14' Series Hitch alternative

[Ted farkas]

im currently running this hayman Reece setup 135 kg too 250 kg. They whole lot weighs near 20 kgs. I have airbags. And 14 ft outback with about 200 on the ball.

Ive done a trip around oz but am not i fan. Due to the weight and the low clearance and overhang. I was waiting too hook a cattle grid with it. The bars hang under as well.
Also the safety chains are too long and will not keep the tongue of the ground. Trust me i know

I do think it stabilises the vehicle (pajero) the alternative is the original tongue or trig hitch. But obviously a load levelling device is recommended. It cant be flipped due to the tyre which is already lifted. Any ideas on what people use.

Cheers
Brett

 

[NoWorries]

Wow how did you get 200kg on the ball of a 14ft
But aside from that, you have to have a WDH for the Pajero with anything above 180 kg.
I had the same one and yes it gave me the sh1ts as well, especially because I could not open the back door with the caravan hitched up.
But on the bright side I took it down some horrible goat tracks and never had issues.

My advice and what I did, Sold the Pajero and bought a Cruiser

But on a serious note I was going to go get it lifted with heavier springs as one of the guys at work did his and it sat heaps higher than mine.
I was then going to drop the hitch down one bolt hole so I could open the rear door when hitched up.

 

[Bushman]

View attachment 45846 im currently running this hayman Reece setup 135 kg too 250 kg. They whole lot weighs near 20 kgs. I have airbags. And 14 ft outback with about 200 on the ball.

Ive done a trip around oz but am not i fan. Due to the weight and the low clearance and overhang. I was waiting too hook a cattle grid with it. The bars hang under as well.
Also the safety chains are too long and will not keep the tongue of the ground. Trust me i know

I do think it stabilises the vehicle (pajero) the alternative is the original tongue or trig hitch. But obviously a load levelling device is recommended. It cant be flipped due to the tyre which is already lifted. Any ideas on what people use.

Cheers
Brett

this is the cheap way you solve the door opening problem, or you can spent $400 on a Mchitch auto coupler which you can use with the WDH, though generally on Outback models the rear door and hitch isn't a problem as the coupling is underslung, as for the bars hanging low I suggest you replace the head on the WDH with one where the bars don't insert from underneath, this will raise the bars slightly saftey chains can be pulled up just don't make then too tight.

Wow how did you get 200kg on the ball of a 14ft
But aside from that, you have to have a WDH for the Pajero with anything above 180 kg.
.

wouldn't be hard to get 200 on the ball on a 14, my 16 stated 150 tare on ball no way in hell I could get it near that without removing spare and gas bottles and empty tunnel boot, on average loaded it ran around 210, which is funny because my current dual axle only run 220 loaded on the ball,
For Pajero its anything over 130 on ball needs WDH, the 180 comes in as max ball weight if you exceed the 2500kg ATM, this is something we are currently having issue with, though easily solved by traveling with one tank full, which isn't always practical

 

[Drover]

I towed my 14.44 all over the place with a Grand Cherokee, my rig was loaded and I never ahd a need for a WDH, it sat and towed very well..................forgetting what someone says, when your hooked up does it look like it needs a WDH ?????..ie; is it sitting nice and level ???.....when you tow it down an undulating rural road does the outfit porpoise ??????................if not then you don't need a WDH, unless you have loaded the Pajero and van to the hilt, I can't see why you would need it especially as oyu have upgraded the suspension.

If you can tow it okay with a Trigg then you don't need a WDH at all as the hitch will make no difference to weight distribution, a standard tongue with ball is the same.

 

[Ted farkas]

View attachment 45846 im currently running this hayman Reece setup 135 kg too 250 kg. They whole lot weighs near 20 kgs. I have airbags. And 14 ft outback with about 200 on the ball.

Ive done a trip around oz but am not i fan. Due to the weight and the low clearance and overhang. I was waiting too hook a cattle grid with it. The bars hang under as well.

I do think it stabilises the vehicle (pajero) the alternative is the original tongue or trig hitch. But obviously a load levelling device is recommended. It cant be flipped due to the tyre which is already lifted. Any ideas on what people use.

Cheers
Brett

 

[Ted farkas]

Thanks for the replys, regarding ball weights, jayco are very loose with there weights, all of there stuff is obviously bare boned.....who buys a van with no acessories. The 14 would easliy be around 2 ton with water, obviously thye need to get under the brake switch min weight.

My door opens ok now i have a plate that lifted the spare for about a $100......on our trip my left arm grew longer from trying to reach stuff througha 20cm gap for 4 months.


