Author Topic: Auto McHitch Coupling  (Read 10860 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Bullant4x4

  • Soft Floor Camper User
  • ****
  • Posts: 695
  • Thanked: 34 times
Auto McHitch Coupling
« on: August 23, 2016, 06:39:41 PM »
Just seeing if anyone has anything bad to comment about Auto McHitch couplings? I've heard they are great?

I'm just wondering if they hook up ok on uneven ground? How good are they for off-road.

Unhooked my camper (MDC ADR 62/02 Approved Off-road Poly Block) and can only see me connecting it one more time to go it swapped for the "Auto McHitch".

Thanks for any feedback.

Offline GeoffA

  • 2017 National Meet Volunteer
  • Hard Top Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 8493
  • Thanked: 607 times
  • Gender: Male
  • "If 1 axle is good, 2 must be better........."
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2016, 06:57:47 PM »
Fear not Bullant, there'll be a few fans along shortly to sing their praises.... :cup:
Geoff and Kay

1999 GU TD42T wagon
2005 Coota Camper - gone, but never forgotten
2020 North Coast 15' Titanium - tandem, of course

Land Cruiser.....the Patrol that Toyota try to build.....

Offline Swannie

  • Are we there yet
  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 5055
  • Thanked: 225 times
  • Gender: Male
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2016, 07:17:03 PM »
Love the auto Mchitch,

Swannie
1994 80 series RV Land Cruiser  (Frank the Tank)
2015 200 series gxl TTD (Bruiser The Cruiser)
2015 Jayco Starcraft 17:58-3 OB (Starsky)

KingBilly

  • Guest
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2016, 07:18:28 PM »
Fear not Bullant, there'll be a few fans along shortly to sing their praises.... :cup:

Let's combine a McHitch with dual axles. Ohh, what a wonderous thing that would be  ;D

KB

Offline Marty

  • Sleeping Bag User
  • *
  • Posts: 43
  • Thanked: 5 times
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2016, 07:25:49 PM »
Hi Bullant, I fitted one to my caravan last year and found it very easy to use no more winding the jockey wheel up under load. No problem on uneven ground, on first hookup I marked the jockey wheel at that height and now adjust it to that level when hitching and unhitching. The only problem I had was that the connection/pivot point is about 150/200mm longer making the chains and electrical connections tight when fitted, luckily I was able to have the shank redriled making it shorter to fix the problem. Also due to the setup of my drawbar I was not able to use the weight distribution bar rollers which is ok as I have always removed them when doing tight manoeuvring in parks. Hope that makes sense, Marty
« Last Edit: August 23, 2016, 07:27:50 PM by Marty »
The following users thanked this post: Bullant4x4

Offline GeoffA

  • 2017 National Meet Volunteer
  • Hard Top Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 8493
  • Thanked: 607 times
  • Gender: Male
  • "If 1 axle is good, 2 must be better........."
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2016, 07:33:17 PM »
Let's combine a McHitch with dual axles. Ohh, what a wonderous thing that would be  ;D

 :cup:

It would indeed KB..... ;D
Geoff and Kay

1999 GU TD42T wagon
2005 Coota Camper - gone, but never forgotten
2020 North Coast 15' Titanium - tandem, of course

Land Cruiser.....the Patrol that Toyota try to build.....

Offline johnmm

  • Swag User
  • **
  • Posts: 68
  • Thanked: 2 times
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2016, 08:15:37 PM »
Hi Bullant,

Just changed over from Hyland Ball to the McHitch Auto-coupler on my Johnno's Walk-up camper about 2 months ago and just completed approx. 9500km of Savanah Way, Cape York, Old Telegraph Track to the tip and return to Katherine. Fantastic hitch, no issues at all. (Only thing I did was bend the bottom of the handbrake lever as I left a little too much below the drawbar (should have shortened it before I left....) somewhere on the OTT (likely Cockatoo Creek from memory)

During the install though, I did have to weld and redrill the holes on the camper draw bar as the Hyland bolt pattern was smaller than the now standard hitch pattern.

Towed very well behind our Landcruiser 105 series.

