Raising Hitch Height

It would be much simpler and easier to get a new hitch for the Paj assuming it is a Haymen Reece one. You can get the goose neck at different lengths to accommodate most hitches. There is even one that is adjustable.

.Like this One.

Yes I would be making A frame modification as a last resort.

I assume when hitched your high at the front? As mentioned drop the ball height would be the first thing to consider in my view. Most 50mm receivers come in variety of variable height configurations.

On my Jayco Outback Destiny all we needed to do is have the tongue of the towbar turned so that the ball was lower. I have 2 tongues for the towbar, one up and one down, I have other trailers that need the ball higher. I have a Hyland hitch.
Geoff

Gary.

The problem you have encountered is as follows:

(1) Jayco have decided that the centre of the tow ball and subsequently the centre of the receiving socket will be no more than 420mm (This is from memory) from the ground when

(a) The towed vehicle (caravan, camper etc) is on level flat ground

and

(b) The aforementioned towed vehicle is also level.

To ensure being under this maximum ball height on some towed vehicles with high suspensions eg Simplicity Suspension, they(Jayco) have resorted to placing the tow hitch on the towed vehicle in the lowest place possible.

This invariably requires the said hitch to be located either on top of or underneath a plate welded to the bottom of the A frame. (depending on the type of hitch of course.)

I queried this when taking ownership of a new Jayco Base Station on a Simplicity Chassis and was told by the dealer customer service man - 'Ah! thats the law mate". When asked to produce the said legislation he muttered "well thats how Jayco make them. They are all the same"

Thats the best I could extract from him as he wouldn't budge an inch on the 'company authorised' line of spin. (LOL)

So there I was with a Troopy with a 2in suspension lift, a caravan mega lifted by a simplicity suspension and with a bottom mounted ball hitch that when hitched up looked it was about to sit on it's bum.

Solution:

(1) Bought the last Reese (Not Hayman Reese) hitch that they had and installed it. Lowered the Hitch bracket as low as it would go and tilted it back as far as it would go.

This reduced the problem by 50% and allowed me to drive home.

(2) Had an engineer weld a 10mm plate to the top of the A frame and re mounted the hitch on top of that.

That fixed the other 50% of the problem.

Never had a problem with it since that time and that caravan has been towed K's of Kms on made and unmade roads as well as extreme off road conditions on cattle/sheep station properties out the back of Wilcannia.

Why do Jayco do this - I suspect that as they sell all over Australia and I think O/S , they have set a minimum height of the tow hitches on their products as a cost cutting, mass production exercise.

So, don't think you are the only one with this problem.

DD

trailers are made with the plate at the top.

only regulation you have to worry about is the a frame strong enough, and the plate thick enough, and welded properly.

load of crap...

we have made trailers..
and fully passed the road worth checks when new AS IS

Id rather scratch the a frame than smash the bolts into the ground when it bottoms out !!