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Rosco



Member Since: 03 Dec 2010
Location: Burntwood
Posts: 1857
United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Montalcino Red
Changing my Tow Bar
Afternoon all,

I've managed to persuade SWMBO that a sankey trailer would be just the piece of kit we need for our camping adventures, so goes without saying I need a NATO hitch.

Obviously for ease, the option of the Dixon Bate drop plate with seperate sliders with a NATO and 50mm ball gives me the best of both worlds, but can I bolt one of these straight to my exisiting factory/dealer fitted adjustable tow bar?

[URL=]
Click image to enlarge[/URL]

Cheers for the knowledge in advance :bow:

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated Mr. Green  2007 - Stornoway Grey 90 XS SW - Gone
2002 - Black Discovery II - Gone
2014 - Montalcino Red 110 XS SW
Post #410526 24th Mar 2015 2:08pm
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Tiger



Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Wales
Posts: 2265
2004 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Java Black
Yes you can, I've just been through working this out.

Everything you need is in the For Sale section Whistle (includes trailer)
Post #410527 24th Mar 2015 2:15pm
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JWL



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443
England 2002 Defender 110 Td5 SW Coniston Green
I did with mine, but there again I picked up mine secondhand and it's a slightly older version which meant the holes were slightly out of alignment so I made it fit. The one I bought had got the stays with it but they were not quite right for my 2002 my Td5 and I reckoned that by fitting it straight to the existing drop plate would make it more secure. The reasoning being that by just putting a ball hitch on you are using two bolts onto the existing plate, by bolting the slider you are adding the slider to all the original fixing points then the saddle fits on. Also you are leaving the handy loops for your breakaway cable and fixing points for your electric sockets. Sorry for the poor quality photo.



Click image to enlarge
Post #410531 24th Mar 2015 2:24pm
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Tiger



Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Wales
Posts: 2265
2004 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Java Black
Exactly as JWL said Thumbs Up

(this bit is included with trailer sale Whistle )



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Post #410532 24th Mar 2015 2:27pm
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Nevillerover



Member Since: 14 Feb 2015
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 224
United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Sumatra Black
I use one of these but must not be used off road because it doesn't swivel.


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Post #410600 24th Mar 2015 7:24pm
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munch90



Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: guildford
Posts: 3558
England 
If you buy a drop hitch kit , you get everything you need in the kit to bolt on

remove old towbar and fit what you get in the kit
Post #410603 24th Mar 2015 7:29pm
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Rosco



Member Since: 03 Dec 2010
Location: Burntwood
Posts: 1857
United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Montalcino Red
Munch, I did think about that, but just seeing if I can get away with only buying half the kit, what with me being a cheapskate 2007 - Stornoway Grey 90 XS SW - Gone
2002 - Black Discovery II - Gone
2014 - Montalcino Red 110 XS SW
Post #410677 24th Mar 2015 10:36pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17630
United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
Nevillerover wrote:
I use one of these but must not be used off road because it doesn't swivel.


Click image to enlarge


I would never ever use one of those, especially not for towing a trailer with a NATO lunette. The NATO lunette was designed specifically for the matching pintle and vice versa. It is also not safe to tow a trailer with a fixed (non-rotating) lunette at all with a fixed pintle, even on the road.

With the early rotating lunettes you always have to be aware of the ring of the hitch locking at extremes of articulation. On Defenders this usually results in the destruction of the cross-member, on earlier vehicles it is usually the shaft of the lunette that bends.

I am sorry to say that in my personal view the combined ball and pintle couplings like that pictured are only fit for (a) using as doorstops, or (b) melting down for scrap. You certainly won't find a type-approved one!
Post #410680 24th Mar 2015 10:47pm
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