Towing with adjustable height towbar

Never towed anything (ever) before, and yesterday I had to tow a 650kg trailer a couple of hundred miles.

I hooked it all up fine to my Defender, but the sliding tow bar was rattling like a good'un when driving at slow speeds / on rough roads.

Is there any solution for this, or would it require some sort of fixed tow bar solution?

Attached is a pic of my tow bar.

Adjustable drop plates do rattle, if this bothers you I suggest you don't ever try towing with a nato hook

Next question would be, could I remove all the sliding gubbins, and just install a drop plate with the tow bar bolted to that?

Have you got a welder?

There's nothing wrong with the adjustable tow bar, that's just how they are.

If the rattling/clonking annoys you, there's a couple of easy 'fixes' -

1. Use some rubber matting between the slider and the towing frame

2. Replace the slider with a two pin slider -

LAND ROVER DEFENDER "TWO PIN" TOWING SLIDER BRACKET | eBay





If you replace the whole setup with a fixed drop plate, it would give you less flexibility over trailer towing heights.

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I've got a double pin slider on mine and it still rattles, just not as bad! Get used to it. I have! Oh and when I've got my sankey on the Nato hitch it's mental

I just bashed a bit of flat steel plate betwwen the bracket and plate. simples

Often it is a worn pin. Bought a new one when I purchased the double pin plate that I use for my alko tow hook quiet as a mouse. Even with one slightly worn pin from other plate.

That said used new pin in single plate when I towed a transporter 400 miles to pick up a disco. Again very quiet.

So definitely a good option.

Otherwise as previously discussed try some rubber matting to remove the play.

I replaced my slider with a double pin slider. It still moves when rocked by hand but not when towing my caravan.

Another solution would be to put a small blob (technical term) of weld on the inside, or drill two holes in the face of the slider and insert two grub screws so that they press on the vertical edges of the ladder behind. When tightened they should hold it still.

Thanks for all the suggestions / info!

I have gone for the 'wedge something in it' option. I had a few carpet tiles lying around, so cut up one of them and wedged it behind the plate that the ball bolts on to. I had to drive the pin back in with a few taps of the hammer, but it seems pretty solid now.

Lets see how long that lasts!

I used to tap a washer behind the slider but it always ended up falling out.

Use a bit more nose weight on your trailer.

matchmetisse said:

Use a bit more nose weight on your trailer.

Click to expand...

What, like add ballast??

To be fair, we will be getting a tool box for the a bar, so that should do that!

How often do you tow a empty trailer? Yeah carry a spare wheel etc at the front, a empty trailer can be noisey on a fixed plate tow bar.

You can always replace the pin with two short tow ball bolts. Stops the pikeys nicking the drop plate as well.

Thats not a bad idea actually.

I wish I had a Defender with so few noises that my only worry was a drop plate rattling a little bit

DaveM-sport said:

I wish I had a Defender with so few noises that my only worry was a drop plate rattling a little bit

Click to expand...

+1 cant hear mine, it has a little play in it, so it must rattle a bit, but above the kids and engine and other rattles clunks and creaks, I'm buggered if I can hear it