Hi again, Has anyone ever tried a front towbar on there car/4x4 to move there caravan around? I was given this idea from another caravan forum and I think this might be the way to go as they are only around £160. As I have already said in previous posts I only need this to get my caravan in and out of my drive. Seems a great saving than forking out around £1500 on a motor mover. I can have a few more hols on the savings. Does anyone have one or tried one? Thanks Niki
Front Towbar on 4X4
- Thread starter Niki_374380833
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I haven't tried one, but see them regularly on farmers and LR's and at equestrian events, on LR's, Disco's and others.
They certainly work, but they might not give the turning circle and tight control you are looking for.
They certainly work, but they might not give the turning circle and tight control you are looking for.
I have never used the front tow bar on a caravan but use one a lot for launching a 14" boat that my friend and myself go pike fishing in. Although we do use it on the Broads it comes into it's own on tight and difficult slipways in Ireland. First class as it's esy to see what you are doing !
Would not see them as replacements for motor movers as I don't think they have the maneuverability.
Bill
Would not see them as replacements for motor movers as I don't think they have the maneuverability.
Bill
As mentioned they were comon on old Landrovers used by farmers. However, they were often offset to one side I assume so the driver could see along the side of the trailer he/she was pushing.
The only thing would be to check the front mountings were sufficient to take the strain, espcially if the trailer is being pushed downhill as otherwise you could rip the bumper off. LR's had solid steel bumpers in the good old days directly bolted to the chassis members.
The only thing would be to check the front mountings were sufficient to take the strain, espcially if the trailer is being pushed downhill as otherwise you could rip the bumper off. LR's had solid steel bumpers in the good old days directly bolted to the chassis members.
Hi,
I have had front manouvering bars on the front of my last and current Toyota Landcruiser. I have constructed both of them myself (cost about
I have had front manouvering bars on the front of my last and current Toyota Landcruiser. I have constructed both of them myself (cost about
Hi Alan
Thanks for your comments. My other half recons he can make this front towbar up also. Another member brought the airbag to my attention so once we see that it doesn't interefer with that, I am going to have this fitted first before I go ahead with a motor mover. Niki
Thanks for your comments. My other half recons he can make this front towbar up also. Another member brought the airbag to my attention so once we see that it doesn't interefer with that, I am going to have this fitted first before I go ahead with a motor mover. Niki
I had one on one of my Land Rover Defenders. As others have said it was off set so from the driving seat you can see long the van side and some amount of where you are going.
Extremely good,useful and easier than conventionally reversing, together with being applicable to any trailer you need to manoeuvre.
It does not however replicate all that a mover can do particularly in that the train length is still trailer plus vehicle, not just the trailer so this can inhibit how tight a spot it can be used in. [ I had to use a Mr Shifta with my caravan in those days because of the train length issue]. Clearly though a front towball equipped vehicle can be capable of some serious load moving.
Also you cant stand to look what you are doing where the the clearances get critical in a location that's blind from the driving seat, it was often stop run round look and back.
When we retired and changed vehicle to the current Disco3 with the vehicles far greater public road usage I was concerned at the implications on crash zone safety and personal injury thus the insurance and liability issues it could have. I therefore did not put one on and cope in a now only domestic situation with a mover on the van.
Extremely good,useful and easier than conventionally reversing, together with being applicable to any trailer you need to manoeuvre.
It does not however replicate all that a mover can do particularly in that the train length is still trailer plus vehicle, not just the trailer so this can inhibit how tight a spot it can be used in. [ I had to use a Mr Shifta with my caravan in those days because of the train length issue]. Clearly though a front towball equipped vehicle can be capable of some serious load moving.
Also you cant stand to look what you are doing where the the clearances get critical in a location that's blind from the driving seat, it was often stop run round look and back.
When we retired and changed vehicle to the current Disco3 with the vehicles far greater public road usage I was concerned at the implications on crash zone safety and personal injury thus the insurance and liability issues it could have. I therefore did not put one on and cope in a now only domestic situation with a mover on the van.
can anyone help. I am thinking about installing a diy front tow ball. Any advice on the best way and the cheapest
Hi Paul, What make and model is your car? I have a Jeep Cherokee 2.8 crd auto 2006 and my other half is looking into making one for our car. These can also be bought off the internet
from Watling at around
from Watling at around
Hi
You should get a lot more manoeverability in tight spaces as the front wheels will go left and right much more than the tow hitch at the back. The problem comes if you have to go out through a narrow gate there's too much movement - you need to keep straight with the back of the car going out into the road and it may not be wide enough.
Regards
You should get a lot more manoeverability in tight spaces as the front wheels will go left and right much more than the tow hitch at the back. The problem comes if you have to go out through a narrow gate there's too much movement - you need to keep straight with the back of the car going out into the road and it may not be wide enough.
