Newbie Hi all! Advice please

[JanD68]

Hi Everyone, I (We) bought our first caravan last week its an old one but to be honest it was a bargain & we know the previous owner wouldn't rip us off and it was bought on a bit of a whim :woohoo: My hubby wasn't keen on buying but I normally get my own way, although once he saw it he knew (hopefully) I had done the right thing. (We don't get a lot of time off so thats why I went for an old one as it might end up being sold quickly.)

The caravan is an Elddis 1998 Knightsbridge max weight 1300KG
My car is a BMW 4 series (Convertible hard top) and I don't have a towbar fitted - this is the advice I need - where is the best place to get once and what type please?

ANY advice would be greatly appreciated - I am also dreading towing! Not got anything planned as yet for our first outing as need the tow bar.

Sorry for waffling!

 

[Scorpy]

Hi -where are you based?
Would help to know where you are to recommend a fitter
Mike

 

[otherclive]

A BMW dealer would supply one if the car is type approved for towing. But rather than pay main dealer prices you could try an approved towbar firing Center who would supply a type approved unit. Do a search for Witter, Brinks, Thule or even Alko. All make good equipment but not alll do all cars. The choice would then be a fixed or detachable towball I guess with such a nice car you’d go detachable. Whatever do insist on the OEM harness and electrics as with modern cars being so software reliant you need to get it right. The towbar Center should recode the Car. But if not a BMW dealer or specialist will.

 

[Dustydog]

A BMW dealer would supply one if the car is type approved for towing. But rather than pay main dealer prices you could try an approved towbar firing Center who would supply a type approved unit. Do a search for Witter, Brinks, Thule or even Alko. All make good equipment but not alll do all cars. The choice would then be a fixed or detachable towball I guess with such a nice car you’d go detachable. Whatever do insist on the OEM harness and electrics as with modern cars being so software reliant you need to get it right. The towbar Center should recode the Car. But if not a BMW dealer or specialist will.

In my town the main dealers do not fit tow bars etc. They use the local professionals. The punter then pays £500 + more for the job! A lot of BMWs need an auxiliary cooling fan / system if used for towing. Check your handbook.

 

[audiorob]

Without knowing your location it is hard to advise - but google 'towbar fitters near me' and see what comes!
You have other decisions to make too - Do you want a fixed or detachable towbar - I picked one mobile company from the list to find current price for 2014 BMW 4 series is about 575 fitted fixed or 100 more detachable. Also do you want a flange head or a swan neck? If your van has a stabiliser head (that clamps onto the towbar with a lever handle) then you also need an alko towball (this gives greater clearance for the added dimensions of the stabiliser hitch head). The price includes basic 7 pin wiring for road lights - plus 50 for twin sockets or 13 pin plug. Your van will likely have twin plugs - later caravans have the jaegar 13 pin which is more reliable as it 'twist locks' to connect. If you are likely to update your van when you get to like the hobby then you can get an adapter to connect 13 pin on the car to twin plugs on the van (often available used!). You will find descriptions of the choices on at least one of the websites that features. I have always had Witter towbars fitted for over 40 years of towing - although as all bars have to fit to the manufacturers specified points there is probably less difference between manufacturers than previously.

 

[Niall_McIntosh]

I have found the best results come from using someone who has been recommended by someone you trust. In my case it was a mobile fitter who came to the house to do the work.

 

[Mel]

When you do get a tow bar fitted, remember to tell your insurance company. It is counted as an adaptation ( is that the right word) although not all insurers increase premiums for it. Still best to. Tell them though.
Mel

 

[Craigyoung]

When you do get a tow bar fitted, remember to tell your insurance company. It is counted as an adaptation ( is that the right word) although not all insurers increase premiums for it. Still best to. Tell them though.
Mel

Modification Mel i think you mean and it made no difference to our insurance

 

[ProfJohnL]

When you do get a tow bar fitted, remember to tell your insurance company. It is counted as an adaptation ( is that the right word) although not all insurers increase premiums for it. Still best to. Tell them though.
Mel

Modification Mel i think you mean and it made no difference to our insurance

That's not an excuse not to tell the insurer, different companies may have a different view as the risk associated with having a tow bar fitted.

 

[Craigyoung]

When you do get a tow bar fitted, remember to tell your insurance company. It is counted as an adaptation ( is that the right word) although not all insurers increase premiums for it. Still best to. Tell them though.
Mel

Modification Mel i think you mean and it made no difference to our insurance

That's not an excuse not to tell the insurer, different companies may have a different view as the risk associated with having a tow bar fitted.

