New C4 Picasso Towbar

[Shaun_374373893]

My father In-Law recently purchased a brand new C4 Picasso 2.0 HDI which was to be used to tow his new Bailey Pageant Monarch. The supplying garage arranged for the installation of a detachable towbar by Buchans. Now the problem is that the new tow bar from the center of the ball to the bumper is only 67mm which means that when coupled up to the caravan with the Alko hitch, it is so tight to the bumper that you have no clearance whatsover. When questioning Buchans they state that the manufacturer of the tow bar states that there should be a minimum clearance of 67mm, which there clearly is, but this is so tight to work with that damage will be almost certain.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice? Who should we challenge?

 

[Stephen_374341239]

hi Shaun

I had the same problem. Fit a AL-Ko tow ball will give you the correct clearance.All al-ko tow hitches need this type of tow ball.You should be able to pick one up on E bay.

Hope this helps Steve.

 

[Shaun_374373893]

Hi, the towball which was fitted is a full detachable (i.e. no bolts etc). It is a swan neck with a lock and key to detach. I am aware of the type of towball which you are referring to>

 

[Lutz]

A manufacturer who is not aware that AlKo couplings require more than 67cm clearance to the bumper obviously hasn't done his homework. All large reputable towbar manufacturers take the necessary extra clearance into consideration in their design.

 

[Guest]

Hi Shaun.

You don't say who makes your tow bar.

I mention this because we had a problem with a witter bar on a Sportage, and they were able to substitute a neck that solved the problem.

In our case, the tow ball was too low. Witter said they'd designed it to Kia's specification, but it was just too low when the van was hitched.

I forget the exact measurement, but it was right at the lowest end of the legal tolerances height.

Because the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscon are basically the same vehicle, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the tow bars would be the same - but they're not.

They both attach to the cars in the same way - but their is a marked difference in the centre bar that comes up and out from the central fixing point.

The Tuscon bar is higher, with a much more pronounced 'curve' that brings the tow ball flange (or ball, if it's a swan-neck) quite a lot higher, and also closer to the car (part of our problem was the ball was not only low, it was four or five inches from the bumper and looked very odd)

I know this doesn't solve your problem - but my point is that if you contact Witter (if it's a Witter bar) you'll find them very helpful - and they might well be able to send you (free of charge) a swan neck from another model that will protrude further away from the Renault bumper.

Other manufactures might also be able to do the same.

 

[RogerL]

Hi Shaun.

You don't say who makes your tow bar.

I mention this because we had a problem with a witter bar on a Sportage, and they were able to substitute a neck that solved the problem.

In our case, the tow ball was too low. Witter said they'd designed it to Kia's specification, but it was just too low when the van was hitched.

I forget the exact measurement, but it was right at the lowest end of the legal tolerances height.

Because the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscon are basically the same vehicle, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the tow bars would be the same - but they're not.

They both attach to the cars in the same way - but their is a marked difference in the centre bar that comes up and out from the central fixing point.

The Tuscon bar is higher, with a much more pronounced 'curve' that brings the tow ball flange (or ball, if it's a swan-neck) quite a lot higher, and also closer to the car (part of our problem was the ball was not only low, it was four or five inches from the bumper and looked very odd)

I know this doesn't solve your problem - but my point is that if you contact Witter (if it's a Witter bar) you'll find them very helpful - and they might well be able to send you (free of charge) a swan neck from another model that will protrude further away from the Renault bumper.

Other manufactures might also be able to do the same.

Selwyn - the manufacturer can only substitute the swan neck if the wrong one has been supplied - type approval regulations prevent the old mix-and-match, for excellent reasons.

Shaun - it would be helpful if you can identify the actual manufacturer of the towbar, it's on the towbar rating plate.

 

[Guest]

Selwyn - the manufacturer can only substitute the swan neck if the wrong one has been supplied - type approval regulations prevent the old mix-and-match, for excellent reasons.⇦br/>

I can categorically tell you that, last year, Witter supplied me (free of charge) with the central 'neck' from a Hyundai Tucson bar because the equivalent Kia 'neck' was far too low.

Whether they *should* have done, I've no idea - but they did, it solved the problem at a stroke, and I was grateful to them for sending it to me.