Mounting arrangement for a trailer coupling

Tractor vehicle for towing semi-trailers, including:

• a chassis with a pair of rearwardly extending opposite left and right frame side members;
• left and right bearing blocks, each having a support surface and a pivot bearing;
• each of the left and right bearing blocks being fixed to the chassis;
• a coupling saddle plate pivotally mounted from the opposite pivot bearings of the left and right bearing blocks;
• and
• a diagonal cross brace extending between at least one of the left and right bearing blocks and a respective one of the transversely opposite right or left frame side members,
• wherein the left and right bearing blocks are each mounted to the chassis, to project above an upper horizontal flange of the respective one of the left and right frame side members, and wherein the first and second diagonal legs each extend from their bearing block with an inward end to adjacent a lower horizontal flange of the respective opposite one of the right and left frame side members.

Tractor vehicle for towing semi-trailers, including:

• a chassis with a pair of rearwardly extending opposite left and right frame side members;
• left and right bearing blocks, each having a support surface and a pivot bearing;
• each of the left and right bearing blocks being fixed to the chassis;
• a coupling saddle plate pivotally mounted from the opposite pivot bearings of the left and right bearing blocks;
• and
• a diagonal cross brace extending between at least one of the left and right bearing blocks and a respective one of the transversely opposite right or left frame side members,
• wherein the diagonal cross brace further includes a first diagonal leg, extending laterally inwardly and diagonally downward from the left bearing block and wherein a second diagonal leg, extending laterally inwardly and diagonally downward from the right bearing block,
• the tractor vehicle further including a chassis traverse between the opposite left and right frame side member, wherein inward ends of the first and second diagonal legs are joined to the chassis traverse.

Kit of parts for mounting a trailer coupling to a tractor vehicle having a chassis, the kit including:

• left and right bearing blocks, each having a support surface and a pivot bearing and adapted fixing directly to a chassis of a tractor vehicle;
• a coupling saddle plate for being pivotally mounting from the opposite pivot bearings of the left and right bearing blocks;
• and
• a diagonal cross brace comprising a diagonal leg adapted to extend from at least one of the left and right bearing blocks laterally inwardly and diagonally downward therefrom,
• wherein the diagonal cross brace includes first and second diagonal legs wherein inward ends of the first and second diagonal legs are adapted to be joined to a chassis traverse.