High Rise Towball
New and used imports of English Caravans have become very popular in New Zealand in recent years. They are quite different to locally made caravans and are said to be well designed, comparatively cheap with 12/240 volt power, toilet/shower and have a light towing weight which reduces fuel consumption.
Locking Plate
A High Rise 50 mm Towball is essential for English/European imported caravans which have the AKS3004 stabilizer coupling fitted. This trailer coupling is different to what is used in New Zealand and reduces Caravan sway when towing. It is also necessary to fit a special locking plate which ensures the towball cannot rotate and work the nut loose. Failure to fit a high rise towball and a locking plate can result in severe damage to the trailer coupling and the towball working loose and even the Caravan falling off the towbar.
Megatyre now stocks 50 mm High Neck Towballs and the Locking Plates at our Browns Bay shop; it is essential that both these products are always used together. We are selling these towballs for $99.95 each inc gst and the locking plate. Or we can post them to you anywhere in New Zealand for an additional $5.00. n.b. This price only applies to 7/8ths and 1 inch shank high rise towball kits. 3/4 shank kits are from a different supplier and cost $195.00.
Our High Rise towballs are available with a 7/8ths or one inch shank.
Megatyre Towbars Browns Bay, North Shore, Auckland www.megatyre.co.nz
thanks for having these extended neck towballs in stock. It was great to get one of these fitted to our vehicle at 11.50 am on Christmas Eve. It seemed you were the only shop in Auckland who had them in stock. Thanks for saving our holiday.
Jake
Have you got these in stock in a 50 mm ball?
Yes Simon, we have plenty of these long neck 50 mm towballs in stock. We can post one to you or you can collect one from our Browns Bay shop where we would fit it for free!
Glad we could help you Jake. Hope you have great 2014.
These towballs have quite a long and thin neck and I am wondering this reduces the balls towing rating? What is its maximum capacity?
Thanks for your post Mitch. The “extended neck” on these towbars has no effect on their load rating; they are rated to 3500 kgs.
Have you got these in 1 7/8ths size?
Sorry, these long neck towballs are only made with a 50 mm ball. But that should not be a problem as all the European caravan couplings they are designed for only come with 50 mm couplings.
What size diameter shank do these long neck balls have?
Hello Grant
the long neck towballs have a 1 inch shank. If your towbar currently has either a 3/4 or 7/8ths shank, and you are in Auckland, Megatyre can drill it out to 1 inch for a small charge. N.B. and appointment is necessary.
Brian
Hi there,
We recently bought a lightweight caravan (’79) the issue is we are towing it with a Toyota Avensis which is low to the ground meaning that the front of the caravan pitches down when connected, whereas a 4wd being higher would mean the caravan is perfectly in line. Anyway, I’m thinking a high rise ball will at least make a bit of a difference to move it above the towball plate. Can you tell me how much higher this puts the top of the ball than the ‘normal’ towballs and how long the shank that the bold screws into is? The caravan has a 50mm coupling and yes, I’m aware I’d need the locking plate too…
Dave :o)
Hello David
a long neck 50 mm towball is 25 mm longer than a conventional towball. Hope this helps
Brian
Thank you, I have been looking for one of these long neck towballs for ages to use with my English caravan. do you have them with a 3/4 shank in a chromed finish?
Hi Dallas
these extended nock towballs are only available with a 1″ shank; we can drill out the hole in your towbar tongue to 1″ for a small charge. Also, we do not offer a chrome finish as there is an issue with the chrome flaking off and jamming up the coupling mechanism on this tyre of trailer coupling. For this reason, we only do them in a zinc finish. This problem is common to all makes of chrome towball when used on these English caravans. Its not a problem on conventional kiwi style couplings.
Brian
Magnificent web site. Plenty of useful information here. And of course, thank you on your effort!
Its great to hear from you Claris. Hope you are dry and warm on this very wet Saturday
Brian
Can you get the nz size rowball on the 1 inch shank so you can swap them when you need to tow a regular trailer??
Hello Diana
yes, we can sell you a 1 7/8ths towball with a 1″ shank, no problem at all. Please note these towballs have a regular length neck. You can collect one from our Browns Bay shop for $26.00 or we can post you one for $31.00 inc surface post. If you are interested, we can send you a paypal link for payment by credit card.
Brian
Maybe there is an opportunity to develop a high rise version of the converter ball that could include the locking plate etc, after all it wouldn’t matter for the 1- 7/8 ball size whether it was high rise or not. Nor would it matter to a 50 mm non-stabillised coupling whether it was high rise or not
I m sure that there are thousands of people out there like me that don’t want the inconvenience of needed to remove the ball complete especially when the big ring spanner required costs at least 50 bucks.
Caravans and boat owners would then have no excuse for compromising and the consequential road safety implications will be eliminated.
Hello Gavin
the Convertaball is a USA product and you can be sure they are not interested in making tiny quantities (relatively speaking) of a special version for New Zealand and Australia. As far as I know, the high rise towball kits are only sold in Australasia to cope with our flat/fixed tongue towbar design. There is no need for them in Europe as most people have gooseneck towbars.
Brian
Hi Could you please advise the internal width of the locking plate
Hi Richard
the locking plate is 77 mm wide. It will fit all towbar tongues made from 75 x 20 and 75 x 15 mm steel bar. It will not fit wider tongues like those with steel plate welded to the sides for extra strength.
Brian