3cx tow bar

[richy_B]

Anyone got any experience of putting a tow hitch on a 3cx?

 

Been working with a highways person who uses a 3cx and was thinking that being able to pull an ok sized trailer (2.7/3.5 flatbed/dropside ideally) would be really handy. Was digging today and needed to put up barricade fencing, road pins, cones out, etc and obviously if you could avoid the need for the second person and vehicle it'd be quite a cost saver. I did a bit of googling and a search on here but not found much (a few youtube videos with little info).

 

Any thoughts? Must be fairly straightforward to fabricate some sort of bracket and I assume you could (or get a auto-sparky) to fit a 7pin.

[LGP Eddie]

Anyone got any experience of putting a tow hitch on a 3cx?

 

Been working with a highways person who uses a 3cx and was thinking that being able to pull an ok sized trailer (2.7/3.5 flatbed/dropside ideally) would be really handy. Was digging today and needed to put up barricade fencing, road pins, cones out, etc and obviously if you could avoid the need for the second person and vehicle it'd be quite a cost saver. I did a bit of googling and a search on here but not found much (a few youtube videos with little info).

 

Any thoughts? Must be fairly straightforward to fabricate some sort of bracket and I assume you could (or get a auto-sparky) to fit a 7pin.

 

Yes it's a perfectly reasonable thought that's been done many times before in various forms.

 

You need to google 'Plantpull Towbar' and do a bit of digging about especially in the images section.

I couldn't get anything in particular to link to but it's there?

The company website has now gone, so I'm assuming they packed up, but there is a mobile number knocking about certainly worth a call?

 

Plantpull as you will find was exactly as you describe, a purpose made CE marked and 3.5 tonne rated towbar for the 3cx Backhoe.

If you can't find the company and hopefully locate them (I think they were approx £450, but you're paying for the approval) then you will easily copy it from the images?

 

Eddie.

[dent]

i know there safe enough and more than capable of it but are they actually plated to tow anything if not vosa could stick there oar in the 2cx machines should be as the airmaster has a clevis hitch but dont know iif the 3cx is could also void insurance in an accident if not plated to tow

[LGP Eddie]

i know there safe enough and more than capable of it but are they actually plated to tow anything if not vosa could stick there oar in the 2cx machines should be as the airmaster has a clevis hitch but dont know iif the 3cx is could also void insurance in an accident if not plated to tow

 

Yes a very good point, but I seem to remember this guy had got it all sorted, as it would really only be a case of JCB giving it the factory approval.

Probably some under 20mph rule that gets you out of pretty much anything anyway?

 

I know most used to make one to tow their vans on an A frame, so they had some means of getting home rather than having to tramp the machine back at night, but this got pretty frowned on by Vosa again!

The stupid thing is it does absolutely nobody any harm, and actually reduces the number of peak time journeys made by such vehicles at low speed, causing tailbacks and frustration. I think it should be legal and encouraged?

 

Eddie.

[hiluxstihl]

seen a system that encased the bottom bar

[Craig.]

Most JCB`s I've seen are registered as engineering plant, as such are not allowed to tow a trailer, unless the trailer itself is engineering plant, or a living van or office used in the maintenance of roads, so as some one else said could have insurance problems, or a bit of explaining to do if stopped.

Having said that I`ve see it done by simply bolting or welding a bracket under the slide rails and a ball hitch bolted to that.

[treequip]

Yes a very good point, but I seem to remember this guy had got it all sorted, as it would really only be a case of JCB giving it the factory approval.

Probably some under 20mph rule that gets you out of pretty much anything anyway?

 

I know most used to make one to tow their vans on an A frame, so they had some means of getting home rather than having to tramp the machine back at night, but this got pretty frowned on by Vosa again!

The stupid thing is it does absolutely nobody any harm, and actually reduces the number of peak time journeys made by such vehicles at low speed, causing tailbacks and frustration. I think it should be legal and encouraged?

 

Eddie.

 

 

Except that its an un braked trailer in excess of 750kg:001_rolleyes:

[richy_B]

Thanks guys, good info as always.

 

From a practical perspective it seems straightforward, from a legal perspective it is a minefield as per bloody usual! A workaround mind be changing the vehicle class to agricultural. I wouldn't be using it in a 'road' capacity and not doing any digging/loading on a public highway so it is hardly a rouse. The justification would have to be you use it in agricultural/forestry capacity in the same way you'd use a telehandler or tractor with front loader.

[roseyweb]

Last time I drove a 3cx it was pretty gutless once you got to a pretty small hill. I'd imagine a decent sized trailer would bog it down. Baring in mind I could have been driving it wrong there's lots of buttons and switches in them things that I never knew what they did

[LGP Eddie]

Except that its an un braked trailer in excess of 750kg:001_rolleyes:

 

So what? In reality a 3cx or your average tractor wouldn't even bother with 3 tonne unbraked on the back?

Just the usual box tickers and no sense to any of it!

 

You're not even allowed to take an old moped in the front bucket to get home on!

 

Eddie.