Top-5 caravan tow hitches

Basically, they all do the same job: connect your camper or caravan to your tow vehicle. But their quality, ease of engagement, how they do their job, what they cost and how well they work in extreme terrain, are vastly different.

They all feature standard four or six-bolt designs that allow them to be fitted, or retro-fitted, to most caravan or trailer drawbars.

Here are the five best hitches we’ve towed with:

1. Hitch-Ezy self-locking off-road coupling

Available in both 3.5T or 5.0T ratings, the Melbourne designed and manufactured Hitch-Ezy self-locking off-road coupling is both a trend-setter and a standout that meets all Australian Design Rule requirements.

What we like: It’s beautifully made from billet steel (5T) or billet aluminium (3.5T) with no welded or cast parts, has unlimited articulation, offers hands-free, smooth self-locking coupling and hands-free uncoupling from its thick pillar at extreme angles and can be padlocked simply for security.

Not so much: They are expensive: $550 plus GST and shipping is top of the range for a coupling like this, but respected, leading  off-road caravan manufacturers like Bushtracker and Trakmaster fit them as standard and I’ve used one trouble-free for more than 20,000km of towing.

2. Cruisemaster DO-35 off-road pin coupling

For a long-time the DO-35 has been the ‘gold standard’ of the off-road coupling business and is fitted as standard or optional on more off-road campers and caravans than any other local coupling.

The Brisbane designed and made Cruisemaster DO-35 (historically-known to some as the Hitchmaster DO-35) has been successively improved over the years and its latest V3 version is more than 50 per cent stronger than the outgoing V2.

The compact head locks securely onto its unique pin, which replaces a conventional 50mm ball on your tow tongue, delivering the extensive articulation required for negotiating steep river banks. The latest V3 can now be used in conjunction with weight distribution devices and is available with or without an integrated hand-brake.

What we like: A tad cheaper and more compact than the Hitch-Ezy, but does much the same job, with its 360 degree articulation, self-centring hitching, local manufacture and warranty making it the standard for off-road camper trailer and caravan use. Also available as the heavier-duty DO-45 for caravans weighing up to 4.5T, but requiring a different tongue with a larger pin-shaft hole.

Not so much: Not self-locking; pin needs a special tool to grip before tightening; cast rather than steel billet body. Dust cap is fiddly to fit. Beware of cheaper overseas copies.

3. AL-KO Off-Road Pin Coupling

AL-KO claims its latest low profile ‘Click Lock Off-Road Coupling is the easiest-to-use off-road pin coupling on the market, but we don’t agree completely.

AL-KO’s unique forged yoke allows maximum articulation on both horizontal and vertical planes sustained up to 3500kg ATM. A built-in dust-proof cover ensures the coupling is completely sealed from corrosive elements, with no loose parts, levers, or dust caps.

The product has the lowest profile (83mm) of any pin coupling on the market at just 83mm, making it ideal for tow vehicles with barn doors.

What we like: Compact, low-profile design and affordable low price (about half that of a Hitch-Ezy or DO-35).

Not so much: Self-locking, but hard for occasional users to tell if it’s locked or unlocked. Build-quality and finish related to price.

4. AL-KO Off-Road 50mm ball coupling

Engineered by AL-KO in Australia specifically for off-road towing with a 50mm ball for those who want to retain this traditional configuration for its flexibility to mate with a wide range of caravans and trailers, the AL-KO Off-Road Ball Coupling incorporates extreme vertical and horizontal articulation, as well as a quick and easy hitching design that requires no pin or hole alignment.

With its height approximately 125mm from the top of the tongue to the top of the high shoulder tow ball, it's the lowest-profile extreme articulation 50mm ball coupling on the market. This means that you can fit it to barn-door 4WDs, like earlier Nissan Patrols, Toyota Landcruisers, Mitsubishi Pajeros and Holden Jackaroos.

Available in fixed and over-ride configurations that can be used with weight distribution hitches (which should be removed when towing off road to allow for the articulation of the couplings), the coupling is made in Australia from non-corrosive materials and has self-lubricating head pivot bushes for low maintenance..

What we like: Easy to hitch-up. Compact, low profile design that provides a hitherto unavailable high level of articulation for a 50mm ball coupling and costs less than half the price of a Hitch-Ezy or DO-35. Fatigue tested to two million cycles.

Not so much: When you strip it down, it’s still a ball coupling with all the limitations of this traditional design of tow car/trailer connection in extreme terrain.

5. McHitch Uniglide Trailer Coupling

The Lithgow, NSW-manufactured McHitch has been around for many years and has its devoted industry and individual user followers with its range of yoke and pin-style couplings to suit a wide range of trailers, from braked and unbraked small box trailers, to massive six-tonne off-roads caravans.

There is also a McHitch W.D.H. pack that makes the coupling compatible with most common Weight Distribution Hitch set-ups and can be disconnected from them in extreme terrain.

What we like: Solid, no-frills and visibly-engaged coupling with in-built shock absorber to reduce coupling stress and 90 degree movement on every axis, making it ideal for extreme off-road use. Compact, low profile (125mm tall, so clears all 4WD rear doors). Design provides a high level of articulation.

Not so much: Premium pricing, up against Cruisemaster and 50mm ball off-road models. A bit ‘clunky’ and incompatible with other coupling systems without adaptors.

And the rest…

The above is our pick from the couplings we’ve used, but there are a number of others on the market – not quite as good but in most cases easier on the hip pocket…

Poly-block off-road couplings, like those from Treg and Trig, consist of a block of polyurethane welded onto the coupling and linked using a detachable U-piece and spring pin.

Generally offering 360-degree rotation and 70-degree vertical oscillation, the polyurethane block has some shock-absorbing properties and reduces noise and vibration from the trailer to the vehicle, making them popular with many off-road camper enthusiasts for their simplicity, ease of maintenance and solid connection.

There are also a number of new low profile 50mm ball hitches on the market, such as the new range just released by dual off-road jockey wheel supplier, ARK including its lightweight cast steel and plate 3.5 tonne rated EC35RZ model that has a unique folding handle, making it ideal for use on tow vehicles that have a drop-down taiIgate.