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AT LAST A COUPLING DESIGNED FOR THE HEAVIER OFF-ROAD VAN


HAVAGO

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This Hyland coupling is rated at 3.5 tonne, our van weighs 4.04 tonne.

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Grab a 19mm ring spanner and a 19mm socket and remove the four bolts.

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Throw on this "Big Yella Fella" using 16mm grade 12 bolts

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Make sure you loctite the bolts for safety even though you are using lock nuts

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What is it you ask, it is a McHitch 6 tonne coupling.

Price is $795.00 inc GST

In my honest opinion, Bloody cheap.:Australia: You cannot put a price on peace of mind and safety.

Also available a 3.5 tonne rated coupling same design at $495.00 inc GST

Click to check out the McHitch Website and then do yourself a favour, give Joe McGinnes a call, a very obliging gentleman..

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Hi Greg,

Thank you for your investigation into this hitch. We too fit into "the heavier van" category.

With this being our permanent 24/7 home for 2 years now - it is up there in weight. We have managed to eliminate excess a few times now but we are getting down to bare knuckles now for things to throw out.

We will certainly look further into the viability of the whole unit being re-complianced. We certainly do not want to tow 6T however to have a "legal" weight of just over 4T will be good.

I can see brakes , suspension etc.... will have to be considered the same as a tow vehicle up-grade is done.

Anyway it is certainly a step in right direction of taking responsibly for our technically over loaded vans & not throwing our hands in the air & saying it's all okay.Then crying poor when something happens & the insurance company says 'goodbye' or getting pulled over by the scalies & having a hefty fine for the experience. :thumbsup:

Thanks again hope to meet you soon.

Cheers

Elle & Blackie

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Hi Blackie,

Greg is off-line at the moment, but he tells me he has already had the van re-certified without a problem. I'm sure he will be glad to give you the details when he gets back on-line. You have briefly met Greg at the Christmas gathering at Crows Nest as you were camped beside us down the bottom end of the park. He had a Windsor van at the time.

This hitch will definitely be of interest to anyone over the 3.5 tonne ATM and may see a flow on of larger tow vehicles being purchased to make the whole package legal without throwing out half your belongings.

Kind Regards,

Glen. :smile:

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I'm glad Greg got his van recertified OK.

Hopefully when he returns he will be able to post the Certifying engineers contact details as I'm sure a few owners and viewers with other brands of vans would like to have theirs upgraded as well :thumbsup:

Cheers

Darryl

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Hi Greg,

Thank you for your investigation into this hitch. We too fit into "the heavier van" category.

Thanks again hope to meet you soon.

Cheers

Elle & Blackie

Hi Blackie,

Greg is off-line at the moment, but he tells me he has already had the van re-certified without a problem.

Kind Regards,

Glen. :smile:

I'm glad Greg got his van recertified OK.

Hopefully when he returns he will be able to post the Certifying engineers contact details as I'm sure a few owners and viewers with other brands of vans would like to have theirs upgraded as well :thumbsup:

Cheers

Darryl

Speak off the devil and he appears.

Thank you for the positive words and your thoughts.

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Just completed 2100 klms with our "finally legal at last outfit".

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Thanks to "Inventor of the year Joe McGinnes".

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He came up with "The Big Yella Fella".

Purchased handbrake assembly $63.50 will fit it today bolts onto the back two bolts of the coupling.

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I'm glad Greg got his van recertified OK.

Hopefully when he returns he will be able to post the Certifying engineers contact details as I'm sure a few owners and viewers with other brands of vans would like to have theirs upgraded as well :thumbsup:

Cheers

Darryl

Christian Arendt

Automotive Engineer,

Rupertswood, Townsville

Mobile 0400 699 656

Tel 07 4773 2051

Christian is a very helpfull fellow he upgraded the GCM on our road trains for us, he has now upgraded the ATM of our van.

When Christian seen the McHitch coupling he was absolutely impressed, and stated "everyone should be using the McHitch as it uses the pin to lock it to your tow vehicle and the universal to pivot, not screwing on a pin which can wear, bind and break".

Cheers

Best of luck, safe travels. :thumbsup:

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Hi Greg, :helpsmilie:

Thanks for the great insight and information regarding the new hitch. My question is :-

1. Do you still require the use of the Weight Distribution System once you use this new hitch?

2. If you don't use it, how does the F250 perform without the WDS?

3. Is there any handling difference since you changed to the new hitch? ie sway or being affected by cross winds.

I/we look forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.

Regards,

Kingy. :thumbsup:

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Hi Greg, :helpsmilie:

Thanks for the great insight and information regarding the new hitch. My question is :-

1. Do you still require the use of the Weight Distribution System once you use this new hitch?

2. If you don't use it, how does the F250 perform without the WDS?

3. Is there any handling difference since you changed to the new hitch? ie sway or being affected by cross winds.

I/we look forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.

Regards,

Kingy. :thumbsup:

Hello Kingy,

As it is a coupling that can run at neutral ball weight unlike others that need a certain down pressure, I ran the first 800 klms with the WDS attached and found the van wagging it's tail ever so slightly. So I dropped the bars and ran the rest of the trip into Brisbane with out WDS and found it surprisingly better.

Our F-250 has a loaded weight of 4.4 tonne and doesnt know the 4 tonne van is there, I had no dramas running on the speed limit and sitting on a 110 klms an hour when allowed no issues what so ever.

Having said all the above when I get home I am going to do a mod on the WDS hitch and then I can report the results.

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If you look at the reciever hitch you will see now with this coupling it hooks on at the pin as all coupling but the pivot is back at the universal so when the WDS bars are fitted the bars are actually fighting the uni because they are pivoting approximately 6 inches forward of the trailer pivot.

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I am going to move the tow pin forward on the reciever hitch so as to align the uni pivot and the WDS bar pivot.

I hope I have explained this for all too understand where my thinking is going.

Hey! I am not an engineer "just an old truckie."

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  • 2 weeks later...

Joe McGinnes from McHitch informed me as of yesterday 5 Kedron owners have already purchased the Big Yella Fella.

...............................................

Yesterday It was bought to my attention, Vans that exceed 3.5 tonne also require a different setup for the safety chains.

Thank you Kimbo for bringing this to our attention :thumbsup:

With that in mind I have attached a link to a valuable site with all the relevant information in easy to understand format.

Click to check out Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 62/00 – Mechanical Connections Between Vehicles) 2006..

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