tow bar help

[denviks]

hi all. i am having a few issues with the tow bar on my disco. i tow a caravan regular but also offroad regular aswell and this is causing me a head ache. i have done loads of suspension work and put decent tyres on her but its the tow bar every time that stops me doing things. like this weekend on the plain....took the caravan away for the weekend and went for a play , on the plain the tow bar stopped me dead in my tracks. it also moved the tow bar again and collected half the plain behind it  :roll: . so when i got back to the camp site not only did i have to dig it out but i also had to rebolt it again. the time has come to do something about it. i have the standard 200 disco towbar fitted. im looking for ideas and inspiration guys as it seems alittle weak just lobbing the bottom of my bar off and fitting a drop plate when needed. what have you guys got fitted and how does it perform?

any pics or ideas would be brilliant. c

cheers
den

[Fingers Mclean]

i suggest a south downs tank guard with removable tow hitch..that should sort it :lol:  :lol:

[denviks]

i suggest a south downs tank guard with removable tow hitch..that should sort it :lol:  :lol:

i did think about that m8. but heard that you cant tow a caravan with the system  :?  something to do with insurance or sommatt  :?  :?

might be a little out of my budget at the moment too    :lol:  :lol:

[andygod]

I have a £4.00 drop plate from Towsure bolted on mine, when I go off road I just unbolt it, takes about 2 minutes. Never had a problem with this method and we did some pretty extreme stuff this weekend. I also have another tow ball bolted in the top holes to act as a recovery point. Hope this is of some help.

[denviks]

massive help mate....have you got any pics?

[John T]

I have a standard L/R tow bar, What I do is just remove it when off roading it takes roughly 3 to 4 mins to do  :D

What I did was mount the electric sockets to the chassis, so they stay on the Disco when the tow bar is removed - as long as they out of the way, and well sealed they'll be OK.

I also put a small tack of weld on the heads of the two big bolts that drop through the rear crossmember, just to stop them turning - This means the tow bar can be dropped without removing the rear bumper (I replaced all four bolts so the threads are nice and clean, and use plenty of copper grease every time I take it on and off)

Easy job now, a few minutes and it's off...................... :lol:

[beast5680]

i suggest a south downs tank guard with removable tow hitch..that should sort it :lol:  :lol:

i did think about that m8. but heard that you cant tow a caravan with the system  :?  something to do with insurance or sommatt  :?  :?

might be a little out of my budget at the moment too    :lol:  :lol:

really? i know a few people who tow with that system on their landys, its no worse than a drop plate with a pin :?

[ChrisW]

If that was the case with the Southdown hitch surely they would not be marketing it  :?:
Have you actually checked with your insurance or just going on hearsay?

I use a Southdown type guard and removable hitch and find it unbeatable for maintaining clearance and also for providing rear recovery points (other than not having a towbar at all!)

[denviks]

If that was the case with the Southdown hitch surely they would not be marketing it  :?:
Have you actually checked with your insurance or just going on hearsay?

I use a Southdown type guard and removable hitch and find it unbeatable for maintaining clearance and also for providing rear recovery points (other than not having a towbar at all!)

as i said its just what i heard....... i havent looked in to it so hense my post today   ....the southdown system is out of my price range at the moment anyway so looking for ideas on what to do  

[ChrisW]

I know the feeling - looking at alternatives for my front bumper  

[andygod]

Chris
I have a lovely piece of galvanised roof guttering in the garden........... Yours if you want it as a bumper  :lol:  :lol:

[Richie_EB4]

I use the scorpion racing detatchable one......very easy to use.

http://www.scorpionracing.co.uk/

[andygod]

denviks
Photos of my drop plate are in my photo gallery; it’s a 6-hole drop plate from Towsure costing about £4.00. As I said above its a cheap way of lowering the towing hitch. I have a 2" Lift and larger tyres and have never had a problem with this method.

[thumbs]

i just bolt mine on oand off when needed, 90% of the time it is left off, been looking at the southdown ones look a very nice piece of kit and its pay day tomoz  :D

denviks, personally id just bolt it on and off as required untill you can afford a removable one, dont fancy the cut and shut standard item idea.

[Fingers Mclean]

Den try and get your hands on a used southdowns if you don't want to fork out the dosh :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  I thought you were minted :shock:  :shock:  and you just sold your bike :? I still think it the way forward if your that concerned about the tow hitch...I think also you should talk to your buddy at gecko as he was designing won when i last spoke to him at Sodbury :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[Range Rover Blues]

I used to use a drop plate, but it bent towiung a car trialer.  I now have a SOuthdown and the only thing I'd say is that with a stabiliser on you want to bolt it together rather than use the pins.