Tow Bar Prep

[splat]

What exactly is included in the "tow bar prep" factory option?

I understand it is purely electrical, nothing mechanical?

What wiring kit is required when fitting a tow bar to a car with this option? Are there any after-market ones, or is it only the [expensive] Skoda one?

My current Octavia has a witter tow bar and dedicated wiring kit. This wired into something behined the boot trim with no splicing, but required an extra wire pulling through to the fusebox. I assume the factory option means you don't need this wire, and hence don't need to remove lots of trim?

[Swizzle1000]

What exactly is included in the "tow bar prep" factory option?

I understand it is purely electrical, nothing mechanical?

What wiring kit is required when fitting a tow bar to a car with this option? Are there any after-market ones, or is it only the [expensive] Skoda one?

My current Octavia has a witter tow bar and dedicated wiring kit. This wired into something behined the boot trim with no splicing, but required an extra wire pulling through to the fusebox. I assume the factory option means you don't need this wire, and hence don't need to remove lots of trim?

Hi I have new VRS with Tow bar prep, I know the bumper is cut out at the factory as part of prep and I was told the wiring box is at the rear instead of the front of vehicle, also as part of the tow bar prep it can include an extra oil cooler and rad fan but im not sure if this is the case with the octavia I have not looked ! I got a detachable, double electrics on single connexion the only thing I dont like is that you can see the electric point as the car is well protected underneath and it could not fold under and I did not want the bumper cutting further ! The car sounds a slight bell sound when indicating when towing !

SI

[K1W1]

I have also been told that if you have rear parking sensors fitted the wiring prep causes the sensors to be disabled when reverse is selected with the trailer attached to the vehicle.

[Sarge]

Hi I have new VRS with Tow bar prep, I know the bumper is cut out at the factory as part of prep and I was told the wiring box is at the rear instead of the front of vehicle, also as part of the tow bar prep it can include an extra oil cooler and rad fan but im not sure if this is the case with the octavia I have not looked ! I got a detachable, double electrics on single connexion the only thing I dont like is that you can see the electric point as the car is well protected underneath and it could not fold under and I did not want the bumper cutting further ! The car sounds a slight bell sound when indicating when towing !

SI

That's really useful info, thanks. Is the bumper cut noticeable? I've ordered the tow bar prep. too , though I'm not planning a towbar just yet, and am worried now that I'm going to have a gap in the bumper. You don't have any pics do you?

Thanks.

Sarge

[bandit1]

That's really useful info, thanks. Is the bumper cut noticeable? I've ordered the tow bar prep. too , though I'm not planning a towbar just yet, and am worried now that I'm going to have a gap in the bumper. You don't have any pics do you?

Thanks.

Sarge

I have Factory Towbar prep on my FL vRS Est.

No bumper cut out on mine.........

[Stuart_J]

I was advised by a dealer to also cost out getting a complete aftermarked one, savings are as much as £400 over the full skoda instalation. If you have reversing sensors just make sure its a detatchable tow bar or the sensors go off everytime you reverse. I guess a lot depends on how often you intend to tow. Im going to tow occasionaly with the scout so will be going aftermarket

[Niall]

I am down in Cheshire on Friday for a long weekend at the Mother-in-Laws, have found a mobile outfit that will fit me a Witter Quantum Detachable with Witter's dedicated CAN wiring (like the Skoda one but a bit cheaper) for £500 inc VAT, a lot cheaper than anyone else, be they in Cheshire or up here. Will have to get the car coded afterwards at some point though as they don't do that.

Will let you know how the experience goes.....

...and if they're any good tell you who they are! (If you ever have any need to be in the area for a morning).

Nothing like making good use of a spare day!

Niall

[Stuart_J]

I am down in Cheshire on Friday for a long weekend at the Mother-in-Laws, have found a mobile outfit that will fit me a Witter Quantum Detachable with Witter's dedicated CAN wiring (like the Skoda one but a bit cheaper) for £500 inc VAT, a lot cheaper than anyone else, be they in Cheshire or up here. Will have to get the car coded afterwards at some point though as they don't do that.

