RacksBrax Installation Guides FAQs & Videos

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0099/0232/5826/files/RacksBrax_Logo_Landscape_Colour_R_720x.png?v=1592979687

Reference Guides

Download RacksBrax PDF guides to see if your accessory fits the HD Hitch range.

RacksBrax HD Hitch Compatibility Chart

Recovery Board Mounting Reckoner

Product Installation Guides

Fitting your RacksBrax HD Hitch

Mounting your RacksBrax HD Accessory Plate

Mounting your RacksBrax HD Accessory Bars

Mounting your RacksBrax HD Awning Adaptor Bars

Mounting your Racksbrax HD L50 L Brackets

Mounting your Racksbrax HD Adjustable Brackets

Setting a freestanding 180-degree pull-out awning

Mounting your SUPA PEG awning

XD Awning Comaptibilty Chart

XD Hitch Recommended Configurations

Fitting your Racksbrax XD Hitch

Mounting your Racksbrax XD Adjustable Brackets

Fitting your Racksbrax XD Multi Awn Adaptor 

Fitting your Racksbrax XD Awning Connector 

Fitting your Racksbrax XD Side Twist Bracket

WING AWNINGS: WIND, RAIN AND SNOW

COMPATIBILITY POCKET GUIDES FOR YOUR AWNINGS
BUSHWAKKA
DARCHE
RHINO-RACK
HOWLING MOON
OZTRAIL
SUPA PEG
23 ZERO
ALU-CAB
THE BUSH COMPANY
IRONMAN
CHAOS
30 SECOND
ADVENTURE KINGS
BUNDUTEC AUS

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of our most FAQs if you cant find your answer here please contact us & we can help you out!

ABOUT RACKSBRAX

Q- Is RacksBrax Australian?
A- Yes! Loud & proud..... and so is our entire product range.

HD Hitch + WING-STYLE AWNINGS

Q- Can I use the HD Hitch to fasten a wing-style awning?
A- Yes, if your wing-style awning has awnign spline tracks at 33mm eg SUPA PEG or spacings between 40-53mm centres you can use a HD Hitch provided a max of 20kg per load point is maintained. The all-new wing adaptor for wing-style awnings (Double or Triple) provides the ability to fit awnings with spine track spacings ranging from 78mm to 105mm is suitable for  wing-style awnings (in this spine centre range), including brands such as Rhino-Rack's Batwing  awning and Oztent's Foxwing awning.

Q- Does the HD Hitch suit my SUPA PEG awning?
A- Yes.

You can use the HD Hitch Standard (SUPA PEG model) (also 8180 with 2 loading points with extra wall mounts, 8181 with 3 loading points with extra wall mounts) to mount your SUPA PEG awning to your vehicle, provided a maximum of 20kg (44lbs) per load point is maintained.

You can also store it using the HD Wall Mount (8160) or HD Lockable Wall Mount (8161) on a wall in your garage, carport, mancave, etc. so there is no need to keep it on your daily driver when not in use. This saves fuel, UV and mould damage to the awning.

Q- Does the HD Hitch suit my Rhino-Rack® Batwing awning?
A- Yes (but requires an adaptor)
Our engineers have designed the HD Adaptor Bars used to safely mount your Rhino-Rack® Batwing awning so you can easily take it off with the HD Hitch when you aren't using it.

You can also store it using the HD Wall Mount (8160) or HD Lockable Wall Mount (8161) on a wall in your garage, carport, mancave, etc. so there is no need to keep it on your daily driver when not in use. This saves fuel, UV and mould damage to the awning.

These bars come Double (for 8159, 8162, 8179, 8180) or Triple (for 8163, 8181) depending on your specific needs and mounting points on your vehicle.

Q- Does the HD Hitch suit my Oztent® Foxwing awning?
A- Yes. (but requires an adaptor)
Our engineers have designed the HD Adaptor Bars used to safely mount your Oztent® Foxwing awning so you can easily take it off with the HD Hitch when you aren't using it.

You can also store it using the HD Wall Mount (8160) or HD Lockable Wall Mount (8161) on a wall in your garage, carport, mancave, etc. so there is no need to keep it on your daily driver when not in use. This saves fuel, UV and mould damage to the awning.

