I have had a number of quotes from mobile tow bar fitters for my Octavia 4X4. All about £280. Non mobile have quoted £370 and £470

My concern is that the mobile fitters do not use a dedicated system whilst the others do. Will this foul up the electrics on my car. They say not but then they would. Which system is best?

I have had a number of quotes from mobile tow bar fitters for my Octavia 4X4. All about £280. Non mobile have quoted £370 and £470

My concern is that the mobile fitters do not use a dedicated system whilst the others do. Will this foul up the electrics on my car. They say not but then they would. Which system is best?

Is it much more expensive to fit a towbar to a 4x4 version? I've just had a towbar fitted to my ordinary Octy at a firm's premises in Chester and paid £260. This included a number plate, the guard to stop me mangling the rear bumper when the trailer gets perky when I'm trying to attach it, a large dollop of paperwork for the warranty and to confirm it met all the legal requirements, and a lift in the firm's van to a cheap barber to pass the fitting time and help reduce the wife's nagging about the state I get myself into.

I think it's a Witter towbar, it all seems fine and they couldn't have been more efficient and pleasant to deal with. The only thing I don't like is the thin plate that they attach the socket to. I've had to replace these on previous vehicles. Why do they make them so bendy?

Having just spent £616 on a Witter Quantum Detachable with Witter Dedicated Electrics (this is a competive quote!) the decision making process goes something like this

Does your car have reversing sensors?

If no - move to bypass relay (i.e. cheap electics) with a fixed or detachable tow bar dependent on budget or personal preference.

If yes - Go fixed if you want to gamble whether the sensors will pick up the towball all the time, or pay extra and go for a detached to ensure that there's no problem.

Can you live with the sensors screaming at you everytime you reverse with something attached?

If no - go with dedicated kit and get the car coded so that reverse sensors are disabled when a light board is plugged in

If yes - go with bypass relay

I got the bar fitted this weekend, and bar some teething problems (predominantly because the installer wasn't too clued up on modern car electrics it seems or have a code reader to clear temporary faults he'd created) I'm now quite happy with it.

Basically had the money available and as we'll be keeping this for a long time I wasn't prepared to compromise. 5 years from now and sick to death of the sensors constantly beeping at me everytime I was towing or carrying bikes I'd probably be cursing that I hadn't spent the extra at the time if I'd gone down the much cheaper bypass relay route.

Niall