Towbar Prep or not!

[g6zru]

I have been trying for about 8 months to get clarification about Towbar Prep, what it actually comprises and is it worthwhile.

I have had a reply from SUK at last and it makes some sense.

According to SUK Technical the wiring loom has the additional wires necessary for split charging and a socket for the approved wiring kit to plug into. The removable panel is also fitted.

I expressly asked about upgraded cooling and heavier alternator but according to them "the standard components fitted are rated to take the additional loads when a towbar is fitted". In other words the only additional items in Towbar Prep are the wiring and the removable panel. In my view this doesn't justify the additional charge but I suppose it all adds to their revenue flow. :S

I would have thought that if the changes were fitted to all vehicles at manufacture it wouldn't add to the cost and would possible simplify the assembly line.

I have also contacted a national towbar fitting company and asked for a quote for a Westphalia removable towbar (the one SUK supply). Their price was a bit more than I was quoted by a Skoda dealer but they asked if towbar prep was fitted, if not their price went up by £50.00. They also said that their price included recoding.

My conclusion is that if you shop around you can probably do without towbar prep but, it's fairly close, so what price do you put on peace of mind?

Fred

[Merlinman]

The less disturbance of the interior trim between the front of the vehicle and the rear the better in my view.

It's about time Skoda UK sorted their dealers out over this coding issue once and for all. :S

It seems that a very high proportion of folks on here who've had their Skoda dealer fit their tow bars have had problems with coding?

Of course being something of a cynic I might surmise that they may generally ship this work out to a local fitter, who probably just checks with a lighting board and doesn't think to look at the dash display?

Thank goodness for our Briskoda chums with VCDS

[Llanigraham]

Tow bar prep includes additional fans, no matter what the mech says. These cannot be retro fitted. Not sure about the alternator.

It also includes the run of cabling down the car to allow for all the electrics to work.

[IainM1970]

BUT does not allow for split charging (so the blurb says) ... so no use for most caravanners including myself.

[fuzzybunny]

I spoke to Chester tow bars today and they said that the yeti tow bar prep does NOT include a wiring harness and they have to fit a VW/Audi harness (it fits all the range).

Fitting this does not invalidate the warranty and is approved by VW/Audi.

They also have to do the coding to make it all work.

If this it true then it implies that all you get for your tow bar prep is bigger cooling fan and a hatch in the bumper.

[James I]

I got the towbar prep on my Yeti, as for the wiring there is a lovely in line fuse off the battery for the split charge and whoever put my car back together got all the interior trim and just stuck it back together, I have big gaps where the small lugs have not been located under the next panel, poor job by whoever did it.

Possibly Chester tow bars as the car was from Cheshire oaks.

as for the R send bits it all works great and the Yeti is a brilliant tow car.

[Llanigraham]

Then Chester Tow Bars are incorrect!

Tow bar prep does include the loom from front to back, and this has been confirmed on here in the past by several members. The loom is fitted at the time of construction and BEFORE all the trim is fitted to the car.

My car had tow bar prep and all they had to do was plug in the final bit to the 13 pin socket. I doubt if it is a metre in length.

[Sandy.Rogers]

Then Chester Tow Bars are incorrect!

Tow bar prep does include the loom from front to back, and this has been confirmed on here in the past by several members. The loom is fitted at the time of construction and BEFORE all the trim is fitted to the car.

My car had tow bar prep and all they had to do was plug in the final bit to the 13 pin socket. I doubt if it is a metre in length.

Maybe where the confusion lies is that a further short loom needs to be purchased even though Tow Bar Prep has been installed. This short loom still requires the boot upholstery to be removed so that it can be connected to the Tow Bar Prep loom (rear off side pillar area) and routed to the tow bar socket. There are several detailed DIY instructions on how to do thisif you search the Forum(s) - when my son finishes 'baleing' he will fit my tow bar and (short) electrics for the2012 Winter Season.

I may have missed this but using the corerct loom(s) allows the correct coding to be input thereby including the trailer (when hooked up) in the car's road holding (etc) calculations.

[rockhopper]

Then Chester Tow Bars are incorrect!

Tow bar prep does include the loom from front to back, and this has been confirmed on here in the past by several members. The loom is fitted at the time of construction and BEFORE all the trim is fitted to the car.

My car had tow bar prep and all they had to do was plug in the final bit to the 13 pin socket. I doubt if it is a metre in length.

But if you want the split charge facility then the tow bar installer needs to run an additional loom front to back for that, I thought.

Edited 9 September, 2012 by rockhopper

[Tech1e]

Factory tow bar prep as said doesn't include the additional wiring required for split charging etc. and here's the rear ****er, the genuine additional electrics kit states not suitable for factory prep so you have to according to Skoda fit the whole kit again anyhow.

[fuzzybunny]

swipe me with a wet welly! three years on and we still dont know what is incuded with tow bar prep.

you would think skoda could fit a suitable wiring harness through to the back at the time of building your motor instead of having to take off all the trim and retro fit one.

especially when you consider that a fair few yeti buyers will want a tow bar.

shame on skoda, I bet if I rang up skoda UK tommorrow they still wouldnt know what you get for tow bar prep!!

