On the show this week we are still in White Cliffs and our visit takes us to the “Dug Out” home of Linsday and Cree. They open their house up twice a day for tours through a tour guide. We were lucky to sit and chat with them both in their amazing house and hear stories of them and the amazing things you see around the walls. This home does not look big from the outside but once in the main living, kitchen area you wander through halls into rooms that are decorated beautifully and the art work that has all been made by Cree ( who is an interior designer/artist). The burl we are standing in front of weighs over 3 tonne.
Next on the show Phill chats with Jeff DeAth, this time the topic for the week is Weight Distribution Hitches V Airbags. What is the difference and what function they both do.
What does a WDH do:
- It tightens up the flexible point between the caravan tow ball and the vehicles tow bar
- This in effect applies a torque wrench to the rear wheels, which moves weight from the rear axle to the front axle.
- It also applies pressure to the vehicle where the tow bar attaches to the vehicle.
- It can transfer weight from the vehicle to the caravan of between 0-120 kgs.
A WDH shouldn’t be used to fix a problem where better weight distribution and better caravan loading would work – or where the rear of the vehicle is overloaded.
The Bad
From a safety perspective, WDH systems are not always the best option due to the significant loads they transfer through the vehicle’s towbar and frame, especially in the event of a front-end collision, the structural damage is often tripled.
You will notice prominent manufacturer warnings on their hitches, stating the risks of using this system and instructions on how to release the spring bars when negotiating driveways or spoon drains.
Many people ignore this warning and still use the WDH under tension and risk vehicle and towbar damage.
In addition to this, if you choose to use a hitch that is not rated or approved by your vehicle manufacturer or designed for your towing setup and you are involved in an accident, your insurance company will likely not cover you.
They are not a set and forget – they shouldn’t be used on rough roads, over gutters etc.
The Good.
Transfers weight from the rear axle of the vehicle to front- which should balance weigh better and give better front wheel steering and braking. https://checkweight.com.au
Next on the show we visit the “Unique Egg” in St George. St George is a country town in SE Queensland on the Balonne River. We visited this shop and Stavros 5 years ago and thought we would pop in again. Stavros is the same telling stories of how he came to St George and raising his family here and then takes you through to where all his engraved Emu eggs. Proudly on display is a letter from the White House from Barack Obama where the White House received an egg as a gift. These eggs a carved from just a cut throat razor and compass, very basic tools for a wonderful result on the surface of an emu egg. On slip and you would need to start again. His daughter has started the art as well, though not producing as many eggs as her father.
