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Hi Guys,

I'm looking to put a towbar on a 2010 Skoda Octavia. Two options - fixed or detachable swan neck type.

The detachable will certainly look a lot neater as the socket is also hidden when not in use. I will be using the towbar to carry a bike rack once or twice a month.

Does anybody have any experience of these? Do they give any issues with wear and tear etc?

I'm also getting different information on the fixed towbar interfering with the rear parking sensors ??

Thanks in advance

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I have a detachable Witter on my Scout, fixed towbars look rubbish.

If the car is a keeper then pay the extra for a detachable. Mine doesn't affect the rear sensors at all.

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Can I ask a question on the back of this thread??

What provision is there for the 'trailer tell-tale' in an Octavia?

Is it an audible device ('buzzer'), or a small icon in the instrument panel??

As an aside to this, all of my previous Landies (barring the first one; a 1969 2A) had a little trailer icon in a dial, the attached pciture shows it on my old Discovery (300TDi)

post-87209-0-69839000-1331509365_thumb.jpg

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If the car is ordered from the factory with the tow bar preparation (specially adopted wiring loom to the back of the car), the tow bar is fitted and wired up correctly and finally it is coded properly to the CANBUS then there should also be a light that flashes on the dash to show that the indicators are working just like your Landy (rear parking sensors and the rear fog lights are disabled too when something is hooked up).

The problem is to get all three of the above steps completed above is a rarity.

My Octavia has the old style buzzer in the boot somewhere.

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Bought the Westfalia detachable and dedicated electrics for my VRS estate. Well worth that bit extra IMHO. I dont use towbar more than twice a month and simple to attach and detach. Fitted it myself. Took a day and a few cursesand will flash up in dash if bulb fails. Simples.

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I have the detachable Westfalia with the official Skoda wiring kit.

I was told that the Westfalia would fit in the spare wheel cutout, but the version I bought didnt.

Was a bit gutted actually and wish that I had just bit the bullet and bought it from Skoda, given that it was such an expensive exercise anyway!

I just store mine in the supplied bag in the storage area in the left hand side of the boot.

Heres a couple of pics:

NewOctavia8.JPG

NewOctavia16.JPG

NewOctavia17.JPG

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You don't get a warning buzzer or light on the dash anymore. If properly wired up and programmed, you get a bulb failure warning from the trailer lamps.

Some modern caravans have LED lamps which can cause a problem as they don't draw much current and the ECU thinks the bulb has blown!

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Phosphoric is right, I have the Skoda towbar and wiring Kit fitted without the factory prep. If I have a bulb failure on the trailer it brings up the bulb warning light on the dash.

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I have the detachable Westfalia with the official Skoda wiring kit.

I was told that the Westfalia would fit in the spare wheel cutout, but the version I bought didnt.

I thought the same. I do think it is a very good towbar mind.

What brand of bike rack are you using? Does it work well with your detachable towball?

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I thought the same. I do think it is a very good towbar mind.

What brand of bike rack are you using? Does it work well with your detachable towball?

Hi mate,

Yeah it 's so easy to put on and take off - but I was dissapointed it didnt go in the cutout. But you are right, it is a nice towbar.

Mines a Thule 9 series (9607 or something like that) and it works fine with my towball.

I've had it about 4 years and it's used at least once a week. It has been all over the country without any problems.

Once it's clamped it doesnt move at all.

My mate bought the 2 bike version and he had a nice locking mechanism, with built in security lock on his towball attachment (you just push a metal flap down once it's on the towball).

Mine was different when I got it, as it has a threaded bolt that you tighten up on the ball with a supplied flat spanner.

I also bought the Thule lock that then fits over the bolt for security - I guess mine was just an earlier version or something.

I would recommend it for the money - at the time I paid £55 from Halfords (one of these % off weekends) and my mate paid £50 for his also from Halfords.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for all the replies and info guys.

I got an original Skoda detachable towbar fitted today in main dealer. It looks great, well, as far as towbars can :giggle:

A few problems though:

1. When the bike rack is fitted and the light board connected, the parking sensors do not recognise it and lets me know!

Can this be rectified? The dealer says no :devil:

2. When the light board is connected, a buzzer goes off when I indicate either left or right ??? Can this be sorted out? Once again the dealer says no :devil:

Thanks in advance

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I cannot answer point 1) however in answer to pint 2) it is mandatory that the driver is aware of the failure of the trailer (trailer board) indicators.

Some cars have an additional light on the dashboard however if not, or even if they do but in incorrect wiring loom is used, a buzzer is used to signal that the indicators on the trailer are working. If the buzzer does not sound when you indicate then the trailer indicator is not working and traffic behind does not know that you intend turning.

Richard

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When you order a new Octavia there is a factory 'tow bar preperation' option you can pay for. This is some type of wiring from the front of the car to the back which makes it easier for the tow bar fitter to enable the various different functions.

This was discussed in detail on the Yeti forum but if I remember correctly it is still possible to automatically disable the rear parking sensors without this option so your dealer may be wrong - especially as you have the genuine Westfalia bar.

There are quite a few other features too such as the disabling of the rear fog light on the car (to prevent dazzle/reflection off a caravan) and also a light in the dash which shows that the indicators are working instead of the buzzer you have.

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