[vegit8]

shame on skoda, I bet if I rang up skoda UK tommorrow they still wouldnt know what you get for tow bar prep!!

Perhaps we should all ring up tomorrow and the compare the answers afterwards!

[Tech1e]

I know what's fitted, I've fitted tow bars myself to both cars with and without.lol

[Truthseeker]

I am booked in for a Towbar next week, and the company that the local VAG dealers use in Milton Keynes are fitting it (Richter Sport), although I have gone direct and saved

£120 (dealers mark up). Still costing me £600 + vat though.

They are fitting Westfalia detachable/13 pin socket/split charging/bumper cut out.

I found the following info on Westfalia's website, and looks like the "official" kit they supply to towbar fitters includes everything required. Can anyone confirm this?

http://westfalia-automotive.co.uk/skoda_towbars_and_wiring_kits/skoda-yeti/skoda_towbar_317105900143_1527.html

[fuzzybunny]

I am booked in for a Towbar next week, and the company that the local VAG dealers use in Milton Keynes are fitting it (Richter Sport), although I have gone direct and saved

£120 (dealers mark up). Still costing me £600 + vat though.

They are fitting Westfalia detachable/13 pin socket/split charging/bumper cut out.

I found the following info on Westfalia's website, and looks like the "official" kit they supply to towbar fitters includes everything required. Can anyone confirm this?

http://westfalia-aut...00143_1527.html

I would check that includes the correct cabling and re-coding.

Also that they are going to fit the detachable panel and not just leave a hole.

Saves arguing afterwards!

[Truthseeker]

I would check that includes the correct cabling and re-coding.

Also that they are going to fit the detachable panel and not just leave a hole.

Saves arguing afterwards!

Already confirmed price includes detachable panel/correct cabling/re-coding. Will double check again when taking car in to be sure. Never had this much trouble/cost with my previous towbars.

[fuzzybunny]

Spoke to Skoda UK today.

They tell me that all Skoda wiring harnesses are made to order, so tow bar prep includes a special harness to bring SINGLE electrics back to the rear of the car.

So no extra wiring is required for single electrics (7 pin).

But if you wanted 13 pin then that requires some extras.

They have raised a case number on this issue and will get back to me with the answers.

They did say that no coding is included that has to be done by the installer.

Prep does include rear hatch panel in bumper though

Didn’t get confirmation on the extra cooling fan but they will get back to me on this.

Hopefully we can finally solve the issue.

[bettysman]

Surely it would just as easy for them to fit twin electric at this stage rather than have all trim ripped out later.

[bettysman]

Oops

Edited 10 September, 2012 by bettysman

[Llanigraham]

Spoke to Skoda UK today.

They tell me that all Skoda wiring harnesses are made to order, so tow bar prep includes a special harness to bring SINGLE electrics back to the rear of the car.

So no extra wiring is required for single electrics (7 pin).

But if you wanted 13 pin then that requires some extras.

They have raised a case number on this issue and will get back to me with the answers.

They did say that no coding is included that has to be done by the installer.

Prep does include rear hatch panel in bumper though

Didn’t get confirmation on the extra cooling fan but they will get back to me on this.

Hopefully we can finally solve the issue.

To be pedantic over the bit in red.

A 13 pin socket does not "need" any extra wiring than the standard BLACK 7 pin 12N socket.

The only "extra" wiring is those wires that would be used with the GREY 12S (supplementary) socket, typically in the UK for caravan battery and fridge use when moving.

From experience I have found that the battery charging is very minimal, and the 12v to the fridge only maintains it's tempertaure and does not actually cool it any lower than the ambient temperature.

In Europe it is very uncommon for caravans to have these extra wires fitted, which is why most EU car manufacturers do not bother. It appears to be only the UK market that insist upon it.

[Tech1e]

This is true, all the additional electrics gives you is an extra live to the socket which is powered through a relay.

[IainM1970]

Charger and fridge feeds may be of questionable use for some but we certainly use the fridge feed as we cool our fridge prior to travel, also we need a feed for Alko ATC, don't know whether this would be covered or not.

So I want the extra feeds and still think its daft that its not part of the 'prep' pack.

[bettysman]

I had a faulty socket on my last car and it did not operate the fridge and missed the ability to keep the fridge cool. That's why I paid the extra for it.

[fuzzybunny]

Skoda UK called me today.

Good news, tow bar prep includes wiring from the fuse board (at the end of the dash) to a connection box at rear of car.

this has battery, ignition live and can bus connections.

They say that NO rewiring is required, no stripping off offside interior trim or rear hatch.

They will call me back later in the week to confirm but if its true and there is battery live then it could be suitable for 13 pin.

I'll let you know what they say as they do understand there is some confusion over tow bar prep, (understatement or what!)

I asked about the face lift yeti, they confirmed that the skoda rapid is replacing the octavia next year and the Yeti face lift is due Dec 2013.

[vegit8]

Skoda UK called me today.

Did they mention anything about the additional / uprated cooling fan?

Something else that confuses me, if they install all the wiring (except the last bit that the fitter does), why don't they modify the ECU at the same time?