What multi axis hitch do you prefer?
- Thread starter Borrego60
- Start date
JIMBO
Expedition Leader
:sombrero: Man, I'm going broke, trying to keep up with all the new hitch designs
I've used the old standard Ball hitch, Pintle/Lunette and the "Lock and Roll
Even though, evidentally there's been a failure in the L&R, it's still my favorite
The ball hitch won't work off-road and the (military) Pintle hitch, makes WAY TOO MUCH NOISE
Because my trailer is fairly light (900 lbs), I'm still in favor of the L&R
:costumed-smiley-007:smiley_drive::safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO
I've used the old standard Ball hitch, Pintle/Lunette and the "Lock and Roll
Even though, evidentally there's been a failure in the L&R, it's still my favorite
The ball hitch won't work off-road and the (military) Pintle hitch, makes WAY TOO MUCH NOISE
Because my trailer is fairly light (900 lbs), I'm still in favor of the L&R
:costumed-smiley-007:smiley_drive::safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO
charlieaarons
Explorer
As you know I'm a conservative old fogey. I'm stongly in favor of the military pintle hitch, preferably with a rotating pintle or ring. The standard ball hitch is terrible offroad and not much better onroad.
Charlie
Charlie
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
Since Martyn will chime in as soon as he wakes and has his tea, which one will be best for my little Conqueror, sir? Time to hook me up...
...you'd be proud; I got some Radial Mud Rovers installed over the weekend to replace the death-tires.
:sombrero:
...you'd be proud; I got some Radial Mud Rovers installed over the weekend to replace the death-tires.
:sombrero:
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
A spot of Earl Grey this morning my good man
The latest kid on the block is the Max coupler http://www.adventuretrailers.com/coupler.html well engineered with tight tolerances.
The things that separate all the couplers are the tolerances between the moving parts and binding.
On the two extremes for tolerances are the pintle that has so much it bangs around, and the Max that is tight.
Binding is the point at which the coupler will no longer rotate and it's greatly affected by the distance separating the points at which the 3 axis rotate.
A word of caution here regarding all couplers. We have had some members damage their couplers due to jack knifing their trailers. Their isn't a coupler I know of that will not bind up when the vehicle and trailer is in this situation.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
The Conqueror has a 50-degree "V" with the ball-hitch bolted on top; Lock-n-Roll had a 50-degree cap option.
Does the Max have something like that or do I need to weld a 2" receiver tube to my frame to use it?
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
You need the 2" tube welded on the tongue.
You can weld the receiver tube to a 1/4" plate, and then match the holes up to the ones on the Conqueror.
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Blatantly stolen from somewhere, likely a trip report here. To be fair, this is the only failure that I am aware of. That makes it a statistical anomaly.
This failure is an anomaly. Damage was the result of a jack knife, at speed, traveling downhill.
Jack knifing exerts tremendous strains on the coupler even when done slowly. Typical damage looks like this:
dieselandmud
Adventurer
Bill
This is off topic but did you get the same size replacement tires that came on the Conqueror? New spare too?
cruiseroutfit
Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
I'm pretty sure there have been a couple other similar issues too
but regardless given the number of them successfully in use, I'd still consider it an anomaly.I'm still old school, pintle/lunette setup. Can be jack-knifed all day long and you'll never do a thing to it. However the slop and clank are enough to make a man want more. I'm eying the new AT Max setup.
elmo_4_vt
Explorer
This failure is an anomaly. Damage was the result of a jack knife, at speed, traveling downhill.
Jack knifing exerts tremendous strains on the coupler even when done slowly. Typical damage looks like this:
I am a big fan of the Lock-n-Roll hitch, and have been using it for 5+ years without ANY problems.
Just to be clear though, the Lock-n-Roll hitch will bind every time you jack-knife the trailer, regardless of how fast or slow you complete the maneuver . I have a couple of pictures that I will post up tonight to help visualize the binding issues, but like Martyn said, it's is just part of the design. Until you get past 75 Deg. or so, the binding is minimal, and the unit will pull out of it without much or any fatigue on the hitch, but if you go past 75 Deg turning, it will bind and damage the hitch when it straightens out. I routinely jackknife my trailer during my setup, but I will extend my tongue jack with a wheel on the bottom to release the binding allow me to pull straight without damage to the hitch. Pictures will show this better.
Also, Martyn said that all couplers will do this, and I disagree. I don't think the treg-type couplers from Australia will bind in this way... But it's been a long time since I've look at them.
Don
Tucson T4R
Expedition Leader
I run the Treg hitch that came on my KK trailer. So far I love it. Tight tolerances, no play to cause any noise when off roading, and I don't think I have ever got it to bind up even in jack knifed situations.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Just in case it is not clear, the failed LnR picture is the only failure that I know of. Since I had at one time designed a similar coupler and backed off when I found their patent I do pay attention to such things. That others could have failed w/o my knowledge is very possible, but I find it striking that I'm aware of only one out of how many hundred & possibly thousands that there are in service. That is a pretty good record.
I suspect that the key to the Tregg's not binding is the location of the pivot pins relative to each other.
I suspect that the key to the Tregg's not binding is the location of the pivot pins relative to each other.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
Yes and yes. The Dunnies are an MT and taller than the original though.