Load Limits on Towbar Tongues?
Submitted: Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 09:15
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137045
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OBJ
I need to put a bit of “space” between my Tvan campertrailer and the drop down fridge slide fitted to the rear of my Landcruiser troopy. On a roadside stop where we need to access the fridge, pulling the fridge out and down means that it hits the camper’s spare wheel unless I have been “clever” enough to put a slight angle on when I parked so that the fridge will clear it. Doing so then means that the right hand side door cannot be fully opened :(
I now have access to a longer tow tongue to fit into the towbar which will give me more clearance, however I am now wondering about load limits on these towing tongues. Kaymar have said that they will manufacture one for me, but this tongue seems to do the job.
Can anyone advise me as to how to determine what load the towing tongues are capable of carrying. Whilst the Tvan is not all that heavy (1000 kg fully loaded) the time could come when I want to get into a craavan or similar.
There are no markings or stamps on either the tongue or the towbar that give me a clue. The towbar that this longer tongue came from has been taken off a Holden Commodore.
Thank in advance.
Reply By: Member - Bigfish - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 10:31
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 10:31
I have bought longer towbar tomgues to clear the wheel/door on my Pajero. Less than $100 delivered with weight info on the tongue. A 1000kg is not much for a tongue but I would buy a new one that has the weight ratings on it anyway just so there is not much chance of a breakage and NO chance of an insurance company trying to deny a claim in case of an accident. Have bought a couple from this supplier with no problems..
https://www.ebay.com.au/i/261782606115?chn=ps
AnswerID:
620385
Reply By: Bushranger1 - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 10:41
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 10:41
G'day.
Not sure of specific numbers but the issue is the extra leverage that will be exerted on the towbar itself with a longer tongue. I would expect the towbar itself to have a lower weight loading using a longer tongue.
Cheers Stu
AnswerID:
620386
Reply By: Shaker - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 10:50
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 10:50
I agree about extra leverage being an issue, maybe contact the tow bar manufacturer & get their opinion. You might be better to get the draw bar extension kit from Track Trailer.
You must travel very lightly, as I have a Mark 2 Tvan & no way would it be only 1000kg fully loaded.
AnswerID:
620387
Follow Up By: OBJ - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 14:44
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 14:44
Leverage was the issue I was most concerned about. Looks like an easy $500 coming up for Track .. with the drawbar extension. I just need to find out how long it is otherwise it won't be any better. Thanks to you and everyone else for the advice.
I don't cart that much in the van ... fridge and food etc all in the car. I am really only dragging a kitchen and bed around in the van.
Thanks again.
OBJ
FollowupID:
892801
Follow Up By: TTTSA - Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 09:02
Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 09:02
We fitted the extension to our Tvan, it is a serious piece of kit. Worth the $$ for sure. It adds around 450-500mm and we have no problems with opening doors on our 76 series cruiser, same set up as Troopy at the rear. Money
well spent and easy to attatch.
Cheers
FollowupID:
892813
Reply By: Member - Andrew & Jen - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 12:16
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 12:16
How do you know the Tvan weighs 1000kg fully loaded? As Shaker said, that sounds on the light side.
I think my 2005 Tvan has a max mass of 1250kg, and with a lot of weight carried foward of the axle, it is easy to get more than 250kg on the hitch.
That being said, the Troopy would be rated at 3500kg and 350kg on the hitch, so you have a bit to play with. I would expect that a modest extension would still be within the design limits. A bit of simple arithmetic will give you the answer once you work out how much of an extension you need for clearance.
Cheers
Andrew
AnswerID:
620388
Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 13:46
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 13:46
Increasing the hitch distance from the rear axle is never a good idea.
As Shaker said, a draw bar extension would be a much better solution.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
AnswerID:
620391
Follow Up By: RMD - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 14:12
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 14:12
The drawbar extension is the only sound, sensible way to solve the issue. My Tvan never weighed less than 1000kg and far more when loaded.
The std hitch with the '05, placed the coupling aft of where a ball would be anyway, so extending the tow tongue means more affect of the tail wagging the dog and loads rear
suspension much more. A frame extension restores the dog to be able to wag the tail and reduces both static and dynamic load on rear
suspension.
FollowupID:
892800
Follow Up By: Member - Andrew & Jen - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 15:15
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 15:15
If and when he goes to a caravan, I would agree.
In my experience, the Tvan provides very stable towing due to the wheels being so far back and the weights involved are nowhere near the limits of a Troopy.
If the increased distance required for opening the fridge is 15cms or less, in my opinion it would be worth exploring, particularly given that there are many lighter towing vehicles with caravans on the road with greater distances from the rear axle to the hitch.
Cheers
Andrew
FollowupID:
892802
Follow Up By: Member - Bigfish - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 20:15
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 20:15
The tongue extension is only about 100-150mm and the tongue has the weight load rating stamped on it. Yes if I was towing 2.5-3.0 tonne I,d consider an extended draw bar but towing 1-1.5 tonne on a rated tongue will be an easy task. I put an extended tongue on my Pajero factory bar and there is no issue. Does a lot of off road 4wd driving with 1.8 tonne camper/boat. The hitch I advised in my first post is a solid piece of kit and the small increase in length is negligible for the weight. Might be different if it was a 500mm extension.
FollowupID:
892808
Reply By: garrycol - Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 15:21
Sunday, Jul 29, 2018 at 15:21
The tow bar tongue should have its load rating stamped on it - 2500kg, 3000kg etc however I accept that most don't. I have three tow bar tongues here of which only one has a rating on it - it is out of a OEM Mitsubushi tow bar and has the Mitsubushi tow tongue compliance plate on it - 2500kg and 250kg down force.
The tow tongues do not have the rating on them - I think genuine Haymen Reece ones should have but I am not sure.
AnswerID:
620393
Reply By: JR - Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 09:08
Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 09:08
Some vehicles have a maximum distance between rear axle centre and towball.
This distance is what allowable download weights are calculated
AnswerID:
620401
Reply By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 10:52
Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 10:52
.
OBJ, Have you thought laterally and considered repositioning your camper spare wheel?
AnswerID:
620403
Follow Up By: OBJ - Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 13:26
Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 13:26
Hi Allan.
Looking at that too. We'd like a storage box but Tvan, in their infinite wisdom cannot provide one for our Mk2 Model. So we are thinking of removing the crazy frame completely and putting a box on there and having the spare as one of the two wheels on my twin rear wheel carrier. The second spare can sit on the roofrack in the hope that I won'[t have to get it down (or put it back again).
One's continual search for touring perfection :)
OBJ
FollowupID:
892824
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 13:39
Monday, Jul 30, 2018 at 13:39
.
Yes, spare wheels on the roof of a Troopy can be an issue. On some of our more remote and rugged trips I carried a spare up there and had cause to devise a means to get it up and down safely. If interested, let me know for the detail.
After many km's without need of the second spare and only two punctures, both on bitumen, I now mostly trust to one spare and a serious repair kit.
You could of course re-match the Tvan wheels to be the same as the Troopy's, but then that is $$$'s.
FollowupID:
892825
Follow Up By: OBJ - Tuesday, Jul 31, 2018 at 15:44
Tuesday, Jul 31, 2018 at 15:44
Thanks Allan .. very interested in how to get the spare onto the roof rack. I thought brute strength might be my only option .. and I am running out of that :)
Email is stuff4jack @ hotmail .com (without the spaces).
Thanks in advance.
OBJ
FollowupID:
892849
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Tuesday, Jul 31, 2018 at 17:29
Tuesday, Jul 31, 2018 at 17:29
Email on its way.
FollowupID:
892851