Turning Reese hitch
Submitted: Monday, Feb 03, 2014 at 22:41
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shortylook
Anyone know if you can turn your Reese hitch upside down to get a bit more ball angle without it snapping/breaking or doing anything crazy.
Cheers
Shorty
Reply By: Member - Duncs - Monday, Feb 03, 2014 at 22:45
Monday, Feb 03, 2014 at 22:45
I did.
Ran it like that for a few years without any problems.
Duncs
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Follow Up By: shortylook - Monday, Feb 03, 2014 at 22:54
Monday, Feb 03, 2014 at 22:54
Awesome thanks mate.
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Reply By: desray (WA - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 00:22
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 00:22
yes , it makes no difference
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Reply By: Member - Toyocrusa (NSW) - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 06:50
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 06:50
I have mine with the longer section pointing down. Towing with a Prado and this matches up better with my coupling as it is bolted to the underside of the A frame. Set up this way allows the rear door to just clear the coupling and open freely.
Be aware, that set up that way does reduce the ground clearance quite a bit though, depending on what you are towing with. Bob.
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Reply By: gbc - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 07:05
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 07:05
There isn't a blanket answer. It depends on your car and there should be a diagram on the actual bar if it gets derated when you spin the tongue.
Some 80 and 75 series cruisers were like this.
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Follow Up By: Hoyks - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 11:39
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 11:39
We had a work Hilux like this. Inverting the hitch and moving the ball halved the max trailer weight according to the data plate on the hitch (or my vague recollection of it)
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Reply By: Iza B - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 07:12
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 07:12
I'm assuming a square tube tongue that goes into a receiver on the tow bar, right?
Check clearance by mounting the towball the other way then put the ball into the coupling and
check there is no binding at all the limits of the articulation. I have seen the situation where the towball hole is too close to the riser for full and unrestricted articulation of the coupling on the ball.
Iza
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Reply By: Lyn W3 - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 07:48
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 07:48
Some are designed to be used both ways some are not. best to
check with Reece to see if you can.
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Reply By: DiscoTourer - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 14:51
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 14:51
Official line from Hayman Reece for their hitches is......"no"
Land rover office line for their hitches is....."yes"....and written in the manual.
But have seen it that way on plenty of trailers, and as mentioned above people seem to be getting away with it.
Brett....
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Follow Up By: MactrolPod - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 20:19
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 20:19
Had a look on the Hayman Reece site and can not find mention relating to turning the receiver one way or the other. If they must be one way surely there would be something stamped into the steel so there is no confusion.
Can you post a link where you got your information please.
The reason I would like clarification as I run them up and down as we have 2 trailers and 2 vehicles that regularly tow both of them and set them up to get the trailer level each time.
One of the trailers is quite heavy with a Treg but if it is being done wrong I would like to know.
Thanks in advance.
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Follow Up By: Jarse - Sunday, Feb 09, 2014 at 08:56
Sunday, Feb 09, 2014 at 08:56
I needed to flip a HR tongue over some time ago in order to fit a Treg.
The official word I got when I called them and spoke to one of their techs was "it is designed to be used either way, providing you don't exceed the weight limit".
I'm comfortable with that, and am now using the same tongue inverted for a different reason - to level the drawbar height with our offroad CT.
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Reply By: shortylook - Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 22:09
Tuesday, Feb 04, 2014 at 22:09
Bloody hell, trust me to open a can of worms like that. I better do some more homework. Cheers people
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Follow Up By: MactrolPod - Wednesday, Feb 05, 2014 at 15:19
Wednesday, Feb 05, 2014 at 15:19
Shorty, it's a good question.
I have never thought about it just turned them to suit my needs.
Really can not see an issue with them one way or the other but I am not an engineer and if there is a definitive answer it would be great then I will use the things correctly.
Post up what you find.
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Follow Up By: shortylook - Wednesday, Feb 05, 2014 at 15:54
Wednesday, Feb 05, 2014 at 15:54
Will post what info I get mate
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Follow Up By: jacent - Wednesday, Feb 05, 2014 at 18:25
Wednesday, Feb 05, 2014 at 18:25
I've done this and towed some big vans with the cruiser with no issues I don't see a problem, go see a tow bar fitter/engineer if your worried!
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Reply By: lbudgie - Friday, Feb 07, 2014 at 00:29
Friday, Feb 07, 2014 at 00:29
yep you can
a bloke I work with called haymanreece and they told him its ok.
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Follow Up By: MactrolPod - Friday, Feb 07, 2014 at 19:59
Friday, Feb 07, 2014 at 19:59
I'm going to keep doing what I always have.
The bloke that said it is not recommended has not backed it up, had a look at quite a few web sites and not one mention using them up or down. They are so solid I can not see it ever being a problem.
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