These bars come Double (for 8159, 8162, 8179, 8180) or Triple (for 8163, 8181) depending on your specific needs and mounting points on your vehicle.

NOTE: You will need roof rack brackets with fastener spacings at 50mm centres. The Oztent® Foxwing currently comes with hole centres at 100mm.

Q- Does the HD Hitch suit my Eezi-Awn awning with mount points at 80mm centres?

A- Yes. (but requires an adaptor) Our engineers have designed the HD Adaptor Bars used to safely mount your Eezi-Awn® wing style awning where the mounting channels are at 80mm centres so you can easily take it off with the HD Hitch when you aren't using it.

You can also store it using the HD Wall Mount (8160) or HD Lockable Wall Mount (8161) on a wall in your garage, carport, mancave, etc. so there is no need to keep it on your daily driver when not in use. This saves fuel, UV and mould damage to the awning.

Q- Does the HD Hitch suit my NOMAD by CHAOS awning?

A- Yes. (but requires an adaptor) Our engineers have designed the HD Adaptor Bars used to safely mount your Nomad® by CAOS awning so you can easily take it off with the HD Hitch when you aren't using it.

You can also store it using the HD Wall Mount (8160) or HD Lockable Wall Mount (8161) on a wall in your garage, carport, mancave, etc. so there is no need to keep it on your daily driver when not in use. This saves fuel, UV and mould damage to the awning.

Q- Does the HD Hitch suit my DARCHE ECLIPSE 180 or 270 awning?

A- No (but there is a catch) The HD Hitch will fit the Darche® pull-out awnings ...

But the HD Hitch WILL NOT fit the Darche® Eclipse 180 degree or Darche® Eclipse 270 degree wing-style awnings (the XD Hitch does though!).

Our engineers and designers have been busy behind the scenes creating the XD Hitch that will fit Darche® wing-style awnings! The XD Hitch comes in a Double or Triple variant depending on how many mounting points you have on your vehicle.

We recommend using as many XD Hitches as the brackets the awning manufacturer provides you but in any event each Hitch has a 20kg load limit and for awnings in excess of 11.5m2, 3 Hitches are required.

Q- Does the HD Hitch suit my DARCHE ECLIPSE 180 or 270 awning?

A- No (but there is a catch)

The HD Hitch WILL NOT fit the 23Zero® Falcon or Peregrine 270 degree wing-style awnings (the XD Hitch does though!).

Our engineers and designers have been busy behind the scenes creating the XD Hitch that will fit 23Zero® wing-style awnings! The XD Hitch comes in a Double or Triple variant depending on how many mounting points you have on your vehicle.

We recommend using as many XD Hitches as the brackets the awning manufacturer provides you but in any event each Hitch has a 20kg load limit and for awnings in excess of 11.5m2, 3 Hitches are required.

XD Hitch + WING-STYLE AWNINGS

Q- Can I use the XD Hitch to fasten a wing-style awning?
A- Yes (but some require an adaptor) We have a quick guide for you to determine how many XD Hitches you will need to safely mount your wing awning onto your vehicle.

Popular brands that work seamlessly (no adaptor) with the XD Hitch include:

  • Darche® (e.g. Eclipse 180 and 270)
  • Howling Moon® (e.g. 270 Swing Awn)
  • 23Zero® (e.g. Falcon 270, Peregrine 270)
  • The Bush Company® (e.g. 270 XT, 270 XT MAX)

... and many, many more larger awnings!

Q- Does the XD Hitch suit my Bushwakka 270 awning?

A- Yes (but some require an adaptor)

Our engineers have designed the XD Multi-Awn Adaptor to safely mount your Bushwakka® awnings so you can easily take it off with the XD Hitch when you aren't using it.

The new XD Multi-Awn Adaptor (Double) (9114) or (Triple) (9115) simply act as a bridge between the Holder part of the RacksBrax XD Hitch and the awning to accommodate the larger mount point spacing.

Q- Does the XD Hitch suit my 30 Second Wing awning?

A- Yes (but some require an adaptor)

Our engineers have designed the XD Multi-Awn Adaptor to safely mount your 30 Second® Wing awning so you can easily take it off with the XD Hitch when you aren't using it.