Will let you know how the experience goes.....

...and if they're any good tell you who they are! (If you ever have any need to be in the area for a morning).

Nothing like making good use of a spare day!

Niall

Niall

THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a friend to visit in Cheshire later this year, if you could drop me a PM with youir experiences it would be most helpful. Especially as Ive just spotted yours is a scout as well

Edited 22 February, 2010 by Stuart_J

[sparky2]

Found out some good info here - http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/153288-westfalia-towbar-info/ cheers - Stuart.

[Niall]

Hmmmm,

Just had the Towbar People on the phone frantically back-pedalling. Apparently the nice lady on the phone wasn't giving me the full quote, she'd left off additional fitting time for dedicated CAN wiring.

So...

£393 for detachable with bypass relay and single electrics

or...

£616 for detachable with Witter's CAN-loom (single electrics) - which is still cheaper than others.

Which suddenly doesn't look like such good value. Is beeping reversing sensors when things attached really a £223 problem? Main use will be a ball mounted bike rack, most weekends, and a canoe trailer from time to time. Only doing this once, I want to do it "right" and the car will be with us until it dies, so maybe dedicated is still the way to go?

Niall

[redlemon]

just had a quote of £540 for a detachable witter towbar and canbus electric kit. they said that included coding it as well, which surprised me. south coast though.

is it possible to determine if the skoda towbar prep is done on a vehicle? a sticker somewhere perhaps?

Edited 22 February, 2010 by redlemon

[dandog]

Looking at previous post, shows how to mount tow bar etc, I would be tempted to mount the tow ball, looks just a methodical work through of bolting on, would buy proper can bus kit so no scotch locks, run cable to fuse box, and take car to veh electrician, probably take £30 max for him to do a 2 min job. Most of the quotes will be for labour at £50+ an hour for easy DIY work.

[sparky2]

have a look on the wesfilia site it even tells you the codes for the CAN bus !, look at the fitting and electrics guides, you just have to enter the make and model and it shows you how to do it. The mechanical side is easy as it has to use the cars mounting holes, you would have to remove the bumper and trim the plastic , and I think they make the original factory fitted towbars and electrics (any dealer lads confirm ?) or you could order the Skoda electrics ? cheers - Stuart.

[Neil Effer]

I specified tow-bar prep on my fl vRS hatch and I do have a cut-out underneath my rear bumper - seems like it was manufactured that way so guess Skoda probably have two bumper types made for with and without the prep.

[Jeeves]

Just fitted my Westfalia 317088 (from Towequipe) to my FL Scout with towbar prep. Skoda's bar is about £50 more and has a slightly different action according to the pictures that came with my Skoda electrics. The 317088 bar also fits Superb if mounted further out (2nd set of holes) and is the only difference I can see versus the superceded 317058 (which still appears on the Westfalia sticker).

I'm no good at DIY (wiring plugs is about my limit), but followed the guide from www.octavia-vrs.com which someone kindly pasted, and carefully removed the trim. The first piece was psychologically the most difficult as you feel like you're going to break it. Studying the pictures again gave me the confidence and guided me on the spacing of the clips to sequentially pop-off.

After that, I completed the interior with the second side being removed in less than half the time.

Thanks to my mate John (who had a better range of tools, and more importantly can tell the size by sight or even feel!) the bumper was removed easily without the need to either jack the car up or remove the wheels. The hardest part was the removal of the pins in the centre of the trim "plugs" covered by the rear lights (so that's why you take the lights out...). Suggest anyone masks the corners of the bodywork where the lights have just come out, as the removal of these pins is with a sudden jolt. Thankfully no paint was damaged, but had a close call. Likewise, we found out the clips holding on the exhaust heat shield unscrew after scratching our heads for a few minutes.

Skoda electrics for towbar prep are a doddle although you feel you've not got a lot for your money; and crucially for me involved no further trim removal i.e. to front. (yes - that's the difference with factory towbar prep).

Parking sensors aren't shreeking when I reverse (but do still work), and that's before I've even had it coded (which was part of the deal when I bought the Skoda electrics).

If I can do it, anyone can. Be inspired...