Towbars - Unraveling the Mystery

Towbars - Unravelling the Mystery

As Hayman Reece are the largest manufacturer of towbars in Australia we will quote some of the info they provide as it is easy to understand. First up you must determine the correct towbar to suit your van/vehicle combination. The towbar must have a capacity that exceeds the loaded weight of the trailer you are intending to tow. Therefore you must check the rating of the towbar and the vehicles rated towing capacity which is included in the towing section of the cars handbook. There are two types of towbar legally available in Australia. For light duty towing generally up to 1250 Kg ‘standard’ towbars with a bolt on tongue are used. For heavy duty towing a hitch receiver is used which has a square hole designed for a removable ball mount or the Hayman Reese Weight Distributing Hitch. It is very easy to spot the difference, but be aware that not all receiver type hitches are "heavy duty". Our Forester for instance has a receiver, but it certainly isn't heavy duty by any stretch of the imagination. If you are unsure look for the name plate as it should be clearly marked with the rating. Under no circumstances buy one of the very old "bolt on the bumper" tow bars as used by hire companies years ago. These are bad news and currently illegal.

If you can afford it try to buy a receiver type, particularly if the ball is likely to obscure your number plate. You simply pull out a pin and pop the ball bit in the boot when not towing and become 100% legal. A disadvantage with the receiver type is some of them rattle around. If this worries you ask for a locking bolt to be fitted during installation. Towbars bought from car manufacturers are ALWAYS dearer. Standard towbars start around $150.00 fitted so they are not an expensive accessory. The price includes fitting the plug for brakes/lights etc. If you are a keen DIY person we feel it is a bad move to modify an old towbar as it really is a specialist area and you could damage the rear end of your vehicle.

A point well worth remembering is that Hayman Reese has a lifetime warranty covering towing equipment for as long as you own the vehicle or weight distribution system. If you need assistance simply phone 1800 812017 to call. There are 150 distributors throughout Australia who can assist with solving your problem quickly and efficiently. So wherever you are in Australia Hayman Reese is with you to give you that little bit of extra peace of mind. Another top brand particularly for those with a 4WD is Trail Boss. We have also had good results from the smaller specialist manufacturers such as Wynnum Manly Towbars.