Regards
it`s a 2007 Nissan pathfinder. I was not thinking of spending alot to do it. Alan W said it could be done for around
Hi all,
Firstly if off set then you do get visibility down the site but it limits manouverability on teh other side and as (other) Alan said it will limit monouvering in tight spaces, which is why I now have mine centrally mounted.
Making it!! First one on Landcruiser Colorado. I removed the towing hook from the front section of chassis and cut a piece of 50mm angle to fit under it using same spaced bolt holes. To the vertical face of this I welded a length (about 300mm) of 50mm box section angled (so that when extended it just cleared the front bumper and was at a height similar to the rear ball). I then cut a piece of box section (that was just big enough to fit tightly inside the 50mm box) long enough to run the full length of the welded section, clear the front bumper by enough to give clearance. In the end I then fitted a simple bolt through towball,(but strengthened the end so the the box section was not compressed by the ball). The two sections were then held together by a quick release bolt. This meant that the front of the fitted part was about 200mm clear of the front of the bumper and tight up to the chassis.
On my current landcruiser there is no chassis in the same way so I had to make to hangers of 50mm angle that bolt onto the front bumper mountings,using existing bolts. To this is welded a 50mm box section across the width of the car. In the centre is a piece of 50mm box welded at right angles with large triangular plates strengthening it in both planes. I then use the same insert with the ball on it.
Whilst these have worked extremly well on both vehicles they are totally differnt so making one for your own vehicle would require a design based on the underside of that vehicle.
I hope this helps and if I can help in any other way I will try, it's hard to explain solely in words whena diagram would show clearly my designs.
Firstly if off set then you do get visibility down the site but it limits manouverability on teh other side and as (other) Alan said it will limit monouvering in tight spaces, which is why I now have mine centrally mounted.
Making it!! First one on Landcruiser Colorado. I removed the towing hook from the front section of chassis and cut a piece of 50mm angle to fit under it using same spaced bolt holes. To the vertical face of this I welded a length (about 300mm) of 50mm box section angled (so that when extended it just cleared the front bumper and was at a height similar to the rear ball). I then cut a piece of box section (that was just big enough to fit tightly inside the 50mm box) long enough to run the full length of the welded section, clear the front bumper by enough to give clearance. In the end I then fitted a simple bolt through towball,(but strengthened the end so the the box section was not compressed by the ball). The two sections were then held together by a quick release bolt. This meant that the front of the fitted part was about 200mm clear of the front of the bumper and tight up to the chassis.
On my current landcruiser there is no chassis in the same way so I had to make to hangers of 50mm angle that bolt onto the front bumper mountings,using existing bolts. To this is welded a 50mm box section across the width of the car. In the centre is a piece of 50mm box welded at right angles with large triangular plates strengthening it in both planes. I then use the same insert with the ball on it.
Whilst these have worked extremly well on both vehicles they are totally differnt so making one for your own vehicle would require a design based on the underside of that vehicle.
I hope this helps and if I can help in any other way I will try, it's hard to explain solely in words whena diagram would show clearly my designs.
Hi AlanW
Thank you for your reply. Would you say from experiance, that having one fitted to my 4x4 wouldn't really help my situation? We need to back the T/A off a country road through my gates which are quite tight and we block off the whole road while moving. We can do it, but we usually get a back up of cars waiting for us to get the caravan through which takes a few moves back and forward and I'm worried that we are going to rush the job and damage the caravan against the wall or gate. Once through the gates we are fine. Do you think a front towbar is a good move for us? Is it better to have the towball offset or in the centre? Thank you. Niki
Thank you for your reply. Would you say from experiance, that having one fitted to my 4x4 wouldn't really help my situation? We need to back the T/A off a country road through my gates which are quite tight and we block off the whole road while moving. We can do it, but we usually get a back up of cars waiting for us to get the caravan through which takes a few moves back and forward and I'm worried that we are going to rush the job and damage the caravan against the wall or gate. Once through the gates we are fine. Do you think a front towbar is a good move for us? Is it better to have the towball offset or in the centre? Thank you. Niki
Hi Nikki,
From my experience I would say yes. I have to push my twin axle up a slope and round 180 deg. on a good lock to park it. I also, when visiting friends, have to push it into their drive which has only a few cms either side on the gate posts. Whilst it blocks the road I can get it in in 1 go with spotters on the gate posts. If the ball is offset you would not then get the car through the gate as well so for the situation described I would go for the centre position. Hope this helps. Alan
From my experience I would say yes. I have to push my twin axle up a slope and round 180 deg. on a good lock to park it. I also, when visiting friends, have to push it into their drive which has only a few cms either side on the gate posts. Whilst it blocks the road I can get it in in 1 go with spotters on the gate posts. If the ball is offset you would not then get the car through the gate as well so for the situation described I would go for the centre position. Hope this helps. Alan
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