2004 Subaru 3.0L Outback
Submitted: Friday, Sep 28, 2012 at 12:13
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Rob Franklin
Should I use a WDH while towing my 12 foot rear door van with 150kg ball weight, I have had mixed reports even though the manual states a "Hitch Stabiliser must be used if your trailer weight is more than 1500kg, even if your trailer is less than 1500kg the use of a Hitch Stabiliser is recommended". As the car has Automatic Level Control in the rear
suspension, I feel this may be fighting against the WDH. The reason I am writing is I have just had my second tow-bar break, where the welds of the bars that go forward of the cross section have broken. It is a Hayman Reece with 1800kg loading & a Hayman Reece WDH.
After 30 years of caravanning, is this the end, or if I could be convinced this problem may not occur again if I don't use a hitch?
Has anyone else had this unfortunate experience?
Reply By: member - mazcan - Friday, Sep 28, 2012 at 13:29
Friday, Sep 28, 2012 at 13:29
hi
have you contacted hayman reece regarding the broken welds to see what they say it could be a design fault
ive never heard of HR failures before they are a good quality towbar /wdh
the inbuilt auto level in rear
suspension would i think be for loads carried in the subie in standard driving conditions
but not to level the weight added by the towed van the subie operators manual should clarify this have you read up on this??
cheers
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Follow Up By: Rob Franklin - Friday, Sep 28, 2012 at 16:31
Friday, Sep 28, 2012 at 16:31
Thanks for your response, I have contacted Hayman Reece, but they wouldn't deal with me direct but referred me to a supplier, who under their instruction, emailed photographs of the damaged bar, so I am waiting for their response.
I think you are probable correct in that the auto level control is for management of the cars performance only.
I have also contacted Subaru and they weren't much help either, so I am relying on the ExplorOz experts.
As a matter of interest the H-R WDH weighs 30kg in itself, so in conjunction with the measured 150kg ball weight this must put extra strain on the rear end.
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