VW Supplied Towbars For 2001 Passat Estate

[truckin73]

Hi There,

Currently have a 2001 VW Passat Estate and am about to fit towbar. Would it be possible for someone to send me pictures of what the VW supplied Fixed 2 Bolt Flange and Fixed Swan Neck towbars look like as am having great difficulty sourcing images. Will supply email address for sending images to if anyone gets back to me.

Thanks,

Keith

 

[MONKEY1]

choochter,

The majority of towbars made for the VW/Audi/Seat?Skoda group are made by Brink, I believe some are made by Bosal as well (this includes some of the higher end detachable type) On our Sharan we have a PCT bar fitted which according to my fitter friend are the most underrated bars in the country. (certainly it looks and feels a solid piece of Sheffield steel)

I think most people will concur with this - the installation is actually more important than the type of bar selected and with the fixed swan neck bars you only need some to reverse into it and the geometry is straight out . New Bar time !!

Good luck

Monkeys Husband

 

[Lutz]

Chances are pretty good that you'll find a photograph of a VW Passat towbar if you look in Ebay.

 

[cris_408518]

I was told that nost car manufacturers put there new model tow hitch's out to tender. Normally either Brink or Bosal get the contract, but both will supply approved bars to factory spec no matter who gets the contract as the car manufacturers chosen " factory fitted suupplier "

I use Bosal in preference to Mercedes Brink own supplied brand as I pay about a 1/3 of Mercedes price. Bosal detachable bar has a lock as a standard feature where as it is extra with Brink.

Small supplier such as All Tow at Sonning near reading tells it straight and fits with no messing or hidden extras.

 

[Lutz]

Oris is another major supplier of factory-fitted towbars. Many of the Vauxhall/Opel towbars are Oris.

 

[RogerL]

GM/Opel/Vauxhall towbars used to be exclusively Brink - have they changed to Oris?

 

[Lutz]

I don't know what the share of each supplier is and which one supplies what model (although I could find out) but I do know that Oris is a well represented. By the way, Oris are also a major supplier to Mercedes Benz, Ford and Land Rover (among others).

 

[Lutz]

I don't know what the share of each supplier is and which one supplies what model (although I could find out) but I do know that Oris is a well represented. By the way, Oris are also a major supplier to Mercedes Benz, Ford and Land Rover (among others).

Maybe Brink is the towbar that is offered as a dealer-fitted accessory but not the production-fitted version. Accessories and production components are sourced by different departments so the suppliers need not necessarily be the same (and often aren't).

 

[Lutz]

As far as I have been able to find out, neither Brink nor Bosal supply any of the factory-fitted towbars to Opel/Vauxhall. All Astras, the Meriva and the Vectra Estate are Oris and Westfalia the rest.

 

[Dave_5040181]

I have a 2001 Passat as well. I didn't get a factory fitted towbar as the price was extortionate. I went to my local towbar fitters and I have never had a problem. Probably towed in excess of 30,000 miles. I am not sure why there is a debate about towbars. Am I missing something ?

 

[RogerL]

My '00 Vauxhall Astra, built in Antwerp Belgium, has standard-fit Brink towing equipment. They may have changed supplier recently, though.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

This is news to me and interesting.

I thought in my innocence that towbars were fitted by the supplying dealer or after market specialist employed by the dealer or customer.

If they are factory fitted there would have to be an assembly line set up and I am surprised that that is the case.

That is not to imply that I doubt that it is true.

 

[Lutz]

Some, though not all, Opel/Vauxhall models are available with towbars which are fitted on the production line (Meriva/Astra/Zafira/Vectra). The rest are factory-approved but dealer installed.

The advantage for the customer over here on the Continent is that you don't need to have the car re-MOT'd. Fitting a towbar constitutes a technical modification to the vehicle which must be approved and entered in the vehicle registration papers in some countries. Having the towbar installed by the car manufacturer means that all necessary entries are already included in the vehicle log book even before the car is delivered to the dealer.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Some, though not all, Opel/Vauxhall models are available with towbars which are fitted on the production line (Meriva/Astra/Zafira/Vectra). The rest are factory-approved but dealer installed.

The advantage for the customer over here on the Continent is that you don't need to have the car re-MOT'd. Fitting a towbar constitutes a technical modification to the vehicle which must be approved and entered in the vehicle registration papers in some countries. Having the towbar installed by the car manufacturer means that all necessary entries are already included in the vehicle log book even before the car is delivered to the dealer.

Most interesting Lutz

From my days in Berlin I am not surprised that there is stricter control in Germany but its interesting to read of the implications.