[SimonB]

I got this pm from Bennie, and I thought it would be more useful to reply on the open forum.

I have eventually done my 4x4 course over the weekend and it is nice to know now what the vehicle can do and where one has to make adjustments to the vehicle to make certain routes easier for yourself and the vehicle. I found that the original drop plate on my Pajero is a bit long when doing 4x4 ing where I went through a dry river and I was plouging with the towbar upon entry and exit. Did you change yours or is it still the standard dropplate fitting? Do you think one need to fit a detachable towbar? I have scraped it when doing sand driving as well!

Bennie.

I took my drop plate off. I rarely tow anything.

I have instead fitted a pintal-type tow hitch which also serves as my rear recovery point



Have only touched down with the hitch once.

[4ePajero]

I dug into my archives and found two solutions I like.

This one is simple, in as much as it allows for a quick fitting or removal.
The detachable part can include a drop plate, to allow for different heights.

The second includes fuel tank protection. It might just be what one needs for the Gen3, which is reputed to loose the rear bumper bits. If constructed correctly, it may protect the rear bumper.
It will do well as a "rear end rock slider"

[RoelfleRoux]

Bennie,
The drop plate could become important if you plan on towing a heavy trailer/caravan. For those applications, the ball height becomes an issue. Our cousins on the Toyota side have come to realise this, sometimes with catastrofic results.

Some of your options are the following:
If your trailer/caravan fall in the big and heavy class, I suggest you remove and replace the drop plate as required.
If your towed vehicle can cope with a higher ball, then you could lift the ball.
Roelf

[Cobvs]

The towbars above looks a lot more practical than the current setup on mine which acts more as a ditch digger. I don't tow much but like the towbar as an added bumper. Is this dropplate part of the original equipment fitted to the Gen 2? I thought off cutting it off halfway and shift the ball higher up but the plate is quite thick and I don't think I will be able to drill new holes for it. The other tow bars also seems to have some engineering works involved.

Simon did you fit the ball and hitch onto the same sort of dropplate as mine?

[SimonB]

That drop plate looks like an integrated one... no mine was separate.

[cloyd]

Simon,

1. Re: the query on towbars and the decrease in the departure angle.

2. After I bought my Gen 3, I made some enquiries and Ben Visagie (use to be a Pajero salesman - and he realy knows all the various Paj models) informed me that the DUYS towbar is the better one to fit. It basically does not affect the departurre angle and when the "ball" is removed, you can only see the end-view of ±50mm square tubing. In fact, when it gets installed, the mechanics must make a cut-out in the soft bottom part of the bumper cover. The Duys is a bit more expensive than the normal towbar - ± R100 to R200 - pending where you buy it.

Cloyd de Klerk.

[SimonB]

Cloyd

I can't comment on what towbar is good or not... I can only speak for the Gen2 in which there really isn't a towbar as such, but rather a plate welded to the rear chassis crossmember, to which one bolts an extension piece. Without a drop plate there is no way the towhitch can influence departure angle because you're likely to lose tupperware first

[arnijr]

In my opinion, the hitch receiver that is pictured in 4ePajero's first picture is the way to go. That's what mine is getting, both front and back. Up here we mount the winches on platforms that fit into these receivers, so we can move the winches to the front or back, depending on the situation. It's also useful for all sorts of attachments, such as recovery points, bicycle carriers etc.

[Bennie]

I was reading through posts tonight and I saw this thread about the dropplate that is "acting as a second bumper". Mine looks exactly the same as this one, which looks like Simon's. This one was o/e on the Gen 2 and I've seen blisters with the same "dropplate". What I've done with mine after the ploughing expedition, was to take the grinder and cut it shorter . I've fitted my towball to the top position (where in my case I had 2 seperate pre-drilled heights on the dropplate) and then I've cut it of just below the towball. Now if I tow my bicycle venter (normal 10" tyres) my trailer is running uphill the whole time, not that much) but if I tow my Venter Bush baby everything is running 100% level after I've also installed "Air Helpers".
I've also meanwile fitted the pin type towball as the one in Simon's pic
Bennie

[cloyd]

1..I know I will sound like an old woman, but if you look at the reduced departure angle - that is not the best in the world in any case - there must be a better plan. On my Gen 3 I have a DUYS towbar that does not change the departure angle and as for the rear bumper protection on a Gen 3, I would suggest something bigger that covers the whole bumper and the area underneath the car behind the rear suspension carrier. The protection plate must cover the bumper from left to right and from the carrier to the bumper itself. It must overlap the plastic part.

Cloyd