Dartman the one,
The same reference to increased nose weight is in my handbook and I’ve seen other references to it elsewhere. As I recall, the handbook also states that if the towbar weight is increased over the standard 150kg then the gross vehicle weight is reduced by the same amount. The problem to my mind would be finding a towbar in Europe that has been type approved at 250kg. This may be more applicable to Australia where I believe such substantial towbars are relatively commonplace.

Richard,
I’d seen your references elsewhere about this. I assume from your description that yours is the detachable flange towball which could be easily replaced by another brand and provided it had a S value of at least 150kg to match the towbar bracket, its use would be perfectly fine. The problem with the detachable swan neck is that there is no other source than I can find other than Witter although its Dutch type approval number - e4 rather than the UK's e11 - would suggest that perhaps Witter just buy these in from a manufacturer in continental Europe.

However, I suspect that I’ll get no further with Witter as they clearly don’t have a detachable swan neck type approved at 150kg so let’s see what the VCA say. For sure I’ll update this thread with any further news.

P.S. Silly me - Brink were originally a Dutch company so quite possibly they make the detachable towballs for Witter! Doh!

After two emails to VCA, followed by two phone calls, then a recorded delivery letter to the CEO followed by an email to the CEO I finally got a response from VCA apologising for the delay in replying to me and assuring me that a type approval engineer (whose name they gave me but I won’t publicise it here) would contact me shortly about my query.

More news when I have it.

I'll be very interested to see their response to this as I have a Witter detachable with two towball brackets. A swan neck with a weight of 125kg and a flange one with 120kg.
Whilst our caravan has a nose weight limit of 100kg I'm within both limits, but it is still not on where the attachments are not rated same as towbar and not as per car limits. Andy
Freelander2 HSE (59 Plate, MY10 spec)

Couldn’t agree more, Andy. The Type Approval documents for the towbar bracket state that it was approved for a maximum vertical load S at the coupling point of 150kg using a towball with a type approval number of e4 00-2164. I haven’t been able to track down that type approval documentation but elsewhere in the documentation it says:

“Note: This towbar must be used with either a Witter Towball (part number ZQ2037) or Class A50-1 or A50-X towball dimensionally Conforming to A50-1 with a ‘D’ and 'S' value greater than or equal to that of the towbar.”

A towball with an S value of 120 or 125kg hardly meets that requirement!

Well, I got a nice reply from the VCA but it didn’t really resolve anything. They obviously discussed the issue with Witter and then more or less said the same to me as Witter has said. I will write to them again to try and get a clear answer.

I have never liked removable tow ball, fixed is one less for people to rob

The only good thing about them is that you can't hit your shin bone on one if it's removed. (tow ball not shin removed.) Common sense isn't very common.
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2007 Land Rover Freelander2 I6 hse Auto

Last edited by axle on 2nd Sep 2019 5:25 pm. Edited 1 time in total

I do find it intriguing how people feel the need to express their opinions on detachable towballs when the thread is simply addressing a technical issue of S values

Just following on from LORDPSK's post.
Sorry if it upsets you. Common sense isn't very common.
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2007 Land Rover Freelander2 I6 hse Auto

It doesn’t upset me at all. I just find it strange that people feel the need to let us know their opinions when the topic is a purely technical one. Odd!

Look at all the other posts and I bet 90% go of topic, no law against it, don't see the problem but everyone to there own opinions. Common sense isn't very common.
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2007 Land Rover Freelander2 I6 hse Auto

I thought I’d better update this thread, if only to say that VCA are being very evasive. I eventually got a letter from them on 8 October which basically repeated what Witter had said, i.e. that the towball and towbar had been tested as a single unit and therefore all was well. The problem is that, according to the type approval certificate, the towbar was tested with a separate towball with its own type approval certificate with an S value of 150kg and the instructions specify that a towball of equivalent or higher specification be used.

I responded to VCA pointing this out - again - and have spent the last two months trying to get a reply from them. Once again, writing to the chief executive seems to have worked and I’m now assured that the matter is being addressed.

axle wrote:

Just following on from LORDPSK's post.
Sorry if it upsets you.

I’ll be sure to pass than on to VCA - I’m sure they’ll be as interested as I am

After fitting a fixed Brink bar, they manufacture genuine Land Rover bars with Land Rover is stamped on it.

The towing experience was far better than with the Witter detachable.
On a recent trip to Spain, when going over bumps in the road with a 100kg caravan nose weight and 30kg of bikes on the tow bar the outfit was stable .

My experience is there is know bounciness and the car suspension seemed to take it the caravan seems more stable, when I change my car again most likely a Disco Sport once the dilution problem is sorted, I will definitely go down the fixed route again.
Richard