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Thread: 50mm tow balls

  1. #1
    Member Beetroot's Avatar
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    50mm tow balls

    After a few incidents with attempting to tow a trailer and finding vehicles with 50mm tow balls Ive been left wondering who actually uses them and who just chucks them away and buys a 1" 7/8.

    I know some new caravans require them but aod imagine 99% on New Zealand trailers are 1" 7/8, so why do people not throw them in the trash unless they actually need them?

  2. #2
    Member cambo's Avatar
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    Moa Hunter likes this.
    Life is natures way of keeping meat fresh

  3. #3
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    trailer, boat, caravan, all of mine use 50mm. I think NZ is the only place that uses 1 7/8

  4. #4
    Bah, humbug ! Frogfeatures's Avatar
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    I’ve got an 1 7/8 on the car, and a 50mm in the vehicle toolbox
    Got caught once with a hire trailer, bloody annoying.
    40mm and outlander like this.
    He nui to ngaromanga, he iti to putanga.

    You depart with mighty boasts, but you come back having done little.
    Sounds like a typical hunting trip !

  5. #5
    Tread carefully in the suck... ishoot10s's Avatar
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    Most tandem axle trailers with a tractor or a digger in the 1.8T range on board should be using a 50 as they are likely to be over 2.5 tonne which is all the 47.5 (1 7/8) can take. A big double float with two hacks is also on the limit for a 47.5. A loaded treble float should be on a 50. Most caravans are light enough for a 47.5 but more often than not, the tow vehicles only have a 750kg towing capacity...
    Moa Hunter and outlander like this.
    10MRT shooters do it 60 times, in two directions and at two speeds.

  6. #6
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    1 7/8” here, likewise most other vehicles I deal with.

  7. #7
    Member 40mm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frogfeatures View Post
    I’ve got an 1 7/8 on the car, and a 50mm in the vehicle toolbox
    Got caught once with a hire trailer, bloody annoying.
    #me too
    outlander likes this.
    Use enough gun

  8. #8
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    I just put a 50 mm on the Ute to fit the bike rack for two EBikes, thought shit I’ll have to change the 1-7/8 on the boat trailer. Just as well I checked, the boat already has a 50 mm on it. I then realised I’ve been towing it on the 1-7/8 ball for the past 20 years without incident!!
    Boom, cough,cough,cough

  9. #9
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    Brought a vehicle that had a standard 50mm ball from OZ with me several years back. Had a head scratch with the first trailer we tried hitching. Fortunately, as always, the wife wised up.
    40mm likes this.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maca49 View Post
    I just put a 50 mm on the Ute to fit the bike rack for two EBikes, thought shit I’ll have to change the 1-7/8 on the boat trailer. Just as well I checked, the boat already has a 50 mm on it. I then realised I’ve been towing it on the 1-7/8 ball for the past 20 years without incident!!
    Just a balls up...

  11. #11
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    Just fitted a towbar to a vehicle I am using. Also bought a set of interchangeable balls in 1 7/8 and 50mm. Only takes a minute to flip a catch, rotate the ball 90 deg and remove it.....

    Both my balls live under the seat in a container so that they are handy when I need them.........although at my age, thats not very often.....

  12. #12
    Member Shearer's Avatar
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    There's more than one size????
    Savage1 likes this.
    Experience. What you get just after you needed it.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Allgood View Post
    Both my balls live under the seat in a container so that they are handy when I need them.........although at my age, thats not very often.....
    I suppose that stops them from getting all sweaty on those long trips

  14. #14
    Member Micky Duck's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Allgood View Post
    Just fitted a towbar to a vehicle I am using. Also bought a set of interchangeable balls in 1 7/8 and 50mm. Only takes a minute to flip a catch, rotate the ball 90 deg and remove it.....

    Both my balls live under the seat in a container so that they are handy when I need them.........although at my age, thats not very often.....
    be aware if you leave them on without trailer etc attached..they can bounce off....happened to a work wagon.

  15. #15
    Member Mathias's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cambo View Post
    50mm ball is very common
    Higher rating for a start.
    1 7/8" & 50mm have the same rating. Its not the ball diameter that determines the rating, its the threaded shank size that does that. 3/4" shank is usually 2000kg and the 3500kg is 7/8" or 1" shank. The 7/8" is usually a heat treated steel to increase tensile strength to handle the load.

 

 

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