Need Help ! What is the best A frame to Flat Tow with ?

I was following a motor home through Hampstead Rd, Grand Junction Rd with a small 4WD/SUV being towed by one of these Hitch n Go's last week; I was very impressed with how the car being towed tracked, especially changing lanes to avoid parked cars in city traffic.

I liked the fact that the lights work through the towed vehicles wiring loom too!

:=)

Hi Neil,
The Hitch N Go is not cheap at around 3.5 grand I would have thought so I do not consider you a cheapskate. I guess most of the price goes into the engineering certificate as there is little cost in the materials used from what I can see. I saw a chap with a Hitch N Go a couple of years ago and he used a caravan dolly wheel to keep the A frame horizontal while he drove the coupling over the ball to hitch on. I thought it was a very good idea. Your idea with the rope is good also. As you say, the KISS principle. Works every time.

Cheers, Bruce.

I'm not interested in a trailer, to much crap to find a home for. I just want to find out from people that have been there and done that and know if a simple hitch and go is OK or spend a lot more $ and get a Road Master or Blue Ox. I have heard from one guy the hitch and go was very hard to line up and he ended up buying a Blue Ox and said it was a marriage saver ! So just wanted to hear from others before I go waste more hard earned $ than I needed to .

Pothole

Mate any hitch you look at is a waste of time and money if it is not legal.

And remember if it ain't legal you ain't insured either.

When you find out exactly what is required to do this legally, you may find you become interested in a trailer.

Check the legal details before you go any further.

cheers

Thanks Bantam,

I wouldn't buy a lemon that's why I'm asking all you experts about this
subject. I want to buy the right item first time , not like the bloke I was talking about in my last reply.

Cheers
Pothole

I made my own A frame in the seventies, I was always towing someone home with a broken diff or gearbox, and it was used to tow my own Monaro home on a few occasions. Funny how things have changed, its seems to all about legalities these days but nothing ever went wrong back then. Maybe we had common sense back then! Michael

If its legal to tow a registered, roadworthy car with another car using a $20 tow rope, how is it illegal to tow with a professionally made tow hitch?

Firstly if you are towing a vehicle with a tow rope there is a driver inside and " in controll" of the vehicle...that is a whole other thing than towing vehicle as if it was a trailer.

Appart from that, towing a vehicle with a tow rope is an absolute mine field these days.
The sticking point is that the driver in the towed vehicle must be in full control of the vehicle, considering that most modern vehicles have power assisted steering and power assisted brakes, that means the engine must run.......This is the simplest of many points of this argument.

AS I said in the first post, the hardest issue insetting out to flat tow a vehicle like a trailer in a way that is fully compliant is operating the brakes in the towed vehicle from the vehicle towing.

There are a variety of issues such as load restraint, structrual adequacy, the hitch presenting illegal protrubances on the towed vehicle when used on its own.

lots of these matters have changed and become far more stringent nationwide in recent years.

cheers

I looked into this (went to Regency & asked!), its legal to flat tow with a hitch n go as long as the towing vehicle has a brake controller, the lights work at the rear of the towed vehicle & the steering is roadworthy on the towed vehicle. Road rules for towing

The hitch n go meets all of the requirements listed!

Another Furphy put to rest lol!

First of all the link marked above as " road rules for towing" is nothing of the sort, it is an information brochure and does not have any legal status what so ever...it is neither legeslation, regulation or standard...it ain't the rules.


While it may seem all very informative it does not address all the issues.

For example the general a frame towing information sheets mention the 3.5:1 ratio and may or may not make references to the requirements for brakes

However show me any vehicle that has a rated towing capacity of more than 750Kg without brakes on the trailer.

As for the requirements of ADR62..that is only the means of attachment nothing else...relativly simple requirements

this from the NSW RTA is a little more informative http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_41_-_guidelines_for_a-frame_towing_nov_2007.pdf

The issues are many......plenty of people go into this with rose coloured glasses.....and continue dragging round an illegal arrangement ublivious to the matter.

