McHitch.com.au - ADR testing

Safety and performance are the two pillars holding the McHitch Uniglide trailer couplings above all others, and as the performance benefits have already been explored and proven right here on this very webiste, it's now time to talk safety.

ADR (Australian Design Rules) state that trailer couplings up to 750kg, up to 3.5 tonnes and over 3.5 tonnes must comply with the requirements of ADR 62/02.

Compliance with this ADR can be achieved in one of two ways. The first, and most widely accepted way of meeting this requirement is for the manufacturer to declare their opinion that, based on the specifications of the coupling, they would either meet or exceed the testing regime of 62/02, without having actually undergone the testing.

The second, official and most expensive way is for the the coupling to be tested by an independent third party in an approved testing laboratory via high load static and cyclic testing.

This is the way McHitch has opted for, to ensure peace of mind not only for ourselves, but more importantly, for you, the end user.

McHitch's range of Uniglide trailer couplings, including both the 3.5 tonne unit and the 6 tonne unit, have all had ADR testing completed at the Civil Engineering Labs at the University of Sydney. The static loading test is around ten times the load which could be expected for on road towing and around five times the loading expected in an off road situation. The cyclic load testing is then carried out for 2 million cycles to check for any component failures due to stress loadings which would begin to show as this is a very prolonged and demanding procedure.

We are happy to report that the range of McHitch Uniglide Trailer Couplings have successfully completed this rigorous testing regime and are, to our knowledge, the first trailer couplings to do so.

There has been quite a deal of discussion lately about the fact that off road and on road caravans are becoming bigger and heavier and whether the existing couplings are up to the job or if they are in fact strictly legal when the vans are fully loaded ready to go. McHitch is the only trailer coupling manufacturer which has this problem covered with the 6 tonne model which has all the revolutionary features of the 3.5 tonne variants, only 'bigger'. Trailer coupling ratings have always been calculated for on road use.

McHitch has an Australian Patent Application and a Worldwide Patent Application pending based on the fact that it is the ONLY coupling that uses a system whereby the point of attachment is separate to the point of articulation. All existing couplings whether the traditional ball type or the off road variants of these swivel on a ball or pin and do not have a sealed lubrication system, which leads to accelerated wear and associated problems due to the ingress of mud and sand (See "The Hard Yards" 4x4 Australia mag, April 2010. Page 63).

The McHitch system utilises fully sealed roller bearings in both the steer and vertical movements of the coupling which ensures that the high rate of wear experienced with other couplings is eliminated and with over 105 degrees of articulation (a total of over 210 degrees) no matter the terrain, the McHitch will follow, making it, above all, the ultimate towing hitch, whether it be a car trailer and race car on the way to the track, a speed boat on the weekend, a fully laden work trailer on the way to a site, a dual horse float, whatever the application, if it simply must not come adrift, the double locking mechanism is there to bring peace of mind.

It is a somewhat sobering thought passing another enthusiast on the road towing a race car or any other manner of expensive or irreplaceable load only to spot that between this load and the tow vehicle is a worn out, $35.00 ball coupling, banging back and forth seemingly ready to 'jump' at any moment.They say a chain is only as strong as....
It's time for Australia to get serious about towing. If not for the security of your load, the silent operation or the high-angle articulation, then for the safety of yourself, your own family, and the safety of others on the road.

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