cookie64 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hi all, I Have decided to start planning my next project and was thinking i would quite like a reciever hitch on my truck instead of the dixon bate i currently have (for ground clearance reasons) i was just wondering if any body had a reciever hitch and would they recommend them? my biggest concern is that currently if i want to tow a normal trailer (car or box) then i have to lower my ball all the way down and that is fitted to the end of a 6" extension too because of the height of the truck. will a reciever hitch be able to go this low? and will it be strong enough for heavy items this low? i regularly tow very heavy trailers and loaded car trailers so i cant risk not being able to have a low down ball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I have a receiver hitch on my 90. I made it myself, and I consider that it's considerably more substantial than the ones available to buy. I have a modest suspension lift, as well as 33" tyres, so needed to drop a long way down to accommodate most trailers I tow. With this in mind I added an extra link (50x50x5mm box) to triangulate the assembly, The extra link is on two tractor top link pins, secured with lynch pins, to maintain the whole advantage of quick removal. The Dixon Bate adjustable assembly is then bolted to the receiver drop plate to maintain the variable height options. I hope this makes sense, I have no pictures to hand, and the truck is at home, but I'll try and take a few shots of it tonight. Bear in mind that if your truck is newer than 2006? (someone correct me) you should only fit OEM/TUV approved towing equipment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris113 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I've got one like this on the 90 although I can't remember where mine came from. http://www.extreme4x4.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_copy_of_DEFENDER_QUICKLY_DETACHABLE_TOWBARS.html Overall it seems like a good solution although to tow a small 750kg Ifor Williams, I did have to bolt an adjustable drop plate onto the supplied plate to get the hitch low enough (2.5 inch lift & 33.5 inch tyres). Whilst it seems fine for a small trailer, I wouldn't want to use it as it stands to tow a big 3.5t trailer due to the extra leverage applied to the rear crossmember. There is an M8 bolt that pinches against the male part of the receiver to stop the drop plate moving around and that can shake loose after a while, leading to clanking noises under braking and whilst pulling away so you still need a 13mm ratchet to fit and remove the drop plate. In time I would like to add some removable legs that go back to the ARB mounts, Micky would you mind posting some pictures of your set up please? If you own the trailers rather than borrow them, then you could always modify the drawbar or lift the hitch height on the trailer instead of modifying the towbar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kierran.M.110 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 +1 for the pics, im considering building a reciever hitch for the ground clearance and also would be nice to make a step that will fit in and another recovery point would be nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Poor pic but I made this to go in my NATO, uses cat 1 top links back to pins on the air tank frame which is boltd to the ARB mounts. Unbolts in around 2 mins. Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Muddy, I like your lateral thinking, it would be handy to be able to tow normal trailers as well as a sankey Are you parked on a wall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 You can't trial so well with a drop plate..... Yes I was just testing the new suspension, the setup is fine for the caravan but too low for most ifor style trailers so I'm gonna cut the slider off and bolt the jaw straight to the channel. Found a pic of the brackets. The drop plate wants some tweaking I started making it at 3am so it's not as astheticly pleasing as it could be.... Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I got mine from safari equip, very happy with it Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Well here is how I braced mine. View from a different angle showing the transverse box section (50x50x5mm). The receiver socket is 4 pieces of 12mm plate welded together. This is bolted to the original side bracing brackets on the chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I've seen a similar idea to Will's fitted to the back of a 101, but with a much greater drop. It had the NATO hitch with a weld on tractor trailer hitch used as the drop plate. This in turn was drilled to attach a DB adjustable hitch, and used 2 small top links as lower stays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob86 Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 If you're going to use a tractor ring hitch check that it fits the nato hitch. I was going to make a solid towing bar and none of the rings we use at work will fit a nato hitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I bought a receiver hitch for my Td5 110 from Terrafirma - and overall I'm impressed with it. The welding is good (or at least as far as you can tell from the surface). I previously bought two others. One of which didn't fit at all. It turns out it was for an earlier vehicle without a plastic tank, even though the bolt holes were cut correctly for a Td5 bumper. I suspect they had measured the holes, but not bothered to try it. The second one came from a different large aftermarket parts supplier, but the design and welding looked poor - so it went back. I bought the Terrafirma one based on a recommendation and it fitted easily. They supply (separately) both a drop hitch which is fine for my Brian James trailer and an eye for a shackle which keeps it out the way for use off road. The drop hitch is a bit of a plough! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spcollins Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Well here is how I braced mine. Towing.JPG View from a different angle showing the transverse box section (50x50x5mm). The receiver socket is 4 pieces of 12mm plate welded together. This is bolted to the original side bracing brackets on the chassis. Towing2.JPG That's a great job! Looks strong too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zardos Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 So I had a custom custom receiver built by a company who specialises in front push receivers http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/ For a 90 on 35" simex's (about 10 inch drop) they wanted to have stabiliser bars from the bottom on the demountable section to towbar bolt holes on the chassis for such a big drop. So to demount it you had a pin and 2 boltsCannot do pictures of it at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zardos Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) Bear in mind that if your truck is newer than 2006? (someone correct me) you should only fit OEM/TUV approved towing equipment. I thought it was a lot earlier than that http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Towbars-and-the-law-are-you-aware-of-the-regulations-/10000000001097928/g.html says 1st August 1998 Edit Witters say the same thing and warn your insurance might be invalid if you don't have a type approved towbar Edited January 9, 2014 by zardos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I stand corrected, I wasn't 100% on the year, as with my Ninety being a 1986 model I don't have to worry about that legislation. I am in no way advocating that those of us with older vehicles shouldn't fit towing equipment that is suitable for the purpose. When you compare a Dixon Bate adjustable kit for a Defender Td5 vs a 300Tdi version, there is a very clear improvement in sizes of materials used. Pleased to see such a clear article on eBay, although I wonder how many take the time to read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zardos Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Yes Watling asked me the age on my 90 (1992) before they would build me a custom towbar because of the regulation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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