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Tow bar help - supberb II estate


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Ladies and Gents, please could I have your help?

It's my Dads birthday in a couple of weeks and I know he's desperate for a tow bar. Now I no clue when it comes to towing as I cant even tow on my licence!

He has a Superb mk2, 13 plate, estate. I've had a look on witter's we site and they are like £500-600 i think...

He would want to be towing a caravan under 5 years old. Would a fixed flange type be best?

I dont know if this link will work, but is okay?

http://www.towsure.com/bundle/Skoda_Superb_MkII_Estate_10-_Fixed_Flange_Towbar

With an extended towball? I just have no idea about the electrics?

Looking forward to your help, thanms in advance

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I'd recommend searching this forum for tow bar/towbar. You might need to work through a few posts but you'll glean some good advice.

Decisions to make would include:

Fixed versus detachable - Fixed are convenient but you can catch your leg on them when loading the boot. Detachable have a max vertical ball weight of 75 to 80 kg I believe, so you would need to check what the down weight of the caravan was at the tow ball.

Electrics depends if you need split charging for a caravan battery / keep a fridge cool.

Integration with the CANBUS - a basic (cheap) installation can be done which scotch locks onto the rear light wires, etc. and not connecting to the CANBUS. The car will buzz when indicating and the parking sensors (if fitted) will sound a continuous beep when you select reverse, and they might pick up the tow bar even when nothing is attached. The car's rear fog light will still shine which can dazzle the driver as it reflects off the front of the white caravan.

A proper installation runs the wiring right through the car underneath the trim (which can apparently take half a day in itself) and connects to the car's CANBUS. The benefits of this method means:-

1) Rear parking sensors (if fitted) adapt their beam shape so they still work if the tow bar is in place (with nothing being towed).

2) When something is attached to the electrics it will disable the parking sensors and cars with a Columbus system will show a picture of a trailer to remind them, when in reverse.

3) The car's stability software adapts to include anti-snake.

4) If the car is locked and alarmed, the alarm will sound if the electrics are disconnected.

5) Only the trailer/caravan's rear fog light comes on.

There's probably more considerations and some conflicting views, so it might be worth giving your dad a printed voucher on his birthday and working through his needs before you take the plunge.

Edited by artichoke273
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I went with the Witter detachable from Hedley Alarms - which worked out a lot cheaper than you hve seen - check them out!! The bar should arrive in the next day or two & looks very easy to fit.

 

I fitted the Westfalia dedicated electrics which took around 4 hours to do, going slowly. most of the time was taken up working out how the trim clips off but all pretty much common sense. A bit hard getting the charge wire to the barttery but with the battery off you can see where the main loom goes through so that bad.  A bit fiddly swapping the canbus wire in one of the plugs & again installing teh 3 new fuses in the fuse box. Nothing broken and all back on sqeak & rattle free.

 

All the lights on the van worked straight off & when I coded the various bit on the car the fog & reverse sensors etc all work as descrivbed above.

 

I went dedicated electrics mainly to allow the ESP to work with the caravan - work the extra £80/90 in my opinion a no bainer!

 

There is a setting in the engine ECU for trailer (at least in my MY12 170cr estate) which I assume changes the engine characteristics when towing - can anyone shed any light on this?

 

First outing should be this weekend - fingers crossed.

 

Hope this helps.

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