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Tow bar back plate

C

camel

Has anyone ever seen a tow bar back plate for a dealer fitted tow bar that would fit the stem between the car and the tow ball,
 
Dave,
That's just the bog standard back plate, if you can imagine one of those but without the two holes that are there to bolt on to the back of the tow ball, but instead a circular clamp I think of 40 mil which will fit on to the swan neck tow bar,
 
I don't like those backing plates , purley because I have dogs, that I carry in the back of rhe car, and dont want then slipping and catching a leg betwen the plate and the car. I am also lucky enought to have a reversing camera on the car and can see the hitch sow hooking up it not a problem.
 
Don't have dogs any more but I do have a reversing camera, but sometimes I have to manoeuvre the caravan by brute force when I have reversed up to the caravan and I get close to the back skirt of the car, anyway I think a nice stainless steel back plate looks very nice,
 
pitpony said:
Don't have dogs any more but I do have a reversing camera, but sometimes I have to manoeuvre the caravan by brute force when I have reversed up to the caravan and I get close to the back skirt of the car, anyway I think a nice stainless steel back plate looks very nice,
Click to expand...

I've got a motor mover 😛 😛 Saves messing about 🙂 🙂
 
I have a motor mover, but hardly use it as I can normally reverse into pitches and can reverse onto the towball. Most times. :woohoo:
 
I don't want draw bar dents in my rear bumper, hence I use the mover for the final positioning.

When unhitching on an incline I can move the caravan away from the car to match the extension / relaxation of the draw bar.

My towbar folds away when not in use, so a back plate would be worthless.
 
Just had a word on the phone with a major tow bar company in Leicester, about why you do not see any swan neck fitted tow bars with a back/bumper plates fitted and he said they just don't make them, I then asked him is there a engineering reason why they don't do them , 'Don't think so', the only reason I can think of will it weaken the swan neck if you clamp something on to it, similar to having a knot in a fishing line which makes that knot the weakest link,
 
Hello Pitpony

I can't see your proposal of clamping a backing plate to the stem of the swan neck would weaken the neck, its very different to the fishing line scenario, where the fishing line is severely bent as you form the knot, which works the material, and probably causes permanent weakening damage to it which might predispose it to fail sooner than unbent line, In the case of the swan neck, there is no deforming of the neck material, so its strength should unaffected, in fact you could argue the additional material of the formed plate around the neck add to the strength.

My only concerns are if you will still have enough space around the ball to allow the full range of hitch articulation, and a minor issue of the the weight of the plate is carried by the the hitch, and as such reduces your nose load allowance by that amount.
 
ProfJohnL said:
Hello Pitpony

I can't see your proposal of clamping a backing plate to the stem of the swan neck would weaken the neck, its very different to the fishing line scenario, where the fishing line is severely bent as you form the knot, which works the material, and probably causes permanent weakening damage to it which might predispose it to fail sooner than unbent line, In the case of the swan neck, there is no deforming of the neck material, so its strength should unaffected, in fact you could argue the additional material of the formed plate around the neck add to the strength.

My only concerns are if you will still have enough space around the ball to allow the full range of hitch articulation, and a minor issue of the the weight of the plate is carried by the the hitch, and as such reduces your nose load allowance by that amount.
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Prof, Thanks for your reply, that is the next thing I have to do is measure the distance from the hitch to the back skirt of the car when it is on the tow ball to see what room I have for the articulated movement N/S is not a problem, to fit this back plate, I'm assured by my caravan buddy that his son a maintenance engineer can do the necessary welding of clamp to back plate, not my idea but his idea
 
Ahhh.

Do not weld. That would definitely affect the nature of the ductility of the swan neck, and that could be dangerous. Only clamp
 
ProfJohnL said:
Ahhh.

Do not weld. That would definitely affect the nature of the ductility of the swan neck, and that could be dangerous. Only clamp
Click to expand...

I think you have misread pitpony a bit.
I believe he is referring to having a clamp welded to the backplate (to enable attachment to the swan neck) , NOT the swan neck.
 
ProfJohnL said:
Ahhh.

Do not weld. That would definitely affect the nature of the ductility of the swan neck, and that could be dangerous. Only clamp
Click to expand...

No it's just welding a clamp to the back plate, just had a look at what's out there in the world of exhaust clamps that might serve the purpose, hope he can weld different metals or braze them, 🙂
 
A piece of wood with a slot cut in it to place over the swan neck whilst hitching may also do the trick. That's what I intend to use as my hitch is retractable up under the boot, with no space for any extras. Currently the wife balances large sponges on the swan neck.
 
Just had a look today and I don't think a back plate would look right fitted to a swan neck tow bar, I will get my wife to shout stop, 🙂
 
Back plates look unsightly. They still damage the bumper when hit so why bother 🤔
Think back when you learnt to drive using matchsticks in the rear windows to help you reverse around a corner?
So simple.
Hitch up and look at the the rear of the caravan in your door mirrors. Mark a line with crayon on each mirror glass in the centre line.
look at the caravan and get someone to draw two lines on the caravan that line up with your mirror marks. A bit of a gun sight.
With experience you will not need the lines.
:cheer: B)
 
I have a back plate on and have hit it a couple of times and have not damaged the bumper. It did cause it to rust when it bent though which is not the best look. I have hit it once using the motor mover to unhitch when I pressed the wrong button. I was surprised by the force involved and think it might have done some damage if the plate was not there. For the £15 it cost it does seem worthwhile with a fixed towbar.
 
This idea in the first place was my mates he tows with a Volvo estate with a swan neck tow bar, I've looked at the idea and I'm now not going to bother because it would just not look right,I said in a previous post that I spoke to a major tow bar company in Leicester and they said that they don't fit them and said that a manufactured one is not out there, now someone is bound to say 'Oh yes they do', 🙂
 
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