How do you know if you have the swan neck version or the new one? Are there dimensions or part numbers for the new gen part that I can check? I have only had my hitch adapter for a few years, so I'm just assuming it's the new one.

(probably a stupid question)

 

Nope not a stupid question at all, most people in the states have no idea what a swan neck hitch is, and just as well haha. It's really only relevant to Europe and, it's been one of their most common "ball" type hitches for decades.

If you tow in the USA there's a 99% chance you have a standard 2" draw bar style hitch. I've never personally seen a swan neck style over here, and has to be imported into dealers to even get one (or bought at other retailer.) Not stocked at $tealer.

I did some more research and apparently the standard trailer hitch over there is an AL-KO AKS which is rated at 150kg nose-weight (hence LR's spec for the swan neck hitch). It's on horse trailers, caravans, etc. The companies I looked at actually SPEC an even lower weight of 100kg max! That's ~200lbs. I don't know about you all, but most trailers I come across here in the U.S. are at double or triple that. If you believe the 770lb tongue weight documentation from LR, there's about a 3x higher rating on the U.S.-spec 2" draw bar hitch.

I looked at some high res images and the "body" of the hitch where the mechanism is seems different/smaller. I checked my LR3 a second ago and there's HARDLY a scuff mark on the lock pin OR the hole on the cross-member receiver area. Like barely a scratch. Looking up vertically there's zero deformation of the receiver face that has the lock pin hole. I may be first to tow with this '06 but it still has about 1000mi @ 5000-6500lbs (since I swapped my RRS for this LR3 last year). The unit is so substantial that I simply can't fathom a way it would move enough to even begin to damage the vehicle.. I'd have to conclude the lighter duty UK unit is the culprit. I did notice that the lock pin on my unit seems to be very wide - almost full width of the hole on the vehicle side. I wonder if the UK version and/or early US ones had different diameter lock pins? I kinda doubt it but who knows.

Also kinda interesting that Thule purchased the Brink Group in 06 - they were apparently responsible for the design and implementation of the removable hitch systems. This would also explain why the Thule units look identical to LR and why they're the only ones with them.

 

Well...this sounds way over my head. I don't tow jack $hit. I just hook up a bike rack to the receiver. Probably nothing for me to worry about.

 

Wow sorry I think we opened a whole different can of worms.. uhm yeah if you're just using a bike rack I think you're 110% perfectly fine regardless haha. You're not even remotely close to any tongue weight spec for any hitch ever made for these things.

 

Yeah...and no need (for you) to apologize, I was butting into your conversation knowing I was in a different ballpark.