When you buy a new camper, if it’s fitted with a poly block, it will also come with the receiver. Now, in order to be able to use that receiver, your tow bar tongue must be flat.
You can’t have any gussets or any welds on the side of the tow bar, otherwise the little hooks won’t be able to fit over the sides. They’re there to stop the hitch receiver from twisting under brakes or while you’re towing. Once you’ve got that on, and done the nut up, there’s a spring washer under there to keep it secure. Get your trailer lined up and your poly block into the receiver. A pin and an R-clip secure it once it’s in. Line everything up, get the pin into the poly block, push it through, locate the hole, and put the R-clip in.
Now that’s secure. If you’re going off road and there’s a chance that you may actually drag your hitch through the mud or across the ground, wrap a couple of cable ties around that R-clip to stop it from getting pushed out and coming loose while you’re out wheeling. Now that’s in, you can hook up your chains, hook up your electrics, and you’re on your way. But something that you might want to keep in mind, is using a bit of silicone spray or dry lube on the poly block itself. It stops it squeaking, gives it a bit of lubrication, and won’t affect the poly material. Also, it doesn’t hurt to give the pin a bit of grease because that poly block will twist around on the pin while you’re towing.
That easy. Something else you’ve got to remember; some hitches are actually a dual-purpose hitch. It can be set up for electric or overriding brakes, where when you break the trailer moves forward, the shaft pushes against the lever and applies the brakes via cables. The little toggle is for reversing the trailer when it’s set up on the cable breaks. If you push it across, it stops that shaft from moving, won’t apply the brakes while you’re reversing. In MDC’s case, you don’t need it. Always leave it down so it stops the shaft from moving back and forward.
There’s a couple of grease points. Regular lubrication helps with these, so give it a bit of grease, pump it in there. Don’t be shy. And that’ll keep everything lubricated well into the future.
That easy folks. More great tips and tricks. Get over to the Masterclass page on our website and follow us on Facebook. And if you’ve got a great tip, we want to know about it. Shoot us a message on Facebook and we’ll turn it into a video. Until then, you can escape with confidence.