I have seen plenty of arrangements that are plainly and obvioulsy non-compliant......& ya dont have to look hard to see it.

NOW did I say it was not possible.....no I did not.

There is just more to it that many people want to hear.

Again I stand by my original advice..check the legalities...and even further take engineering advice.

I think you will find the whole arrangement and in actual installation needs to be engineer certified.

This is far from a cheap & easy option.
Depending on who you are what you want to spend and what you want to put up with, a trailer may look more attractive.

cheers

OH if you want a chuckle.....look at some of the pictures used in the state government brocures...very often they show vehicles that are plainly non compliant.

cheers

My Hitch n Go is legal on the 5 door Suzuki diesel. Has over ride brakes which is legal up to 2000kg. I looked at making my own but found that engineering approval cost as much as Purchase price of complete unit fitted. Provided you have an engineering compliance plate attached it is legal in all States. I believe NSW may require an additional compliance plate. all mine is insured through Kem Tame, including hitch and fittings.

Neil

Thanks for your offer MickMew,
My email is fordgt1969@hotmail.com
I would like to see a photo of the brake system to, if possible.
Really appreciate your kindness.

Cheers
Pothole

Neil and Pauline
Your Suzuki is 1630 kg empty. Admittedly there won't be passengers when towing but after fuel and possibly a fridge or tent etc there is not much margin to tour 2000 kg. which is another reason for choosing an upgraded system. I carry heaps in and on the Suzuki.

Remember the hitch & go is not rated for 2000kg..its only rated for 1900Kg

That only gives you 270Kg and that includes any extra weight from bulbar, roof racks, bigger wheels & tyres and of course fuel....and of course the hitch and go attachments.

It would be wise to weigh the vehicle in question and count every KG you put in it.

cheers

Thanks to all that replied no this subject.
Thanks to MickMew for the photo's, Ready Brute is a great looking system and the price is reasonable.

Cheers
Pothole

P/S Bantam are you some kind of inspector , not a bad thing you are very concerned that people don't break the law. Nothing wrong with it, just that you really go out of your way to prove a point. Thanks anyway.

Should read : Thanks to all that replied to this subject. Ha Ha

Motor home has only 1800kg towing capacity which is surprising for a 8000kg vehicle. Suzuki has nothing in except 2 camp chairs.
I can actually tow legally with out override brakes due to the weight ratio but I reckon when you need all the brakes the over ride can only but help.

Neil

1800 Kg is not surprising if it is a van or a buss type vehicle
Compare a hilux with a hiace..ya 03 hilux will do around the 1800kg ya hiace wont even do the tonne.
Likewise compare a coaster with a similar GVM Hino trayback.
A landcruser will do the 3.5 tonne limit for a pasenger car, ya coaster will only do 2 tonnes and its GVM is around twice that of the landcruser.


What is the rated towing capacity of the vehicle....1800Kg yeh

Betya the vehicle manufacturer specifies the use of brakes over 750Kg.

That is unless you are going to pay to get the whole rig engineered, road tested and the braking efficiency measured.

As I say people get in to this all optomistic.

No I'm not an inspector, but I deal with regulations and standards every day.....and I've never been found non-compliant.

People like to read the easy bits and think they are compliant, when often they are nothing of the sort.

cheers

Neil and Pauline

If it works for you great, but one of the reasons I tow is to leave the motorhome parked near the road and be able to go over rough roads to places where the Winny won't go and stay a night or three. So I need a 2 way fridge, a tent, mattresses, lights, water etc
If Pothole is of a similar bent then he needs more towing capacity than the Hitchngo provides. If he just wants to free camp and be able to drive into town then the Hitchngo would be OK. These issues need to be addresses before purchase as it is too late after you have it on your car. Hindsight is a wonderful gift.

MickMew