Cornish Rattler Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Hi guys My next door neighbor has asked if his dad can borrow my trailer and I wasn't there at the time but when he tried to hitch the trailer up to his car his tow ball was too big, mine is a std 50MM ball hitch and I didn't no of a bigger ball but his car is a pretty new Kia, any idea's as I am a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tal Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 I reckon he just couldnt get your hitch to open properly (not doing it right) I can't think that I have ever seen anything different to a 50mm ball. To be honest I can't imagine that a kia would be able to tow anything more than a landrover could...so it wouldnt need a bigger hitch anyway...yes lost too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tacr2man Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 There used to be 2" ball or 1 7/8 " out there one was larger than the 50mm the other etc . , but what previous poster says is more likely , not fully opening coupling . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 UK/Euro standard ball hitch is 50mm, never try to use a older 2 inch hitch on it or the trailer/vehicle could seperate at anytime, sounds like he doesn't know how to open the safety lock on the trailer to get it hitched to the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted October 22, 2016 Author Share Posted October 22, 2016 That's what I was thinking not opening the hitch properly, ok cheers guys for conferming the ball size I will show him how to or mite do the job for him and save my trailer from getting smashed to bits. Remember my dad lending a neighbor our caravan once and when we got it back the rear skirt was ripped out due to the van lifting the back of the car ( Morris Marina Est ) on a hump back bridge in Devon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I'm sure that bigger size was 2¼, not 2". That's because I had one and a trailer to match! I'm pretty sure it was discontinued decades ago though, so I agree with the others that the chap had some basic operational issues. Here in New Zealand, the standard size is still 1⅞, which leads to a certain gnashing of teeth if you get a Euro car with a 50mm ball. Quite common with Land Rovers, not surprisingly! I used to carry two sizes when I worked for a government department which decided to buck the trend and standardise on 50mm. Sometimes, people would try to force the smaller hitch onto the bigger ball, or, far worse, drive away with a 50mm coupling on a 1⅞ ball. I know for a fact that they can come off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I think the yanks still use a 2" ball but I suspect it's a rtfm issue. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 As Mike says, I'm sure the states still uses 2". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 On 22/10/2016 at 3:06 PM, western said: UK/Euro standard ball hitch is 50mm, never try to use a older 2 inch hitch on it or the trailer/vehicle could seperate at anytime, sounds like he doesn't know how to open the safety lock on the trailer to get it hitched to the car. 2 inch is the USA ball hitch IIRC but my old harvey frost towboy had a old UK hitch on it when bought 18 years ago. with ref to my previous replies the original UK ball hitch diameter was : the old 1 7⁄8 in (47.6 mm) & the current Euro/UK 50mm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaklander Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 1 hour ago, miketomcat said: I think the yanks still use a 2" ball but I suspect it's a rtfm issue. Mike Many problems could be easily prevented by rtfm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 there's a load of sizes - metric. Japerial. US. Imperial and Odd 50mm is just more common Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Given the tow car is new and therefore presumably UK type approved I am sure it would be a 50mm ball as the US hitches probably wouldn't have type approval. Some of the heavy duty Ifor hitches won't unlock if there is a load on them such as the hitch being dropped on to the ball before lifting the lever. Bad connection between the hitch and the ground 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted October 24, 2016 Author Share Posted October 24, 2016 Right I have asked my neighbor if he lifted the lever on the hitch and said they did so I will wait till weekend and have a look at his dads car as he comes every weekend but they have done the job they wanted it for now so the trailer isn't needed now but its still puzzling though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 My friends Wessex trailer lets you lift the handle quite a bit while it's still locked. So it will lift up quite a way without it opening far enough to get it on or off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Yep, a lot are like that, suspect the lever under the handle was not depressed at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Just for information but the 50mm ones have a flat top. The old imperial ones are a full ball. The Americans have a few different sizes often mounted on a square that slides into a bit of box on the car so you can just turn it to get the size you need. The handle on my trailer latches up with a little Lever and seems to catch a few people out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Here, in Canada, and I'm sure it's the same in the US, we have 1-1/8", 1-7/8", 2", and 2-5/16" ball sizes, all with differing load capacities within the same ball size, depending on the steel and securing bolt properties. And, of course, the trailer receiver size must match the ball size. http://www.princessauto.com/en/search?No=24&Nrpp=24&Ntt=ball+hitches Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 So that's at least six different "standard" sizes around the world and even up to four in one country? I love that! That's not including the NATO hitch on my 110 and whatever the Russians use... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 3 hours ago, deep said: So that's at least six different "standard" sizes around the world and even up to four in one country? I love that! That's not including the NATO hitch on my 110 and whatever the Russians use... And two sizes of pin type hitch. Nato and commercial (about a 19mm pin). Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 The Americans tow bigger loads with their bigger trucks. Then they have the 5th wheel system ... and if your including that there are more than one pin size for hgv trucks and trailers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted October 27, 2016 Author Share Posted October 27, 2016 I remember years ago when I was a kid my dads work mate asked him to do some work on his car a ( Triumph Herald ) and at the time my dads work mate towed a little home made camping trailer and the tow ball was very very small must have been at least 24-25mm, never seen one since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 Mike, actually there are 40mm, 25mm, 21mm, 19mm and 16mm pins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikec Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 Had similar on my van when I had the hitch fitted it had some kind of thick paint on it which made the ball a tight fit if this has similar maybe that's why Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hangover Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Most common ball size here is 50mm but 1 7/8" were used a while ago, most aussie cars use a 50mm square receiver with a removable tongue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 On 25/10/2016 at 1:04 AM, Cynic-al said: Just for information but the 50mm ones have a flat top. The old imperial ones are a full ball. The Americans have a few different sizes often mounted on a square that slides into a bit of box on the car so you can just turn it to get the size you need. The handle on my trailer latches up with a little Lever and seems to catch a few people out. We see those in the UAE too; in fact, I was following an SUV with one today - it's a good idea allowing the driver to rotate a single hitch block around the longitudinal axis to put the required size ball on the top. Simple and you'll never be left without the needed ball. Looks a it odd, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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