 | Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > Defender and towing a caravan what towbar? |
 
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324  
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You've got a bit of a
 set up there, with a Dixon Bate ladder bolted to a standard fixed tow bar, so it's no wonder the caravan wouldn't hitch properly.
You need a standard Dixon Bate set up, which will allow you to position the slider lower down for a 'van, which will in turn enable you to operate the hitch stabiliser. Like this:  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Darren 110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia Last edited by LandRoverAnorak on 12th Jul 2017 7:53pm. Edited 2 times in total |
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17th Jun 2017 10:24pm |
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| GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10381
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You've got 2 types of tow bars fitted! There must be a trophy for that, because it's the first I've seen !
As anorak says  |
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18th Jun 2017 5:52am |
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| RoddyK05 Member Since: 08 Apr 2015 Location: Inverclyde Posts: 633  
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As all above - just fit standard Dixon Bate setup. I still have to remove my spare - I have an extra spare wheel carrrier bolted to my roof rack. The spare goes up there at the start of the season and comes back down at the end of the season.
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18th Jun 2017 6:27am |
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| DuncanS Member Since: 06 Dec 2013 Location: Cumbria Posts: 299 
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There is a different type of handle available for the Alko hitch IIRC.
Here, found it: http://www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/handbooks/4x4lr.pdf http://www.defender2.net/forum/post436065.html North Cumbria Search and Rescue - Team Leader |
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18th Jun 2017 7:13am |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831 
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I can see what you were trying to do but that is very dangerous you have the nose up.
It would have been a lot simpler if you had taken your dirty ball off and used the clean one that is fitted to the ladder or even easier clean the ball that you have fitted that way the caravan would have nose would have been lower. Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to us off.
Richard |
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18th Jun 2017 10:04am |
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| Sammyboy Member Since: 28 Feb 2017 Location: Hampshire Posts: 121 
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Agree with ARC99. Remove your DB assembly and use your lower ball, just make sure you degrease it before attaching caravan. When hitched up your caravan should be at least level but preferrably slightly nose down to improve its stability when travelling. Good luck. Discovery 4 HSE
Defender 2.2 110 USW XS Ford Kuga AWD Discovery 3 Range Rover P38 Discovery - 300 TDI Discovery - 200TDI |
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18th Jun 2017 7:26pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3750
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Thanks all,
I know it was a botch job but trying to help out and my mother in law wanted the van gone... Even with the dixon bate drop plate you still have to take the wheel off? what a phaff... Also putting it back on was hard !! On the setup you showed anorak, I still think the handle for the stabilizer would hit? The different handle looks good but this van isn't a keeper just cleaned it and it will be up fro sale however worth noting if we get one. Is this what I need ? rather than change mine for a longer slider as above? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defen...Track=true |
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18th Jun 2017 7:56pm |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324
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I never had to remove the spare or alter the handle on my van when using the standard setup shown. Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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19th Jun 2017 5:26am |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831
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I have never trusted the Alko hitch with built in stabiliser I prefer the old fashioned type . I have a Shocklink which fits the ladder and have in the past used a 2" spacer between the Shocklink and the tow ball to make it easier to hitch up. Don't make old people mad.
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to us off.
Richard |
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19th Jun 2017 8:53am |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324
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Why's that, just out of interest? I'd have thought that the Alko hitch fell into the 'tried and tested' category after all these years? Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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19th Jun 2017 9:25am |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831
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Why's that, just out of interest? I'd have thought that the Alko hitch fell into the 'tried and tested' category after all these years?
I have experienced two failures of this type of hitch which was the earlier version, both times the pads just disintegrated which is not a good thing while traveling at 60 mph on the motor way, all you can feel is the van trying to move sideways on the ball due to the increased clearance. The first time I spent 10 hours sat in a services waiting for the nearest caravan dealers to open to purchase a replacement set of pads then returning and having the joy of having to fit them. After the second time scraped the hitch and bought a new old style hitch and stabiliser. Even when purchasing new caravans which I have done frequently of the last 30 years I have swapped out that type of hitch for the old style. Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to us off.
Richard |
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19th Jun 2017 9:43am |
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| Devon-Rover Member Since: 22 Jan 2015 Location: South Devon Posts: 916 
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I have the traditional DB ladder and the alko handle doesn't hit the spare when I have had a caravan with one fitted on the back.
On the bottom pin the top of the ball is just a fraction over 11 inches from the bottom of the spare. |
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19th Jun 2017 1:08pm |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3750
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Thanks all,
Can you also add a spacer to these for the towbar?
My wife really wasn't keen on these pin type setups but as I explained it's pretty much the norm with defenders.. |
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19th Jun 2017 1:14pm |
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| X4SKP Member Since: 29 Nov 2013 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2295 
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Hello Stacey007
Dixon Bate 200mm Adjustable Drop Plate fitted to a NAS Rear Step / Tow Frame (NAS Rear Step Lowers the fixing positions for Tow Frames by around 85mm) Bottom Slider Bolted through (so Locked into position / No Rattle) Custom additional Metalwork to brace lower aspect Enough room for a Second Slider to position a NATO Hitch (For Trailer) Older Style ALKO Hitch on Caravan (with stabilizer pads) Rotating Lock Mechanism to engage / release (No conflict with Spare Tyre) Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Good Luck... SKIP https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic83242.html |
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19th Jun 2017 1:55pm |
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