The new XD Multi-Awn Adaptor (Double) (9114) or (Triple) (9115) simply act as a bridge between the Holder part of the RacksBrax XD Hitch and the awning to accommodate the larger mount point spacing.

Q- Does the XD Hitch suit my SUPA PEG Outbound Shield 3 awning?

A- Yes (but some require an adaptor)

Our engineers have designed the XD Multi-Awn Adaptor to safely mount your SUPA PEG® Outbound Shield 3 awnings so you can easily take it off with the XD Hitch when you aren't using it.

The new XD Multi-Awn Adaptor (Double) (9114) or (Triple) (9115) simply act as a bridge between the Holder part of the RacksBrax XD Hitch and the awning to accommodate the larger mount point spacing.

Q- Does the XD Hitch suit my Ostrich Wing 270 awning?

A- No.....not yet Our engineers are hard at work working for a solution that fits these awnings.

Q- Does the XD Hitch suit my ALU-CAB 270 Shadow awning?

A- No.....watch this space. Not at this stage but we will soon have an adaptor that facilitates this.

HD HITCH RANGE

Q- What does the "HD" in Hd Hitch mean?
A- Heavy Duty! The HD Hitch range has been manufactured from UV stabilized glass reinforced nylon to provide a tough, strong material to ensure the HD Hitch is robust in all harsh weather conditions. All our other accessories are fabricated in Australia & made of powder coated aluminium or powder coated stainless steel & built to last the harsh enviroment of the outdoors.

Q- What are the Prop Cleats in the box for?
A- To make your awning freestanding without your vehicle. The prop cleats are fastened at either end of the spline of the pull-out awning to provide anchor points for the guy ropes so the awning may be set freestanding.

Q- Can I attach my tradesman tube to the HD Hitch?
A- Yes. You will require a tube clamp to match the size of your tube. The HD Hitch will take most tube clamps where the tube clamps have 2 fasteners with fastener centres in the range of 40-53mm. Some tubes may need 2 mounting points (Tradesman II) with a max load of 20kg x 2 = 40kg or 3 mounting points (Tradesman III) 20kg x 3 = 60kg depending on the load in the tube. The maximum load per single Hitch is 20kg or 44lb.

Q- Can I remove my awning & put my storage tube (conduit) in place of the awning on my roof fack?
A- Yes! The HD Hitch Tradesman II comes with 2 sets of holders: one set for your awning & one for the storage tube. The Tradesman III comes with 2 sets of three holders, perfect for heavier loads. Both the Tradesman II/III kits come with a set of HD Wall Mounts to store one of your accessories on the wall when not in use.

Q- Are all the bolts & fasteners included in the box?
A- Yes! All fasteners needed to install the HD Hitch System to your vehicle & roofrack accessory are included in all HD Hitch packs to suit both M6 & M8 bracket holes. When using M6 bolts (if your brackets are drilled to M6) use both an M6 & M8 washer where the bolt head or nut is in contact with the nylon component in the Hitch. This simply helps spread the load more evenly.

Q- What are the fasteners made of?
A- Stainless Steel. All RacksBrax fasteners included in the box are made of stainless steel.

Q- What tools are required to fit the HD Hitch to my roof rack?
A- Ideally, an open ended spanner & socket wrench, 10mm for the M6 or 13mm for the M8. We always recommend using a professional if in doubt.

Q- What are the main components of the HD Hitch range made from?
A- The Bodies, Holders, Covers, Pins & Prop Cleats in the HD Hitch range are manufactured from fully engineered, UV stabilised glass-reinforced nylon. All nylon components & packaging are manufactured in Brisbane, Australia.

HD HITCH COMPATIBILITY

Q- Does the HD range fit with the XD range & vice versa?
A-No As both ranges were engineered specifically to suit different sizes of awnings, both ranges unfortunately DO NOT work with each other.

Q- What sort of roof rack with the HD Hitch fit on to?
A- Most of them. Provided the roof rack is able to accept an awning bracket that suits the design of the roof rack, typically a "L" or "T" style bracket then the HD Hitch range will suit.

Q- Will the HD Hitch fit all awnings?
A- Most! It will suit Awnings where the spline tracks are in the range of 40-53mm. The HD Hitch SUPA PEG range also fits awning with fastener centres at 33mm such as the SUPA PEGs range of pull-out, 180 degree & wing style awnings.

