I have been travelling a lot and our family is getting bigger. Most of the time we go to the sea and visit some relatives on the farm near a beautiful beach. We bring a ton of things like food, water, clothes even tents and bikes. Last summer we decided to get a Ford Ranger to fit our active lifestyle. One of the issues I encounter is my vehicle does not have any towbar. I did not even consider this since my last car was a pre-used item so to make the story short I went to the nearest car accessory downtown.
There was a ton to choose from and I don’t have much idea on what to get. They told me that I need to get a trailer hitch and a Flat tongue towbar with 50mm for heavy duty towing. I noticed that you need to get the right one for your vehicle since it is essential and it could be dangerous otherwise. An articulating hitch was also installed to make sure that if an event that the trailer loses control or flip my family and me will be safer. Surprisingly, there is even a breakaway system which is like a failsafe if my trailer disconnects during driving. For the finishing touch, a weight distributing hitch was mounted to spread the load of the trailer evenly. This is important because sometimes we shop for more things and souvenirs at the places we visit.
The last thing to consider will be some insurance, a lifetime warranty was available from the manufacturer so that would make me feel better. One thing to consider to an installed towing bar, it is better to consult professionals since they work faster and safer. They even provided me with new knowledge about tow bars. By the way, when we visited Australia I learned that there are certain guidelines for safe towing. I suggest that everyone should follow proper towing rules to avoid the hassle.
If you have a different vehicle, you can follow this guide.
Types of Towbars
Two options either fixed or detachable towbars available in the market. They come in two forms – the flange and the swan neck. The flange is the commonly used towbar. The device consists of a tow ball that’s fastened to the flange plate with bolts. The flange plate is permanently connected to the vehicle. If you need to haul lighter loads (up to 1250 kg) a regular 50mm towbar with a bolt-on tongue should work. For massive loads, use a knot receiver.
On the other hand, swan neck towbars are attractive because of their slimline form. They usually don’t interfere with parking sensors and they’re handy. Swan neck towbars are always positioned under the vehicle. They have a slim neck, therefore the title swan neck.