Rear door clearance

[johnandchrisdoh Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close johnandchrisdoh]

Hi all. New to Prado Point so I apologise if this issue has been covered before. I have a 2007 GXL with which I tow a 18'6" van at just over 2 tonne. I have a Hayman Reese heavy duty Weight Distribution Hitch. This van replaces my old van and has 4 inch lift. Trouble is, I cannot open the rear door as it clips the tow ball by about 5mm. I have tried adjusting the cams on the WDH to clear the tow ball, however this changes the set-up and the van sits too low behind the Prado. Has anyone had the same issue. I'm not keen on lifting the Prado due to fuel economy issues. I've also researched Tregg style hitches, but not sure if this is the way to go as I want to keep the WDH. Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers
J.D

[Palmer Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Palmer]

Haven't had any issues with my door hitting the tow ball, but I've got the standard toyota tow pack.
Sometimes have issues when I have a trailer or van hooked up and can't open the rear door over the hitch.

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

I'm not keen on lifting the Prado due to fuel economy issues.

Please explain???

[John Member Find all posts View Profile Close John]

J.D.,
If dropping the ball height isn't feasible, you can still use your WDH with a TREG coupling. I used one for a couple of years on mine. The only thing is you will probably need to get an adaptor plate made to go under the TREG to stop it from swivelling on the coupling. Otherwise it'll work just fine.

[johnandchrisdoh Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close johnandchrisdoh]

Thanks Palmer. Main issue is not being able to open the rear door with the van attached. Door won't clear the coupling so I can only get it open about 12 inches. I carry my fridge and other gear in the Prado's cargo area and it would be great to have access to this stuff without unhitching the van, particularly during overnight stops. I can access the cargo area via the rear passenger doors, but this is a pain in the butt as I like to keep the rear passenger seats upright as we travel with another couple and take turns driving each other around when we are camped up.

[johnandchrisdoh Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close johnandchrisdoh]

Thanks D4D. I'd need about 4 inches of lift and was told by my mechanic and others that this much lift would increase fuel usage. The Prado has an ARB steel bull bar which has increased the weight a bit, so I guess I'm not keen to reduce my fuel economy any further with any other mods. is lift = more fuel usage a myth

[johnandchrisdoh Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close johnandchrisdoh]

Thanks John. I've been looking at the Treg style hitches, however most companies are in QLD or VIC. Do you know of anyone in Sydney that may be able to assist me with this?

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

4"? Really? How flat does the combo sit? Post a side on pic please. As an aside when I working on a mate's Mister Bitchy we hooked up the van and then I "lifted" the back with a trolley jack to see how much it needed to come up. That was 90mm but at the end of the day the right springs and polyairs and a 25mm lift was all that was needed.

[John Member Find all posts View Profile Close John]

John,
I had the plate fabricated by Barnes Caravans at Lansvale. For such a simple (and small) job, their service was excellent for what they got out of me. They could do the conversion on the drawbar (if it needs welding). If it is a bolt-on, you could probably do it yourself.

I don't know whether Barnes sell the TREG. If not, you could try here : http://caravansplus.com.au/catalog/i...Path=34_79_469 I've used them before, and once again very prompt service. No association, just a satisfied customer.

[johnandchrisdoh Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close johnandchrisdoh]

Thanks everyone. Looks like a tregg style hitch is the best way to go. Hopefully Barnes will be able to sort me out. Thanks again.

[zutta Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zutta]

mate mine does the same with the H&R hitch, just catches it. there is just enough flex in the rear door to lift it over, must be only a few mm.

not being able to open door fully is right pain the butt, good luck with sorting it.

[blip2008 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close blip2008]

Thanks everyone. Looks like a tregg style hitch is the best way to go. Hopefully Barnes will be able to sort me out. Thanks again.

Johnandchris this might be a bit late but thought I'd throw this one in: AL-KO sell a new design of 360 offroad hitch which fits on a normal ball. I didn't know about it until the bloke who repairs my campertrailer suggested it to me. I now have one with 2 tonne rating fitted instead of the old standard hitch. It's a breeze to use and is low profile. Don't know if they have heavier rated ones but you might research it for your needs.

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Hi all. New to Prado Point so I apologise if this issue has been covered before. I have a 2007 GXL with which I tow a 18'6" van at just over 2 tonne. I have a Hayman Reese heavy duty Weight Distribution Hitch. This van replaces my old van and has 4 inch lift. Trouble is, I cannot open the rear door as it clips the tow ball by about 5mm. I have tried adjusting the cams on the WDH to clear the tow ball, however this changes the set-up and the van sits too low behind the Prado. Has anyone had the same issue. I'm not keen on lifting the Prado due to fuel economy issues. I've also researched Tregg style hitches, but not sure if this is the way to go as I want to keep the WDH. Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers
J.D

Had this problem and after seeking advice on this forum (thanks Gone Bush)http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...589#post399589 went with the DO35 hitch http://www.vehiclecomponents.com.au/...tchmaster-do35

Needed to reposition a hand brake for van but now all good.
Use a HR WDH via a small plate which I got when purchasing.

Check out the photos on my post.
Good people to deal with.

[Rusty Olds Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rusty Olds]

I've seen standard trailer couplings modified so that the D handle flops over on a bolt and therefore gives another 30 mm plus clearance.

Essentially cut the handle off and make a new D piece out of a couple peces of bent flat bar, say 3 mm by 25 mm, with a shorter bolt through the hitch part and a longer bolt as a handle part.

Check out this link for photos.

http://caravanersforum.com/viewtopic...cation#p274683

[Rusty Olds Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rusty Olds]

I've seen standard trailer couplings modified so that the D handle flops over on a bolt and therefore gives another 30 mm plus clearance.

Essentially cut the handle off and make a new D piece out of a couple peces of bent flat bar, say 3 mm by 25 mm, with a shorter bolt through the hitch part and a longer bolt as a handle part.

Check out this link for photos.

http://caravanersforum.com/viewtopic...cation#p274683