360 deg tow systems,Roll over prevention

[Nivapulledout]

Looking at buying a 7x4 camp tent trailer and it got me thinking about towing attachment systems.
your standard ball and socket type would only allow I reckon about 30deg of cross up before the trailer twisting will start transfering load to the tow vehicle. not good. specially if your trailer rolls it will hit its tow attachments limits and will take the tow vehicle over with it.
Now I know there are systems out there in the states that allow 360 deg rotation, but does anyone use them here in NZ??? is it really neccesary or am I just being to picky???
I am not planning on taking it to crazy but you never know and next thing you and trailer are up the wrong way.

peoples Ideas and comments are most welcome, pics even better

[mercutio]

i have seen tow hitches in some of the aussie mags that do this

[tgaguy1]

The braked tow hitch on my car transporter trailer rotates 360 deg. Would it not be easier to fit a braked coupling off the shelve to the trailer than modify the hitch or even worse,fit a foreign sourced hitch that LTSA/VTNZ would scratch there head over whether it is safe or does it comply with NZ standards etc....
TWL or other trail parts supplier might have a unbraked version that has a coupling on a round rod that would achieve the same end.

[Cameron]

standard ones are a bit shit for aritulation on the other plane too. like, going up a hill or whatever. only similar movement til they bind up.

i wonder what the legalities of making up something like this would be?


you see some guys with similar stuff on little trailers that get towed behind 'motorbikes' (goldwings etc)

[mudlva]

small ring feeder similar to the truck trailors but smaller that fit into a pintal coupling will do the majority of angle combonations at a guess

[tgaguy1]

small ring feeder similar to the truck trailors but smaller that fit into a pintal coupling will do the majority of angle combonations at a guess

I remember reading somewhere that they are illegal to use on NZ roads unless you are the military. If someone knows different then speak up as this would be the easiest solution.

[Nivapulledout]

yeah I thought that the braked system rotates, but does it rotate 360 deg?

[red-devil]

i was surfing for ifo on pitals for towing an found this

http://cm.net.nz/catalogue/couplings-all-products/road-polyblock-couplings

[downunderxj]

Try this site too:
http://www.tregtrailers.com.au/poly_block_couplings.aspx

[Nivapulledout]

yeah sweet that is what I am after, cheers.

[Cameron]

pintle hooks are legal for civilian use no problem. heaps of truck guys use them for small transporter trailers and such as they've got a higher downward rating than a standard ringfeder.
can get small ones that'd be suitable i guess.
probably not 360 degree though as the smaller ones are fixed flange mounted rather than having a rotatable shaft.
could run one of these too http://www.bpwtranspec.com.au/ringfeder ... %20601.pdf
but you end up having to use a fairly bulky towing eye on the trailer end.
with a positively locking coupling like a ringfeder, in theory you shouldn't have to run with a safety chain either.
standard braked towball type couplings will rotate infinitely also.

[Moriarty]

Paul has one of THESE



on the front of his Jayco campervan. works a treat. As you can see, it could rotate 360 deg in a horizontal plane and flex through more then 270 deg vertically.

It has MOT approval as well, for all the "off-road" versions of Jayco have these. Its also fully braked

Would THIS answer your problem?