I have a winch and a steel bullbar hanging of the front which obviously helps, i measured a blokes ball weight out at tiboburra and he had 250kg on a prado with a trig hitch!!!. I also normally tow without the arms on rough unduakting ground so solution maybe just go back to standard tongue. I wonder how you stand if you go against veh recommendations, which many must do without wdh as not everyone can bang down cash on a cruiser which it appears is where were headed with vans!


Cheers
Brett

 

[megcam]

No easy solution with the Pajero & a Jayco. Tried a standard McHitch and their preferred WDH EAZ lift initially. Hitching system was fine but a real p.i.t.a. under the spare as it had to be perfectly aligned. EAZ bars curve down below the hitch and with the way Jayco put the coupling on a plate at the bottom of the drawbar means the wdh bars hang down too low. Was no point having an Outback van when it looked like I'd scrape on a speed bump at the entry to Maccas.

Tried no wdh and found the car would porpoise down the road (standard springs and 180 kg on the ball). Ended up back with a ball coupling and a Hayman Reece wdh like yours. Next stop will be a suspension or vehicle upgrade for me and try again without the wdh. Good luck.

 

[4wdphil]

I just bought an Anderson WDH and it is great. It is by far the best WDH on the market plus it also an anti sway. I am using it on my new Colorado and towing a 22.68-1 OB which weights 3 ton and a ball weight of 270kg.. Best $800 spent on the van.
Looknup titan trailers or Google Anderson WDH.
Hope this helps

 

[boots33]

you gotta love the OB 14's coupling height, enough to drive a man to drink. i had the same problem with mine, too low and always worried about bottoming out.

In the end I got the coupling moved to the top of the A frame which has been a big improvement. With the Territory I had to use the WDH but that is a thing of the past now with the Colorado.

Also fitted an Arkcorp coupling which has been a big help off road. See this thread

 

[spiderpig]

We have a 14.44 and a NT pajero. Spare wheel on the van has been moved to the rear, with a 2nd water tank now just behind the axle aswell. Soon to have a tool box and 2nd 9kg bottle added to draw bar, so should balance out nicely.
Fortunately we bought our paj from @achjimmy who had upgraded the suspension and fitted poly air airbags to the rear. The Paj tows our van beautifully, nice and controlled and no porposing, this is with NO WDH.
We did fit the jayco spacer plate/box to the hitch attachment point on the draw bar and this has made everything nice and level.

 

[Drover]

The plough and WDH is protecting the hand brake fitting @boots33 another cunning Jayco set up...............................a scary set up though.

 

[bigcol]

The plough and WDH is protecting the hand brake fitting

that always scared the bejeezus out of me when I go to drag it by hand, always worried something might slip, and I end up with a very sore foot

 

[WHHEMI]

We have a 14.44 and a NT pajero. Spare wheel on the van has been moved to the rear, with a 2nd water tank now just behind the axle aswell. Soon to have a tool box and 2nd 9kg bottle added to draw bar, so should balance out nicely.
Fortunately we bought our paj from @achjimmy who had upgraded the suspension and fitted poly air airbags to the rear. The Paj tows our van beautifully, nice and controlled and no porposing, this is with NO WDH.
We did fit the jayco spacer plate/box to the hitch attachment point on the draw bar and this has made everything nice and level.

What is the jayco spacer plate/box you speak of, do you have a pic.

 

[Ted farkas]

Yep thanks for the replys, yes what is the jayco spacer. Does seem a common problem. Might just need a suspension. Lift. Although after 20000 ks around oz only had dramas with steep troughs and middle berms. But did drag the arse out of the steel chains. Which as stated dont hold it off the geound if it comes of the ball.

 

[WHHEMI]

Yep thanks for the replys, yes what is the jayco spacer. Does seem a common problem. Might just need a suspension. Lift. Although after 20000 ks around oz only had dramas with steep troughs and middle berms. But did drag the arse out of the steel chains. Which as stated dont hold it off the geound if it comes of the ball.

Sounds like you need to shorten the chains a few links.

 

[boots33]

The plough and WDH is protecting the hand brake fitting @boots33 another cunning Jayco set up...............................a scary set up though.

Always said Jayco are an innovative lot. always thinking outside the square.

 

[boots33]

What is the jayco spacer plate/box you speak of, do you have a pic.

The "jayco spacer" was never an official jayco product. It was an attempt by some dealers to solve the woeful hitch height of the outback expanda. The two most common types were either a piece of box section steel with spacers inside for support or in some cases a solid piece of steel plate. They mounted the coupling on top and gave a 50mm lift to the height. Not all dealers will do the mod. See this old thread for more details. None of the dealers around here would do the mod so I just got the coupling moved to the top of the frame. was a few years ago now but it was worth it for sure.

 

[spiderpig]

^^^ Yep thats the one and i bought mine from jayco canberra too.