RV FEATURE
WHEN MISADVENTURE
MAKES A BIG BANG
The issue was that the Ford towbar hitch was
too wide for the Trigg mounting adaptor and
so the holding nut had loosened on the
adaptor and everything moved. Our solution
was to use the Hayman Reese towbar hitch
from my vehicle, which I knew the Trigg
mounting adaptor would fit. Once the towbar
hitches had been swapped out, the coupling
was refitted and tightened, and we continued
on our way.
This mishap showed that inexperience with
tow setups can cause problems and it’s
imperative that when installing a trailer
coupling, everything fits snugly and there’s no
chance of movement. The solution was simple
and thankfully nothing was damaged.
Mount Pinnibar is one of my all-time favourite
destinations, with testing 4WD tracks to get
there and spectacular views across the
Victorian High Country.
On my last visit, I was travelling solo, heading
to the summit via Tom Groggin and Mount
Pinnibar Track. I’d met a couple of motorbikes
heading down the track as a particularly
rough section had prevented them from
venturing further.
Having driven the track many times before, I was
confident that I wouldn’t suffer the same fate.
I reached the section, a mere 100m from the
Mount Gibbo track, and assessed the situation.
The section was short and steep, with moguls
covering most of the track. Putting my 4WD in
first gear 4WD low, I intended to crawl my
way up – a piece of cake.
Halfway up, I had one rear wheel in the air
and was losing traction in the dry, dusty
conditions. When the rear wheel returned to
earth, I heard and felt a mighty bang and the
Prado stalled.
Can I fix the Prado before help arrives?
A trip to Mount Pinnibar is a regular event.
20 \