Cheers

John
2000 HDJ-105 Landcruiser towing a Johnno's Dreamtime Offroad Camper.
The following users thanked this post: Bullant4x4

Offline Bird

  • Once Was Lost, now am found
  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: I am a geek!!
  • Thanked: 1874 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Life is far too long....
    • My Place.
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2016, 08:17:48 PM »
isn't this about the 10th thread on these in 2 weeks?
-
Click to enlarge

Gone to a new home

Offline pank

  • Tent User
  • ***
  • Posts: 192
  • Thanked: 18 times
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2016, 08:18:32 PM »
Very happy with ours. Tows very well. 8000km's now. Still need to line it up well, which is pretty easy. If i'm doing it on my own I just back up close and line it up then back onto the hitch. If its offline by much, it wont engage properly.
It does respond to a light spray of wd40. I just give it a light spray and wipe it off.

Offline Coiled

  • Soft Floor Camper User
  • ****
  • Posts: 415
  • Thanked: 31 times
  • Gender: Male
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2016, 08:26:47 PM »
Even my accountant wife says why didn't we do this sooner! Not a change you will regret  :cup:
2013 Nissan Patrol Y61
2015 Kimberley Karavan Eco Suite
The following users thanked this post: Paddler Ed

Offline Bullant4x4

  • Soft Floor Camper User
  • ****
  • Posts: 695
  • Thanked: 34 times
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2016, 03:16:26 PM »
Thanks all. Got the McHitch Auto 3.5T and can't see too many stress sessions with the Mrs lining me up :) :)

Although getting another male to help, the poly block was pretty easy.

Paid $330? On eBay they were $400+ so hoping it was a good price.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2016, 03:19:10 PM by Bullant4x4 »

Offline Muckinhell

  • Soft Floor Camper User
  • ****
  • Posts: 691
  • Thanked: 38 times
  • Gender: Male
  • 2014 Ecomate traveller forward fold.
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2016, 07:30:07 PM »
bought one second hand recently for half the price so thought worth a go. By golly it is awsome compared to a trigg and a ball hitch our dove came with. so much easier to hook up. And to save the fights i get the wife to drive the car back slowly adjust height and wamo all hooked up. seat the pin and the safety snap and good to go. great piece of gear.
2005 HDJ100r Sahara
Better to look at it, than for it!

Offline moose2367

  • Tent User
  • ***
  • Posts: 110
  • Thanked: 7 times
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #12 on: August 26, 2016, 11:08:11 AM »
Thinking about getting the 6T model to replace the pintle hook setup on my big flat top.  Even though the pontl hook is a matched aet it is still a little noisy at times.
Just got it registered yesterday, had to fet it weighed first, 2.22T empty,  which suprised me, still hardly feel it though

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


Offline GeoffA

  • 2017 National Meet Volunteer
  • Hard Top Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 8493
  • Thanked: 607 times
  • Gender: Male
  • "If 1 axle is good, 2 must be better........."
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #13 on: July 02, 2017, 08:40:16 AM »
Let's combine a McHitch with dual axles. Ohh, what a wonderous thing that would be  ;D

KB

:cup:

It would indeed KB..... ;D

Ordered one this morning.... ;D
Geoff and Kay

1999 GU TD42T wagon
2005 Coota Camper - gone, but never forgotten
2020 North Coast 15' Titanium - tandem, of course

Land Cruiser.....the Patrol that Toyota try to build.....

KingBilly

  • Guest
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #14 on: July 02, 2017, 09:18:22 AM »
Await your adulations  ;D

KB

Offline kylarama

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 2022
  • Thanked: 131 times
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #15 on: July 04, 2017, 08:51:10 PM »
Looks like business is booming.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2017/07/04/bjr-uncovers-new-look-percat-townsville/


Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


Offline Moya

  • Swag User
  • **
  • Posts: 61
  • Thanked: 6 times
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #16 on: August 03, 2017, 09:20:35 PM »
I sent Joe an email 2 days ago asking a simple question and have not had a response.

