Towbar costs again

[Sanqhar]

There's always Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200614587755&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_886wt_103

tom

[tubalcain]

Thanks for the heads up on price I was thinking £500-ish as a ball park figure.

I had Autoroofs of Leicester (recommended by my local Skoda dealership) fit my tow-bar yesterday at home. The car was ordered with factory tow-bar preparation and I assumed (wrongly) that fitting the Westfalia detachable unit and dedicated electrics would be a simple plug & play operation. Though the two technicians who did the job had experience of other VAG products, they had never worked on a Yeti. All in all, it took around 4 hours and cost £432 which seems reasonable given prices quoted in this thread. I won't know, however, if everything is as it should be until I get to France in a couple of weeks where I keep my trailer. I expected them to have some sort of test rig that could be plugged into the 13 pin socket but they were only able to test for live output. What I would now like to know is: what coding is necessary? Can this be done via the maxidot or is it a technician job?

[tubalcain]

£535 is what I paid for a Skoda (Westfalia) detachable fitted to my car with tow bar prep.

I did need however to get someone with VCDS to code it (10 mins) My dealer doesn't seem to have a techie who knows how to!

Brilliant piece of kit.

[Merlinman]

Tubalcain - I'm quite close to you ( 3 miles from J 12 A42) - if you want to RV you can test your tow bar with my bike rack attached?

Ben @ Shark did my VCDS while I waited (by appointment)

[Millstone]

Just had mine done..

Westfalia Swan Neck (Fixed) + 13 pin electrics + caravan charging and fridge + electrics programmed - used a proper kit, (no preparation on car) all wired into the fuse box. Cost...£355 including VAT done at my home (South Cheshire) by MDS Towbars from Rochdale (tel: 01706 642 302)They work all over the Northwest and into West Yorkshire

knew exactly what he was doing, no fuss, no problems. Would strongly recomend them, but I had to wait 2 weeks as they are very busy - 3 jobs a day!!

When I can work out how to do it will post a couple of photos of the operation !!

[IainM1970]

Just had mine done..

Westfalia Swan Neck (Fixed) + 13 pin electrics + caravan charging and fridge + electrics programmed - used a proper kit, (no preparation on car) all wired into the fuse box. Cost...£355 including VAT done at my home (South Cheshire) by MDS Towbars from Rochdale (tel: 01706 642 302)They work all over the Northwest and into West Yorkshire

knew exactly what he was doing, no fuss, no problems. Would strongly recomend them, but I had to wait 2 weeks as they are very busy - 3 jobs a day!!

When I can work out how to do it will post a couple of photos of the operation !!

Please do post pics ... IF I order a Yeti it will have a fixed bar. Also just out of fellow caravanner type interest what are you going to be towing with it?

[tubalcain]

£535 is what I paid for a Skoda (Westfalia) detachable fitted to my car with tow bar prep.

I did need however to get someone with VCDS to code it (10 mins) My dealer doesn't seem to have a techie who knows how to!

Brilliant piece of kit.

[tubalcain]

I paid £432 for the Westfalia detachable tow bar and dedicated electrics fitted to a new Yeti with tow bar preparation. The work was done at my home by Autoroofs of Leicester recommended by my local Skoda dealer. What I would like to know, however, is: what is the coding you refer to? I have no way of checking that all the various functions work (reversing sensors turned off when towing, ESP modified for towing, rear fog light deactivated) until I next go to France where I keep my trailer. The mechanics who carried out the work mentioned nothing about coding the equipment so, if this is something that is required for the integration of the electrics with the car's electronics I will need to get it done before I cross the channel. Can you advise please.

[Millstone]

As per my post 130 above (hopefully) these should show some photos, didn't take too many as I was busy working at the time (emails) but at least they show some of the work and the finished job.

Hope these work !!

Edited 3 June, 2011 by Millstone

[Onesque]

Ive decided to go to Simpsons Skoda in Colne as they have always been trustworthy and reliable. I want to ensure that the Yeti's complex brain is fully utilised when towing my 25 foot long caravan!! They will fit and supply detachable kit for £600. Its a lot but for that I want to get peace of mind that its been done correctly. They want the car for 2 days as they say its a big job.

All I can say is that your either better looking than me or got the gift of the gab. My first quote was from Simpsons £850.

Have you had dealings with this dealership as I was thinking of letting them service my Yeti once service is due?

[Vrstdi estate]

All I can say is that your either better looking than me or got the gift of the gab. My first quote was from Simpsons £850.

Have you had dealings with this dealership as I was thinking of letting them service my Yeti once service is due?

I bought my first Skoda (Octavia Vrs Tdi Estate) from them which was serviced over 3 years. They are really professional and thorough and would have no hesitation using them again.

I bought my Fabia Vrs Tsi and the Yeti 4x4 from Claybank who gave me the best deal on two cars; I had had a bad experience with a new salesman at Colne who has now "moved on" otherwise I may have bought from them.

