The cost of towbar fitting

[Millstone]

If the car doesn't have the electrical prep done, then half of the interior has to be removed to get the loom down the side of the car, plus the glue for the rear bumper cut-out takes 12 hours to cure. So sorry Millstone, your 3 hours work is a bit "unlikely".

It is about 3 hours just to fit the actual bar and fit just the basic electrics on a prep'ed car.

Hi Graham

My guy arrived at 9.00am on the dot, and reversed back down my drive at 12.30pm - That included 2 mugs of tea, all the paperwork and payment, coding, testing with his set-up and with my caravan. Admittedly I had pre-removed all the boot contents, spare wheel, boxes etc and taken the rear seats out as well so he had a 'clean' space to work in.

He had the bumper off and the bar fitted in less than 20 minutes, and as soon as he had the loom through the bumper was cut and replaced. I was amazed at how quickly he managed to strip out all the lining,and the dash parts, but he told me it was almost the same as a Golf, or an A3, so it was relatively easy for him.

I had a full 'Right-Connections' loom fitted (made I think by the same company in Germany who make them all for the VAG group) with full caravan electrics (fridge, charging etc) As I had a fixed swan neck bar I didn't have the removable hatch, but the trick with anything that relies on 'sticky tape' is to put super glue on the tape or as Tech1e has done pop rivet the thing in. My guy told me he usually does 3 installations a day - mostly with proper vehicle specific wiring looms, hardly any 'scotch-lock and 7 way relays' at all nowadays, and he had to drive to each one - his next call after me was in Liverpool - 47 miles away!!

Also note Countryboy's experience at Phil Taylor Towbars where they 'hit' the car mob-handed and did the whole - full loom - job in 90 minutes!

Even Tech1e's time is a bit prolonged - 6 hours at Skoda Dealer labour rates - no wonder they want £700 - £900 to fit one!

[Breckie]

Try these people http://www.homefit-t...scotland.co.uk/

So I had a closer look at this. The website has no address (although a small Google map) & no telephone number. No number listed per B.T. I did send a message though. Nothing bounced back & no reply to date. :no: Might have to come off the Xmas card list.

Back to the drawing board then.

[Millstone]

So I had a closer look at this. The website has no address (although a small Google map) & no telephone number. No number listed per B.T. I did send a message though. Nothing bounced back & no reply to date. :no: Might have to come off the Xmas card list.

Back to the drawing board then.

Hi Breckie - these are the contact details:

HOMEFIT TOWBARS

29 Osbourne Drive

Kincardine-on-Forth

By Alloa

Clackmanningshire

FK10 4RZ

01259 730426

Taken from the Right Connections web site..

[Breckie]

Hi Breckie - these are the contact details:

HOMEFIT TOWBARS

29 Osbourne Drive

Kincardine-on-Forth

By Alloa

Clackmanningshire

FK10 4RZ

01259 730426

Taken from the Right Connections web site..

Thanks once again HOWEVER I'm not overly enamoured by a company web site that doesn't supply either an address or a telephone number. Can't say either that I'm impressed by a company that seemingly can't be bothered to reply by the only method of contact on their web site.

So the conclusion would have to be.........if they can't be bothered they aint getting my business.

[Millstone]

Thanks once again HOWEVER I'm not overly enamoured by a company web site that doesn't supply either an address or a telephone number. Can't say either that I'm impressed by a company that seemingly can't be bothered to reply by the only method of contact on their web site.

So the conclusion would have to be.........if they can't be bothered they aint getting my business.

Fair comment - I only suggested them for 2 reasons,

1. They are the only NTTA approved company in Scotland, which means they should be able to do the job and..

2. They use wiring looms from 'Right-Connections' the same as I have fitted on my Yeti, I know that these work properly and he will have been trained to fit them (unlike some Skoda dealers !!)

As to his web site... well.. I took the liberty of phoning them and asked a few pertinant questions without telling him why.. He agrees the web-site is cr*p and is in the process of re-doing it, he also told me that he has been away on holiday (in his caravan) for the last 2 weeks and hasn't yet caught up on his emails.

But more importantly he DOES have the kit to re-program VAG cars (Oh and his rough price for a fixed swan neck bar with a proper wiring kit and caravan charging etc would be about £300)

I suspect he will reply to your email soon, might be worth second thoughts..

regards

Richard

[g6zru]

Fair comment - I only suggested them for 2 reasons,

1. They are the only NTTA approved company in Scotland, which means they should be able to do the job and..

2. They use wiring looms from 'Right-Connections' the same as I have fitted on my Yeti, I know that these work properly and he will have been trained to fit them (unlike some Skoda dealers !!)