I will ask it here incase some one knows the answer:
The 2 tonne Auto coupler with handbrake option is the same price as the 3.5tonne one which has the handbrake included. Is there any advantage or disadvantage of going the 3.5t over the 2t?

Offline GeoffA

  • 2017 National Meet Volunteer
  • Hard Top Camper User
  • *****
  • Posts: 8493
  • Thanked: 607 times
  • Gender: Male
  • "If 1 axle is good, 2 must be better........."
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #17 on: August 03, 2017, 09:22:59 PM »
Let's combine a McHitch with dual axles. Ohh, what a wonderous thing that would be  ;D

Done...and it is... ;D ;D ;D
Geoff and Kay

1999 GU TD42T wagon
2005 Coota Camper - gone, but never forgotten
2020 North Coast 15' Titanium - tandem, of course

Land Cruiser.....the Patrol that Toyota try to build.....

Offline Cruiser 105Tvan

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 2239
  • Thanked: 145 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Another Tvan owner.
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #18 on: August 03, 2017, 09:57:19 PM »
I sent Joe an email 2 days ago asking a simple question and have not had a response.

I will ask it here incase some one knows the answer:
The 2 tonne Auto coupler with handbrake option is the same price as the 3.5tonne one which has the handbrake included. Is there any advantage or disadvantage of going the 3.5t over the 2t?
The 3.5 tonne hitch seems to be a standard across the board for trailers from most makers.
At least all the off road ones. They don't seem to be using Hitch's that just allow or cater for the weight of the trailer they are fitted to.
I'd go the 3.5 just for piece of mind.  Especially if there is no real difference in the bulk of one compared with the other.
Robert. 
VK3PPC, VZU641.
2000 FZJ105r bars,
HDJ105r Bars F&R, VRS Winch, ATZ. P3's, a cupla 2 ways as well.
and 2009 Canning Tvan pushing.

Offline Bookleaf

  • Tent User
  • ***
  • Posts: 247
  • Thanked: 14 times
  • Gender: Male
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #19 on: August 04, 2017, 10:19:00 AM »
I asked a reseller about the difference.  He said the only difference was the size if the cylinder on the trailer section.  Mounting patterns are the same. All other sections were exactly the same.  Hence a no brained. For the same price go the 3.5ton.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Isuzu MUX, LS-M, Cameron Canvas Camper

KingBilly

  • Guest
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #20 on: August 04, 2017, 12:53:17 PM »
Done...and it is... ;D ;D ;D

Excellent  :cup:

KB

Offline Moya

  • Swag User
  • **
  • Posts: 61
  • Thanked: 6 times
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #21 on: August 04, 2017, 08:40:33 PM »
Thanks for those opinions. Looks like I will order the 3.5t one.

 :cheers:

Offline HEM19X

  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 3010
  • Thanked: 51 times
  • Gender: Male
  • If I agree with you, then we would both be wrong!
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #22 on: August 05, 2017, 02:06:43 AM »
Probably not an issue for a CT but the extra length on the McHitch can cause problems when towing bigger vans.

 
2019 BT50 with custom canopy and lots of fruit. Towing a 2014 Lotus Freelander [welcome to the dark side]

Offline Swannie

  • Are we there yet
  • Hard Top Camper User
  • ******
  • Posts: 5055
  • Thanked: 225 times
  • Gender: Male
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #23 on: August 05, 2017, 11:33:15 PM »
Probably not an issue for a CT but the extra length on the McHitch can cause problems when towing bigger vans.

What problems?
1994 80 series RV Land Cruiser  (Frank the Tank)
2015 200 series gxl TTD (Bruiser The Cruiser)
2015 Jayco Starcraft 17:58-3 OB (Starsky)

Offline Bookleaf

  • Tent User
  • ***
  • Posts: 247
  • Thanked: 14 times
  • Gender: Male
Re: Auto McHitch Coupling
« Reply #24 on: August 07, 2017, 04:31:30 PM »
And if you are replacing an existing ball hitch (like I have just done) you need to extend the chains and wiring harnesses.
Isuzu MUX, LS-M, Cameron Canvas Camper