urgent help re type of tow bar for new car

[RogerP]

Hi I'm getting a new car next week and the dealer is fitting a tow bart for me as part of the deal (hopefully tomorrow)

Question I have is should I go for a swan neck or bolt on jobby.

the help I need is to understand if there is anything technically different that I could not use one or the other with my hitch (ALKO 3004).

When I had the tow bar fitted on my current car and went to collect the van the caravan dealer changed the bolt on tow ball.

I didn't ask why and cant see any obvious reason in the difference other than the one I had origianlly is gold in colour.

Can any one help or doesn't it matter?

 

[RogerL]

A stabiliser hitch, like the AKS 3004, needs more clearance around the neck of the tow-ball.

Swan neck provide this clearance routinely but conventional bolt-on balls don't.

Either have a swan-neck OR have a bolt-on but get the dealer to use the ball from your old car as that seems to be a correct one.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Have a look at this

http://217.199.167.226/edit/files/support/Proddata32.doc

 

[Damian]

Roger, yes it does matter.

The Al-Ko fixed towball has an extended neck compared to a standard towball to allow the room needed by the 3004 to articulate on the towball without fouling either the car or the lower edge of the towball itself.

Provided the swan neck version meets the same requirements, then the choice is yours, but if you opt for the bolt on type it MUST be the extended neck Al-Ko and with both types have all the paint or other finish removed from the ball to prevent contamination of the friction pasd in the hitch.

 

[Bezzer]

Another thing to consider is where your rear number plate is. If it's low down it shouldn't be obstructed by the towball when not towing so you need a detachable swan neck. Reason I say this is loads of dealers haven't got a clue, mine didn't know why Toyota only listed a detachable for the Rav and insisted he could get me a fixed one until I told him why. Wasn't going to pay Toyota prices anyway and went somewhere else for half the price.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Roger, yes it does matter.

The Al-Ko fixed towball has an extended neck compared to a standard towball to allow the room needed by the 3004 to articulate on the towball without fouling either the car or the lower edge of the towball itself.

Provided the swan neck version meets the same requirements, then the choice is yours, but if you opt for the bolt on type it MUST be the extended neck Al-Ko and with both types have all the paint or other finish removed from the ball to prevent contamination of the friction pasd in the hitch.

I think that the inference in the original posting was that a correct ball was available to transfer

 

[Damian]

Roger, yes it does matter.

The Al-Ko fixed towball has an extended neck compared to a standard towball to allow the room needed by the 3004 to articulate on the towball without fouling either the car or the lower edge of the towball itself.

Provided the swan neck version meets the same requirements, then the choice is yours, but if you opt for the bolt on type it MUST be the extended neck Al-Ko and with both types have all the paint or other finish removed from the ball to prevent contamination of the friction pasd in the hitch.

As Roger had said

"I didn't ask why and cant see any obvious reason in the difference other than the one I had originally is gold in colour."

there would appear to be no inference that he would have asked for the old ball to be changed, and the fitter would probably automatically fit the one supplied in the kit.

Trouble almost always seems to happen when "inferences" are assumed, rather than fact established.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Roger, yes it does matter.

The Al-Ko fixed towball has an extended neck compared to a standard towball to allow the room needed by the 3004 to articulate on the towball without fouling either the car or the lower edge of the towball itself.

Provided the swan neck version meets the same requirements, then the choice is yours, but if you opt for the bolt on type it MUST be the extended neck Al-Ko and with both types have all the paint or other finish removed from the ball to prevent contamination of the friction pasd in the hitch.

Hi Damian I agree about assumptions and that is why I posted the link to Alko but

"When I had the tow bar fitted on my current car and went to collect the van the caravan dealer changed the bolt on tow ball"

seems to indicate that the dealer knew what he was doing or he wouldn't have bothered

It would seem unlikely that he would change the gold ball for anything but an Alko but this is not meant to be a confrontation just a passing observation

You can't be too careful on sites like this as anything can be read into anything by different people

Regards

 

[RogerP]

Many thanks for all the info provided , especially the technical page.

I gave the dealer the the details and advised him the measurements that needed to be considered. It rurns out that the swan neck would be too close to the body work so the bolt on type is the best fit.

Having looked again at the bolt ons there does appear to be difference , now I know what to look.

Really glad I asked the question as this could have been costly. Because the new car has a sport styling pack fitted the rear bumper is slightly larger than standard. Had I not given the dealer the measurments the swan neck would have been too close to the body work and the hitch would not have engaged.

Excellent help really appreciate it

 

[Thorpedo]

RogerP

If you wanted to add a cycle carrier bracket to the towbar you would need a bolt on type tow ball.

The same is true if you wanted to fit a bumper protection plate to help avoid that sickening crunch as you reverse the car bumper into the tow hitch.