Saturday, Jan 08, 2011 at 09:20
Hi Joe,
Some years ago Caravan and Motorhome shot a DVD of their trip from
Brisbane to
Darwin.
Accompanying them was Roy Weise principal of Sunland Caravans. Gill Schott was towing the then new Blue Heeler which was atached to Gills troopy with a Treg type hitch. Traveling the outback Queensland rough roads was, from all appearances, very stressful to Gill and the continual hammering the tow bar and hitch were getting was very obvious from the sounds in the DVD.
This was such a problem that somewhere along the way, outback Queensland, they went to the expense of ditching the treg and changing to a ball coupling.
The difference was extremely noticeable immediately, both in the quieter sound and the lack of stress in Gills face. The main problem with the Treg type hitches is, as far as I know, is that you cannot fit a weight distribution hitch to the outfit as the tregs are not designed for that type of setup.
I make the observation that Tregs are fine for the lighter loads such as camper trailers but not for a heavier load such as a caravan.
Roothy makes a very clear comment in that same DVD that, I quote, "Tregs are fine if you intend towing your trailer on its roof, but for a caravan they in fact don't provide enough stability". or words to that effect.
I agree with
John Rooth on this one.
Case in point;
My nephew has a Kimberly Camper, weight about 1.5 tonne, we weighed it with our cattle scales, and I got him to do a
test run on his car using my 2.2 tonne van, again verified by the cattle scales.
His comment was that my van weighs a lot less than his camper because it felt lighter on his car. He took some convincing that his camper was in fact lighter than my van. that is when I bought in the cattle scales and weighed his camper and verified it at 1.5 tonne.
As I explained to him the difference was the weight distribution hitch and the way it locks the vehicle and van together as a unit while still maintaining articulation. Sure, you take the WD system off if in rough country to allow more articulation but for highway traveling they are more preferable must for any trailer over 1 tonne.
I first towed with a WD system in 1972 and immediately was blown away by the difference and prefer not to tow anything over a tonne with out them.
I don't know if they have devised a treg hitch which can take a WD system as yet as I have not seen one, but then they don't let me out all that often LOL.
Cheers, Bruce.
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Follow Up By: Member - Bruce C (NSW) - Saturday, Jan 08, 2011 at 09:29
Saturday, Jan 08, 2011 at 09:29
A further thought just came to mind and that is that the Kedron ( read Gall) boys are fitting a ball coupling to the vans they manufacture. The couplings they fit do provide a very high level of articulation but they are still a ball coupling as this suits a WD system. They are in a position to fit the best and their reputation stands or falls on such things.
| At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.Lifetime Member My Profile Send Message |
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Follow Up By: youngharry52 - Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 13:59
Monday, Jan 10, 2011 at 13:59
Hi Bruce,
The Kedron boys are now using the McHitch coupling (Google will find it). Great hitch, the only problem being that the heads of the WDH bars are not aligned to the articulation point of the hitch causing the chain hangers to slide up the A frame in a tight turn.....
Regards
Chris
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