Q- Will the HD Hitch fit all shower tents ensuite style awnings?

The HD Hitch fits the most commonly available shower tent/ensuite/changeroom awnings. The mount points need to be between 40 and 53mm apart. An HD Hitch Standard (8159) is ideal for getting these items on or off your vehicle in seconds.

Q- Do i need brackets on my roof rack to fit the HD Hitch range?
A- Yes. Mostly.
Most pull-out awnings require some sort of bracket attached to the roof rack bar/platform.

The HD Hitch attaches to these brackets provided fastener centres are between 40 and 53mm. These brackets are sometimes supplied with awnings or sometimes sold separately in a variety of designs to suit different roof racks.

RacksBrax also has a range of adjustable brackets designed to fit the HD Hitch and a fixed L bracket for the HD Hitch that can be fitted up to 8 different ways.

The RacksBrax Adjustable Brackets for the HD Hitch are supplied in LONG or SHORT foot versions, designed for a load of 20kg (44lbs) per bracket, subject to permitted roof rack loads.

The SHORT foot version typically suits roof rack bars and the LONG foot version typically suits platform style roof racks without a perimeter lip. LONG foot versions must be used for platform racks where slats run north south (direction of vehicle length) enabling loads to be spread across more than one slat.

The upright portion of this bracket set can be adjusted to either the vertical position (typical for awnings) or raked back at 15° off the vertical. The latter typically used to carry up to 4 full size MAXTRAX® or TRED® recovery boards when combined with the RacksBrax HD Hitch, used in conjunction with the RacksBrax HD Accessory Bars (8173) and/or RacksBrax HD Accessory Plate (8174), subject to permitted roof rack loads.

RacksBrax HD AB 0-15 series of brackets are available in both double and triple bracket configurations and are supplied with stainless steel fasteners to fit most roof rack bars and most roof rack platforms without a perimeter lip.

The HD Hitch (SUPA PEG Model) range also fits awnings with fastener centres at 33mm such as the SUPA PEG'S range of pull-out, 180-degree and wing-style awnings.

Some roof racks (typically platform style) have “standup” perimeter rails on the sides (and front and rear, plus combinations of these). Often the uprights supporting these rails may be used to attach an HD Hitch to directly to the uprights. Check any issues with your roof rack supplier as it’s not possible to give a generic answer to all roof rack scenarios.

Q- How many roof rack connections do I need?
A- In most cases only 2 unless the manufacturer supplies/recommends 3. Generally 2 is sufficient as long as the load doesnt exceed 20kg per point. With the SUPA PEG HD Hitch choose the kit that matches the number of brackets supplied with the awning.

Q- My roof rack accessory has two mounting slots, can the HD Hitch accomodate this?
A- Yes
If your wing-style awning has awning spine tracks at 33mm (e.g. SUPA PEG awnings) or spacings between 40 and 53mm centres, you can use an HD Hitch provided a maximum of 20kg (44lbs) per load point is maintained.

The HD Adaptor Bars for wing-style awnings (in Double or Triple) provides the ability to fit awnings with spine track spacings (mounting points) ranging from 78mm to 105mm and is suitable for wing-style awnings (in this spine centre range), including brands such as Rhino-Rack's Batwing awning and Oztent's Foxwing awning.

HD Adaptor Bars simply act as a bridge between the Holder part of the RacksBrax HD Hitch and the awning to accommodate the larger mount point spacing.

Q- Does the HD Hitch fit a single track pull-out awning?
A- Yes. It fits most single track awnings. Typically, single track pull-out awnings are fastened with M8 square head or "T" bolts supplied by the awning manufacture. These should be used to fasten the HD Hitch accessory holder to the awning. Two additional 20x20x25mm long M8 square head bolts are provided to fasten the prop cleats to either end of the single track awning. The prop cleats are used to set the awning freestanding off your vehicle.

XD HITCH RANGE

Q- What does the XD in XD Hitch mean?

A- XTRA Duty The XD Hitch range has been manufactured from UV stabilised glass-reinforced nylon to provide a tough, strong material to ensure the XD Hitch is robust in all weather conditions. All other RacksBrax accessories are fabricated in Australia and made of powder coated aluminium or powder coated stainless steel and built to last in harsh outdoor environments.

