Hilux Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 A friend of mine has a Frankia based on a Mercedes chassis. The base vehicle is provided with a screw in towing eye that fits into the chassis. However, the Frankia front valance is different in shape and location from the original Merc valance. The result is that the towing eye aperture and cover plate are in a position that does not allow the Merc towing eye to be used. Even if the hole were in the right location the valance is too far from the chassis to allow the eye to extend beyond the front valance. He has had to have a new extended towing eye made up and also enlarge the original hole in the valance. All is not lost, as I did see a camper being towed onto a flat bed recently and the operator used a hitch connected to the front suspension on both sides. I see that lost of newer "A" Class vans have a front valance that is different from the original vehicle. Therefore, it might be wise to check that your towing hitch does fit before you need it. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Your friend is a dreadful pessimist! Anticipating the need to tow a Merc? Surely that is an impossibility, isn't it? :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilux Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Well, the one I saw being towed was a Rimor on a Merc 316, so it does happen. There is also the problem of getting stuck in the mud, which everyone hopes to avoid. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 We were towed out of a field last week at Webbs Motorhome show by Tractor, no problem for my van which has a fixed front eye in situ, a couple of vanners found that they never had a towing eye and it was suggested that a screw in eye should be with their Jack and Wheel brace kit, NOT, so I saw at least one being towed out backwards, good fun that was, so as the OP says, check your eye, have you even got one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Yep here's mine ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Put a tractor on that and it would pull the front of your van off. :D Looking at that pic' it already has. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 A timely reminder, Hilux. I posted this on the current "Cheshire Show" thread, so to repeat here seems appropriate. Just a comment for anyone with a X250 (any age). Check your Towing Eye is the correct one for your Van. There are short & long versions. 3 people had a short Towing Eye in their toolkits that did not extend out of the front bumper & needed loan of our long version, to enable the tractor to pull them out. All different convertors, so it appears to be a Fiat (or Sevel) problem, supplying the wrong Towing Eye. And clarified with the following:- The Towing Eye is NOT a permenant fixture & is supplied in the toolkit/jack. There is a small plastic pop-out panel in the offside bumper which covers the Towing Eye screwed mounting socket. One of the people with a short version had a 2011 Autotrail Cherokee which has a recessed mounting socket. The short version screwed in with difficulty due to the size of the pop-out panel opening, but it not protrude out of the bodywork , hence the requirement the long version Towing Eye, his mate alongside with a 2011 Swift Escape also had the short version, but their mounting socket was immediately behind the pop-out panel, so OK. The others with the short version but needed the long version, were a Burstner Ixeo & a CI Carioca (? spelling) both on private plates, so not sure of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8LEY Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 flicka - 2012-07-18 10: The Towing Eye is NOT a permenant fixture & is supplied in the toolkit/jack. and if you have a motorhome, which was supplied without a spare wheel, you may very well not have a tool kit/jack either. Discovered today the screw in eye is part of the Fiat tool kit and is not available separately ; thank goodness for scrapyards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon B Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Hi Hilux Your friend's Frankia should have been delivered with an extension piece to bridge the gap between the chassis and the bumper. This is a high tensile bar about 5 inches long screwed at both ends. I'd suggest he contacts the supplier of the 'van and asks for one to be supplied. That doesn't completely resolve the problem. The threaded section that goes into the "eye" - not the chassis note - is tapered so that once screwed in it cannot be removed. Good idea but the force required to do that is unlikely to be achieved without a workbench and vice. So make sure your friend does the assembly before hitting the road. V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock312 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 been towed off so many show & campsites this year,never realised what a usefull bit of kit my towing eye was.keep it on the dash now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertieburstner Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 we have a Laika A class based on a Fiat X250 and it has the screw in bit where the eye is supposed to be inserted. The van came wih no towing eye do you know where I can get one before the inevitable happens? *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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