Tow Bars

[Miki]

With all four bolts and the bracing bars to the chassis

No, just bolted to the standard towbar bracket with 2 bolts.
Remove the ball.
Bolt on the DB backplate
Bolt the ball onto the adjustable plate.
Fit the ball at the right height and insert the two pins.

Don't try and tow more weight than the allowable (3500kg)
Dont put more than the allowable weight on the towball (200kgs ?)

Here is what you said in March ...
CountyV8 said:
When the configurator first appeared there were at least 3 options of tow hitch ,NATO 2inch ball and ball and pintle now when configuring a trail master only the 2inch ball is showing what's going on £600 for 2inch ball. The rear of the vechicle is drilled for NATO 2inch ball and also a 2inch receiver am I best deleting the 2inch ball and going for a ball and pintle off my old Defender as I sometimes tow plant equipment with a ring hitch.
Can't seem to get any sense out of Ineos regarding tow hitches drop plates etc.

There were several pictures posted ...
All (it looks like) can take the DB adjustable plate (bolted on with 4 bolts) and then you can fit the DB Ball and Jaw 'hook' ....

Are you just looking for a 10 minute argument or the full half hour ?

 

[Miki]

Yes we are

Not sure who the "we" is in your statement but stop being so neurotic ...

 

[CountyV8]

Not sure who the "we" is in your statement but stop being so neurotic ...

What we need is a type approved adjustable option that is properly engineered not jus a that will do bolt our old Land Rover hitch on if the insurance company can find fault they will

 

[Eric]

What we need is a type approved adjustable option that is properly engineered not jus a that will do bolt our old Land Rover hitch on if the insurance company can find fault they will
Agreed

 

[MilesD]

What we need is a type approved adjustable option that is properly engineered not jus a that will do bolt our old Land Rover hitch on if the insurance company can find fault they will

I’m finding the IG hitch to be excellent for the following reasons
(1) not finding it too high, and works well with the low camera
(2) ordered the ball and pintel, and can cope with 350kg on the nose
(3) ball can be removed and ‘hey presto’ I the US receiver hitch is available (don’t need it to tow, but great for aftermarket carrying devices esp with 350kg nose weight (or approx 200kg 400mm out to get past tyre)
(3) what’s not to like with a fully wired NATO plug alongside an eu compliant system.
Simply put, there is more value (for me) with this grenadier tow option approach, than any tow system I have had to date.

Out of all the factory fit options, I think its a no brainer.

 

[Eric]

Errr, no.
Are you saying my/anyones insurance is void because I have a Dixon Bate adjustable hieght tow ball ???

I bet insurance companies love you....

In the event of an accident brought about by an unauthorised/modified device (tow ball) the insurer would be able to walk away from any claim in respect of your costs brought about by failure of that device or consequence of the use of that device.

 

[MilesD]

In the event of an accident brought about by an unauthorised/modified device (tow ball) the insurer would be able to walk away from any claim in respect of your costs brought about by failure of that device or consequence of the use of that device.

In my experience insurers will try to walk away from a payout in any event, modified devices just give them an easier opt-out.

 

[Eric]

Not sure who the "we" is in your statement but stop being so neurotic ...

Ask a reputable DB drop plate supplier and ask of it is authorised to be fitted to a M1 vehicle in the UK. If you look on the websites most companies identify suitable for commercial or defined vehicles.

 

[Eric]

In my experience insurers will try to walk away from a payout in any event, modified devices just give them an easier opt-out.

So why give them the opening. I am referring to class M1 only. N1 are completely different and I only tow with M1 vehicles so can't comment on what is authorised on that type of vehicle.

 

[Eric]

Errr, no.
Are you saying my/anyones insurance is void because I have a Dixon Bate adjustable hieght tow ball ???

I bet insurance companies love you....

M1 only

 

[MilesD]

So why give them the opening. I am referring to class M1 only. N1 are completely different and I only tow with M1 vehicles so can't comment on what is authorised on that type of vehicle.

Eric , Understood. I didn’t realise M1 and N1 regs were different as our commercial vans are supplied factory fit with EU compliant hitches. Just read up on it and it appears on my N1 Gren, I can pretty much attach anything, happy days.

 

[Unimog 406]

Hi All
I have had my vehicle two weeks and ventured to look at the tow hitch mounting arrangement,
It is so robust, made from caste steel! You are into agricultural territory really looks over engineered, the tow hitch receiver bolted in position to it with four M18 or M20 bolts (no means of measuring at that time).
I had poor access and due to the exhaust box and heat protection plate so no pictures of the chassis mounts, but the towing arrangement I could see would only be achievable with factory original parts to a insurable OEM standard?

Fixings to the chassis were not visible but the whole arrangement visible were engineered to Unimog standards.

Does anyone have access to a ramp and can take some pictures?

