Tow Ball Help

[Paul-W]

Hi all

I'd much appreciate some help identifying the correct tow ball for my RAV 4 2003 5 door (petrol). It has the towbar and electrics but came without the ball which I guess from the fixing holes should be a swan neck?

I've done loads of web searching but I'm still not sure if this is a Toyota (Brinks I think) towbar or some other manufacturer.

Photo uploaded in case anyone recognises it :-)

Thanks in advance.

Paul

[vernon87]

I have a Witter and it doesn't look like that, if that is any help.

[Dabooka]

Just pop into a caravan showroom and ask; they're bound to either know or have a swan neck suitable. Id guess anyway

[Gods_gift]

Phone towsure they'll help you out just explain what your trying to do and get an email address and send them the picture.

[crofter]

Are'nt the swan neck mounting holes like the flange ones all the same distance apart then?

Del

[pmb]

My detachable one is nothing like that. 215 tyres? Then it is a fixed one if so , I vaguely recall looking on the Brinks website some time ago and it was listed on there. Is it a Toyota fitted towbar? On my Mr T electrics it gives the model no.

[Ex Tiff]

Most likely a Towsure bar, probably a fixed ball or flanged model. On your model RAV I think there were two sets of mounting holes for the bar, the one that gave the standard ball height (approx 15in ground to top of ball) meant the ball prevented the door opening hence some owners removed the ball when not actually towing. If you look up the fitting instructions on the Towsure web site for the RAV it is clearly shown. The lower setting allowed the door to open but a braked trailer or caravan would ground heavily on any bump or speed hump.

[Ex Tiff]

Most likely a Towsure bar, probably a fixed ball or flanged model. On your model RAV I think there were two sets of mounting holes for the bar, the one that gave the standard ball height (approx 15in ground to top of ball) meant the ball prevented the door opening hence some owners removed the ball when not actually towing. If you look up the fitting instructions on the Towsure web site for the RAV it is clearly shown. The lower setting allowed the door to open but a braked trailer or caravan would ground heavily on any bump or speed hump.

The bracket is the same for flange, swan neck or detachable, different manufacturers products are not normally interchangeable.

[vernon87]

Thanks to this thread I've learn't something new.

I examined my Witter tow bar and discovered it also has two sets of mounting holes, so I have remounted the bar in the top set of holes and 'modified' the trim at the bottom of the tailgate to clear the tow ball. This will allow the caravan to sit level and not have to remove the jockey wheel to prevent grounding when towing over speed bumps.