Hi, I appreciate the help I've had from this forum. I ended up purchasing an 1.8TSI Octavia hatch (red) which I really love. My wife wanted to surprise me and get a towbar and bike rack so she asked around our town and got a recommendation.

These people CUT A HOLE in our rear bumper and now there is a permanent towing hitch sticking out which I hate.

It doesn't even fit the bike carrier (which she showed them when she brought the car in)....

They've offered to remove it and refund our money, but said something about "you won't be able to put a towbar back on."

Does anyone have a sense of whether or not they probably screwed up our ability to add the detachable flange towbar that Skoda sells? Any thoughts on whether I would have to replace the rear bumper?

Thanks.

Probably cant really help

(i) re the bumper hole, presuming they are not goint to replace it, could you cunningly cover with a sticker of your choice??

(ii) I would think you will be able to get a towbar with the flange plate, but did "they" mean that this fitment would require a hole in the bumper.....i.e. the longer necked non flanged version appearing to be more suited to reaching up from below the bumper??

Our previous car suffered this same indignity, brand new at the time too. A proper "balls" of a job.

Cheers

M

Edited 22 October, 201015 yr by dieseldogg

I have just had a removable witter tow bar fitted by a mobile fitter on my 2010 1.8 TSI hatch The job took less than 2 hours. Admittedly it was just single electrics i required. But he did a very neat job with the ball removed all you can see if you look carefully is the small bracket for the breakaway cable. The electric socket also folds up out of sight . I then bought a Thule 2 bike carrier that fits perfectly on the towbar. Thule RideOn 9502 2 Cycle Carrier inc Lock £99.99 Cost of supply and fitment of the towbar £255 I contacted local Skoda dealer and asked for a quote explaining that the towball was only for a camping trailer / bycycle carrier I received back the following

]Quote for a tow ball from the local Skoda dealer

To supply & fit a detachable towbar £875.00 inc

To supply & fit a fixed towbar £690.00 inc

They've offered to remove it and refund our money, but said something about "you won't be able to put a towbar back on."

Does anyone have a sense of whether or not they probably screwed up our ability to add the detachable flange towbar that Skoda sells? Any thoughts on whether I would have to replace the rear bumper?

Thanks.

Hi, Just fitted a towbar (Westfalia vertical detachable).

Underneath the plastic bumper cover are two holes either side of the car running along the chassis rails into which the side legs of the towing hitch pass. These are then bolted from the side with two bolts each side (supplied). All the instructions I have downloaded in my search for a suitable towbar have exactly the same fitment and basic instructions. Consequently, I don't see how fitting a towbar can prevent you fitting another.

The only issue I can see you having is if you remove the towbar but don't replace it. The plastic bumper hides a steel bar which the towbar replicates and replaces. The fitters may have bunged this in the bin!

Skoda are not the only people selling a detachable flange towbar but they are expensive elsewhere too.

The bumper is a multi-part fitting but is basically a top section (in body colour) with the bottom bit in black. These are easly to separate and if you need a new bumper I suggest it should be possible to get a replacement for the black bit which the fitters have cut.

When you go looking for an alternative I suspect you will find all towbars will require a cut of the bumper - the real question is whether it is visable when the hitch is stowed away. When I had my bumper off I found markings for the OEM parking sensors and the cuts for the OEM towbar!

I suggest you try the websites for Brinks, Bosal, and Westfalia and download their instructions (or PM me) and then you will be as wise as you need to be.

HTH

...but said something about "you won't be able to put a towbar back on."

Did they weld it on?