Prof , at no point in my last reply did I say not to tell your insurance company ? all I said was we've told ours but it made no difference to the premium.

 

[otherclive]

When you do get a tow bar fitted, remember to tell your insurance company. It is counted as an adaptation ( is that the right word) although not all insurers increase premiums for it. Still best to. Tell them though.
Mel

Modification Mel i think you mean and it made no difference to our insurance

That's not an excuse not to tell the insurer, different companies may have a different view as the risk associated with having a tow bar fitted.

Mine added it to the schedule along with the MAD springs. Towbar did not increase premium. Additional risk of towbar is the added value, plus even a quite gentle rear end shunt can lead to underbody structural deformation which can be more expensive to repair, or in case of a Volvo 740 that I had a write off. Yet load and rear doors all shut perfectly.

 

[CustardAvenger]

The dealer retro-fitted Volvo towbar with detachable towball, counted as a manufacturer option (but still declared) whenever I have spoken to my insurer; so did not attract an additional premium. The tinted rear/load windows were also from factory so not mentioned. I always had to declare the fixed Witter towbar & window tints applied to my old car as they were aftermarket.

Regarding the BMW towbar option, the Witter website alludes to the 'EfficientDynamics' versions not being homologated for towing. OP may need to make to some phone calls to ensure a towbar could be fitted. If it was me with a convertible, I would opt for a detachable for the sake of styling.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Prof , at no point in my last reply did I say not to tell your insurance company ? all I said was we've told ours but it made no difference to the premium.

Hello Craig,

I was fully aware of your own actions becasue you had stated them, it was your last sentence that might be construed to suggest that because insurers don't increase premiums for tow bars, it isn't necessary to tell them.

 

[Parksy]

Before we all embark on an off piste course of nit picking semantics, I'm absolutely certain that the O.P Jan will have gathered from the helpful replies that she's so far received that it's important to inform the insurers of her towing vehicle about any modifications that are made, including the fitting of a tow bar.

Welcome to the forum Jan, congratulations on buying your caravan and don't worry too much about towing. We have plenty of advice to offer when the time comes for you to hitch up, and both of the main clubs offer caravan / trailer towing courses which will build your confidence and teach good habits.

 

[Grey13]

I would suggest going for a detachable one. I have one and it is really easy to clip in when towing and on my car you cannot see a sign of any tow bar or plugs when removed. My make is whitter which is a long standing reliable manufacturer of tow bars. https://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/towbars/bmw/4-series/convertible/53/f33-all-variants-check-efficient-dynamics-are-homologated-to-tow-as-not-all-are-8179

 

[Raywood]

You can get details of approved fitters by going on the Witter website. In most areas you will then have a choice so you can get quotes. You can also google towbar fitters and you will get both national and local firms. Do get quotes and go for a good recognised brand like Witter, Bosl or Westfalia.
BMW dealers will have a high labour charge assuming they do fit it so are probably not going to be competitive and you need a tow bar to suit your caravan and most dealers do not have the knowledge to help a novice get it right although there are exceptions. Many dealer do not actually fit these but farm them out to independant fitters as the dealers staff may not have the knowledge to fit this.
Your caravan will have the 12s electrics whereas a BMW tow bar will have a 13 pin plug. What to fit depends on how long you intend keeping that car and caravan. You can have a converter that will take the 13 pin on the car and the 12s on the caravan or have the car fitted wit the older system. A good fitting company will talk you through the pros and cons of this.
As for the insurance drivers towing caravans are generally recognised as a better risk and if your insurer wants more for the tow bar then go elsewhere at renewal. It is a modification though and even though most insurers will accept it wityhout increasing the premium you must declare it.

 

[Dustydog]

This article by our own Dave Motton will be of interest to the OP.

https://www.practicalcaravan.com/blog/45258-towing-with-a-convertible

 

[Beehpee]

I reckon you’d do well to get a quote for a towbar from Towtrust towbars, they are based in Atherstone and you can arrive at the factory where the towbars are made and they will fit it while you wait, I had one done there and if my memory is any good it took less than 2 hours with twin electrics, I shopped around and the price there was better than anywhere I could find, all the towbars they make and sell are type approved so quality isn’t an issue, I think the likes of witter are no better than any other towbar and you pay for the name which ups the price, it’s a bit like buying a jar of Nescafé at Aldi for £3 or buying the same jar at Waitrose and being charged a fiver, all you get for the extra is smarter dressed staff and a more upmarket shop, what you have when you get home is just the same.

BP