G-day
Thinking about making my own towbar to fit inbetween the chasie and the body of my MU (now that its got 3" body lift). But I want to know if it is legal to do it or does it have to be engineered ?
Cheers
Yarno
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Home made Towbars ?
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Home made Towbars ?
Go hard or go home!!!
MU build here
MU build here
Yeah I was thinking that, I guess I'll just make it then get it passed at the same time as the body lift!!!
Go hard or go home!!!
MU build here
MU build here
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.. i didnt think you had to get a rear bar engineered...awwe well mines JAKEO-BUILT (seriously over engineered) lmao 
My understnding is that two bars do have to be plated with the manufacturer and max towing weight. Now I dont know if anybody can put a plate on them or they have to be certified workshops only.
NOW this plate thing only applies to towbars that were made after a certain date (like 1992 or something). So if you were able to find a towbar that was made prior to this date it obviously wont have a plate on it but it is still legal to put on your car.
So basically my understanding is that you cannot make a towbar yourself but if you are able to find an old towbar (ie one that doesent have a plate on it meaning it was made before the date that this plate rule came in) then you are good to go.
The reason why I found this out was I rang a guy at aranda towbars about the legalities of making a bar my self and he went on about it being illegal and that all new towbars need the certification plate. I said what about all the towbars getting around with no plate and he said that they would have been made prior to this plate law coming out. And I said good Ill just get one of them old towbars.
The shiat will only hit the fan if you are in an accident and the tow bar breaks. If its got the plate and the trailer is under its max weight then the towbar manufacturer (which is also on the plate) is in trouble. If the trailer is over the max weight then you are in the shiat.
Just thinking about it maybe you carnt put an old towbar on a new car. Maybe there is a law that says you carnt put a 1985 towbar on a 1995 car??
Sam
NOW this plate thing only applies to towbars that were made after a certain date (like 1992 or something). So if you were able to find a towbar that was made prior to this date it obviously wont have a plate on it but it is still legal to put on your car.
So basically my understanding is that you cannot make a towbar yourself but if you are able to find an old towbar (ie one that doesent have a plate on it meaning it was made before the date that this plate rule came in) then you are good to go.
The reason why I found this out was I rang a guy at aranda towbars about the legalities of making a bar my self and he went on about it being illegal and that all new towbars need the certification plate. I said what about all the towbars getting around with no plate and he said that they would have been made prior to this plate law coming out. And I said good Ill just get one of them old towbars.
The shiat will only hit the fan if you are in an accident and the tow bar breaks. If its got the plate and the trailer is under its max weight then the towbar manufacturer (which is also on the plate) is in trouble. If the trailer is over the max weight then you are in the shiat.
Just thinking about it maybe you carnt put an old towbar on a new car. Maybe there is a law that says you carnt put a 1985 towbar on a 1995 car??
Sam
Lexx from AusJeep BB is making is own rear bars (for Jeeps of course) with integrated hitch - he went through the engineering process so he can issue plates etc. http://www.aussiejeeps.com/jbits.php You could drop him a mail off that website and I'm sure he would fill you in on what needs to be done.
DirtPigs wrote:Raises an ineteresting question... I bet there are 1000s of homebrew trailers running around on our roads...
Regardless of what is legal or not, what's the difference between a trailer being home-built and a tow-bar being homebuilt ???
i know this all (my old man has a kik ass homebrew 4x4 trailer) i am saying is make sure its strong coz if it fails and causes an acco shiat will hit the fan hard..........
HYPOFAB Thanks to:
Polyperformance
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Longfield
with homemade trailers in vic all you need to do is get a weigh bridge cert, to show how much it wieghs then you ring the rta they give you a vin number and then buy a plate from a trailer shop stamp al the details on it take to the rta and they look at it and give you your lic plate and thats it. but towbars need to be rated for what ball load you can put on it.
God of Magnificant Ideas!
One way would be to make a prototype and send it to a towbar manafacturer and get them to give their opinion and if ya lucky and real nice to em, they may attach a rating plate, if not they could send you in the right direction.
A way around it is to get one that is close to the bar you want and have it "repaired" by a certified welder ( repaired-modified same thing aren't they ! )
Insurance on ya wheels may be a ugly one if ya have an accident. A mate of mine had a huge problem after he had a accident in a car on LPG, cause the cylinder was out of date the insurers wouldnt pay out on his or the other persons cars, their reason was that the vehicle was in an unroadworthy condition........ check it out, its too easy to get sued for everything these days !!!!
