Gazellio wrote:

after a 480 point reverse turn we were able to back up the "path"

Jeep owners.................... 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

Well mine arrived today. It ia a Watling brand and having looked over their site and literature .. and got on my back under the front end.. it will require a cut to the front sump guard... a term which I use loosely as its not really a sump guard. Just some trim. Well its certainly not like the sump guard you would expect to find on a defender for instance.

My initial plan is.. when I get around tuit.. to remove the current guard / wind deflector and fir the bracket... then fabricate a new guard from 3mm chequre plate which I just happen to have some laying about. That way at least when I come to sell on the car in say 30 years time I can put it all back how it should be .. unless a caravanner puts my arm up my back and makes me an offer I can not refuse. I'll update the thread here with some photos as I go along. Of note I paid £75 for the complete unit with nuts and bolts. Watling retail them new at £168 ish according to their literature.

Here is one fitted on a Disco, which appears much the same (as the shoddy ebay image) fitted to the previoius FFRR





And to comply with forum rules... there are of course other equally worthy brands out there.. this is just the one I happened to end up with from my ebay purchase.

I know this will compromise the approach angle a little.. but I'm not about to start throwing the Rangie around off road.. Thats what Landrover experience days are for oh and my 110  2010 Disco XS TDV6, 2009 Freelander 2 GS

Previous Landrover products -1990 110 TDI CSW, 2003 TD6 Vogue - RRC TD Vogue, RRC v8 Fleetline, Disco ES V8 LPG, 101 Ambulance "Morph", 1964 SIIa Auto Powered by Jag 4.2 Lump - "Percy".

I wonder if, as the draw is removable, you could use the same front tow bar fitting with a recovery peg............ like you can with the rear tow bar. El how does the front one mount onto the chassis? 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

elpeede wrote:

7.8m .. with a width of 7 feet track to turn it 90 degrees on to a pitch 8m long (so you have 20 cm to shuffle in, obstacles on the opposite sides being other caravan hitches waiting to tear the sides out of your car, and stationary unattended vehicles. Generally you are right .. twin axles though are somewhat more difficult to pitch just so as they don't turn on a sixpence once disconnected from the vehicle, unlike a single axle. Its the finer pitch manouvering that can't be done with the vehicle connected generally and is typically done with a motor mover (see my first post) or by generally putting several peoples backs out (I have a whole range of T-shirts). Even with motor movers fitted a twin axle can't 360 on its own axis which a single axle can.. if of course you felt the need.

Getting on UK Pitches is never an issue, which speaks volumes of the UK weather. I have to say the tightest pitches in Europe I have been on are in Italy.

£75,- for a towbar is cheap

Four humoungous bolts through the chassis... If you lay down and have a peep you can see two holes pre drilled through the chassis and apron/shield. A wild guess would be this may be where bull bars mount.The other two holes are further towards the front.. and as yet I don't know if they are already there or require drilling as the sheild covers them. Watling do a winch and attachment for winching the likes of caravans and boats up driveways / slip ways. Advantage being you can attack it to any tow bar... front or rear.

I guess for a straight pull it would be ok.. they also sell stock so you could fabricate a recovery point.. but I'd be inclined to get them to make a twin mount one and fit a bridle to share the load across each side of the chassis then as well as distributing the forces involved. It appears from their site they are happy to entertain off the wall requests so make make one specifically should you require one. 2010 Disco XS TDV6, 2009 Freelander 2 GS

Previous Landrover products -1990 110 TDI CSW, 2003 TD6 Vogue - RRC TD Vogue, RRC v8 Fleetline, Disco ES V8 LPG, 101 Ambulance "Morph", 1964 SIIa Auto Powered by Jag 4.2 Lump - "Percy".

Havank wrote:

We have to agree to disagree.

