A towbar with a hitch ball system is shown and described. The towbar with a hitch ball system may include a first bushing member, a second bushing member telescopingly engaged with the first bushing member, the second bushing member including at least one aperture, and a pivoting arm telescopingly engaged with the second bushing member. The towbar with a hitch ball system may also include an engagement device operatively coupled with the second bushing member, the engagement device including a pin member and an electrically-operating device, where the electrically-operating device generally aligns the pin member with the at least one aperture of the second bushing member.

To improve a trailer device for a motor vehicle, comprising a holding unit for a crossmember mountable on a vehicle body on the rear-end side thereof and a ball neck receiving body having a ball neck receptacle, into which an insertion portion of a ball neck carrying a coupling ball is insertable and fixable, wherein the ball neck receiving body is arranged mounted on the holding unit so as to be pivotable at least between a working position, in which a ball neck is insertable by means of its insertion portion into the ball neck receptacle, and a rest position, it is proposed that the trailer device comprises a drive, which is coupled to the ball neck receiving body by means of a coupling unit which has a freewheel and which in particular comprises a plurality of coupling elements.

Disclosed are a towing device for a vehicle and a vehicle. The towing device includes a front end portion and a rear end portion connected to the front end portion, where the front end portion is arranged on a rear floor and a rear floor cross member, so as to disperse an external force borne by the front end portion to the rear floor cross member; and the rear end portion includes a connecting seat and a tow hook connected to the connecting seat and extending out towards an exterior of the vehicle, the connecting seat being arranged on a rear anti-collision beam, so as to transmit an external force borne by the rear end portion to longitudinal members by means of the rear anti-collision beam and energy absorption boxes.

An underbed hitch mounting system is described. The mounting system may be utilized for towing vehicles wherein the mounting system may selectively accommodate either a fifth wheel hitch or a gooseneck hitch. The mounting system may include at least one rail capable of being connected to a vehicle frame, wherein the rail includes at least one socket. The socket may be engaged with a receiving member, wherein the receiving member may be engaged with a leg of a fifth wheel hitch. A mid rail may be connected to the rails and may include a hitch ball socket that is capable of engagement with a hitch.

To improve a trailer device for motor vehicles, comprising a holding unit for a crossmember mountable on a vehicle body on the rear-end side thereof and a ball neck receiving body having a ball neck receptacle, in which an insertion portion of a ball neck supporting a coupling ball is insertable and fixable therein, wherein the ball neck receiving body is arranged mounted on the holding unit so as to be pivotable at least between a working position, in which a ball neck is insertable by means of its insertion portion into the ball neck receptacle, and a rest position, it is proposed that the trailer device comprises a locking device which fixes the ball neck receiving body in the rest position in a locking state relative to the holding unit and has an unlocking state, in which the locking device allows the ball neck receiving body to pivot from the rest position in the direction towards the working position, and that an actuator is provided, by means of which the locking device is movable from the locking state into the unlocking state.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate a single pin load sensor coupled to a hitch receiver, the sensor to measure one or more loads on the hitch receiver. An example apparatus includes a load sensing pin coupled to a hitch receiver of a vehicle, the load sensing pin disposed in a cavity of a crossbar that is to couple the hitch receiver to the vehicle, wherein the load sensing pin is to measure a load transferred from the hitch receiver to the crossbar.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for a load-sensing hitch utilizing a system of strain gauges. An example apparatus includes a hitch including a first support including a first end, a second end, and a mid-portion located between the first end and the second end, the mid-portion having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first end or the cross-sectional area of the second end, a strain gauge located at the mid-portion of the first support, a frame attachment to couple the hitch to a frame of a vehicle, the support coupled to the frame attachment, and a load manager to determine a load condition based on sensor data from the strain gauge.

A tow bar assembly for mounting to a vehicle, the tow bar assembly including a main beam configured to support a hitch receiver, the main beam comprising a bracket engaging portion at or near each end, a pair of brackets configured to securely mount to the vehicle, each bracket including a beam engaging portion, and a pair of fastening means for securing respective brackets at or near respective ends of the main beam, wherein each bracket and its respective beam bar engaging portion is configured to cooperatively interengage with a respective bracket engaging portion so as to locate and orient the bracket with respect to the main beam.

A carrier arrangement for a rear end of a vehicle, forms a component of a load carrier which can be detachably fastened to the vehicle and projects in front of the rear end of the vehicle during use or forms a component of a coupling device that can be fastened to a rear end of a body of the vehicle, wherein, in the case of the load carrier (300), the carrier arrangement is provided for applying a load and comprises, in the case of the coupling device, a holder for a trailer coupling for attaching a trailer to the vehicle or for a load carrier coupling part for detachably coupling a load carrier to the vehicle. The carrier arrangement has at least one support profile which has a support profile circumferential wall with support profile circumferential wall sections arranged at an angle to each other and/or extend in a curved manner about the longitudinal axis of the support profile and delimit an interior space of the support profile with respect to the longitudinal axis on the circumference. The support profile is stiffened at least along a part of its longitudinal axis in a reinforcement section by a reinforcement profile which comprises reinforcement profile wall sections arranged at an angle to each other and/or extend in a curved manner about a reinforcement profile longitudinal axis of the reinforcement profile, and is supported on the support profile circumferential wall of the support profile in order to reinforce the support profile, wherein the at least one reinforcement profile engages into the interior space of the support profile or the support profile engages into a reinforcement profile interior space of the reinforcement profile which is delimited by the reinforcement profile wall sections in a circumferential angle range of more than 180° extending about the longitudinal axis of the support profile.

A rear module can include a tailgate configured to pivot about a pivot axis that extends transversely with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a frame element that extends transversely with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction and is integrated into the tailgate. The frame element has a first fastening assembly at its respective ends. The first fastening assembly being set up to selectively lock the rear module in a closed state of the tailgate together with second fastening assembly which are configured on the rear-side vehicle body. A motor vehicle can have such a rear module.