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Whirly90



Member Since: 01 Sep 2016
Location: Ampshire
Posts: 401

England 1993 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Keswick Green
Wheel carrier height
I have bought a Penman trailer and I towed it home with the NATO hitch on a receiver hitch on my 90. It sat at an angle, as expected, but would straighten up considerably if I bolted the hitch to the rear crossmember. If I did that the hitch would interfere with the spare wheel. The wheel is on a chassis mounter wheel carrier, that I could modify if I had to, but it would be easier if I could change the carrier. Do all carriers hold the wheel at the same height or are any higher to be compatible with a crossmember mounted hitch?



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Post #807965 29th Dec 2019 5:12pm
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90 Dreamer



Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
Location: Oop North
Posts: 2050

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Not mine but there are some pix is this for sale thread that may help on location of hitch??

https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic70338.html?highlight=penman
Post #807966 29th Dec 2019 5:17pm
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Whirly90



Member Since: 01 Sep 2016
Location: Ampshire
Posts: 401

England 1993 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Keswick Green
That hitch is on the crossmember, which is where I want to mount mine to straighten the angle of the trailer, it’s the wheel that’ll need moving.

Last edited by Whirly90 on 30th Dec 2019 8:48pm. Edited 1 time in total
Post #807967 29th Dec 2019 5:25pm
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Avelingporter



Member Since: 25 Jan 2016
Location: Southampton
Posts: 397

United Kingdom 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
I have a receiver hitch for my nato hitch. I use a drop plate mounted upside down so it raises the hitch. The hitch is then at the correct height mid crossmember. My wheel carrier is a Mantec one. Tyre clears the hitch but needs a bit of a wiggle to open the hitch.
Post #807969 29th Dec 2019 5:47pm
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Roy5695



Member Since: 15 Feb 2014
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 1123

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Indus Silver
Partially open the spare wheel carrier when hitching up? or modify your current wheel carrier with a riser plate so it holds the wheel slightly higher.

safari equip wheel carrier for your viewing pleasure.



Click image to enlarge
 2011 Defender DCPU 2.2 - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic30623.html

Instagram - @r22oyp

Roy
Post #807971 29th Dec 2019 5:52pm
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Intercept



Member Since: 27 Feb 2017
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 587

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 110 Td5 Black LE Java Black
I also have the Safari Equipment wheel carrier and I'm able to tow my Sankey Narrowtrack trailer without an excessive nose-down stance or issues with the spare wheel. I have a Dixon-Bate adjustable carrier mounted on a NAS step, which itself has lower hitch bolt-holes than the crossmember, but then use the adjustment to raise the NATO hitch to an acceptable height for the trailer.

The 1st photo shows the result when the 110 had a 2" suspension lift. That has since been removed, but to compensate the hitch slider now sits in the top position. There is ~2" clearance between the bottom of the spare tyre and the top of the hitch carrier. The trailer sits with a slight nose-down stance and is very stable to tow.


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Post #808050 30th Dec 2019 11:38am
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Harry.O



Member Since: 25 Jul 2014
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 704

United Kingdom 1989 Defender 90 300 Tdi ST Nato Green
If it helps, I have a Britpart spare wheel carrier, a 285 75 r16 spare wheel and a NATO hitch mounted on the rear crossmember. To tow the Sankey I have to remove the spare wheel as the jaw won't open and when not towing the trailer, the hitch has to be inverted to prevent it hitting the underside of the spare tyre which in turn prevents the rear door closing fully. 2005 Td5 110 Hardtop
1989 300Tdi 90 Soft top
1992 200Tdi 90 Truck cab with Land Cruiser axles
Post #808453 2nd Jan 2020 12:12pm
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foxhound



Member Since: 02 Mar 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 357

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi SW Alpine White
Re: Wheel carrier height
I'm pretty certain that the penman is intended to be towed with nose down for stability. The hitch is 'higher' on a penman than on a sankey w/t trailer so will be more nose down than a sankey when hitched anyway.

the Army don't use dixon bate drop plates, the pintle is on the cross member itself so the penman hitch sits higher (and the spare wheel is on the LR wolf passenger side).

On my 110, to have clearance to open the pintle jaw (for both sankey and penman), I took the plate with the 3 spare wheel pins off my carrier frame and rewelded it 2 or 3 inches higher. 110 Defender 300tdi & Penman trailer with ally exped top and roof tent
Post #809331 8th Jan 2020 12:37pm
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camelman



Member Since: 27 Feb 2013
Location: Peak District
Posts: 3320

United Kingdom 
swap you're rear wheel carrier for one of these, raises the height by a few inches.

I carry a 35 inch wheel on mine and can still attach the sankey trailer to the nato hitch fitted to the rear cross member:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defe...Swu4BVt9Du
Post #809347 8th Jan 2020 2:27pm
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foxhound



Member Since: 02 Mar 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 357

United Kingdom 1995 Defender 110 300 Tdi SW Alpine White
camelman wrote:
swap you're rear wheel carrier for one of these, raises the height by a few inches.

I carry a 35 inch wheel on mine and can still attach the sankey trailer to the nato hitch fitted to the rear cross member:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defe...Swu4BVt9Du




Does this take the weight off the door hinges - it looks like a plate fitted direct to the back door but i might be missing something. 110 Defender 300tdi & Penman trailer with ally exped top and roof tent
Post #809355 8th Jan 2020 2:51pm
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Whirly90



Member Since: 01 Sep 2016
Location: Ampshire
Posts: 401

England 1993 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Keswick Green
camelman wrote:
swap you're rear wheel carrier for one of these, raises the height by a few inches.

I carry a 35 inch wheel on mine and can still attach the sankey trailer to the nato hitch fitted to the rear cross member:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defe...Swu4BVt9Du



It looks like that bolts to the back door, i'd rather have the wheel on a chassis mounted carrier. If i can't find a carrier that holds the wheel higher then i think it would be a simple enough job to fit that to my current carrier.
Post #809398 8th Jan 2020 8:32pm
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camelman



Member Since: 27 Feb 2013
Location: Peak District
Posts: 3320

United Kingdom 
The carrier I.posted the link to is a straight replacement for the standard fit bracket. It's been fitted for 5 years now with no issue carrying 35 inch tyres....
Post #809442 8th Jan 2020 10:50pm
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Stacey007



Member Since: 25 Sep 2015
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 3693

United Kingdom 
I found over summer that Taking off the rear wheel was so much easier than phaffing with a limited gap between opening the nato and the tyre,


Unless I backed up absoloutle straight it's a pain.


I'm interested in the wheel holder that hold slightly higher,


Could you post oa picture and iff possible measure how much higher it would raise the wheel?






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Post #809540 9th Jan 2020 12:57pm
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