TOWBAR

[Stu999]

Hi,

I'm looking to fit a Detatchable towbar and single electrics to my 2006 Octavia 2 Vrs.

If you have one fitted could you post a picture of it up. I'm keen to see what it will look like as I'm worried it will spoil the look of the car!

I'm confused as to which way I should get the electrics done? I've been told I'll need a by pass relay but unsure where this goes or how it works. Not keen on the idea of scotch locking onto the existing wires! (if thats even done nowadays!)

Thanks

[JayTee]

Hi,

I'm looking to fit a Detatchable towbar and single electrics to my 2006 Octavia 2 Vrs.

If you have one fitted could you post a picture of it up. I'm keen to see what it will look like as I'm worried it will spoil the look of the car!

I'm confused as to which way I should get the electrics done? I've been told I'll need a by pass relay but unsure where this goes or how it works. Not keen on the idea of scotch locking onto the existing wires! (if thats even done nowadays!)

Thanks

Hi Stu,

I have also been researching towbars for Octavia Estate (same fitting as hatch) - detachable type is the neatest and there appear to be 3 types:

Witter, Westfalia and Bosal.

Cheapest price I could find as Buy Now on eBay was £133 for the Bosal.

For the electrics side, I have seen vehicle specific kit listed for Octavia '05 onwards price around £140! - however, the Octavia accessories brochure lists a electrrics kit for around £130 for a car without factory towbar prep. I would imagine that both of these would be 'plug & play' fitting.

If you use the by pass relay method, I presume that you do then have to intercept the vehicle wiring.

Unfortunately, some towbar fitters still do you scotchloks to connect to existing wiring :(

John.

[No Waiting]

You say "single electrics" the Sokdoa OEM kits use the standard 13pin socket, but not wired for a caravan (old 12S connections) just the lights.

Opt for the 13pin socket, it's much better and the old 7pin ones and 13-7pin adaptors can be picked up very cheaply, or if it's only you towing change the 7pin plug for a 13pin one.

If you have reversing sensors you'll want the OEM loom etc as this will disable the sensors (once correctly coded).

The Westfalia bars have a drop down plate for the 13 pins socket so you see nothing once the swan-neck is removed - as the the Skoda factory fitted tow bars.

[psycholist]

The wiring kit I used came from http://www.towequipe.co.uk and to fit you unplug the connections to each rear light and plug the trailer system between the lights and the car loom, so no splicing or anything like that. It came with a 7 pin trailer plug. The power is taken from a single wire run to the fuse box by the driver's door with its own fuse. The fixed towbar I have doesn't interfere with the parking sensors at all, and I don't reverse with a trailer often enough to worry about them complaining while I'm reversing. If you have ESP I think there's a benefit to using the OEM wiring as I think the ESP behaves differently if it knows its towing.

Edited 20 January, 2010 by psycholist

[Jeeves]

I've made similar enquiries in connection with my imminent Scout which has towbar prep. I believe the Westfalia Part No. is 317088600001, and Towequipe's part no. is 317088. Despite what their website says, they are confident it will fit unless there have been any changes they (or Westfalia) don't know about in connection with Octy II FLs generally.

The downloadable instructions suggest that the Scout needs a small piece cut out of the rear valance, and I'm left entirely baffled by the benefits of factory towbar prep unless you opt for the counterpart Skoda electrics kit. That may be Skoda part EEA600002EL4 @ £193.11 inc VAT (different part no.s without towbar prep come to only£165 unless I'm missing something), but the Towequipe part number includes electrics, so maybe some of that is usable. Towequipe want £423.52 inc VAT to supply and fit.

[Stu999]

The wiring kit I used came from http://www.towequipe.co.uk and to fit you unplug the connections to each rear light and plug the trailer system between the lights and the car loom, so no splicing or anything like that. It came with a 7 pin trailer plug. The power is taken from a single wire run to the fuse box by the driver's door with its own fuse. The fixed towbar I have doesn't interfere with the parking sensors at all, and I don't reverse with a trailer often enough to worry about them complaining while I'm reversing. If you have ESP I think there's a benefit to using the OEM wiring as I think the ESP behaves differently if it knows its towing.

I'm very intrested in this kit you used for the electrics, as I do not want to use scotch locks. Can you give me some more details on it?

If I got that kit and a detachable towbar (undecided which one yet) It sounds as if it would straight forward enough to fit myself.

Anyone know of anything else I should be aware of before I take the plunge!!

[patrolman]

I would go for the oem 13 pin kit ,Its a mission to fit ,but the benefits are ,Integrated bulb warning,ESP helping with trailer stabilaty,alarm activation,fog light out , park sensers off,

The 13 pin plug has an extra permanant +posative and -earth along with basic lights .When its fitted the lights will work staght away no need to rush and get it programed.

The up grade kit for us caravaners ads the ignition swiched lives and extra earth , but heres the thing with the two kits there are to many wires for the plug ,but caravans with a 13 pin plug from new only need 1 switched live ,

The instructions for my tow bar said i would need to cut the bumper but the cut was already there.

[Stu999]

I will only be towing a trailer so not to worried about ESP and don't have reversing sensers. I think a 7 pin plug will be fine for my use, unless it would be mad not to put a 13 in when i'm doing it anyway.

On the towequipe site but struggling to see what kit will be best. Looking at their pictures I have ruled out the Bosal detachable as it's still very visable when removed. The Witter looks ok, and nearly hidden when removed.

[TorqueDude]

Stu999 - If you PM me your email, I'll reply with a picture of my rear end. It may be a blue picture (thats the colour of my car) but I have the Witter fitted. Can't help with any of the details - I had a man do it!

