Detachable Towbar Installation?

[vRS_Pagey]

Hi matey,

Yes that's the one and the guy I bought it from.

Nice thing about that towbar is the lack of a visible cut - which is what you want from a detachable towbar.

The bypass relay kit would be fine as long as you do not have rear parking sensors.

I bought the proper kit, which switches them off in reverse and also connects the bulbs to the CANBUS lighting circuit.

Thats the one I will be going for then, am I right in thinking that the cheap electric kit just taps into the lights directly rather than via the CANBUS then?

[Richard Loxley]

HOW MUTCH did they charge you and what towbar did you have fitted. iused lmb towbars on my last octavia ,

For the Octavia Scout I got Britannia to fit a Westfalia Detachable, 13 pin electrics with split charger for a caravan, using the dedicated wiring kit and including coding the car. Cost was £480 + VAT = £564.

The previous car was a VW Passat and I got LNB to fit a fixed towbar with bypass wiring for £250.

I got LNB to quote for the Scout. For a Witter detachable with bypass wiring they quoted £358, with the option for a relay to cut out the parking sensors for an extra £35, and an extra £15 for a relay to cut out the fog lights. Total for all that £408. For the same but with a dedicated wiring kit they quoted £569 but that didn't include coding, which they said the dealer would do for about £40.

I eventually decided to go for the dedicated wiring kit, so Britannia was cheaper and did it all in house.

[vwdan1986]

For the Octavia Scout I got Britannia to fit a Westfalia Detachable, 13 pin electrics with split charger for a caravan, using the dedicated wiring kit and including coding the car. Cost was £480 + VAT = £564.

The previous car was a VW Passat and I got LNB to fit a fixed towbar with bypass wiring for £250.

I got LNB to quote for the Scout. For a Witter detachable with bypass wiring they quoted £358, with the option for a relay to cut out the parking sensors for an extra £35, and an extra £15 for a relay to cut out the fog lights. Total for all that £408. For the same but with a dedicated wiring kit they quoted £569 but that didn't include coding, which they said the dealer would do for about £40.

I eventually decided to go for the dedicated wiring kit, so Britannia was cheaper and did it all in house.

MANY thanks

[doll]

Thats the one I will be going for then, am I right in thinking that the cheap electric kit just taps into the lights directly rather than via the CANBUS then?

Yes mate that's right. They tap in with a relay of some sort.

The official kit goes to the fusebox and has a control module which integrates into CANBUS.

[vRS_Pagey]

Nice thing about that towbar is the lack of a visible cut - which is what you want from a detachable towbar.

I have just received an email back from the ebay seller as I had a few questions, he tells me the bumper requires cutting, am I right in thinking the cut isn't made to a visible part of the bumper? And have you got any close up pictures of the bumper where towbar extends from?

Cheers, Lee.

[Dallan]

I thought that the cut in the bumper is only on non vRS Octavias as the bumper is different?

[vRS_Pagey]

I thought that the cut in the bumper is only on non vRS Octavias as the bumper is different?

Not sure mate, I would of thought out of all the models, the vRS bumper would need to be cut due to the depth of it! I'm sure doll will answer the question, but looking at the pictures posted I can't see a visible cut.

[Richard Loxley]

Westfalia detachable on a Scout needs no bumper cut, and the fitting is completely invisible once the towbar is removed. Not sure about other towbar brands and other Octavia models.

[doll]

Not sure mate, I would of thought out of all the models, the vRS bumper would need to be cut due to the depth of it! I'm sure doll will answer the question, but looking at the pictures posted I can't see a visible cut.

My car already had a cut out in the bumper - yet it had not had a towbar fitted in it's lifetime. Bit of a strange one!

The hole on mine is right at the back of the underside of the bumper. So there would be no visible cut if yours hasn't already got a cut out.

When I read up on the detachable towbars...it seamed that there was only the Skoda and the Westfalia (and apparently the Skoda is Westfalia) that did not need a visible cut.

And with the electric socket pulled down:

[vRS_Pagey]

Doll, thats really helpful thanks, not sure what the electrics are that come with the towbar, but the seller has indicated they will be suitable for using the 9503 bike carrier and/or boat trailer, but if I need to run a fridge in a caravan I will need the twin electrics.

[ACSC]

Finally got round to getting my Westfalia detachable swanneck fitted today, now need to sort out a bike carrier to use on it

Cheers

ACSC

[silver1011]

I've always wondered what the two metal loops are for on my tow bar, any ideas?

[jrp]

I've always wondered what the two metal loops are for on my tow bar, any ideas?

Could it be for attaching a safety/breakaway cable to?

[silver1011]

Good point, never thought of that