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Nato tow hitch - emergency tow adapter
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wiggs
 


Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14372

United Kingdom 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Fuji WhiteDiscovery 4
Nato tow hitch - emergency tow adapter

Following on from a spate of breakdowns ( Evil or Very Mad ) after a recent engine swap , a big issue has been the NATO tow hitch on my trailer

None of the recovery firms have the facilitiy to tow it ( apart from on a low loader )

This idea was suggested on my last breakdown in Scotland , were I ended up unable to use my trailer for my holiday Big Cry




Simple enough I thought .. but in reality iv not got a tow ball 2 feet high ( and remember this is to be able to tow my trailer with a normal height towbar !)

So this is how far out they are








Center line heights

NATO ring - 24 "
Holder under NATO ring - 22"
Tow ball - 16"

So a grand total of 8 " difference in height

I can allow for a bit of nose down height .. but not 8"

If I did something like this .. would it be strong enough ?




Or has any one got any ideas / suggestions to overcome this issue

Ta
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Post #181845423rd May 2017 8:38 pm
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JackNorris
 


Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
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Just throwing this one out there, what about permanently adopting the trailer to a lower hitch height like done before? Still keep nato hitch but easier to adapt?
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Post #181846123rd May 2017 8:48 pm
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Deerfold
 


Member Since: 07 May 2017
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Hello,

What I have done is to remove the ring/plunger shaft which on my trailer is 45mm o/d and had an engineer friend machine me a new plunger (out of solid chromed 45mm bar) but with 2 holes at the receiver/ring end to take an E marked Knott NATO bolt on ring hitch. I carry a 50mm ball hitch of the same bolt pattern and in an emergency for 2 bolts and I can be rescued!! It does help a little that my trailer has a stepped drawbar, but a friend has done the same on a standard sankey and it gets him home!
  
Post #181847323rd May 2017 9:09 pm
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Soldierboy
 


Member Since: 27 Jan 2016
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United Kingdom 2011 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 GS Auto Fuji WhiteDiscovery 4

Smaller alloys? May give you a few inches to reduce the step down
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Post #181848923rd May 2017 9:46 pm
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wiggs
 


Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
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United Kingdom 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Fuji WhiteDiscovery 4

JackNorris wrote:
Just throwing this one out there, what about permanently adopting the trailer to a lower hitch height like done before? Still keep nato hitch but easier to adapt?


Rather keep the sankey nato hitch the same height ... coupled with uncle Rays tow hitch it tows like a dream Thumbs Up
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Post #181849123rd May 2017 9:47 pm
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wiggs
 


Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14372

United Kingdom 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Fuji WhiteDiscovery 4

Deerfold wrote:
Hello,

What I have done is to remove the ring/plunger shaft which on my trailer is 45mm o/d and had an engineer friend machine me a new plunger (out of solid chromed 45mm bar) but with 2 holes at the receiver/ring end to take an E marked Knott NATO bolt on ring hitch. I carry a 50mm ball hitch of the same bolt pattern and in an emergency for 2 bolts and I can be rescued!! It does help a little that my trailer has a stepped drawbar, but a friend has done the same on a standard sankey and it gets him home!


Any pics ?
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Post #181849223rd May 2017 9:48 pm
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Navigator
 


Member Since: 17 Mar 2010
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This might be too complicated to be practical but one could build a dolly that hitches to a 50mm towball. On the dolly would be a frame that carried a NATO hitch at the appropriate height. The Sankey (or whatever) would then become a four wheel draw bar trailer. These used to be subject to a 30mph speed limit but one sees them nowadays frequently travelling at much higher speeds.
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Post #181856624th May 2017 7:53 am
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SHARKYSHARKS
 


Member Since: 20 Dec 2008
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England 

Adrian if this is purely for a recovery truck use in case of breakdown?
Would the height to your D4 matter because you can adjust the height on a recovery truck tow hook ! you just need the NATO ring to ball coupling conversion to keep with you just in case ?
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Post #181857624th May 2017 8:36 am
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Moo
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Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
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Ukraine 2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 S Manual Zambezi SilverDiscovery 3

Wouldn't it be easier to do something like this?

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Post #181857924th May 2017 8:54 am
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alfamale
 


Member Since: 25 Jul 2011
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United Kingdom 2011 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 XS Auto Zermatt SilverDiscovery 4

Would adapting/manufacturing something like this be an option?



http://www.allfourx4.com.au/Tow-Hitch-Tow-...over-Sport

Could you not rotate the tow hitch in the receiver by 180 degrees and then put the tow ball back on? It might not give you 8" but might take you some of the way there?

Thumbs Up
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Post #181858024th May 2017 8:58 am
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alfamale
 


Member Since: 25 Jul 2011
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Scrap that. Just re-read your post Embarassed Rolling with laughter
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Post #181858224th May 2017 9:01 am
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Iguana
 


Member Since: 14 Oct 2013
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Ukraine 

Simon (Sailorboy), extended his hitch and converted to std hitch, the extension helped with the height Thumbs Up
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Post #181858924th May 2017 9:18 am
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Hardware
 


Member Since: 28 Jun 2016
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United Kingdom 2011 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 XS Auto Sumatra BlackDiscovery 4

if it's for recovery only ... what's the OTHER end of the trailer like ? could you bolt something to chasis there that could take a standard tow socket?
 .


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Post #181860624th May 2017 9:45 am
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wiggs
 


Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
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United Kingdom 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Fuji WhiteDiscovery 4

SHARKYSHARKS wrote:
Adrian if this is purely for a recovery truck use in case of breakdown?
Would the height to your D4 matter because you can adjust the height on a recovery truck tow hook ! you just need the NATO ring to ball coupling conversion to keep with you just in case ?


Dave , its more for me to use a hire car to continue my journey with the trailer

if the trailer needed recovering , they would just put it on a flat bed
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Post #181865124th May 2017 11:58 am
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wiggs
 


Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14372

United Kingdom 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Fuji WhiteDiscovery 4

Navigator wrote:
This might be too complicated to be practical but one could build a dolly that hitches to a 50mm towball. On the dolly would be a frame that carried a NATO hitch at the appropriate height. The Sankey (or whatever) would then become a four wheel draw bar trailer. These used to be subject to a 30mph speed limit but one sees them nowadays frequently travelling at much higher speeds.


trying to keep this as portable as poss...but good idea though Thumbs Up
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Post #181865324th May 2017 12:00 pm
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