Ambitious towbars

[metalshapes]

25 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

You've only been able to get 50mm for years in the UK.

Oops hope it's ok with georgeb to answer this.

Yeah, it looks like they are only available in 50mm.

Too bad...

Would a vintage UK spec one be in Inch size?

If I could find one?

Thanks for the info.

[sheffcortinacentre]

Yes if you can find one.

Oops there I go again 

I meant to say anyone can Google this & find out if they really want to.

[metalshapes]

Am I missing something?

Is it not OK to ask and answer questions?

Dont want to piss anybody off...

Thanks again for the help Sheff.

[Surface Rust]

42 minutes ago, metalshapes said:

Yeah, it looks like they are only available in 50mm.

Too bad...

Would a vintage UK spec one be in Inch size?

If I could find one?

Thanks for the info.

There was a old imperial size 1-7/8" or 47.6mm, but I think that was pre 60s so no idea where you'd find one now.

[sheffcortinacentre]

44 minutes ago, metalshapes said:

Am I missing something?

Is it not OK to ask and answer questions?

Dont want to piss anybody off...

Thanks again for the help Sheff.

I'm being sarcastic due to another members comment.

[DSdriver]

50mm have a flat on the top, 2" were round. Why do I still remember this, I haven't towed anything since the eighties.

[sheffcortinacentre]

Your psychiatric 

[Mally]

7 minutes ago, DSdriver said:

50mm have a flat on the top, 2" were round. Why do I still remember this, I haven't towed anything since the eighties.

But when they changed to 50mm balls, everyone was still using 2" trailer couplings.

Consequently old trailers on new balls used to rattle a bit.

I never lost one personally, but someone who borrowed my trailer with a 2" hitch did. I had warned him about it.

 

[metalshapes]

Lots of good info.
( which I may or may not have found with a Google search...  )

Thanks again guys.

I appreciate it.

[sheffcortinacentre]

Glad to help.

[Three Speed]

[groovyboovy]

spotted whilst on holiday in Malta

[sheffcortinacentre]

13 hours ago, Three Speed said:

Comes up as black but taxed

[Stuew]

[Barry Cade]

[sheffcortinacentre]

4 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

I would probably have been easier to just do the job correctly.

[St.Jude]

Possibly not for here, but this is in front of me waiting to get on the ferry.

 

[Rocket88]

1 hour ago, St.Jude said:

Possibly not for here, but this is in front of me waiting to get on the ferry.

 

That’ll get about 4 yards on British soil before being stopped by plod

[St.Jude]

4 minutes ago, Rocket88 said:

That’ll get about 4 yards on British soil before being stopped by plod

This is in Dover leaving the UK!

[Rust Collector]

5 minutes ago, Rocket88 said:

That’ll get about 4 yards on British soil before being stopped by plod

I’m pretty sure that’s a picture of it leaving British soil.

*Edit - beaten to it!

[Rocket88]

2 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

This is in Dover leaving the UK!

Blimey…. I’m amazed he got that far! Don’t know what Les flics will make of it!

[Bmwdumptruck]

No photos, but back in the mid nineties a mate of mine bought a Triumph Stag.  For some reason I can’t recall he decided we’d collect it by trailer and as I was the only person he knew with a towbar I became the designated driver……..using my Citroen C15 diesel van…….  He was at the time a serving police traffic officer!!!
I’d guess I was on the weight limits towing the empty trailer, no idea how far over with the Stag loaded.  
 

Used the same van to tow my MGBGT back from devon using a towing dolly borrowed from his works. 

[St.Jude]

Would love to know what this could tow.

[Tommyboy12]

On 08/06/2025 at 08:03, Three Speed said:

I cant imagine towing with anything where you are relying on cable operated drums to stop everything 😅

[sheffcortinacentre]

How do you think people towed things in period?

[adw1977]

Slowly!

[inconsistant]

[sheffcortinacentre]

Minis regularly used to tow 10/11 ft caravans, an A reg one in Sheffield was doing well into the 90's both are still on owners drive ( on a steep hill) caravan is a 10 ft piper if I recall.

Mate used to tow a Freedom microlite with his panda carrying wife & 2 kids. In Poland they tow them with 126's don't think he tried it, regularly towed box trailer & big trailer tent with his though.

[warninglight]

Here's an odd one.

I bought a Merc ML350 also couple of weeks ago and have a new towbar here to fit.

Thought I'd check the weights listed in the door shut, to make sure it's not some weird version with a reduced towing capacity or something.

These V6 models are rated to tow the max 3500kg on an overrun braked trailer.

So how on earth is the Gross Train Weight a whole 3600kg higher than the Gross Vehicle Weight?

 

[EyesWeldedShut]

19 hours ago, warninglight said:

Here's an odd one.

I bought a Merc ML350 also couple of weeks ago and have a new towbar here to fit.

Thought I'd check the weights listed in the door shut, to make sure it's not some weird version with a reduced towing capacity or something.

These V6 models are rated to tow the max 3500kg on an overrun braked trailer.

So how on earth is the Gross Train Weight a whole 3600kg higher than the Gross Vehicle Weight?

 

It's a rounding error - Americans cannot do metric conversions for lbs ?

Both axles plus trailer weight  3500 = 6550 so the trailer can be 3600

Max towing weight you get by deducting GVW from the GTW - so it is 3600kg
The 3500kg figure could come from any number of places? e.g. A lot of licences only allow a max of 3500 for trailers (post 2013 I think) so places will start to quote that. There's also Con&Use regs which limit the weight of trailers on overrun brakes to 3500kg too - manufacturers are going to plate their trailers up to that and no further.