RV FEATURE
A HITCH IN TIME
THE HITCH-EZY IS, PERHAPS, ONE OF THE MOST APTLY
NAMED OFFROAD COUPLINGS ON THE MARKET.
An offroad caravan needs an offroad coupling.
Obviously. But they’re not all created equally.
While the principal characteristics remain the
same – 360° articulation on the horizontal and
vertical axes – there are differences that affect
their performance and the ease with which they
can be hitched and unhitched to a vehicle.
With more and more offroad couplings
entering the market, we wanted to take a
closer look at a coupling that’s been available
for some time: the 3.5-tonne-rated Hitch-Ezy.
The latest iteration of the Hitch-Ezy is
‘hands free’ in operation and will hitch to the
corresponding tow pillar at any angle – it has
no inbuilt obstructions to trouble-free hitching.
The Hitch-Ezy consists of a one-piece body
made of aircraft alloy fitted with bushes that
do not require lubrication, and a rotating lid
that defaults to the ‘open’ position when not
engaged on the tow pillar. When the coupling is
lowered onto the tow pillar the lid automatically
rotates to the fully locked position. The primary
and secondary locking functions, required
by the Australian Design Rules, both occur
automatically.
The Hitch-Ezy, which is also available with
a five-tonne rating, also incorporates an
important safety feature. If, for example,
anyone rotates the lid while it’s on the tow
pillar, it will automatically rotate back and re-
lock. It’s virtually impossible for the Hitch-Ezy
to be accidentally unlocked.
Another feature I liked: the built-in lever
which, should the user have a problem
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affecting their grip, will allow them to easily
rotate the lid when it’s time to unhitch. And
should the user require two hands to operate the
jockey wheel in order to raise the Hitch-Ezy off
the tow pillar, a special tool that’s provided will
keep the lid rotated in the ‘open’ position.
To keep both the internal sleeve and the tow
pillar of the Hitch-Ezy clean, it comes with a tow
pillar cover and a ‘dummy’ pillar that can be
inserted into the coupling. The coupling will lock
onto the dummy pillar, keeping it in place until
the user wants to remove it. The Hitch-Ezy also
comes with a handbrake.
This coupling is compatible with weight
distribution hitches and, importantly, its low
profile makes it ideal for 4WDs with awkward
tailgate access, such as the Pajero.
RRP: $700 (approx) – includes tow pillar,
tow pillar cover, spacer for use with a WDH,
dummy pillar, stainless steel handbrake and
mounting bolts.
WWW.HITCH-EZY.COM.AU