Q- Are all th bolts & fasteners in the box?

A- Yes. All fasteners needed to install the XD Hitch system to your vehicle and roof rack accessory are included in all XD Hitch packs to suit M8 bracket holes. All fasteners are made of stainless steel.

Q- What are the fasteners made of?

A- All RacksBrax fasteners (included in the box) are made of stainless steel.

Q- What tools are required to fit the XD Hitch to my roof rack?

A- Ideally, a 13mm open-ended spanner and a 13mm socket wrench for M8 nuts and bolts. Fasteners are included in the box across our entire range of Hitches to suit most fitting scenarios.

Q- What are the main components of the XD Hitch made of?

A- The BodiesHoldersCovers and Pins in the XD Hitch range are manufactured from fully engineered, UV stabilised glass-reinforced nylon. This tough material is designed to withstand the harsh environments of the great outdoors. All nylon components are manufactured and packaged in Brisbane, Australia.

XD HITCH COMPATIBILITY

Q- Does the XD range work with the HD range & vice versa?

A- No. As both ranges were engineered specifically to suit different sizes of awnings, both ranges unfortunately DO NOT work with each other.

Q- What sort of roof rack with the XD Hitch fit on to?

A- Provided the roof rack is able to accept an awning bracket that suits the design of the roof rack (typically an "L" bracket or "T" bracket) and your awning the XD Hitch will suit most roof racks currently on the market from leading brands.

Q- Will the XD Hitch fit all awnings?

A- The XD Hitch fits a range of 180 degree and 270 degree wing style awnings and has been engineered to suit wing awnings with track spacings between 100-120mm, e.g. Darche® Eclipse 180, Eclipse 270, Bush Company® 270 XT and 270 XT Max, 23Zero® Peregrine and Falcon awnings.

Additionally it also suits those wing awnings with three mounting tracks, each at 60mm centres (120mm between the upper and lower mounting point with the third mounting point located centrally, e.g. Howling Moon® Swing Awn 4 and 6 panel).

If your wing awning has mounting points (typically mounting tracks in an extrusion ... but sometimes drilled positions) outside this range, an XD Multi-Awn Adaptor may mean you can still take advantage of the XD Hitch fast loading and unloading features.

Q- What if my wing awning mounting point has spacing outside the 100-120mm range?

A- If your wing awning has mounting points (typically mounting tracks in an extrusion ... but sometimes drilled positions) outside this range, an XD Multi-Awn Adaptor may mean you can still take advantage of the XD Hitch fast loading and unloading features.

The XD Multi-Awn Adaptor fastens to the XD Hitch Holder and simply act as a bridge between the Holder part of the RacksBrax HD Hitch and the awning to accommodate the larger (up to 150mm) and smaller (down to 65mm) mount point spacings. As well, the XD Multi-Awn Adaptor also accommodates some awnings with a “4 track” mounting point spine.

Q- DoI need brackets on my roof rack to fit the XD Hitch range?

A- Yes. Most awnings require some sort of bracket attached to the roof rack bar/platform. The XD Hitch attaches to these brackets provided fastener centres are between 100 and 120mm. These brackets are sometimes supplied with awnings or sometimes sold separately in a variety of designs to suit different roof racks.

RacksBrax also has a range of adjustable brackets designed to fit the XD Hitch and another range designed to fit the HD Hitch.

The RacksBrax Adjustable Brackets for the XD Hitch are supplied in LONG or SHORT foot versions, designed for a load of 20kg (44lbs) per bracket, subject to permitted roof rack loads. The SHORT foot version typically suits roof rack bars and the LONG foot version typically suits platform style roof racks without a perimeter lip. LONG foot versions must be used for platform racks where slats run north south (direction of vehicle length) enabling loads to be spread across more than one slat.
The upright portion of this bracket set can be adjusted up and down in the vertical position by 50mm (2”) in increments of 12.5mm (1/2”).

RacksBrax XD AB 0-15 series brackets are available in both double and triple bracket configurations and are supplied with stainless steel fasteners to fit most roof rack bars and most roof rack platforms without a perimeter lip.

Q- How many roof rack connections/brackets/hitches do I need?