As to his web site... well.. I took the liberty of phoning them and asked a few pertinant questions without telling him why.. He agrees the web-site is cr*p and is in the process of re-doing it, he also told me that he has been away on holiday (in his caravan) for the last 2 weeks and hasn't yet caught up on his emails.

But more importantly he DOES have the kit to re-program VAG cars (Oh and his rough price for a fixed swan neck bar with a proper wiring kit and caravan charging etc would be about £300)

I suspect he will reply to your email soon, might be worth second thoughts..

regards

Richard

If he confirms that price bite his arm off!

Fred

[Breckie]

Yep sounds a great price BUT despite two contact mails & a telephone call I remain no further forward. Perhaps fitting Yeti tow bars just isn't cost effective.

[Gillian]

Hi Graham

My guy arrived at 9.00am on the dot, and reversed back down my drive at 12.30pm - That included 2 mugs of tea, all the paperwork and payment, coding, testing with his set-up and with my caravan. Admittedly I had pre-removed all the boot contents, spare wheel, boxes etc and taken the rear seats out as well so he had a 'clean' space to work in.

He had the bumper off and the bar fitted in less than 20 minutes, and as soon as he had the loom through the bumper was cut and replaced. I was amazed at how quickly he managed to strip out all the lining,and the dash parts, but he told me it was almost the same as a Golf, or an A3, so it was relatively easy for him.

I had a full 'Right-Connections' loom fitted (made I think by the same company in Germany who make them all for the VAG group) with full caravan electrics (fridge, charging etc) As I had a fixed swan neck bar I didn't have the removable hatch, but the trick with anything that relies on 'sticky tape' is to put super glue on the tape or as Tech1e has done pop rivet the thing in. My guy told me he usually does 3 installations a day - mostly with proper vehicle specific wiring looms, hardly any 'scotch-lock and 7 way relays' at all nowadays, and he had to drive to each one - his next call after me was in Liverpool - 47 miles away!!

Also note Countryboy's experience at Phil Taylor Towbars where they 'hit' the car mob-handed and did the whole - full loom - job in 90 minutes!

Even Tech1e's time is a bit prolonged - 6 hours at Skoda Dealer labour rates - no wonder they want £700 - £900 to fit one!

I eventually picked my Yeti up after 7 days in the garage and over 30 hours labour (the 24 hours extra cvered by the garage) They had problems reprogramming it, had ordered the wrong wiring loom etc etc. Turns out the towbar is a Westafalia. When I checked it I found that I had the new 13 pin electric socket which is not what I expected and when I grumbled that I would have to buy an adaptor to convert my caravan and trailer they suddenly appeared with the adaptor that they had "forgotten to give me". So having lost my car for 7 days with no courtesy car, been fobbed off several times and ended up with a bill for £1028 for the towbar spare wheel and some oil I was right hacked off. Now having been away with the car on holiday the touch screen stopped working and then started again, the lights left on buzzer isnt working and the garage tell me they need to have the car for a whole day for a one hour software download to srt it out. I'm beginning to wish I'd kept my Ibiza FR-it might have been 6 years old but I have never had any faults with it.

Sad and dejected Yeti owner

[Llanigraham]

Gillian,

I think your problem isn't your Yeti but your dealer. Do I presume this is the one around the back of Temple Meads? From the dealer reports elsewhere on this forum they don't appear to have a good reputation.

The "problem" of the touch screen has been reported here in the past and doesn't seem to be a major problem, and I suspect that the "lights on" buzzer fault is probably something to do what your dealer has just done. Probably unticked a box in the system!

[Gillian]

Gillian,

I think your problem isn't your Yeti but your dealer. Do I presume this is the one around the back of Temple Meads? From the dealer reports elsewhere on this forum they don't appear to have a good reputation.

The "problem" of the touch screen has been reported here in the past and doesn't seem to be a major problem, and I suspect that the "lights on" buzzer fault is probably something to do what your dealer has just done. Probably unticked a box in the system!

Hi there

Actually the dealer is just outside of Bristol towards Nailsea. I've lost faith in them and will now take my car for servicing over to near Warminster where my partner bought his from. They have been really good to him. I just couldn't be bothered with the drive but if it means I get the car back quickly it will be worth it.

Anyhow I just hitched up the caravan and trailer today. Towed the trailer fine but correct me if wrong there appeared to be no indication anywhere that a trailer was attached apart from on the screen when in reverse. No warning buzzers when indicating etc. Should I have this to remind me I'm attached to the trailer? My old car did and so does my dad's fiesta. To be fair its not easy to forget you have a caravan attached but a trailer is a different matter as it's a bit smaller. Can't find anything in the handbook.