Simpsons are 25 miles in the wrong direction for me, however their service was a over-riding factor. I'm up there on Monday possibly paying slightly more than other members for their towbars to be fitted but fully confident in their ability to do the best job. We've become used to towing the caravan with a 3 litre landcruiser so I didnt want to skimp on safety.

[Onesque]

I bought my first Skoda (Octavia Vrs Tdi Estate) from them which was serviced over 3 years. They are really professional and thorough and would have no hesitation using them again.

I bought my Fabia Vrs Tsi and the Yeti 4x4 from Claybank who gave me the best deal on two cars; I had had a bad experience with a new salesman at Colne who has now "moved on" otherwise I may have bought from them.

Simpsons are 25 miles in the wrong direction for me, however their service was a over-riding factor. I'm up there on Monday possibly paying slightly more than other members for their towbars to be fitted but fully confident in their ability to do the best job. We've become used to towing the caravan with a 3 litre landcruiser so I didnt want to skimp on safety.

Thanks for the update, Simpsons are probably a similar distance from me, but worth the trip if they are able to give good service.

[RSMarco]

Does the cut out look off set in the 2nd to last image as I thought they were central?

[Vrstdi estate]

Does the cut out look off set in the 2nd to last image as I thought they were central?

I have the factory prepared bumper and the cut-out is dead centre - I will post a photo for you

[Vrstdi estate]

Does the cut out look off set in the 2nd to last image as I thought they were central?

[RSMarco]

That one looks central but in the other pic it doesn't?

[Millstone]

Does the cut out look off set in the 2nd to last image as I thought they were central?

No it isn't central, I didn't have the factory prep as I wanted to fit a swan neck and didn't want the large hole the factory prep gives you. Westfalia's instructions tell you to cut the hole off-set because the lighting plug is to one side, otherwise it could have been dead centre. See fitting instructions here : http://www.westfalia-automotive.de/fileadmin/templates/pdf/317-skoda/a317080691101.pdf . It could have been a bit smaller (not so much cut from the left side) when it had been assembled but the fitter followed the instructions which probably allowed for twin electrics as well.But you have to kneel down to see it anyhow so it's not a problem.

[Sardom]

So then, just to add too all of this (as of previous post 120), we haven't got our SM yet and at the time of ordering specced a detachable towbar without factory prep as was told this was unnessasary and would just cost us more.

Price was £680.

Have since mailed our dealer and enquired about reprogramming of the brain so the monster knows the trailer is there etc etc and this is what he came back with,

"With regards to tow bar all are Skoda kits we fit work in conjunction with

parking sensors and are programmed into the car's ECU."

So then, for £680 we're getting -detachable bar. -bumper cutout with door/hatch. -elects reprogrammed.

And that's with Carrs of IndianQueens.

Dom.

[Merlinman]

Dom - I'd be cautious about that Dealer statement?

[Sardom]

Dom - I'd be cautious about that Dealer statement?

Ok. But exactly which part of his statement and why?

The price is on our receipt and both the hatch and electrics are in writing in an email, all of which I'll argue with him that he can't go back on.

So why be cautious?

Or do you know something about Carrs that we don't. Hehe. î—

[Vrstdi estate]

Yes I think he has cut the slot too far over to the left IMHO

[Merlinman]

My experience (and others on here) who've had dealer fitted towbars - both with and without Factory Tow Bar Prep have found that the necessary ECU coding wasn't carried out. It's not something that happens automatically just because a 'Skoda Kit' is used you know!

Hopefully yours will be OK and I hope you won't have to go back to get the coding sorted after taking delivery

[Vrstdi estate]

That one looks central but in the other pic it doesn't?

Yes thats becasuse that one is my car ie a factory fitted version

Sorry for confusing the issue

[Sardom]

My experience (and others on here) who've had dealer fitted towbars - both with and without Factory Tow Bar Prep have found that the necessary ECU coding wasn't carried out. It's not something that happens automatically just because a 'Skoda Kit' is used you know!

Hopefully yours will be OK and I hope you won't have to go back to get the coding sorted after taking delivery

Thanks I'll make a note of it and when we pick it up (in around 10wks ) will ask once again if it has been done or not.

As long as they don't try and charge me for it, saying that it's an extra etc then I won't mind going back to have it done.

Dom.

[Vrstdi estate]

My experience (and others on here) who've had dealer fitted towbars - both with and without Factory Tow Bar Prep have found that the necessary ECU coding wasn't carried out. It's not something that happens automatically just because a 'Skoda Kit' is used you know!

Hopefully yours will be OK and I hope you won't have to go back to get the coding sorted after taking delivery

I agree entirely.... I double checked with the service manager this morning that the ECU remapping would take place. They have the car for 2 days so I can only hope that its a really thorough job!