Just fitted a towbar to my Vectra estate (52 reg old shape). A nice easy job, just drll out the 5 ready marked holes in the boot floor and open them out to 20mm, drop in the 5 spacer tubes (note-they are different sizes so be careful to put them in the right holes) and bolt the whole thing together. Easy, except mine nearly went horribly wrong! I drilled the holes and dropped in the first 4 spacers, no problem, a nice snug fit with the tops of the tubes level with the top of the boot floor but the 5th tube, which happened to be the shortest, was a bit too short and when I dropped it in it went right down inside, tipped on its side and rolled almost out of sight! I was lucky because I could just see it and I managed to fish it out with an old teaspoon bent to make a hook but if it had gone much further it might have been in there for ever rolling around on every corner! So my tip is, if you have to fit these tubes, slide the tube on a screwdriver first then put the screwdriver in the hole and slide the tube down into the hole. You will now be able to see if it is the correct height and if it's too short put another screwdriver up throught the hole underneath to hold it in place while you put the bolt in. Jim.
DIY towbar fitting -a warning!
- Thread starter JandP
- Start date
I've fitted numerous tow bars over the last thirty years, in recent years no drilling has been required on a variety of cars as most have the fixing points ready to be used!
I think you have been unlucky Jim and wouldn't want any DIYer put off as it is not the norm in my experience.
ps. I've also fitted the twin electrics for myself and friends, they have always worked first time and many are still working! The only problem I've ever encountered is from cheap relays that have failed and I've seen that on pro fit electrics!
I think you have been unlucky Jim and wouldn't want any DIYer put off as it is not the norm in my experience.
ps. I've also fitted the twin electrics for myself and friends, they have always worked first time and many are still working! The only problem I've ever encountered is from cheap relays that have failed and I've seen that on pro fit electrics!
Hi Cris, It was not my intention to put anybody off, far from it! Unfortunately with the Vectra you do have to drill these holes in the boot floor but they are marked for you with a dimple so its really very easy. They need to be 20mm which is quite big but you can buy a "cone cutter" from Towequipe (where I got my towbar) for about
Vauxhalls have always needed the holes drilled in the boot floor side of the chassis members but the holes are always marked by dimples which also centres the drill.
I would worry about professional towbar fitters - in a similar case to Jim & Paulines they'd just ignore the lost spacer and bolt the towbar in place.
Many caravanners think they get piece of mind by paying good money for safety related work but there's no guarantee that professionals are any better than diy'ers. From my own experience professionals, whether caravan workshops or car workshops, often prove to have less competence than a mere layman like me. These aren't valid statistics because of the small sample size, just the overwhelming evidence of my own experience.
I would worry about professional towbar fitters - in a similar case to Jim & Paulines they'd just ignore the lost spacer and bolt the towbar in place.
Many caravanners think they get piece of mind by paying good money for safety related work but there's no guarantee that professionals are any better than diy'ers. From my own experience professionals, whether caravan workshops or car workshops, often prove to have less competence than a mere layman like me. These aren't valid statistics because of the small sample size, just the overwhelming evidence of my own experience.
If it's any consolation, that's how the towbars are fitted when they are specified as a regular factory-fitted option on a new car, too - just the right tools and the necessary know-how on the part of the line operator. The holes are also drilled on the production line, before painting the body so that the bare sheet metal edges are protected against corrosion.
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