I can turn my twin axle trailer 360 degrees on his own axis. you push the bar down, so its on two wheels, its all a matter of balancing my friend

Oh hang on... I can do it with my corgi toy car trailer as well. But here I'm talking caravan.. I'd love to see the same with a 1500 kg caravan where no amount of pitch due to the weight / length will get either axle off the ground... it may lighten the load a little... it may also pull the tyre off the rims too alternatively chew up the pitch, I wouldn't want to do that out of respect to the site owners. Like I said... I've no end of T-shirts for a knackered back. 2010 Disco XS TDV6, 2009 Freelander 2 GS

Previous Landrover products -1990 110 TDI CSW, 2003 TD6 Vogue - RRC TD Vogue, RRC v8 Fleetline, Disco ES V8 LPG, 101 Ambulance "Morph", 1964 SIIa Auto Powered by Jag 4.2 Lump - "Percy".

Ok .. earlier I emailed Watling being very cheeky to see if they would be kind enough to forward any instructions. What do you know! Ben at Watling kindly replied sending me the instructions.. now that is beyond the call given I bought second hand so hats off to Ben ...customer service that follows the product (ok unofficially) - If only Landrover were like minded once they had sold a product.

There needs to be two holes cut in to the underskirting.. 80mm by 130mm.. this allows the towbar to be fitted without removal of the underskirt.. and come the worst if I do sell on won't be an eyesore. I will revise my plan now and get out the dremmel (note to self - buy a dremmel!) and cut the hole.. put the off cuts in the boot, they can always be bonded back in to place

Instructions say it takes about an hour.. with my level of mechanical knowledge that equates to 20 minutes to actually do the job.... and around 2 hours to find the blasted tools in the garage

First task will be to give it a wire brushing and coat of black to tart it up. 2010 Disco XS TDV6, 2009 Freelander 2 GS

Previous Landrover products -1990 110 TDI CSW, 2003 TD6 Vogue - RRC TD Vogue, RRC v8 Fleetline, Disco ES V8 LPG, 101 Ambulance "Morph", 1964 SIIa Auto Powered by Jag 4.2 Lump - "Percy".

sounds like an interesting project, when looking for the tools dont forget the camera.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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I wonder if fitting this will have any effect on your secondary restraint systems (airbags and pretensioners) and pedestrian safety at MOT time? 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

As for pedestrian safety.. It's no more dangerous in my opinion than the central recovery hoop.. bearing in mind you wouldn't realistically be driving around on the road with the towball on the front. The bracket has a rubber bung simlar to the rear tow point.. so again I guess.. depending on your point of view its equally as dangerous as an empty rear tow reciever should anyone reverse over a pedestrian. Cycle carrier / trailer / caravan etc etc

Hitting anyone at any greater speed going forward is going to sting regardless of the presence of the bracket.

As for the safety of the passengers.. its mounted behind the crush cans of the front bunper.. so any airbag deployment should have little effect. I understand air bags don't deploy below 15mph.. in which case when the tow ball is installed, unless I'm feeling really confident when pushing a caravan.. and late for my ferry.. again its unlikely to matter... and I'll have squashed a whole caravan before dinking the FFRR.  2010 Disco XS TDV6, 2009 Freelander 2 GS

Previous Landrover products -1990 110 TDI CSW, 2003 TD6 Vogue - RRC TD Vogue, RRC v8 Fleetline, Disco ES V8 LPG, 101 Ambulance "Morph", 1964 SIIa Auto Powered by Jag 4.2 Lump - "Percy".

massive thread bump but do you have any "after" pictures of fitting please? I'm wondering just how far down/vulnerably it hangs under the front tray... NW060

"Red Shed" - 1982 Series 3 88" County Station Wagon
"Spirit of Great Britain" - Rolls Royce Meteor V12 engine
ZG875 - Westland Sea King (cockpit section)
"Carly Rae Jeepsen" - 2006 Jeep Commander 5.7 Hemi
"Pride Of The Road" - 1/4-scale Marshall traction engine - sold
"Georgina" - 2000 Discovery 2 TD5 ES - sold
"Windsor" - 2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 - dead

Sorry Mat, I never got around to fitting it.. the FFRR was sold on.

The Towbar is still satin the shed I must get around to advertising it for sale. 2010 Disco XS TDV6, 2009 Freelander 2 GS

Previous Landrover products -1990 110 TDI CSW, 2003 TD6 Vogue - RRC TD Vogue, RRC v8 Fleetline, Disco ES V8 LPG, 101 Ambulance "Morph", 1964 SIIa Auto Powered by Jag 4.2 Lump - "Percy".