A way around it is to get one that is close to the bar you want and have it "repaired" by a certified welder ( repaired-modified same thing aren't they ! )
Insurance on ya wheels may be a ugly one if ya have an accident. A mate of mine had a huge problem after he had a accident in a car on LPG, cause the cylinder was out of date the insurers wouldnt pay out on his or the other persons cars, their reason was that the vehicle was in an unroadworthy condition........ check it out, its too easy to get sued for everything these days !!!!
[color=blue][size=150][b]And your cry-baby, whinyassed opinion would be.....? [/b][/size][/color]
Requirements in QLD.
Trailers and tow bars can be home made. There are guidelines that must be followed (ADR) but the design is up to the manufacturer. This is more critical with homemade trailers. Over a certain trailer GVM all plans must be submitted and approved by Dept Transport. Towbars though are like lifting equipement, they must be designed and built stronger than the towing capacity of the vehicle. Compliance plates can be purchesed from dept of Transport and fitted to the draw bar, approved by an engineer, and everything is legal and lagitimate, and you will have peice of mind knowing that your trailer will not seperate from your rig mid trip.
Trailers and tow bars can be home made. There are guidelines that must be followed (ADR) but the design is up to the manufacturer. This is more critical with homemade trailers. Over a certain trailer GVM all plans must be submitted and approved by Dept Transport. Towbars though are like lifting equipement, they must be designed and built stronger than the towing capacity of the vehicle. Compliance plates can be purchesed from dept of Transport and fitted to the draw bar, approved by an engineer, and everything is legal and lagitimate, and you will have peice of mind knowing that your trailer will not seperate from your rig mid trip.
My rear bar/towbar was designed and built by a mate who works at an engineering works. 6x2 channel iron, with square Hayman Reece type reciever. It bolts to 6 places across the rear of the chassis. Standard towbars only bolt in 2 places. However, I believe in Qld that combined rear bumper/towbars are illegal. But Im sure ARB or TJM sells them.
Mud makes excellent toothpaste.
Hey thanks for the replys but now I'm not sure what I should do, obviously anything I will build, I would make stronger than most towbars just to make sure it wouldn't break. But is there really anyway to get it legal??
Is there anyone out there that does custom for any 4x4?
cheers
yarno
Is there anyone out there that does custom for any 4x4?
cheers
yarno
Go hard or go home!!!
MU build here
MU build here
OK thw ay you make it leagal is make it and then take it to an engineer ot trailer manufactuer to test and supply you with a compliance plate. The person who supplies you with the complicance plate has then deemed it safe to be used with oin the specifications of that compliance. Any one who has a licence for "approval to fit vehicle compliance plates", which is the same licence given to vehicle manufactures, can approve the bar to use. Or alternativly you can contact "Department of Transport & Regional services" on 1800 815272 or 02 62747431 and they will either be able to tell you where the nearest person is or be able to issues acompliance plate themselves.
Now for a compliance plate to be issued the tow will been subject to alot of engineering tests etc, which usally end up around the $600-$1000 mark, so maybe it may be worth while just to buy one instead?
If you are invloved in an accident and the towbar is deemed to be a contributing factor then be warned you may be facing manslaughter charges (sorry to scare you) all depends on the severity of the accident, the least that will happen is if the insurance company finds out and voids your claim for not having a ADR compliant tow bar. It can all get a bit messy.
Really it comes down to if your prepared to wear the bad's over the good ( cost factor ) of making your own tow bar.
My 2c
Now for a compliance plate to be issued the tow will been subject to alot of engineering tests etc, which usally end up around the $600-$1000 mark, so maybe it may be worth while just to buy one instead?
If you are invloved in an accident and the towbar is deemed to be a contributing factor then be warned you may be facing manslaughter charges (sorry to scare you) all depends on the severity of the accident, the least that will happen is if the insurance company finds out and voids your claim for not having a ADR compliant tow bar. It can all get a bit messy.
Really it comes down to if your prepared to wear the bad's over the good ( cost factor ) of making your own tow bar.
My 2c
Does anyone else remember those little horrors that bolted (clamped?) to the factory bumper bar? You could get them in universal fits and just adjust the 3/16 bolts to suit the application. Spotted one of these on a VW beatle the other day. They were around at about the same time as clear plastic bull bars, aunger rear window louvers and the tape decks where the volume stayed on while you fast fowarded ( didnt get no fancy shamcy rewind).
