The device is trailed. Trailers and trailers

The design features of not every car contribute to the transportation of an impressive amount of cargo. You can solve the problem by installing a trailer. In the people, such devices are often called towbars.

Assembly Features

The trailer for the car can be self-made or factory-made. Devices of the first type can be seen installed on older models of four-wheeled vehicles. Since earlier in the production of cars such a possibility was not foreseen, drivers had to independently tie the attachment points for connection to trailers.

It is worth noting that the homemade trailer device is not always reliable. Therefore, during its operation, there is a risk of detachment from the car body during the movement.

If we talk about factory designs, such traction systems have all the necessary elements to perform a quick self-installation on the car. They are made for specific brands of cars. Before coming on the market, the factory trailer for the car passes a number of tests. For this reason, it is better to give preference to finished, tested towbars from advanced manufacturers.

The nature of the fasteners

The hooks can be connected to the body of the car with a welded seam or bolted fasteners. Let's look at the pros and cons of both options:

• Welded - is considered the most reliable. However, the metal is exposed to aging, and the joints are depleted as a result of regular mechanical loads. Often there is a breakdown of welded seams and the development of corrosion processes.
• Boltovoe. If there is such a connection, the trailer device needs regular maintenance, control over the fastener condition. However, a rusty or damaged bolt can easily be replaced, continuing to operate the towbar.

Classification

In addition to the features of production and the way of connection with the body of vehicles, the trailer is classified according to the maximum weight for which it is calculated. The towbars are manufactured with orientation to the class of the car and its mass. According to generally accepted safety requirements, the trailer should not be heavier than the transport, which acts as its traction force.

Currently, there are several classes of trailers:

• Small - designed for the maintenance of trailers weighing up to 1.5 tons. The hooks of this category are suitable for installation on passenger cars of rather modest dimensions.
• Medium - used to secure trailers weighing about 2.5 tons. Installation of a trailer of this type looks rational for SUVs, station wagons, crossovers and minivans.
• Large - provide an opportunity to transport trailers weighing up to 3.5 tons. They are installed mainly on cargo minibuses and off-road vehicles with a full-fledged, strengthened frame.

Types

According to the attachment of the hook of the towing device to the platform, the following types of structures are distinguished:

• Non-removable - are monolithic joints. They are characterized by high reliability, but they do not allow to detach the traction hook.
• Conditionally removable - all connections are fixed by fasteners. If necessary, the towbar hook can be dismantled for transport in the car trunk.
• Removable - the hook is connected to the platform of the trailing structure with a special locking device. Installation and dismantling of the system does not require special skills, the presence of tools. Everything is done as quickly and easily as possible.

Price of trailing device

How much can the trailer hitch on the hitch? The price of devices with a maximum carrying capacity of 1.5 tons, intended for installation on cars, averages between 3,000 and 6,000 rubles. The cost of high-strength solutions, capable of withstanding the weight of the goods up to 2 tons, starts from 15,000 rubles.

The price of removable and most functional towbars with the ability to adjust the position of the hook in an automatic mode reaches about 30,000 rubles or more.

Installation

How do I install the trailing device? It is quite easy to mount the towing structure. This requires only the presence of the towbar in a complete assembly and a set of keys.

If you need to install a disassembled device, which is mounted on bolted connections, the platform is fastened according to the manufacturer's instructions. In this case it is important to pay attention to the reliability of fixing fasteners.

Course of work

The installation of the tow hitch is carried out in the following order:

• Before installing the towbar, the platform must be cleaned of dirt. The removal of the plugs that are contained in the area of the mounting holes is carried out.
• The towbar platform is attached to the connection points. The main thing is that all the holes coincide with each other. Fixing elements are then inserted into the openings, after which they are firmly tightened.
• After the installation is completed, the electrical equipment of the trailer is connected to the vehicle's on-board system. Then a fixing hook is installed.

At the final stage of the work, the tightness of all bolts and fastenings is checked. For increased fixing of the towbar to the body of the car, additional nuts are installed on the bolts, which will further prevent the connection from loosening.

Trailer hitch

Where to start if there is a desire to make a towing device with your own hands? First of all, you need to think about how rational this decision is, how much effort, time, money and materials will have to be spent on the implementation of the plan. In some cases it is much more profitable to install a factory assembly system.

The first thing that is required for the manufacture of a trailing device with your own hands is the selection of a suitable hook. Then you can proceed to prepare the beam. The easiest way to make a design that will connect with the body of the car from the bottom. This option does not require the cost of funds to create a cutout in the bumper. If there is no such possibility, can, it is necessary to abandon the independent manufacture of the towbar?

Beam can be made to order. At present, the most numerous metalwork shops are able to assemble the design of this assignment. However, if you have a welding machine and the appropriate skills, you can do it on your own.

Fastening is one of the most important components of the self-made trailer device. Often, manufacturers initially weld bolts into the body of the car. In this case, it remains only static to fix the beam and the hook. If the standard fasteners are missing, you will have to buy the fixing bolts, flash the auto frame and tighten them manually using a set of keys. Before attaching to the body of the beam, it is recommended to coat it with powder paint. Such a solution will avoid rusting the metal and increase the service life of the structure.

At the end, as in the case with the installation of the factory trailing device, the electricians are connected. To be guided here follows the state standards. Further, the trailer is attached to the self-made towbar, and the brake lights are checked.

Before operating a self-made trailer, it is important to check it in operation. You can test the design in a remote location, for example, in a garage cooperative. If the structural elements do not lend themselves to deformation during the movement of the car in different directions, the traction device can be started.