Just had a look at the Towequipe web site for a towbar for my vectra. They offer one by Towtrust (flange type) which is cheap and appears easy to fit, does anyone know anything about this brand?
Vectra Towbar
- Thread starter JandP
- Start date
I would be very wary of any of any suspiciously cheap offer for a towbar from any but a well-known brand. Usually you get what you pay for and cheap usually means the manufacturer has cut corners somewhere (poor rust protection, for example).
The fact that a towbar must be type approved does give some guarantee that the product is reasonably durable but that only applies to the towbar itself not to the way it is fastened to the car body.
The fact that a towbar must be type approved does give some guarantee that the product is reasonably durable but that only applies to the towbar itself not to the way it is fastened to the car body.
I would agree with Lutz. I once bought a bar from Towsure. I am not dissing that company specifically , but you get what you pay for. It didn't fail or anything, but Witter (or similar) - although more expensive - just looks, feels and sounds of higher quality.
I don't think I'm being a snob (although I don't buy Tesco value products either). But considering the capital cost of car and caravan, I don't think it's worth saving
I don't think I'm being a snob (although I don't buy Tesco value products either). But considering the capital cost of car and caravan, I don't think it's worth saving
Type Approval for towbars for '98-on cars specifically INCLUDES the way the towbar is fitted to the car - it MUST use ALL of the mounting points designated by the car manufacturer.
Unless you're an engineer with independent testing facilities you have to take type approval as a mark of quality - there is no other way for a consumer to identify quality.
The well-known brands include a premium just for their name, you don't necessarily get a better tow-bar.
Unless you're an engineer with independent testing facilities you have to take type approval as a mark of quality - there is no other way for a consumer to identify quality.
The well-known brands include a premium just for their name, you don't necessarily get a better tow-bar.
I would agree completely Roger. All my towcars until now have been fitted with Towsure bars which I've found to be excellent, although the wiring kits aren't the best. All Towsure brackets have been manufactured to EC 94/20 since 1996 and are warranted for life the same as Witter. I have a Witter bar now (came with the car) and it's no different to the Towsure bar which I've seen on another car. To me you'd seem to paying for their name.
Roger, for the purposes of type approval testing, towing brackets must use the same location of the mounting points as specified by the car manufacturer but not the same mounting components. Often, additional reinforcements such as load-spreading plates are required on the inside of the vehicle where the towbar is bolted to the underbody but these reinforcements are not covered by the type approval. I know of at least one case where a towbar manufacturer supplied a much smaller mounting plate in the kit than necessary, causing later failure of the vehicle underbody structure, although the bracket itself was quite OK.
I agree that smaller companies with lower overheads and less costly advertising budgets should be able to produce a cheaper towbar of similar quality.
Unfortunately we are not able to compare specifications and even the old chestnut towball heights.
In these days of consumer groups its time that proper league tables of specs were available.
Possibly a career move for someone with a head for figures like Lutz or scope for "Which" magazine!!
As for some companies they save a lot on development costs by copying a type approved towbar and then testing their copy.
This happened to me as my X was used to test the new copy and then they fitted the bought in one to my car.
Unfortunately we are not able to compare specifications and even the old chestnut towball heights.
In these days of consumer groups its time that proper league tables of specs were available.
Possibly a career move for someone with a head for figures like Lutz or scope for "Which" magazine!!
As for some companies they save a lot on development costs by copying a type approved towbar and then testing their copy.
This happened to me as my X was used to test the new copy and then they fitted the bought in one to my car.
Thanks for all your comments. I have had another look at the website and it is really quite impressive. They offer a wide range of manufacturers and you can look at the fitting instructions which mostly include diagrams so you can see exactly what you get in the kit and how difficult it is to fit, for example some dont require bumper removal, others do and atleast one requires the bumper to be cut (no thanks!). The prices dont vary as much as I thought (eg Towtrust flange type
Hi Jim & Pauline,
I fitted a Towequipe bar to my Vectra Estate early last year and found it to be of comparable quality to Witter,instructions OK, very easy to fit, electrics and relays fine and 20-30% cheaper than the oposition.
My car is not the current model so I can only speak about that but found installation easy as Vauxhall provide a connector in the boot for the wiring and a spare fuse position for the power supply to the split relay. The Vectra Owners club website "how to" proved helpful in advising on the brake light warning relay and rear foglight isolation. Took me about half a days work to fit a dual plug bar with assistance from a Haynes manual for the wiring codes. You may be lucky and find your car has a bulb fitted in the trailer repeater on the dash - mine did not and removing the trim to access is a pain so I fitted the buzzer suplied with the kit which again was easy.
Go for it Towequipe are OK
I fitted a Towequipe bar to my Vectra Estate early last year and found it to be of comparable quality to Witter,instructions OK, very easy to fit, electrics and relays fine and 20-30% cheaper than the oposition.
My car is not the current model so I can only speak about that but found installation easy as Vauxhall provide a connector in the boot for the wiring and a spare fuse position for the power supply to the split relay. The Vectra Owners club website "how to" proved helpful in advising on the brake light warning relay and rear foglight isolation. Took me about half a days work to fit a dual plug bar with assistance from a Haynes manual for the wiring codes. You may be lucky and find your car has a bulb fitted in the trailer repeater on the dash - mine did not and removing the trim to access is a pain so I fitted the buzzer suplied with the kit which again was easy.
Go for it Towequipe are OK
Thanks David, that is useful information. My Vectra is the SRI150 estate, "02" model (petrol), how do you rate the Vectra as a tow car? I have heard that wheel spin can be a problem, I have previously only towed with rear wheel drive.
Mines an 2000 x reg 140 SRI Estate with LPG and if I'm honest it's not a good towcar for the very reason you are worried about - front wheelspin. I cannot get a van out of my storage site in the wet with the Vectra and damp grass on sites is always a problem. Power and torque is good however and onroad towing is great - I towed a Senator at 1330kg but if you are faced with grassy fields or sloping tracks it's dodgy - a lighter van may improve things. Traction control is no good when towing either, I found that it just brakes the spinning wheel and stalls the engine eventually - sorry to be gloomy, execellent sporty car otherwise though. I have now got an old 4x4 and a bigger van so don't tow with the Vectra - keeping it though as excellent otherwise and cheap to run on LPG.
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