3
NEWS
Five tonne Hitch-Ezy hits big time
Novel off-road coupling to be standard on new Lovells-developed LandCruiser four tonne tow upgradeRemember the Hitch-Ezy, the “Rolls-Royce of couplings”?
After seven years of development that has seen only a trickle sold online, the Melbourne designed off-road coupling is about to become much better known when it becomes an integral part of the Lovells’ four tonne BTC (Braked Towing Capacity) towing upgrade kit for the Land Cruiser 200 Series to go on sale in late October.
Lovells has been developing and selling BTM upgrade kits for most large Australian 4WD vehicles for the past 12 years, but the new kit designed for LC200 series vehicles built from 2007 on is the first to specify the Heidelberg-made Hitch-Ezy exclusively.
Lovells had already developed the other components for its $3900 Stage 2 kit – upgraded steel springs, a four tonne drop shank with a 95mm adjustment and a dedicated Weight Distribution Hitch – when they received a call from Hitch-Ezy designer, retired Melbourne surgeon John Allsop, alerting them to the quality and 5000kg capability of the heavy duty 360-degree off-road coupling he designed.
Key features of the Hitch-Ezy, apart from its ADR-certified five tonne rating and high quality manufacture by Melbourne-based Yann Engineering, is its ability to be attached to its novel ‘pillar’ at extreme angles and the ability to be released when under load. It also has an automatic double locking mechanism.
After tests at Victoria’s Australian Automotive Research Centre, Lovells were impressed with both the design and engineering quality of the Hitch-Ezy and decided to include it in the LC200 four tonne kit that will be sold through TJM and Lovells outlets around Australia.
The certification process also included verifying test data for US-delivered LandCruiser vehicles, which have a towing capacity of up to 3856kg (8500lb), compared to the 3500kg maximum in Australia. Caravancampingsales also understands the kit has unofficially survived endurance testing at around 4.5 tonnes, giving it a large safety margin.
The Lovells GVM Upgrade Kit, which will be displayed on a sway rig on the TJM stand at this week’s Melbourne 4x4 Outdoors Show, can be fitted to vehicles with or without Toyota’s KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System).
Lovells will also take a Hitch-Ezy to this year’s SEMA automotive trade show in Las Vegas in early November, with a view to marketing it separately through its dealer group in the USA, Europe and Eastern Europe.
When fitted, the Lovells Stage 2 kit will endow the LC200 with a maximum ball loading of 400kg, something it sorely needs to cope legally with the latest crop of
heavy off-road caravans being produced by companies like Bushtracker, Spinifex and Kedron, some of which have tare weights exceeding 3000kg.
It’s widely known that many owners of these vans carry payloads that combined with their heavy ball weights take the ATM to well over the 3500kg maximum braked towing weight permitted for the LandCruiser, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land-Rover Discovery and the latest crop of dual-cab utes, but lack of policing in most states means that few travellers are checked and fined.
Queensland's Bushtracker is understood to be holding 10 orders for the kit from customers planning to tow heavy caravans behind their LandCruisers once the vans are completed.
The Lovells four tonne kit can be fitted to new LandCruisers, with the dealer sending the vehicle to a Lovells outlet for fitting before registration. Lovells then warranty all components associated with the upgrade separately to the Toyota Australia warranty, which is unaffected.
The kit will also be offered as an ‘after-registration’ option.
Meanwhile Allsop and Yann engineering are currently working on a new and significantly lighter 3500kg rated version of the Hitch-Ezy due for release in about six months’ time.
Although similarly featuring a one-piece body, the smaller version will be made of aircraft-grade aluminium, more than halving the 16kg weight of the larger five tonne high tensile steel version, Allsop told caravancampingsales.
Tags
Share this article
Written byMichael Browning
See all articlesStay up to dateBecome a caravancampingsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe todayDisclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Love every move.
Buy it. Sell it.Love it.
®Contact
Advertise with us
Local marketplaces
International marketplaces
Consent
Download the caravancampingsales app