[No Waiting]

Full install guide here - http://www.octavia-vrs.com/technical/estate_towbar.htm

[Jeeves]

Full install guide here - http://www.octavia-vrs.com/technical/estate_towbar.htm

Wow! Thanks for the link. Didn't realise that so much has to be done. Although I have factory towbar prep on my Scout, I don't really need the electrics. Can less trim be removed (in the boot area) for fitment of the bar only?

[Niall]

Is there a quick way to tell if your car has "Towbar Prep"?

As an ex-demo with most things ticked it would be super bonus if I had this too and never realised. Otherwise I'm still saving up (so many other things get in the way) for the Witter detachable AND their CAN loom which is slightly cheaper than the Skoda one.

Niall

[gregoir]

I've had the Westfalia detachable tow hitch fitted. It is invisible normally, when the hitch is unplugged, and you would have to peer under the rear valance to see the attachment. The electrical socket hinges out of sight sideways.

Integrated bulb warning,ESP helping with trailer stability,alarm activation,fog light out , park sensors off, do not bother me.

I do not tow and only carry bicycles on a substantial hinging rack with integrated lights. .

The wailing when I occasionally reverse is livable with.

The installation looks neat, involving a relay board somewhere. and picks up power via a piggy back fuse in the fuse box. Not affected the operation of the car.Previous main dealer installations have involved Scotchlok connectors.

[Jeeves]

Is there a quick way to tell if your car has "Towbar Prep"?

As an ex-demo with most things ticked it would be super bonus if I had this too and never realised. Otherwise I'm still saving up (so many other things get in the way) for the Witter detachable AND their CAN loom which is slightly cheaper than the Skoda one.

Niall

Aside from a search for the deciphering of build codes (i've seen it somewhere here), I'll take a photo next time I'm in at the dealer as they have one. When I had a look, there was a visible round trim plug which may also be present on non-prepped cars too. As mine is "on the boat", I won't know too much more until it arrives.

[psycholist]

When I asked my local dealer about a towbar he showed me the kit they used in the dealership and neither the towbar or the electrics were Skoda OEM and the electrics were splice-in. Here's the kit I fitted: http://www.towequipe.co.uk/products/bwir748107-car-specific-towbar-wiring-fits-skoda-octavia-hat-04-on.html

[Stu999]

Thanks for all the info.

I now think I am going to go for a Witter detachable. Towequipe are currently checking to see if a Witter detachable will fit the Vrs model. If so I'll go for it.

As for the electrics Towequip has said I'll need the kit no: 19220506RC at £158.92 but I can't see any difference to the kit you fitted 'Psycholist' at only £70.72. (kit no BW1R748107)???? Does your kit come with the plugs which go into the light cluster?

Did you fit it yourself? How did you find it, that will be my next head buster!

[psycholist]

The kit came with everything needed including the fuse for connection to the fuse box by the driver's door and sticky tape to stick the control box down in the rear wheel arch under the boot lining. I fitted it with the help of a friend of mine in the driveway of my house. Taking the bumper off takes a while the first time (It takes a lot less time subsequently because you don't need to spend as much time looking for bolts), trying to keep track of all the torx bolts is a bit of a pain too, just have somewhere safe to put them while the bumper is off. You'll need a stubby ratchet to get at the bolts in the rear wheel arches without removing the rear wheels - I did it all without jacking the car, just backed it uphill on my driveway to give a little more view under the bumper.

I used the guide linked above for my fitting and the towequipe kit is easier to fit than the OEM one described there thanks to it only having a single wire sent to the fuse box, so you don't need to go near any of the B pillar lining, just pull the wire through the sill with a coathanger.

[Stu999]

Did you need to go to Skoda for reprogramming, as I've been told I will need to do this?

[psycholist]

Not for the wiring I fitted, but then I don't have ESP and am not too worried about the parking sensors complaining when I reverse with a trailer. For the OEM kit you need to do some programming AFAIK.

Edited 22 January, 2010 by psycholist

[Stu999]

Just a little update to this thread.

I have just had a Detachable Witter Towbar (SK18Q) fitted with single electrics. I'm very happy with how hidden it is when it's removed. Unable to really see anything at all. It clips and locks in very easily.

Glad I went for this model in the end!

[splat]

Hi,

I'm looking to fit a Detatchable towbar and single electrics to my 2006 Octavia 2 Vrs.

If you have one fitted could you post a picture of it up. I'm keen to see what it will look like as I'm worried it will spoil the look of the car!

I'm confused as to which way I should get the electrics done? I've been told I'll need a by pass relay but unsure where this goes or how it works. Not keen on the idea of scotch locking onto the existing wires! (if thats even done nowadays!)

Thanks

I have the Witter detachable system, which is near-invisible when removed. Its fitted with Witter's dedicated wiring kit, which plugs in behined the boot trim somewhere. No new coding was needed; the bulb failure and fog-light off both worked. Using the vehicles bulb-failure warning means no need for the annoying beeping of other systems to meet the legal requirement. I assume the ESP changes work, but that's harder to test! I don't have parking senors. The dedicated kit means no splicing into the wiring harness, but it still needed a 3-core wire from the fuse box to the rear of the vehicle.

I'm about to order a new car and have two related questions:

1. What does the "tow bar prep" provide? I'm assuming its just the wire from the fuse box to the boot. But do any of the after-market dedicated wiring kits make use of this? If so its worth having to avoid removing too much trim on a brand new car.

2. Does anyone know how the bulb failure works with Maxi-dot? Does it tell you whether the light is on the trailer or car, or which trailer light has failed?

[GsyNiall]

Can you please tell me what "Re-Coding" or Reprogramming" is?

 

I bought a towbar kit and wiring harness - all worked beautifully.

 

Now - the radio is acting like the antenna has become diconnected - and a car radio/electrics specialist says it's OK.

 

Should I go to my Skoda garage to have something done?