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Ambitious towbars


sdkrc

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Also when I was a kid, I remember when my dad towed a triple axle trailer loaded with a land rover 90 csw using a Series 3 Land Rover swb powered by a 2 1/4 petrol engine that burned more oil then petrol . 
An iron fairy crane overtook us on a dual carriageway going uphill, I just remember the driver pissing himself laughing at us 😂

 

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On 5/7/2021 at 10:50 PM, loserone said:

IMG_20210407_144627.thumb.jpg.8be89838544e227cac60278108194c46.jpg

What manner of towing arrangements are attached to this? I have a towbar there to go on my 205 but it says in the instructions that depending on how high or low I want the ball to be mounted, it'd have to be detached when not towing.

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On 5/8/2021 at 1:43 PM, Barry Cade said:

All trabants had a towbar fitted from the factory. 600cc 2 stroke.

My first thought was it's probably structural. 

On 5/8/2021 at 4:28 PM, Barry Cade said:

Seemingly it was law for all cars in the DDR to have a towbar in case they needed to be commandeered in an invasion.. 

But that makes far more sense. 

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6 hours ago, davidfowler2000 said:

What manner of towing arrangements are attached to this? I have a towbar there to go on my 205 but it says in the instructions that depending on how high or low I want the ball to be mounted, it'd have to be detached when not towing.

Yeah, I can see why.

16213656082282586201127979331226.thumb.jpg.e1fae5d3a09e499fca0f7b08928d1ebd.jpg

 

It's about six bolts through the boot floor, and that's it.

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5 hours ago, davidfowler2000 said:

Probably different from what I have. It's 5 bolts that go sideways into the "chassis rails" and the bracket for the ball can be mounted in two positions to give you a low or high ball height.

That sounds much better than mine.

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  • 2 months later...
On 5/18/2021 at 8:21 PM, loserone said:

Yeah, I can see why.

16213656082282586201127979331226.thumb.jpg.e1fae5d3a09e499fca0f7b08928d1ebd.jpg

I'm sure many people on here can remember seeing the odd 309 and 205 back in the day that had clearly failed the MOT on rear number plate obscured by towbar, so rather than detaching the towbar every time they needed to use it, the number plate had been re-located up onto the bumper, or sometimes even higher onto the tailgate, with the use of a caravan number plate lamp.

Looked very odd, but was functional.

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Ahh yes going back to that...

As I mentioned before, the towbar I have (to be fitted) for the 205 has a raised or lower position for the hitch. Seeing that photo, yeah in the upper position it'll definitely foul the reg plate, however in the lower position it may be TOO low.

So I have (perhaps) found a solution in the manner of the NATO hitch I was going to put on the bus before it went on fire. I actually though I lost it in said fire.

IMG_20210712_200708.jpg.8224a2ee1a2e540b1cf66c8c474ede83.thumb.jpg.c933e4446d57ef02702658156f2957a6.jpg

So hopefully I can use the hitch mount in the raised position and remove the ball and pin so as not to obscure the plate.

IMG_20210806_163232.jpg

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I recall there was a chap from Greyabbey, County Down, N.I. Who regularly pulled his car transporter trailer with his 4x4 Panda!

And!!! To give you all a giggle.... I towed a fiesta on a really ropey - floppy angle iron transporter way back (late 90’s) with a rascal van!

 No photos of either unfortunately 

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16 hours ago, davidfowler2000 said:

Ahh yes going back to that...

As I mentioned before, the towbar I have (to be fitted) for the 205 has a raised or lower position for the hitch. Seeing that photo, yeah in the upper position it'll definitely foul the reg plate, however in the lower position it may be TOO low.

So I have (perhaps) found a solution in the manner of the NATO hitch I was going to put on the bus before it went on fire. I actually though I lost it in said fire.

IMG_20210712_200708.jpg.8224a2ee1a2e540b1cf66c8c474ede83.thumb.jpg.c933e4446d57ef02702658156f2957a6.jpg

So hopefully I can use the hitch mount in the raised position and remove the ball and pin so as not to obscure the plate.

IMG_20210806_163232.jpg

That’s not a nato hitch, it’s a just a standard ball and pin hitch. See a lot of vans towing plant machinery with them. NATO hitches are huge and hurt like f**k when you bash your shin on one! 

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