Ranger Mods

The word is that McHitch, a small business making IMO great off-road trailer couplings who were located in part of what used to be the Lithgow Small Arms Factory have ceased to be in business.

McHitch have not offered any explanation as to why they have closed down.

I will be buying a spare unit while they are still available. Nothing lasts for ever and I wouldnt want to be without one on my off-road camper-trailer.

Bugger, best hitch I have ever used and still using.

Do35 and do45 superior to mchitch. Exceptional product. Great write up on dash offroads channel on this exact topic

I use a D035 and feel it tows smooth due to the of the amount of movement available compared to most.
I think there would be less chance of a rolling van taking the vehicle with it due to the 360 degree rotation.

Fitted my do35 for that exact reason. To protect from roll-over especially out on some of the remote rutted tracks

kfa1950 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 11:32 am Bugger, best hitch I have ever used and still using.

I totally agree with you on that and to that end I've ordered a new 3500kg one on eBay so that I have a complete spare unit.

The main issues that I have experienced with them is the graphite impregnated bushes, these do wear out fairly quickly and the spring loaded pawl in the reciever needs to be dismantled and the dust that collects in it cleaned out after every off road trip.
I'm on my second set of McHitch bushes after roughly 40,000 kms - of which at least 20K has been off-road on dusty corrugated tracks so long term now that they have closed down a mate is in the process of buying me a 300 x 60 mm length of phosphor bronze with a 25mm bore and using his lathe I'll machine up some bushes to replace the OE items and then drill and tap a grease nipple on the main barrel so that the bronze bushes can be easily lubricated.

I still am still unable to find out why he has closed down, as far as I could tell there was only 3 people working at McHitch when I went to Lithgow to pick up the spare graphite bushes. They were working out of what used to be a part of the old Lithgow Small Arms Factory and were using the foundry, machine shop and an office so maybe they have lost the use of that facility.

Could be a simple not selling enough to keep going.
lots of options around now.

Something must of changed over their holidays.

Facebook says About 3 days ago, comments from people started pointing towards their web site saying they're closed.

RossPat wrote: ↑Wed Jan 11, 2023 8:38 pm I use a D035 and feel it tows smooth due to the of the amount of movement available compared to most.
I think there would be less chance of a rolling van taking the vehicle with it due to the 360 degree rotation.

The McHitch also has full 360 degree rotation on the main shaft and it also has the universal joint. I will admit that at first, without any instructions I found the connection of it confusing, now that I'm au fait with it, its very easy, far easier than with the monobloc I had on the box trailer. All I have to do to hook-up is to set the trailer "pin" at the rough same height as the reciever and reverse back and with camera on its zoom setting aim for the yellow tag, once I see the locking arm rise and drop I know that its locked and connected, all that remains are the connections, chains and to fit the lockable pin. To disengage the McHitch after disconnecting the chains and cables all you need to do is simply slide out the lockable pin, press in the spring pawl lift the lever and it self disconnects - as they say, simples !!

I backup, lower van and press button to set lock, simple
Rear camera on magnified view makes it easy
Un hitching is easier, press button to release lock and lift.

RossPat wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 12:35 pm I backup, lower van and press button to set lock, simple
Rear camera on magnified view makes it easy
Un hitching is easier, press button to release lock and lift.

I just have a stick that I carry with me, its marked at the height of the Rangers reciever I just adjust the jocky wheel to suit, reverse back and I'm locked and latched.

It's not a competition buts who's winning?

Obviously both are very good trailer couplings and I think it simply comes down to personal preferance. Both have the same off-road degrees of articulation.
When I first had the McHitch I was very frustrated with the connection and disconnection procedures - simply because no one had given me any instructions on how to go about them and so I tried the DO35 that was on a mates 200 series Landcruiser, without him giving me any advice I found it equally problematic.
I've now had the McHitch for close to 3 years and covered well over 40,000 kms with it of which over 20,000 would be off road and now I'm familiar with it, I wouldnt change it which is why, now that McHitch hav e closed their doors, I've purchased a second brand new unit so that I have spares that will last me well into the future.
That said I have noticed that there are far more DO35's on trailers than there are McHitches.

Am considering a do45 for my car trailer for the simple fact of the roll-over protection. Also aids unloading on uneven ground

Plus they don't have parts that need replacing for many years, if at all
And more importantly, they are still in business.
Seen many vans delivered from the dealer with D035/45 but never with the other

RossPat wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 12:40 pm Plus they don't have parts that need replacing for many years, if at all
And more importantly, they are still in business.
Seen many vans delivered from the dealer with D035/45 but never with the other

No, they have closed their doors, or rather the Commonwealth Government has.
From what I can glean the McHitch operation ran out of a part of what was the Lithgow Small Arms factory paying a rent that allowed them to use some of the machinery that was remaining in the factory(s).
Negotiations to renew/extend their lease failed meaning that McHitch, to continue their production, would need to relocate and buy replacement machinary. They, or their accountants, did their sums and decided that it wasnt an option given the profit margin per unit so they have closed down.
Now the Government has an empty factory abandoned machinary and several more people in the Lithgow area on unemployment benefits.
As someone once said, "it just doesn't make sense"

On the spare parts issue, on mine the only parts that will ever need replacement are the impregnated bushes, as I said I've had some made up out of bearing bronze. If anyone has a McHitch and needs a set, contact me.

Nothing any government does makes sense, just not that smart

Do the commonwealth gov still own the L.S.A. factory ?
Thales the French mob may be the owners and the ones who don't want anyone on their property. Think Lithgow small arms museum have a fair bit of trouble.

Lincolnland wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 11:43 am Am considering a do45 for my car trailer for the simple fact of the roll-over protection. Also aids unloading on uneven ground

Okay, I've tested the DO35 and I've sold my spare McHitch and I'll buy a DO35.
My take on both units are as follows :-

1.) The McHitch is far easier to couple and uncouple, you reverse and the tongue is guided into the reciever, an arm locks the tongue and this is seconded by a pin. It's doubly secured.
2.) While the total articulation of the Mc.Hitch is greater than the DO35 - the main 35mm shaft fully rotates 360 degrees in a cast steel body and on top of that there is a 3500kg rated universal joint to allow for vertical movements at the same time as well as side to side I'm unable to see that the lesser articulation of the DO35 wouldn't cover 99.99% of all possible off-road situations.

The main ( only ) reasons for my changing are :-
1.) Their relative weights. The weight of the DO35 would be less than 40% of the total weight of the McHitch assembly, ( reciever and trailer unit.) The total weight of the McHitch assembly is huge and off-road weight reduction is everything.
2.) The DO35 is easier to maintain and has fewer moving parts to wear out.