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Caravan or Towing In this forum you can post anything with regards to caravaning or towing. |
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07-09-2013, 23:06 | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sevenoaks, Kent
Vehicle: Terrano 2.7TDi SE Touring
Posts: 5,221
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Witter Towbar
I fitted my new Witter towbar to the T2, and discovered a problem... It has 4 holes, but if you try and fit the towball to the top pair of holes, and have a Bulldog stabiliser bracket, the bracket fouls the bottom of the towbar. If you fit it all to the bottom two holes, the ball is only 14 inches from the ground, and the bottom of the stabiliser bracket ends up only about 8 inches off the ground. Way too low
Bit of a design floor, which surprises me from Witter. Mind you, it is a very nice meaty bit of kit, can't see it bending like the last one did, not without very serious damage to the rest of the car, anyway. I will have to change the stabiliser bracket for one of the ones that connects at a right angle and has the fixing bolt go in from the rear instead. |
08-09-2013, 19:27 | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: West Cornwall
Vehicle: 02 3.0 SVE SWB
Posts: 183
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I used to use an old Scott stabiliser and swore by them, unfortunately after many years it detached from the car whilst towing (Long story). I always sneered at the stabilising hitches but needing something with a holiday coming up and after much persuasion from my father and local caravan repair man I bought an ALKO set complete from Waudbys - http://www.waudbys.co.uk/ - and I was converted, no sway, no greasy towball . I currently use a Winterhoff Stabiliser WS3000 again from Waudbys, with no probs.
The correct height is normally obtained on the lower holes but set yours to suit your ball height ( 32" inside leg) I was surprised your last one bent as it did. Hope the ferrets have not got whiplash. |
08-09-2013, 19:30 | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Devizes Wiltshire
Vehicle: Nissan Note Ntec 1.5
Posts: 14,138
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Alko are ok, but need to have there tow ball
Winterhoff can be used on any balls |
08-09-2013, 20:49 | #4 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Sevenoaks, Kent
Vehicle: Terrano 2.7TDi SE Touring
Posts: 5,221
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Quote:
Some of the Ferrets were more subdued than normal, the two old ladies were definitely a bit slow and careful in their movements for the week or so after, but they seem to be back to normal now, ruling the roost, and bossing all the youngsters about again. They did have a bit of sense of humour failure when the play got a bit boisterous that week though. Suz, my wife was suffering a bit last week, very stiff neck, and where she turned round to see what the noise was, just before we got hit, she was sort of sideways on at the point of impact. The pain in her lower back got so sore, she had to go and see the doctor. She has bruised something in the lower spine, although the pain is more to the side, and thigh, until the doctor pressed on just the right place... then she launched upwards quicker then the space shuttle... so they have given her pain killers to help her until it repairs it's self. I had a problem with my Bulldog working back out the receiver, luckily the small slot/indentation the end of the bolt locates into would stop it coming out, but it was then so hard against the bolt, it would damage the thread, making it hard to remove the bolt, and on one occasion, the plastic cap snapped, and then the bolt actually sheared off, as I tried to take it back out. To stop it keep happening, I drilled a hole through the end of the bit that passes through the receiver, and put a lynch clip through, so it can not slide out at all, and also keeps the bolt nicely centred in the groove. The problem I have with those Alco hitch stabilisers is I tow many things, most have standard "Greased" hitches, so the Alco would be a pain. Not only that,. but there is not enough clearance under the spare wheel for that lump/handle that has to stick up when you connect up, just the normal locking handle hits it. I like having the combination jaw/ball on the back as well, aside from needing it to tow a friends flat bed trailer, it's so much nicer to attach a rope to, when pulling people out. |
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