{"id":317,"date":"2024-01-29T15:34:51","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T05:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thingstodoexploringaustralia.com.au\/?p=317"},"modified":"2025-01-07T13:05:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T03:05:21","slug":"what-type-of-tow-ball-or-hitch-is-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thingstodoexploringaustralia.com.au\/?p=317","title":{"rendered":"What type of tow ball or hitch is best?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What type of towball or hitch is best?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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I want to tow; how do I know what tow bar or tow hitch I should use?<\/p>\n

There are a few different types of towing connectors for passenger vehicles.<\/p>\n

All types must comply with the Australian Standards AS 4177.<\/p>\n

Tow bars fitted to the tow vehicle must comply.<\/p>\n

Different revisions will include a variation on the Australian Standard<\/span> number for example the AS 4177.1 and the AS 4177.4<\/span><\/p>\n

I think everyone knows the 50mm standard ball<\/a> type.<\/p>\n

The coupling on the trailer for the 50mm standard ball must comply with the Australian Standard<\/span> AS 4177<\/span><\/p>\n

Some more specialty types have different features that may or may not be what you’re looking for or need.<\/p>\n

The Offroad Polly Block<\/a> gives a greater range of movement allowing a better offroad experience, but from my experience, they are harder to line up when inserting the pin through the block.<\/p>\n

The DO35<\/a> is an easier connection, than the poly block, it is easier to line up when connecting and does self center when lowering onto the tow point. It is probably slightly harder to get lined up than the 50mm standard ball but it has the same articulation as the Poly Block type connection.<\/p>\n

Remember that you must use rated shackles<\/a> (Australian Standard <\/span>AS 2741) that are suitable for the ATM of the caravan when towing vehicles in Australia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be sure not to overload your tow vehicle or caravan, check out our post about GVM, GCM, and ATM<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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My Story<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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On my tow vehicle, I have a tow bar that uses a 2 inch receiver<\/a>\u00a0tube.<\/p>

This allows me to change the hitch very quickly.\u00a0It takes less than 60 seconds to remove and replace from one hitch type to another.<\/span><\/p>

I have different hitches, I have a 50mm standard ball on a 3000KG rated tow hitch and the DO35 on a 3,500KG rated tow hitch.<\/p>

I have a 3,400KG caravan that has a DO35 connection and a 750KG soft floor camper trailer with the 50mm standard ball.<\/p>

I also have a recovery hitch<\/a>, that can also be inserted into the same receiver for recovery of Toyota Landcruiser, Hilux, Jeeps, etc.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Tow Hitch type and Range of Motion<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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I have connected the goose neck to the camper trailer and caravan while not connected to the tow vehicle.<\/p>

This will give me an easy way to show the articulation without the need to move the car and trailer\/caravan.<\/p>

There are 4 main ways in which the angle of the tow vehicle and trailer\/caravan can be limited by the standard 50mm ball.<\/p>

If we assume the tow vehicle and trailer\/caravan start on a flat level ground and start moving forward:<\/p>

1. As the front of your tow vehicle starts to go up a hill, we get the tow hitch dipping low. I’ll call this to dip <\/b>angle.<\/p>

2. As the front of the tow vehicle starts going down a hill, we get the tow hitch arching up. I’ll call this the arch <\/b>angle.<\/p>

3. As the left of the tow vehicle gets lower than the right by driving across a slope to the left the trailer will flex to the right. I’ll call this the right flex<\/b> angle.<\/p>

4. As the right of the tow vehicle gets lower than the left by driving across a slope to the right the trailer will flex to the left. I’ll call this the left flex<\/b> angle.<\/span><\/p>

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Standard 50mm ball
Range of Motion<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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You can see from the photos below the range of motion of the 2 hitches I have.<\/p>

The first one is my standard 50mm tow ball and the camper trailer.<\/p>

The arch angle is restricted by the tongue of the gooseneck hitting against the trailer drawbar.\u00a0<\/p>

It appears the 30\u00b0<\/span>\u00a0range of motion is the limit of the 50mm standard ball.<\/p>

You can also get 50mm standard couplings that allow limitless flex, which I do not have.<\/p>

I have also added a few photos and a quick video of the path taken for the limit of articulation with the camper trailer below. As you can see this does allow some extreme off-roading before the limit of 30\u00b0<\/span>\u00a0articulation is reached.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

If you only drive on gazetted roads, I feel that the 50mm standard ball is all that is needed.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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