Shop Our Caravan Towing Hitch Rage Online

Understanding how to tow your caravan or trailer safely is essential to protecting you and your loved ones when on the road. This includes knowing how to calculate the correct weight of your caravan or trailer.  

Trailer Hitch Types

Adjustable Tow Hitch

There are adjustable ball mounts, tow tongues and hitches to suit all levels of towing height. Suitable to use with most 4x4’s, an adjustable tow hitch will allow you to switch between towing a caravan, camper trailer or boat at different heights, without the need for swapping out different hitches in between. Ark have truly cornered the market when it comes to towing, by consistently producing high quality towing accessories that customers love. Ensuring that you have the right towbar tongue and hitch is important because you need to know that it’s going to stand up to the job at hand. It doesn’t matter if you’re a weekend warrior who loves hitting the road and heading to the beach with the family, or if you’re an outdoor enthusiast gearing up for a long trip around Australia – you want the best gear on your side.  

Tow Ball Hitch 

The ever-popular Do35 hitch pin, which is also known as the ‘tow ball’ replacement for a Do35 coupling which is one of our best-selling products due to its versatility and tough design. We stock a huge range of tow balls and tow ball covers to suit your needs. One towing accessory we highly recommended is a Hayman Reese tow ball step which allows you to safely reach every area of your vehicle and trailer by providing a non-slip platform to navigate. We stock only the best brands like Camec and Ark that specialise in high rise tow balls, tow ball covers, 50mm – 70mm tow balls and much more. 

Tow Ball Weight Scales  

Your tow ball is the only connection between your precious cargo and the towing vehicle, so making sure your caravans tow ball weight is evenly distributed is crucial to avoid overloading your towing connection or tow hitch. If your caravan or trailer is too heavy in the front it will pull down on the back tyres, which creates ‘light steering’ from the front tyres which is extremely dangerous when driving. Investing in tow ball weight scales, Reich Weight Control scales, or a ball rating indicator is essential before taking off. 

Shanks, Weight Distribution & Sway Control  

Extra-long shanks are specific to weight distribution kits that are used on extra big caravans that require more control. Weight distribution systems are designed to restore correct steering, suspension and geometry to the tow vehicle whilst in motion. These systems not only help provide a safer towing connection, but it will also reduce rear tyre wear and tear over time, restore braking efficiency, realign headlights and redistribute tow ball weight evenly to all axles, to minimise coupling damage. 

Understanding the lingo: 

• GTW – gross trailer weight - This figure is the total weight of your trailer or caravan when fully loaded. 
• TW – tongue weight - This refers to the downward force that is exerted on the hitch ball by the coupler. The tongue weight is going to vary depending on where the load is in relation to the trailer axle.  
• WC – weight carrying - The total weight of both the trailer and your cargo. Never exceed the weight capacity of your trailer hitch. 
• WD – weight distribution - Used to balance cargo between the front and rear wheels, ensuring better steering, braking and level riding. 

Choosing the right hitch for your van, trailer or tow is a matter of: 

1. Checking the towing capacity  
2. Figuring out the gross trailer weight of your tow  
3. Choose the right class hitch and towbar tongue for your vehicle  
4. Choosing the best products  

Safety Tips: 

Make sure you stay safe on the roads by following these simple tips.

• Never tow a greater GTW than the vehicle you are towing with. You may damage your transmission and frame, and void any manufacturers warranties 
• A higher class of hitch does not improve the tow capacity of your vehicle. Make sure you choose the right kind of towbar tongue for your vehicle 
• Reversing is tough. Make sure you practice and leave yourself PLENTY of room for error 
• Extra weight in your van or trailer can mean that your car isn’t going to be as responsive as usual, so be aware of this if climbing. When going downhill, make sure you choose the gear you would use to climb that hill (even in an auto vehicle) – and do it before you hit the down-grade, not when your brakes are smoking and you’re picking up speed! 
• Avoid braking hard and jack-knifing by ensuring you are employing the correct following distance. Always give yourself a lot more than you think you need to ensure safety 

Outback Equipment stocks a huge range of towing accessories and can work with you to find the best towing setup for your needs. 

From hitch pins to tow balls, we have got you covered. We are also always looking out for new, high-quality products to add to our range, so please get in touch if you cannot find what you’re looking for here.