I am hoping someone in the industry or in the know can give me some information regarding towing heights. Just wondering if there is a regulation or atleast a rule of thumb about the clearance needed from the tow shank to the ground and the weight distribution bars to the ground? I am wanting to get my van and car level but just want to make sure I will have enough clearance and won't bottom out regularly. Any help would be great as I seem to be getting the run around from the local industry "experts".
Towing heights
- Thread starter Trouble_Within
- Start date
eace:Have a look at Also forgot to mention we have factory underslung axels so the couple plate is on the bottom of the a frame. Is this normal and can I change the coupling to the top as that would solve all my issues.
G'day, I am with you.. I chose the factory under-slung option for my Road model 17.56.1, not aware that they would change the A frame to the outback one, and the coupling hitch is now at the bottom of the A frame, not the top. This has effectively pushed my WDH hitch to the bottom of the shank. I am convinced the new territory has a stiffer rear end then the last, so takes the weight very well, however the van is slightly higher at the front then being level. Getting a shank with a lower setting, is not an option I wish to explore, as I think any lower, it defeats the purpose of the under-slung, ready to catch anything I go over. (big chunk of WDH below the ball) My understanding is the under-slung on the road model gave a 100mm height increase. When they added the outback 120mm A frame, my hitch effectively dropped 25mm (min due to coupling hitch on plate on top of frame) from the starting height. The option I see is getting the coupling plate re-engineered to the top, or find a plate to place between the coupling hitch and coupling plate.
ADR 62/01 states "The body of the coupling must be mounted between 350mm and 420mm from the ground. The coupling may be mounted ant any other height PROVIDED, the coupling is adjustable, with at least one setting being between 350mm and 420mm".
This only applies to trailers with an ATM of less Han 3500kgs.
Cheers
Cracka
This only applies to trailers with an ATM of less Han 3500kgs.
Cheers
Cracka