I haven't been to enquire anywhere yet but I would like to have a towbar fitted to my 07 plate. The handbook shows a swan neck type fitting - is this the only type available ? I would prefer what I would call the old fashioned style of a separate ball fitting as I have two cycle carriers that will only work with that type of ball.

Rob

I don't know if it makes a difference, but it's the diesel estate version.

Edited 18 February, 201115 yr by robgraham

That's the detachable one from skoda.

Mine was fitted at local specialist and still manages to pull our caravan, run the electrics etc.

I've got a 'traditional' towbar on an '05 hatchback. Sure you'll be able to get one to fit - only problems are :

• They may need to cut away a bit of your bumper for it to fit through
  
• The parking sensors are likely to detect it as an obstacle and so become useless
  

Sounds like you need a

http://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/product_review.php?towbarVehicleId=204884&&regDate=01/03/05

HTH

I've got a 'traditional' towbar on an '05 hatchback. Sure you'll be able to get one to fit - only problems are :

• They may need to cut away a bit of your bumper for it to fit through
  
• The parking sensors are likely to detect it as an obstacle and so become useless
  

The rear parking sensors can be programed not to operate when any trailer is connected up.

Hi

The old fashioned typre (flange fitting) can now be had as detachable! So you don't need to see the towbar when you are not using it but still get to carry bikes.

See here I can't recommend that type (mine is a Wesfalia detachable) but i can recomend these suppliers.

Here is a guide for fitting Estate towbar.

TBH I went with a bypass relay (to suit Can-BUS)for the electrics and it is working just fine.

The rear parking sensors can be programed not to operate when any trailer is connected up.

But to do so you need a vehicle specific wiring kit which plugs into the main loom and coding of the central control unit so that the car can tell when a trailer is connected. On later cars with the ESP fitted and function programmed into the control unit, you can have a trailer stability program enabled which knows when you are having a swaying moment and plays with the cars ESP function to bring things back under control, clever stuff.

I am having a swan neck towbar, twin 7 pin electrics and the vehicle specific wiring kit and coding fitting to my Octavia this weekend coming.

You can have the basic fixed flange type towbar with bypass wiring fitted for around £200 to £250 (though there is the risk of the flange being picked up all the time by the parking sensors) going up to a detachable towbar with vehicle specific wiring for around £500 to £550. I would just type "towbar fitting in ******" (****** = your area) into your internet search engine and see what companies it comes up with, that's all I did and found some good specialists who will fit the towbar and electrics and have the necessary computer in order to code the car for the new wiring loom.

Ian

Edited 21 February, 201115 yr by countryboy