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but the only person that has posted actual facts (backed up with adequate references) is DG, until that changes I still say that this thread is alarmist.

I think you need to add redjelly and myself to that list. The actual fact for both of us, is that our towbars have too much play in them and would fail an MOT.

B16 KJR wrote:

I think you need to add redjelly and myself to that list. The actual fact for both of us, is that our towbars have too much play in them and would fail an MOT.

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OEM bar is Brink, not Westfalia.

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Well maybe as you hadn't clarified at that point that your ball movement was greater than 3mm then I guess it would be fair to say that I implied you changed it out of a concern .

As stated earlier the movement was greater than 3mm

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Your figures come from yourself and a MOT tester - they are unreliable because as far as I know (and you have not stated different) your old towbar has not been tested by VOSA. It has just been deemed unserviceable by yourself and the mot tester. If it has been tested by VOSA and this had been said, then the information would have been reliable - we all know that different mot testers can have different opinions.

Woody, I don't need my towbar tested by a chap from VOSA to tell me it has more than 3mm play in it. I am a Professional Mechanical Engineer with more than 36 years experience, if I cant measure 3mm then god help us all

Character suggested in his original post that we all check our towbars for play, I did, and found the play unacceptable and in my professional opinion, dangerous, so I will be replacing it and speaking to LR about a refund.

Unfortunatley like DG, I am now going to withdraw from this discussion as some of the comments are now becoming downright silly

Character tried to give everyone a heads up, I bet he wishes he hadn't bothered

WOODY179 wrote:

All I asked for was credible references - I do not believe that is silly

Yes it is, as by definition towbars will have had to have failed and most likely someone got hurt. Non-injury rtc's (known as "damage only") do not feature in the detailed stats, indeed the police do not get involved as a rule unless its obstructing the road. So every towbar that fails and does not injure anyone will not show up in the detailed stats. MOT stats are next to useless as a safety measure as getting from MOT or other stats to a VOSA recall is a torturous process.

As a safety professional, if I were running a fleet of D3 that towed I'd have everyone checked on the basis of this. Why? Firstly I'd look a complete tw8t in court if one of them lost a trailer and I had known it was a possible issue (legal duty of care etc etc). Secondly I know the world of pain that could come my way if it did go wrong, and I'd want to make damn sure I'd done everything reasonably possible to avoid it. Finally, as any safety professional will tell you, you can't have too many checks. Checking a fleet of towbars will undoubtedly throw up some other safety issue that may not have been spotted, even if the towbars are fine. I won't take vehicles off the road for it, just make sure the next time there is down time they get a once over. And if it does go horribly wrong I've shown competence, a duty of care and taken reasonable steps.

Or I could say I was waiting for scientific proof before doing anything.

Yes, I get about safety and people who wait for proof or say it won't happen. Most "accidents" are avoidable, but due to a lack of care, skill or someone lacking the imagination to see how it could happen, they happen anyway. If I insult someone over safety I'm happy An insulted person is a much better result than an injured one, and maturity rarely trumps idiocy these days.