ISO (International Standards Organisations)

[Phillip]

Back to the topic of Tow Balls.
Our tow-balls must have an ADR (Australian Design Rules) # stamped on them to be legal.
Talking wit Mr Barry this morning, he believes all American tow-balls would have to have ISO # stamped on them. (Internation Standards Organisation).

He thinks ADR's and ISO's are one of the same thing. Different countrie, different names.

Question #1. what do you blokes have stamped on your tow-balls??

Question #2. do we have any engineers in the house that understand this?

Now I have written to a Govt Dept here and they tell me in their final paragraph:

To see if the ball and coupling will meet the requirements of the Australian Standards (ADR's) you will need to consult an engineer to get the ball and coupling certified.

This may sound complex, but it isn't, and if the Americans do have an ISO then the next move is to find if the ISO and ADR are the same with different names.

If it is, it will make a big change to things.

Anybody any experience in this area.??

Cheers
Phillip

[Frank C]

Phillip, just to clarify ...your objective's surely not to avoid changing a $10 tow ball.

Rather, you'd like to use a std USA 2-inch tow ball, so as to avoid changing out the $200 USA brake coupler, right? And, I suppose the standard tow-ball in OZ is too large for the USA hitch??
WADR, who'd ever notice that you're using a 2-inch tow ball?

Draw-Tite is a major manufacturer. This links to a User Info page that describes the various Class Ratings of hitches. I'd guess this is all regulated by the US DOT (Dept of Transportation). You might try searching for the related DOT regs.

Easier might be to send a short message directly to Draw-Tite. After explaining your background story, ask them how they assure their products are compliant with "appropriate regulations." I'm pretty sure they'll have a specific link.

[Frank C]

Phillip,
Regarding your question (elsewhere) on the total rig-weight, your guesstimate of 4,000 lbs. is a good one. Search on the word tongue, and ignore the first 4 or 5 links. The next four hits are directly on-topic.

[MrBarry]

no ! no !!

I probably didn't explain it right!
ADR = Australian Design Rule (covers the overall design, layout and specifications)
AS = Australian Standards (covers material things like engineered parts)
ISO = (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards.
They cover many things such as systems methodology and sizing.

We have to demonstrate that the trailer meets the appropriate ADR before we can register it.

Its the coupler thats the issue, in that it doesn't have an "AS" approval.

What I mean't was that I found some documentation that suggested that a coupler would have to meet an AS OR an ISO standard.
The ADR calls for a 50mm coupler (2" = 50.4mm)

That suggests that if we could demonstrate that the Mac coupler was made to ISO specs, it could be the solution we are looking for.

We don't want to change the coupler because the local ones mount in a totally different way (ends up being messy and ugly), and its just plain wasteful to change something thats perfectly adequate, not to mention designed for the job.

The bottom line though is that there are plenty of Macs here that are registered with the original coupler, and It's almost inconceivable that all of them "fudged" it through the system. So there must be a way.........


James

[tangentair]

Back in the late 90s I did some business in OZ and had to spend some time with the regulatory people in Canberra, (an aside, it was the most mundane, boring and completely non-Australian city I visited at the time). I found their requirements on medical devices did not line up with ISO, BRH, CSA, and IEEE. It appeared that they were different just to be different, but of course that was my American arrogance. I think your standards have developed independent of USA and European standards so that perhaps there is not a lot of parallels, just similarities at best. Nevertheless, when I was able to take an Australian standard and determine what it required, I usually could find some testing that would satisfy it. I agree with Frank that instead of trying to find a parallel match, you could look to the manufactures testing and see what will fit your standards requirements.

[Lease]

(an aside, it was the most mundane, boring and completely non-Australian city I visited at the time).

Ooooh, if this was the Pub, I'd have at ya on that one.

Bloody family paradise mate.

[Catigale]

He stayed as long as he could Lease, but then he said

" I CANNABEAR it anymore...."

[Lease]

ouch!

[MrBarry]

..... I think your standards have developed independent of USA and European standards so that perhaps there is not a lot of parallels, just similarities at best. Nevertheless, when I was able to take an Australian standard and determine what it required, I usually could find some testing that would satisfy it. I agree with Frank that instead of trying to find a parallel match, you could look to the manufactures testing and see what will fit your standards requirements.

Thankyou tangentair, and that is my point entirely. It has been done. We just need to convince local authorities of that........


James

[tangentair]

Lease
Like I said, it was the early 90s and I was hoping between Melbourne and Sydney and up to the north, they were all exciting and new for me, and so yes Canberra was a great place to raise a family. Now watch me light off Frank by saying - In all my travels in this country and abroad, it is my opinion that Sydney has the world's greatest harbor for boating and beaches and some other b’s like blondes, beer, bridges, brunets, some of which occasionally go bare…, not to mention a cultural and lively nightlife.
now back to topic

what do you blokes have stamped on your tow-balls

Well since Kevin hasn't chosen to comment on this, it is just to, too, two or tow easy depending upon your accent -
Nothing that a good Brazilian wax and cleaning won't remove. That is why I usually prefer to be sure everything is always well lubricated

[MrBarry]

Phillip.
I think I'm getting closer.

SAE J684

International standard and one which the Mac trailer coupler meets.

I'm reckoning that if it meets that, it probably also meets most of the AS requirements (except ball dimension)

I'll keep you informed. Rockman hasn't get back with the pics yet.


James