Tow bar - completley perplexed.

What should have been an easy job has become something of a nightmare.

I had ordered a Dixon Bate tow bar for my 1995 300TDi 90 only to find it didn't fit. Thankfully the eBay seller gave a full refund. Some on the forum here identified that the galvanised replacement chassis had a TD5 rear cross member and so that was the reason. I had a look at TD5 90 tow bars and it was obvious they were not going to fit. Shifty on here identified why. The TD5 90 has a rear fuel tank and associated bracketry that the forward arms of the tow attach to, whereas mine has the tank in the standard 300Tdi position with none of the bracketry.

It was then suggested that the replacement chassis was a Marsden who use a TD5 rear crossmember for their 300TDi chassis and recommend using a TD5 110 tow bar. Thinking this was the answer I ordered one and it arrived this morning. It looked promising until I tried to fix the forward braces. they are far too long to fit to the tie down holes in the rear chassis legs. So I am back to square one, well actually £50 down due to return postage costs. So what sort of hybrid have I got and what is going to fit? Pics below. The tie down holes to which the JATE rings are attached are 8" measured horizontally from the rear face of the rear cross member.

Some of you experts, James, Clive etc must have come across something similar before, I can't believe I have a 'one off'. We all like pics so here they.................................I just hope they help with a solution.

Cant you just fab. some new tie backs from some 11/2 angle?

mick the builder said:

Cant you just fab. some new tie backs from some 11/2 angle?

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As said get something fabricated, looks like you have a bespoke chassis

mick the builder said:

Cant you just fab. some new tie backs from some 11/2 angle?

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I may be forced to but would like to find out first what I have and why there appears not to be an off the shelf solution. I assume,, that the tie down holes in the chassis legs are positioned the same distance forward of the rear of the rear cross member on both TD5 90 and 110. Am I right? Mine is 8" fnarrrrrrrr.

Jongould said:

As said get something fabricated, looks like you have a bespoke chassis

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I'm beginning to think it is bespoke.............................and that worries me.

Looking at it, the rear face is TD5 (large wiring plug hole) but the rest appears to be 300tdi on the basis it doesn't have the tank brackets that a TD5 would have, or the small towbar brackets on the bottom of the chassis leg (2.5td/200tdi) would have. It certainly doesn't look anything like the back of my Richards chassis - I can take pics or measurements if you would like.

Do you know where the chassis came from? I understood there are only 3 companies: Richards, Marslands and Designa Chassis.

I would be inclined to suggest making your own brackets out of L-shape angle - that is what my old towbar appeared to be made from.

Boris113 said:

Looking at it, the rear face is TD5 (large wiring plug hole) but the rest appears to be 300tdi on the basis it doesn't have the tank brackets that a TD5 would have, or the small towbar brackets on the bottom of the chassis leg (2.5td/200tdi) would have. It certainly doesn't look anything like the back of my Richards chassis - I can take pics or measurements if you would like.

Do you know where the chassis came from? I understood there are only 3 companies: Richards, Marslands and Designa Chassis.

I would be inclined to suggest making your own brackets out of L-shape angle - that is what my old towbar appeared to be made from.

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You could be right, I really don't know. The owner prior to the previous one replaced the chassis so I have no knowledge of its origins. I had thought it was a Marsland. I suspect it may be as you say but if it is a TD5 cross member grafted onto a 300 TDi chassis it has been done professionally as the joint is perfect. I may have to get a machine shop to alter the TD5 110 brackets to fit as I doubt I am going to get an off the shelf solution........unless somebody tells me differently.

I'm not too sure either tbh! I will try and find some pictures of my old towbar to help you, may be a few days as I'm off early in the morning.

You may have done this but could you not contact the 3 companies you have with your new/old chassis no or reg no for them to check there records? Or maybe previous owners from swansea.