Towbar advice

[Jamsy]

Hi,
I have a 100 series with a suspension lift and some 33" tyres. It has steel bumpers which are securely fitted to the chassis. Its got part of a drop plate for a towbar already fitted.

I ordered a 270mm drop plate which wasn't low enough (trailer front wheels were still off the ground). Im considering ordering a 370mm drop plate but looking at it im wondering how strong it would be. If I had it fitted at the lowest setting it looks like it would put a lot more tension on the bolts holding the plate to the bumper.
Ive thought about buying a proper Tow Trust bar but I think I'd still have to use the drop plate.
Anyone with any experience/advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Higgy]

Hi Jamsy.. I would always go for having a proper rated Towbar fitted mate With load ratings clearly Stamped/Marked..Im not sure if its strictly legal to mount any Tow plate direct to a bumper, Irrespective of what the Manufacturer states....If anything untoward were to happen the insurance companies would have a field day... Fitting a tow bar to any vehicle must comply with not only EU/EC Legislation. But vehicle manufactures Recommendations also.. I know it may seem a bit Anal Jamsy .. But thats how it is nowadays Insurers will look for any excuse... And to be Honest i wouldnt put a 50mm tow ball to that plate and hook my Trailer up, Irrespective of how good they say their Bumpers are... When i had my tow bar fitted at Trident Trailers, They gave me all kinds of stuff, Warranty/ certificate of conformation etc So i could submit them to my Insurance Company...And they were serious about it...When iv been pulled by VOSA the first thing they look at is How secure the tow bar is fitted.. Sorry but its the way it is... Sorry to go on, But do it Right Mate

 

[Shayne]

Alternatively put a lift on the trailer

 

[Bob]

Higgy is 100% on this one. It might seem desirable to have the higher mounting point for clearance, but a proper mount is the way to go.

 

[BobMurphy]

Many years ago I ran a 'Series III' Landrover that had the usual vertical towhitch assembly mounted on the rear chassis cross-member. This was a standard unit that allowed the towball to be set at different levels. There was no rear bumper, just small 'bumperettes' at the corners.

I found that the towball had to be set near its lowest level to match the Horse Trailer and, like you, thought that it would put too much strain on the cross-member. I "Triangulated" the structure by welding vertical drop-plates to the inner chassis faces and then ran heavy angle back to the bottom of the hitch mounting plate.

It can just be seen in the picture below.

That made for a very rigid structure and I never had a problem with it (the problems were all at the other end of the truck !).

But . . Would I do that on a Landcruiser - no I'd go with the advice given and fit a proper certified tow bar that mounts securely on the chassis rails. The smaller the drop plate the better.

Bob.

 

[Towpack]

Towbars are pretty simple structures and can be DIY fabricated relatively easily and cheaply but they must be type approved and plated on vehicles registered after 1998. If the plate is missing, apparently you are limited to an all up loaded trailer weight of 750 kg. More importantly, as Higgy has pointed out, the insurance company would probably drop you like a hot potato if an accident was attributed to or made worse by an non approved towbar.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

The tow trust tow bars tuck under the truck nicely but unfortunately that means you can't fit a 33" underslung spare with a tow trust bar fitted. The OEM towbars sit a bit further out and lower so you can just about squeeze a 33 under with those but that does mean they don't give as much ground clearance as the tow trust bar!

 

[Shayne]

Just have a receiver hitch welded to your steel bumper .

 

[chapel gate]

the 80s rear cross member is rated to carry a degree of load, the figures are out there somewhere.. A pintle hitch is a OEM option.

not sure if its a option for the 100. there are fixing points behind the plastic bumper though.

 

[Jamsy]

Thanks for the replies folks. I know you’re right Higgy, that’s what I suspected. Was going to order the tow trust bar from eBay and fit it myself but I’m thinking now I might just take it somewhere and get it fitted.

 

[Jamsy]

Just have a receiver hitch welded to your steel bumper .

I like the look of them Shayne but would that not be back to the same problem, would I need to get it rated/tested to find out what weight I could tow?

 

[Jamsy]

Many years ago I ran a 'Series III' Landrover that had the usual vertical towhitch assembly mounted on the rear chassis cross-member. This was a standard unit that allowed the towball to be set at different levels. There was no rear bumper, just small 'bumperettes' at the corners.

I found that the towball had to be set near its lowest level to match the Horse Trailer and, like you, thought that it would put too much strain on the cross-member. I "Triangulated" the structure by welding vertical drop-plates to the inner chassis faces and then ran heavy angle back to the bottom of the hitch mounting plate.

It can just be seen in the picture below.

That made for a very rigid structure and I never had a problem with it (the problems were all at the other end of the truck !).

But . . Would I do that on a Landcruiser - no I'd go with the advice given and fit a proper certified tow bar that mounts securely on the chassis rails. The smaller the drop plate the better.

Bob.

View attachment 156539

Cheers Bob,
I’ve seen a few of those triangulated type drop plates fitted to Land Rovers/Disco’s and they do look sturdy compared to the normal drop-plate that’s just bolted on.

I suspect though, I could go and fit a proper towbar and still need to use a drop plate, which I’d like to avoid.

 

[Jamsy]

The tow trust tow bars tuck under the truck nicely but unfortunately that means you can't fit a 33" underslung spare with a tow trust bar fitted. The OEM towbars sit a bit further out and lower so you can just about squeeze a 33 under with those but that does mean they don't give as much ground clearance as the tow trust bar!

Cheers Jon, I saw a picture of your tow trust bar when searching old threads and it looked nice and neat. That’s the one I’d go for as it wouldn’t bother me not being able to carry the 33 spare. Did you still have to use a drop plate though? I’ve an Ifor Williams twin axle and suspect I’d still need to use a plate to get it level.

 

[Shayne]

I like the look of them Shayne but would that not be back to the same problem, would I need to get it rated/tested to find out what weight I could tow?

Millions of steel bumpers include them and i will lay odds none are stamped and rated , personally i wouldn't give a damn because it's only going to be a problem if it fails .

Most winch recovery from the receiver which calls for more strength than anything you might tow . It won't fail .

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Cheers Jon, I saw a picture of your tow trust bar when searching old threads and it looked nice and neat. That’s the one I’d go for as it wouldn’t bother me not being able to carry the 33 spare. Did you still have to use a drop plate though? I’ve an Ifor Williams twin axle and suspect I’d still need to use a plate to get it level.

They are not cheap but if you use a Tow Trust adjustable height coupling with the tow trust tow bar you'll be squeaky clean because they are type approved to be used together which is what I did.

 

[Jamsy]

Just going to order the Tow Trust bar and AHC Jon. Do you think id get away with the small one or better going for the medium?

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Depends on how much lift you have. My current 100 is standard (AHC) height with 33's and I use a small with a hole to spare but I think I put a medium on the previous truck because of the 3" lift.

 

[toolsplus]

does anyone have a photo of a Tow Trust tow bar on a 120 series?

there website doen't seem to have one?