Testing methodology of a tow hitch for car trailers

Each new type of the tow hitch must be tested for its homologation. The standard test simulates only its loading by a classic car trailer but the tow hitches are now used in the other ways, too. Mounting of a bike carrier on the tow hitch ball is a typical example of such use. Because the hitch loading is in this case totally different, some car producers require enhanced tests to simulate this. The testing methodology of the tow hitch with the bike carrier is described in this paper.