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Liam wrote:Does anyone else remember those little horrors that bolted (clamped?) to the factory bumper bar? You could get them in universal fits and just adjust the 3/16 bolts to suit the application. Spotted one of these on a VW beatle the other day. They were around at about the same time as clear plastic bull bars, aunger rear window louvers and the tape decks where the volume stayed on while you fast fowarded ( didnt get no fancy shamcy rewind).
showing ya age Liam !!!!!
we did a few tow-bar mods !!!!
3" bodylift on a GQ , turned the rear bar over ,
so the hitch was on top of the rear most x member !!!!
MissForbyNoob wrote:
and one day i'll just become a worthless housewife.
and one day i'll just become a worthless housewife.
LEXX wrote:OK thw ay you make it leagal is make it and then take it to an engineer ot trailer manufactuer to test and supply you with a compliance plate. The person who supplies you with the complicance plate has then deemed it safe to be used with oin the specifications of that compliance. Any one who has a licence for "approval to fit vehicle compliance plates", which is the same licence given to vehicle manufactures, can approve the bar to use. Or alternativly you can contact "Department of Transport & Regional services" on 1800 815272 or 02 62747431 and they will either be able to tell you where the nearest person is or be able to issues acompliance plate themselves.
Now for a compliance plate to be issued the tow will been subject to alot of engineering tests etc, which usally end up around the $600-$1000 mark, so maybe it may be worth while just to buy one instead?
If you are invloved in an accident and the towbar is deemed to be a contributing factor then be warned you may be facing manslaughter charges (sorry to scare you) all depends on the severity of the accident, the least that will happen is if the insurance company finds out and voids your claim for not having a ADR compliant tow bar. It can all get a bit messy.
Really it comes down to if your prepared to wear the bad's over the good ( cost factor ) of making your own tow bar.
My 2c
Thanks Lexx
So fair enough if I would have to buy one but I allready have one that hangs down like one of those rippers you would use on a bulldozer...
Where would one buy one that will fit between the body and chassis?
Cheers
Yarno
Go hard or go home!!!
MU build here
MU build here
God of Magnificant Ideas!
Sorry it took so long to find the answer but I had a few ppl to contact in relation to this prob.
In Victoria the requirements are :
You may manafacture your own towbar without having to have a rating or certificate of engineering approval attached.
The towbar must however be of a "rigid design" ( translated it means you cant use pressed sheet metal ) and welded areas must be of a "consistant quallity" and with "some degree of professionalism" ( translated it means NO chook poop type welds ) .
Bolt patterns are to be in mutiples of two (2) per connection point while the connection plate that is bolted to the chassis is to be a minium of twice the thickness of the original chassis material while the minimum bolt size is to be twice the thickness of the of the connection plate ( translation- every where you intend to bolt it to the chassis it must be 2 bolts , 4 bolts ,6 bolts etc... odd number bolt patterns allow one of the bolts to become a "hinge" and therefore allow leaverage over the other bolts and subsequent breakage.... the thickness thing is simple....if your chassis material is say 3mm then the conection plate must be a minimum of 6mm and the smallest bolts you can use must be a minimum of 12 mm.
All this came from a Roadworthy Engineer, an Auotmotive Engineer, Vic Roads, and the Vic Police.
Like I said before ....make it and tack it together then if your still worried take it to a DLI approved welder and get him to weld it up and your covered
In Victoria the requirements are :
You may manafacture your own towbar without having to have a rating or certificate of engineering approval attached.
The towbar must however be of a "rigid design" ( translated it means you cant use pressed sheet metal ) and welded areas must be of a "consistant quallity" and with "some degree of professionalism" ( translated it means NO chook poop type welds ) .
Bolt patterns are to be in mutiples of two (2) per connection point while the connection plate that is bolted to the chassis is to be a minium of twice the thickness of the original chassis material while the minimum bolt size is to be twice the thickness of the of the connection plate ( translation- every where you intend to bolt it to the chassis it must be 2 bolts , 4 bolts ,6 bolts etc... odd number bolt patterns allow one of the bolts to become a "hinge" and therefore allow leaverage over the other bolts and subsequent breakage.... the thickness thing is simple....if your chassis material is say 3mm then the conection plate must be a minimum of 6mm and the smallest bolts you can use must be a minimum of 12 mm.
All this came from a Roadworthy Engineer, an Auotmotive Engineer, Vic Roads, and the Vic Police.
Like I said before ....make it and tack it together then if your still worried take it to a DLI approved welder and get him to weld it up and your covered
[color=blue][size=150][b]And your cry-baby, whinyassed opinion would be.....? [/b][/size][/color]
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