Increasing trailer height

Tow ball drop plates are readily available.

I'm sure that's best, but how about bigger wheels for the trailer?

Which would mean two new wheels, two new tyres, probably two new mudguards and, quite possibly two new hubs or suspension units if the bolt holes are different in the new wheels. The drop plate would be quicker, easier and cheaper.

Certainly the simplest answer, but many towbars are fixed height, swan-neck ones these days. If that is the case or if the trailer is likely to be towed by other vehicles with similar height hitches, you could raise the hitch on the trailer instead.

If it's a basic, unbraked trailer with a fixed hitch on two bolts, remove the two bolts, add a piece of square or rectangular box section (with a pair of anti-crush tubes welded in) and bolt back with longer bolts.

If it's a fixed or overrun type hitch on four bolts, get some steel u-channel, cut angles and bend to match the a-frame (or cut three separate pieces) and weld to those angles. Bolt adaptor to a-frame holes and hitch to adapter.

Nah, smaller wheels for the car.

It may be common knowledge, or matter naught, but I thought I'd just mention that both tow bars and trailers have been subject to type approval for a while now.

Indeed, and if the towbar had not been approved to use with a dropper plate, using one would be technically illegal. How much that matters in practice depends on the weight of the trailer. A light unbraked trailer would be fine, but a heavy trailer would impose large torsional loads on the towbar for which it hadn't been designed.

Fit bigger tyres Use goose neck trailer hitch Replace existing ball with lower (offset) one Replace car.

Thanks all for your suggestions. To clarify the tow bar is a swan neck one so don't think the plate option will work. Also as mentioned above new wheels/ tyres would be an expensive solution as we don't really use it very often. I tried searching for a goose neck trailer hitch but all I can find are ones that go on flat bed trucks?

Try searching for “cranked drawbar”. I don’t know if they come with various levels of “cranking” but I reckon they should do.

Eg.

Without knowing th type of coupling on your trailer, would one of these do the trick?

What make is the tow-bar?

Can you get an alternative swan-neck? How is it attached?

The fitting on the trailer is a 2 bolt one. The tow bar was on the car when we got it. I believe it is a factory fitted Ford one if the a helps. I can't find any information about it online only after market ones

What sort of suspension does the trailer have? Is there any scope for inserting packing pieces between the suspension units and the trailer chassis?

If it's like this:

A few bags of cement in the back of the 'car' ? :-)

Or alternatively, lower the towbar but keep the ball in the same place, which is what I presume these attachments are for -

Looking very much suited to american tow-hitches