BJ Minno Shuttle - raising the hitch height. Doing this; anyone else?

[anthonym]

My previous tow car allowed me to lower the tow ball height, this one does not, so to make the Shuttle ride on both axles I have to lower the hitch height 60mm (per BJ).

Today I acquired my 4 lengths of steel box section 23cm x 3cm x 3cm, two per side, again per BJ.

I have to acquire some bolts "at least .8 tensile strength" per BJ and 2cm longer than the ones I have for replacing the rear supports which were very tired. I think I will add a third. 

This (these) trailer is nigh on 20 years old and still works fine although Trigger's broom springs to mind.

So, I write to see if there are any other BJMS owners/users present and interested. For short term and/or short distances I hazard none of this is important, but I do very long distances. 

For readers who do not know, these covered trailers were designed to fit the S3 7, which they do, just. I also use them as year round garages.

Anthony 

[Paul Richards]

I have a swan neck detachable tow bar which is too high for my Brian James Minno. I made a couple of spacers out of 50mm SHS to raise the hitch height using longer bolts. No problems.

[Paul Richards]

I have a swan neck detachable tow bar which is too high for my Brian James Minno. I made a couple of spacers out of 50mm SHS to raise the hitch height using longer bolts. Driven thousands of miles with no problems.

[anthonym]

perfect, thanks, that's my very plan.

[anthonym]

mostly done now, at my "pre-nyloc nuts" stage, due to have the two pairs of bar welded together; can't say any of this has been trivial, requiring an extremely long breaker bar and and constant use of an angle grinder; however added in much use of zinc spray and seem to be about there. The handbrake constantly fouled the cross member, hence raising that too. Lots of time involved.

 

[7 wonders of the world]

ISTR the ones spacers BJ use have the holes sleeved with tube to prevent deformation due to flex, last time I hired a trailer we had to swap out the circa 5" spacer which was used to set the hitch for Disc's and the like for a 1.5" version for normal cars.

[anthonym]

BJ no longer offer any spacers, hence my work is based on their advice - which doesn't look anything like as good as Paul's, gotta say. 

What do you mean "holes sleeved with tube"? and "flex", what flex? These questions as I am about to commit, but still have time to modify things. 

5" is 12.5cm or 125mm.. that's a BIG spacer. I dropped the tow ball 50mm on my Mondeo and now this I have raised the hitch 60mm which seems (spirit level) to have levelled out the axles when attached to this car (VW Passat Alltrack which has a slightly raised platform by 29mm i i r c)

edit: originally I worked out the angle of dangle per axle so to speak, using a weighbridge (in Norway where they allow them for public use).

 

[Shortshift]

The alternative solution, that I went with, was to purchase a replacement detachable swan-neck towing hitch.  In other words, not the hitch specifically intended for my car but one for a different car, but made and supplied by the same tow-bar manufacturer. 

From memory, the tow ball I am using on my Macan is from a Volvo of some sort.  I recall that I viewed the alternative hitches online, where I could see the different drop-heights, to decide which one I needed,

James

[Jonathan Kay]

"What do you mean "holes sleeved with tube"? and "flex", what flex? These questions as I am about to commit, but still have time to modify things."

IIUC you've created a shallow box section. That can fail by the box crushing or warping. It can be made much more resistant by adding pillars between opposing faces. Tubes are a convenient way of doing that. 

Corrections welcome.

Jonathan

[anthonym]

Jonathan Yes that's just what has been explained to me off here. 
So BJ have advised two small box sections so no extra support required. All Makes sende now.

James I spent ages looking for such a hook, never thought to check other marques. 
Anthony
 

[Paul Richards]

It looks like you have washers between the box sections and between the box section and the drawbar. I would dispense with them. You need the box sections to be in contact along their full length and in contact along their full length with the drawbar. My spacers are only 50cm x 50cm SHS but I welded the end caps on to give some strength and prevent collapse. Took less than an hour to make. 

[anthonym]

Yes I expect you are right, I'll clear it with Mick on Monday, the washers are there for a reason, but aside from rust prevention access, not a load bearing  relevant one,  Thanks for speaking out. 

[anthonym]

James

 I viewed the alternative hitches online, where I could see the different drop-heights, to decide which one I needed,

Where?

Strikes me all my time spent messing with metal would be solved this way - which was my first try but failed.

Westfalia presumably.

Anthony

[anthonym]

On 02/09/2023 at 08:45, Shortshift said:

The alternative solution, that I went with, was to purchase a replacement detachable swan-neck towing hitch.  In other words, not the hitch specifically intended for my car but one for a different car, but made and supplied by the same tow-bar manufacturer. 

 

and finally, after the best part of two months I found one that looks like it will fit (having examined in detail as best one can)

ignore the "out of stock" this pic is after I bought it.

So it is a punt, but if it works it will save me an awful lot of metal bashing.

Thank you James (shortshift) for the suggestion. I was unable to find a comparison site, but there are so many on ebay it provided the means to compare what would definitly not fit versus what looks like it probably will.

Anthony

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by anthonym

[Shortshift]

That's the way!   Keep us posted, Anthony - and good luck for a successful outcome. 👍

James

[Paul Richards]

I know a couple of sprinters with Skoda Yetis who have replaced their Westfalia swan neck with a Tiguan swan neck to get the desired height. It works but it’s an expensive way to do it. My solution just used a few scraps of metal I already had. 

[anthonym]

thanks both - we will see 🙂