Your thoughts on this please.

Harsh words for not knowing anything about its detail or suggested use.

ANYTHING which causes the hitch point to be further back from the rear axle is a bad idea and will increase the inherent instability of towing combinations.
That is a physics certainty.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Terryt
Not harsh at all.
It is pictured in a caravan park so likely to be used for towing don’t you think. Perhaps you can justify or determine what it may be for, apart from normal towing.
At Woomera a few years ago I saw a Prado with the rear way down with something similar. The headlights illuminated satellites if turned on at night. I mentioned to the owner to change it ASAP or we would be reading about him quite soon.

Whatever it is towing, that will also place a lot of twisting and stress on the towbar and mounting points / bolts.

I'm a bit with Terryt here - my neighbour made up something similar to tow a small trailer type thing he made up to cart his 4 wheelie bins down his 300 metre long driveway along with a grader type attachment he also made up to smooth out said driveway.

And who knows whether the vehicle in the pic isn't used by the park owner to reverse push something into place and or do something similar to my neighbour and never sees a public road ???

BUT - if it used on a public road then it is VERY VERY DODGEY !!!


Cheers

Gazz

Outback Gazz, it was towing a camper trailer as was stated on FB

John, comments on your picture would be a lot more meaningful if you had related the full story. Here is your chance to bring us up to speed.

Peter D, as I said, I saw it on FB and posted here for comments. I didn't take the pic or know where it was taken, but it is in Oz and he was towing a Camper Trailer, all I know.

Thanks for the extra info. All you said in your OP was you saw the picture on Facebook.

What if it tows a dog trailer where the only downforce is the weight of the drawbar only?

The coupling is well below where the tailgate lowers to. The chains are to stop complete tongue coming out when the pin drops out. A mates tow hitch has the same, albeit far shorter and close to the vehicle.

Not everyone in a caravan park/camping ground is towing - I've been staying in caravan parks and camping areas for over 20 years but have only been towing something in the last 5 years. (you assumed "The coupling has been photographed in a caravan park/camping ground so the vehicle is obviously towing a caravan/camper trailer of some description...")

Perhaps he just wants to use a "Bumper Dumper" and needed to extend the hitch so he can continue to use it when the ute tailgate is open?

I think the argument about it possibly not towing is a bit over the top, more or less over-guessing the other way of either possible secenarios.

If it wasn't towing it wouldn't have this massive leg / shin collector fitted !!

Being in a cara park, it's not to hard to imagine why it's fitted.
There was also follow ups confirming comments from Faceache about they were apparently towing a camper too.

It's pretty obvious they have a very short drawbar on whatever they are towing, maybe high hitch / other bits up front of drawbar (large toolbox or angle screen ??), that leads to tailgate opening issues . . . and / or they have very bad reversing skills / problems

Good excuse to remove the extension and leave it on the bonnet.

Iza

Common buddy

Its called fakebook for a reason

GlenC5, was taken in Oz.

Children involved? Maybe he simply wants to mount a bike rack (children often like to ride bikes), and be able to open the tailgate without removing the bike rack.

It's probably made out of wood painted gray and posted to rev all you blokes up. No one knows anything about this so I think any comments are ill informed to say the least.

terryt
You seem to be a devils advocate and cast doubt in to discussions.
The general and very valid clarifications regarding legality are good to reinforce the proper viewpoints on stupid things. Even if it was Grey or gray. Someone went to a lot of trouble to fit a cable and heavy chain it if was/is a hoax. The correct messages have been delivered to the reading members. You should be thankful for that.

Are you suggesting gray is the preferred way to spell the color. Best check your references. It appears we are getting to a world where to query the line the "experts" are running is a no no. We must all toe the line and join in to condemn from a random photo of the back end of a ute when other than being told it is towing a camper trailer (no details) That's right there is a huge group of people out there who read this forum and need to be saved from themselves. If it is so terrible why hasn't this guy been picked up by the cops. And as for the comment re removing it and putting it on his bonnet I'd suggest that fellows fanny scratchers should be kept to himself. Being a vigilante is not a good thing and being king of the caravan park might get some peoples rocks off but it will win noone over.

terryt
You used the spelling of gray, not me.
I had an uncle with the surname GRAY, but he wasn't a grey colour.

my bad. gray and grey are interchangeable

Seems to be one on patrol in every park I've stayed in over the years Terryt. A of couple of words ( the second one being off ) normally moves them on.
Dave.

Greg, from the comments on FB it was towing a camper trailer, no idea of size etc and was also stated to be seen driving around Townsville with it attached.

Ok no worries John, just a thought.

Cheers Greg

G'day, no comment on that, but another post on here says only about 80mm before hard up so can't be shortened.

And that's nowhere near enough tongue for any receiver !!

My apologies, it’s actually 90mm. It also has some bracing welded around the lip of the receiver, Ford had a few instances where the hole elongated due to the short length.
This is a picture of my old towbar, my new towbar allows the tounge to go in as far as required.