 

[Logsplitter]

Type approved tow hitch components from Dickson Bate and Bradley

https://www.alko-tech.com/en_gb/get-download-file-data/13602#:~:text=All%20Dixon%20Bate%20and%20Bradley,of%20commercial%20and%20leisure%20applications.

 

[Eric]

Eric , Understood. I didn’t realise M1 and N1 regs were different as our commercial vans are supplied factory fit with EU compliant hitches. Just read up on it and it appears on my N1 Gren, I can pretty much attach anything, happy days.

Yes and since it is the same vehicle it would be nice to do the same with M1 and it is purely a " paper work issue "

 

[Eric]

Hi All
I have had my vehicle two weeks and ventured to look at the tow hitch mounting arrangement,
It is so robust, made from caste steel! You are into agricultural territory really looks over engineered, the tow hitch receiver bolted in position to it with four M18 or M20 bolts (no means of measuring at that time).
I had poor access and due to the exhaust box and heat protection plate so no pictures of the chassis mounts, but the towing arrangement I could see would only be achievable with factory original parts to a insurable OEM standard?

Fixings to the chassis were not visible but the whole arrangement visible were engineered to Unimog standards.

Does anyone have access to a ramp and can take some pictures?

I don't think for one minute anybody doubts the engineering quality, just the stupid regulations that differentiate between M1 and N1

 

[Miki]

Type approved tow hitch components from Dickson Bate and Bradley

https://www.alko-tech.com/en_gb/get-download-file-data/13602#:~:text=All%20Dixon%20Bate%20and%20Bradley,of%20commercial%20and%20leisure%20applications.

Oh don't ruin it .... I was enjoying the "not jus a that will do bolt our old Land Rover hitch on" theory that was being spouted ...

 

[FTD]

Thanks Denis. It is on the accessories price list which usually means it can be dealer fitted? It looks simple enough; the rear bumper flap is removed and then it looks like 4 bolts. Don’t know about the electrics though. Keith

No kit exists - must be fitted when in production.

 

[DaveB]

How much is the OE Grenadier towbar?

These days towbars are not cheap. On the Defender it cost me £800 for the removable one. The deployable tow bar was around £1300

On a lot of vehicles fitting the towbar also adds a transmission cooler

 

[Miki]

M1 only

Well that scuppers Mr @CountyV8 then as he said in March ..."as I sometimes tow plant equipment with a ring hitch." ... sounds a bit 'commercial that' possibly not M1 compliant is it ... using the 'car' for commercial purposes possibly falls into @Eric 's fine statement "In the event of an accident brought about by an unauthorised/modified device (tow ball) the insurer would be able to walk away from any claim in respect of your costs brought about by failure of that device or consequence of the use of that device." - that would appear to be the whole car in this instance as doing anything 'commercial' (towing/carrying anything other than a bed and the kitchen sink) would be totaly ilegal in your eyes as you are using an M1 classed vehicle as a class N1 vehicle ?
Which nullifies your insurane (buy buy insurance wasn't it ? @Eric ) so driving without insurance ... tut tut.

The other thing is that if you have an N1 vehicle then as it's MAM is over 3000kgs you will need a Class 5 MOT whereas the M1 only needs a Class 4 (as it's not for commecial use), so if you have the wrong MOT then you are also beaking more laws ...
What a can of worms you have opened @Eric and @CountyV8 - a real Pandoras Box

 

[Eric]

Well that scuppers Mr @CountyV8 then as he said in March ..."as I sometimes tow plant equipment with a ring hitch." ... sounds a bit 'commercial that' possibly not M1 compliant is it ... using the 'car' for commercial purposes possibly falls into @Eric 's fine statement "In the event of an accident brought about by an unauthorised/modified device (tow ball) the insurer would be able to walk away from any claim in respect of your costs brought about by failure of that device or consequence of the use of that device." - that would appear to be the whole car in this instance as doing anything 'commercial' (towing/carrying anything other than a bed and the kitchen sink) would be totaly ilegal in your eyes as you are using an M1 classed vehicle as a class N1 vehicle ?
Which nullifies your insurane (buy buy insurance wasn't it ? @Eric ) so driving without insurance ... tut tut.

The other thing is that if you have an N1 vehicle then as it's MAM is over 3000kgs you will need a Class 5 MOT whereas the M1 only needs a Class 4 (as it's not for commecial use), so if you have the wrong MOT then you are also beaking more laws ...
What a can of worms you have opened @Eric and @CountyV8 - a real Pandoras Box

I don't understand what you are saying, a vehicle is classed by the DVLA as either M1 (passenger) or N1 (commercial) what purpose you use it for is irrelevant and does not change its status by usage. (Tax issues apart). If you have a M1 vehicle you follow M1 type approval certification what ever purpose you are using it for, all be it towing for commercial enterprises.
If your vehicle is N1 then you don't need M1 type approval