Cheers

Happily towing Gillian and Betty the Yeti

Edited 5 November, 2011 by Gillian

[Llanigraham]

Hi Gillian.

Don't know that dealer. Have you looked at, and left a review in the relevant section on here? Might be worthwhile.

http://briskoda.net/forums/forum/71-skoda-dealers-in-the-south-west/

Re the "indication"; no that is normal for the Yeti and most modern cars.The Law requires that the only indication you should have is that you are notified if the trailer flashers don't work. In the past this was done by a repeater light on the dash, or a buzzer. Nowadays the "bulb failure system" does it for you, and actually in more detail, as it tells you whether ANY bulb has blown or isn't working on the trailer.

Hope that helps.

Graham

[Richard1234]

Wow what a nightmare

I'm about to order a new Yeti and want to add a tow bar for my thule bike carrier...simples ...or so I thought

The dealers say dont have tow bar prep - SUK are looking into it...... :think:

and the extra wiring costs more with prep than without it....why ?

what is going on its a shambles

Who knows a good fitter in Herts Beds or Cambs

[Llanigraham]

If you are only going to use a tow bar for mounting a bike rack then I would probably agree, as you have no need for the additional fans, etc.

And I think you dealer is incorrect over the pricing!

[alex_leigh67]

I was quoted £450 for prep and fitting of a non removable tow bar based on the salesman looking at the price in the brochure It's going in this week to have it done. Mine will be 90% for the bike rack but thought i might as well have it done properly in case I need to two anything else tho.

Having tried to wrangle one of my bikes into the back with the seats out today, I definitely need the bike rack. There's about as much space as in my old x-trail but the sill is higher and it's a slightly different non bikey shape. I got all precious about scratching plastics and gave up. Blimey those seats are heavy!

[Merlinman]

Occasionally, if I need to get one bike in, I remove the smaller rear seat, take the front wheel out and the seat pin/saddle out and retain with seat belt and bungees, having first covered the space with a B & Q tarp.

Normally, though I just fit the detachable bar & rack as it takes less time!

[alex_leigh67]

Rob - ta. Ignore my email Once a week I need to go from work to riding so parking up with bike on the trailer at work not ideal. Shall have another go when I'm less frazzled/weather outside not biblical.

Apologies for taking thread in a random direction.

[Merlinman]

Alex, YGM !

[alex_leigh67]

Still waiting for a date when my Skoda Dealer has a tow bar in stock. Wonder if it's a UK shortage or I can get it done at another dealer? I think they out-source the actual fitting to a local towbar comp.

Anyway, here's my short term solution. Sorry for the rubbish pic, it was 11pm last night and we'd been to a wedding reception so I was a bit socially confused £5 tarp, front wheel off, bungy to the rear which makes a nice fit where middle seat once, singe bungy at the front to hold the frame steady. Worked really well.

""

The less said about my riding this morning after draining the European Merlot Lake the better.

[fireblade]

I bought my westfalia towbar off e-bay, which is a detachable swan neck for £205 delivered. It is the exact same one fitted by skoda, I know because I fit them......... Took 2 days to deliver.

[alex_leigh67]

interesting. Ta. I know there's some electronic trickery-pokery to stop the reversing sensors going postal when the trailer is attached. Maybe I can get Skoda to do that bit and then find some local fitter to come and do the rest of the job.

[Tech1e]

Yeah if the parking system is adapted correctly it disables the parking sensors and also put a little picture of a trailer on the screen

Also we activate trailer stabilisation in the ABS system when towing too.

[alex_leigh67]

Picture of the trailer? I'm sold

[Llanigraham]

As Techie says, but you have to get it all fitted FIRST then get the recoding done.

[IainM1970]

I had my towbar fitted by the same local specialist as has fitted my previous 3 or 4 towbars ... cost for fully functioning 13 pin electrices and a fixed bar was about £350 ... in the end they fitted a removable bar (which I will never remove), I presume it cost more but my dealer who arranged the work did not pass this on to me.

I have now towed with the Yeti 4 times since March. Fridge remains cool, caravan battery charges and the Alko ATC whirls into action as usual.

I didn;t have towbar prep as it clearly states it is not compatible with powering the fridge and battery charging (split charging). Others seem to disagree.

To me towbar prep should be compatable with the needs of the UK caravanner .... which occording to the brochure it isn't.

[Tech1e]

Tow bar prep is compatible but requires the additional wiring adding which is a seperate kit. This just supplies and extra live to the socket via a relay.