A- Below outlines the minimum number of XD Hitches (thus brackets), needed for various awning types:

1. Firstly, the number of XD Hitches (thus brackets) must not be less than the number of brackets (support points) recommended by the awning manufacturer.

2. Secondly, for a given wing awning type, the table below outlines the minimum number of XD Hitches (thus brackets) needed, which may exceed quantities in 1 above. Ensure you satisfy the requirement of each column for your given awning whilst ensuring you also comply with 1 above.

NON-AWNING ROOF RACK MOUNTED ACCESSORIES

Q- Can i mount my MAXTRAX or TRED recovery boards?
A- Yes, with the With the HD Accessory Plate and/or HD Accessory Bars, you can now mount your recovery boards with the HD Hitch (sold separately) to your vehicle.

Take them off or put them on in seconds and store them using the HD Wall Mount on a wall in your garage, carport, mancave. An added bonus is that with the Accessory Plate/Bars/Recovery Boards removed, you reduce you head room requirements by up to 150mm.

NOTE: Depending on your setup/rig, this will determine what HD Hitch, HD Accessory Plate and HD Accessory Bars combination you will need. Check our Guides & Videos section on how to determine what you'll need to transform your vehicle from daily commuter to 4WDing adventurer!

OFF-VEHICLE ACCESSORY STORAGE

Q- Can I store my awning or accessory when I remove it from my roof rack?
A- Yes. You can simply place it on a wall when you purchase an HD Wall Mount separately. This will work with all your accessories and awnings that currently use the HD Hitch. The HD Wall Mount gives you two additional Bodies to fasten to the wall of your garage, basement, man cave etc. The HD Wall Mounts simply need to be fastened to a wall at the same centres as on your awning or accessory load points on the vehicle. They do not have Pins or built in locks but you can purchase Pins and Locks separately if you wish to secure your stored awning/accessory in a carport (for example). If you have an HD Hitch Standard you will need to purchase the HD Wall Mount separately.

NOTE: There are HD Hitch Wall Mounts included in the HD Hitch Tradesman II and Tradesman III and the HD Hitch Tradesman II (SUPA PEG Model) and the HD Hitch Tradesman III (SUPA PEG Model).

Q- Can I lock my wall mount?

A- Yes. Our HD and XD Wall Mounts ranges also come in HD and XD lockable variants so you can store your awnings or accessories in an open area (e.g. car port) with peace of mind and away from prying hands.

SAFETY

Q- Is the HD & XD Hitch safe?
A- Yes.
The HD and XD Hitches have been designed by Australian mechanical engineers using state-of-the-art finite element analysis. Load testing has been carried out to ensure the safe loading of 20kg per Hitch load point is indeed, safe (for both ranges).

Our HD and XD Hitches are manufactured in Brisbane, Australia, using the latest injection moulding machines harnessing UV stabilized glass reinforced nylon for strength and durability.

To ensure that you are using the RacksBrax Hitches in the safest way be sure to read our full Safety Warnings PDF download and always ensure the load on the roof rack does not exceed the rated load capacity of the HD or XD Hitch, the bracket, the roof rack nor the vehicle manufacturers specifications.

Q- What load capacity can the HD or XD Hitch take?
A- Load capacity is 20kg (44lbs) per load point:

  • HD Hitch Standard (with 2 load points) is max. 2 x 20kg (2 x 44lb) (applies to the SUPA PEG model also)
  • HD Hitch Tradesman II (with 2 load points) is max. 2 x 20kg (2 x 44lb) (applies to the SUPA PEG model also)
  • HD Hitch Tradesman III (with 3 load points) is max. 3 x 20kg (3 x 44lb) (applies to the SUPA PEG model also)
  • XD Hitch (DOUBLE) (with 2 load points) is max. 2 x 20kg (2 x 441b)
  • XD Hitch (TRIPLE) (with 3 load points) is max. 3 x 20kg (3 x 441b)

Always ensure the load on the roof rack does not exceed the rated load capacity of the HD or XD Hitch, the bracket, the roof rack nor the vehicle manufacturers specifications. Always ensure the load on the roof rack does not exceed the roof rack manufacturer’s specified load limit.

