stuff but how many of these have failed?  Question not statement.

We seem obsessed with this issue but don't bat an eyelid at the crap wheel bearings that are used, crap tyres, crap welds etc.

?

Very true in regards to crap welds, there's some scary ones out there.

[Ratbag]

Hey, fellas

Let's do a reality check!

We all see trailers of all descriptions every day that shouldn't be on the road at all. Either through age, or lack of maintenance, or both.
Mine might be 33+ y.o., but it had a fairly major rebuild in the 1990s, and a very major re-build over the last couple of years. Many were garbage to start with, and have had no maintenance at all over that sort of time period.

How often is one involved in a serious accident? Just asking ...

My insurer (RACV for trailer) charges me about one third more to insure my (now) camper trailer for around 16x as much as when it was an un-restored box trailer. According to them, box trailers are far more likely to be involved in accidents than camper trailers. Even after just the restoration, the agreed sum insurance jumped by some $3,000 (six fold), and the premium went up by about $25 p.a (about 20%). Changing to a camper trailer policy essentially doubled the agreed sum for the same level of cover, at much the same policy cost. I elected to pay an extra $30 odd p.a. to insure contents, towing and rating one/excess protection in the event of a claim.

To be quite clear, I do not support the knock-off of designs by anyone, and I certainly don't support fraudulent labelling of anything either.

My point being, that the crappiest, most poorly built trailer of any kind today (last ten years or so) is almost certainly going to be far safer than most trailers built around the time mine was (1981), when there was all but zero regulation or design standards.

[muzza01]

I don't like crap stuff but how many of these have failed?  Question not statement.
We seem obsessed with this issue but don't bat an eyelid at the crap wheel bearings that are used, crap tyres, crap welds etc.
?

I do. I have addressed all of these issues on my CT but your right, some people just don't want to listen or be told and just bury their heads in the sand.

Junked the Chinese Treg copy hitch and replaced with an OZHitch.

I am not sure how bad my Chinese wheel bearings were or would have been. I think they would have been OK if they had grease in them. It was just as easy to replace with Jap ones.

I had all of my welds inspected by a boilermaker and he gave me the thumbs up AOK.

I had I Chinese wheels and tyres when I bought the CT but replaced those with ROH wheels and BFG tyres.

I also replaced the drums and shock absorbers.  As far as I am concerned all of the unsafe or unsatisfactory items are gone.

[Herks]

Try this from another post, interesting pics also

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=28350.0