Kaptarlift® tow ball carrier for hive lifters

01 · THE TOWBAR

Check your towbar’s plate before you order

The carrier sits on an A50 tow ball, and the manufacturer requires two ratings from the towbar: a vertical load (S value) of at least 150 kg and a D-value of at least 7.6 kN. The S value is the weight the ball can take resting on top of it. Both are on the plate or in the documentation of the towbar, not of the car, and they vary a lot from one model to another. If the ball is mounted on a drawbar, the drawbar has to meet the same ratings. The lights plug into the 13-pin 12 V socket; with a 7-pin one you need an adapter.

02 · LOADING

The lifter slots in and the latch locks it on its own

Before loading, the Kaptarlift’s clamps are removed and refitted the other way round, as the manual explains. You bring the lifter up to the carrier with its own lift — it takes a couple of tries to get the knack —, the centring pins line it up and an automatic latch locks it; then you tighten the strap and adjust the lower supports. To take it down, you release the latch by hand.

03 · ON THE ROAD

Main switch off and steady driving

While travelling, the lifter’s main switch stays off, and the carrier is not opened with the lifter on it. Check the lights every time you fit it. According to the manufacturer, it holds a quality certificate from JÁFI-AUTÓKUT (Budapest, 2023), valid in Europe; fitting the number plate is up to you, and it is worth checking what your country’s regulations require for a carrier mounted on the tow ball.

04 · BEFORE YOU BUY

It is designed solely to carry Kaptarlift lifters; it does not work as a bike rack or a luggage carrier. Made to order.

▶ SEE IT IN ACTION