Q- Will the pin fall out if I do not lock it?
A-
The lock must be locked once the Pin is inserted (see instructions). Whilst the Pin has a positive engagement with the body (it "clicks" when correctly inserted), locking the barrel lock ensures the Pin is fully engaged and there is no Pin movement. The lock will not lock if the Pin is not fully inserted so this provides a safety check that the Pin is in fact fully engaged. This is intended as a built-in safety mechanism.

Q- What if my roof racks are not level?
A-
This can happen when on a curved vehicle roof using roof bars or with vehicle specific longitudinal roof rails. Some tolerance is built into the HD Hitch range by allowing a small amount of “pendulum” movement to ensure the bracket bodies are parallel to each other and vertical once fitted. This does NOT apply to the SUPA PEG Model. The issue can only be corrected by adding the roof rack manufacturers packers in roof rails to make them level.

Q- Should I tighten my bolts on the HD or XD Hitch on a regular basis?
A-
Yes, as you would with all other roof rack accessories. As with all roof racks and roof rack accessories, it is good practice to check/tighten all fittings on a semi-regular basis. This is especially important when travelling on rough roads. The Warnings Guide offers more information on this important safety aspect.

Q- Can I attach an HD or XD Hitch to my caravan?

A- Whenever attaching the HD Hitch or the XD Hitch it must be securely bolted to a structural member. The use of glues should not be countenanced due to a chance of the accessories dislodging from the vehicle at speed.

SECURITY

Q- Can I lock my wing onto my vehicle?
A- Yes. An in-built barrel lock (in each Body) is supplied across the our entire range of HD Hitches, including all SUPA PEG models.

Q- Should I always lock my roof rack accessory to my roof rack?
A- Yes. Locking the accessory not only keeps the criminals at bay but ensures that it is impossible for the Pin to move out of the Hitch Body.

Q- What is the locking mechanism?
A- An in-built barrel lock. These are pre-fitted to the HD Hitch Body across our entire HD Hitch range.

Q- How do I replace the barrel lock?
A- You can buy replacement locks by ordering through our website here. if matching a lock be sure to specify the key code.

  1. Unlock the lock leaving the key in the barrel then extract the pin.
  2. Take a fine flat-bladed screwdriver (e.g. 2mm or 2/16th” across) and insert this through the lower portion of the pin insertion hole and depress the only visible tumbler (small protrusion sticking out from the lock cylinder that holds the lock inside the HD Hitch Body) whilst at the same time twisting the key in a “jiggling” fashion.
  3. The lock cylinder will then slip out.
  4. To replace the lock, simply insert the key in the new lock which will cause all but the “inner” tumbler to withdraw into the cylinder.
  5. Depress the “inner” tumbler with a fine flat-bladed screwdriver and slip the lock into the Body.
  6. When fully inserted the “inner” tumbler will spring out and hold the barrel in the body.

PITCHING A FREESTANDING (PULL-OUT) AWNING

Q- Do I need extra items to pitch my pull-out awning so it is freestanding?
A- Yes. You will need to purchase two standard tent poles and two “C” cups located in the top end of these tent poles. For a stable freestanding awning, you will also need to ensure you have a total of eight guy ropes, two of which are typically provided with your pull-out awning. Our entire HD Hitch range comes with two Prop Cleats to facilitate pitching the freestanding awning. These are used as anchor points (each for 2 guy ropes) on the spine (vehicle) side of the awning. M6 and M8 standard bolts are provided (in the box) for these. The Prop Cleats are fastened via the awning spine tracks. For the single track awning 2 square head or “T” bolts are supplied for this purpose.

Q- Can I pitch a wing-style awning freestanding using my HD or XD Hitch set up?
A- No. This is not possible. Please do not attempt this.

PARTS

Q- What if I lose a component?
A- Dont sweat it. Individual HD Hitch component can be purchased through our website.

Q- Can I get new locks if I need them?

A- These are available to purchase through our website.

Q- I have lost my key, can I get a replacement?

A- These are available in pairs and come with a replacement barrel lock/key, available to purchase through our website.

If you have lost the key but the HD Hitch is locked, you will need to contact us advising the key code which (along with being on the key shaft) is stamped on the outer face of your Barrel Locks.

View videos on the RacksBrax range!

RacksBrax - HD Hitch awning side swap

RacksBrax - How to install your HD Hitch to your vehicle

RacksBrax - Make your awning freestanding at your CAMPSITE!