To pick a Towbar and Wiring

[Richard_5110931]

Hi,

To cut a long story short I bought a new car last Oct spoke to someone about caravining got the bug again after 10 years or so absence and ofcourse I aint got a towbar! been looking trying to source the bar that the manufacturer would fit and came up with "Westfalia" Theres no cutting of bumpers and its detachable.

I just wandered what you guys think ?

The next question arose when on the wesfalia site they sell a 13 pin socket with it.

Is this within U.K. regs or not?

Next question could the wiring that comes with it not be changed to suit our 2 plug system ?

The car is a Lexus RX300

price from lexus a cool 1000 smackers includes everything

 

[cris_408518]

You should find that Brink or Bosal offer detachable tow bars for yours and most cars. And there fitting will probably mean no cutting of the Bumper. I would only buy detachable now, as my legs can't take any more tow bar knocks

Give "AllTow" (cut and paste link below

http://sitebuilder.yell.com/sb/Displaycompany.do?p=homepage&id=SB0001507221000120)
at Sonning near Reading a call for price and details of Bosal or other detachable bars for your car, they are also main Witter dealers. Witter web site price for your cars bar is

 

[rob_jax]

Hi,

A detachable tow-bar is a real bonus - no knee cracks when walking behind the car or dirty trousers when loading the boot, and it doesn't advertise that you have something worth stealing.

Try to buy a tow-bar that doesn't need the rear bumper to be cut, it may make it easier to sell the car later on - and a detachable tow-bar will help.

The advantages of the ISO 13 pin connector are that it's properly designed for the job, it's water-proof, it doesn't suffer from corrosion, and it has a positive twist-lock.

The Brink detachable tow-bar fitted to my Mercedes hides the ISO 13 pin connector up under the bumper when the tow-bar is removed, so everything is nice and clean when you come to use it. This is definitely worth having.

To the best of my knowledge you can't get a "swing-up / hide-away" system for the old 12N+S system.

The disadvantage of the ISO 13 pin connector is that the UK caravan industry uses the old 12N+S system, so you would need to change the caravan plugs over as well. If you have a second trailer - glider - boat - whatever - then you'll need an ISO connector for each of them, or if you tow someone else's trailer then a

 

[354]

Just had a Brink Eclipse removable bar fitted to ou Grand Cherokee, I was nervous about getting the bumper cut, but the fitter asured me it wouldnt show and I can confirm the cut doesnt show. The advantage of the Brink eclipse is that whilst it is removeable it can also be locked onto the car when needed. Total cost was

 

[Richard_5110931]

Thanks to one and all for replying and thanks for the help

Dick

 

[Guest]

It is a topsy turvy world with tow bars and wiring. My 2004 caravan was a European model sold in the UK. It came with a 13 pin plug and cable on the wiring. My original car was wired up by Witter and came with both 12N and 12S sockets so I had to get an adaptor cable to fit everything.

My 2005 caravan, also from the same European Company and sold in the UK, has been 'UK'ised and has been rewired with both 12N and 12S plugs on separate cables. My new (to me) car has the manufacturer's detachable towball, and wiring and comes with a 13 pin plug. So I have had to get the reverse adaptor cable to make it all work.

I now have lots of adaptor cables.

 

[adrian_5081108]

Hiya mate, I fitted a Westfallia tow bar to my Zafira GSI. It is totally invisible when the swan neck has been removed. I was chuffed to bits and also I did not have to cut the bumper at all. When it comes to Westfallia I would give them 10/10

Adrian