Tuesday, 28 October 2014 10:17

Don’t take towbar for granted

Written by 

Before heading off with a trailer or caravan in tow, first check the towbar to ensure all bolts attaching it to the vehicle are tight, there is no corrosion present or cracking in the welds or structure and that the towball itself is secured properly to the tongue, says towbar maker Best Bars. 

 

“Even though a towbar may look OK, all may not be right. Some towbars are made from inferior steel which doesn’t meet the vehicle manufacturer’s guidelines. 

“If a new towbar is required, ensure it has been designed to NZ Standard 5467:1993 and carries a metal tamper-proof label to identify it. Cheap imported towbars or those available online may use inferior parts and/or be poorly designed.  

“Make sure the towball is correctly matched to the trailer or caravan coupling – there are two main sizes of towball used in New Zealand (1 7/8-inch and 50mm).”

A safety chain must be used between the towing vehicle and lighter trailer/caravan; double chains are required if the weight of the towed load exceeds 2000kg. 

When packing a caravan, trailer or boat, ensure the load on the towball tongue does not exceed the recommended tongue weight (stated on the label). Too much weight may cause stability problems and put undue load on the towbar and connection to the vehicle chassis. 

Incorrect loading leading to trailer ‘snaking’ or swaying in motion indicates load imbalance. A load leveller that fits onto the drawbar of the trailer and connects to the towbar on the towing vehicle can help to redress the imbalance through redistributing the load, so the weight is transferred further forward.

www.bestbars.co.nz  

More like this

Raising the safety game

An evolution of ATV and quad rollover protection, the AR quad safety bar uses compressed gas and an electronic control system to offer fully automated, pneumatic roll-over protection – with full deployment in less than 250 milliseconds.

Featured

Horticulture exports hit $8.4B, surge toward $10B by 2029

A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Sticky situation

OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter