Towbar Prep or not!

[IainM1970]

I've had ATC on my last three 'vans ... not needed any special wiring. I do have split charge facility. It needs a constant feed to pin ??!

The four cars (Skodas!) that I have towed these three vans with have all been wired by Buchans at Newbridge.

What 'van you thinking of? NB Having been caravanning all my life I wouldn't choose to be without ATC now ... still load and drive with care but its nice to know you have the extra help should things try to go pear shaped! Oh and many insurance companies give you a discount for having it fitted ... the Caravan Club certainly do.

Edited 27 October, 2012 by IainM1970

[fuzzybunny]

Hi All,

Here is the official response from Skoda UK. Presumably the reference to a 13pin socket refers to the connector that fireblade mentions and not a 13 pin euro socket!

Reference: SD-2012/09-003272

......I refer to our telephone conversation on 24 October 2012, regarding tow bar preparation for a ŠKODA Yeti.

Factory fitted tow bar preparation consists of a tow bar wiring loom and a 13 pin electrical socket. The tow bar is fitted at

the retailer and any further coding of electrics done at this time, however this wiring will not compliment split charge

functionality.

Split charge functionality is a wiring system that allows a leisure battery to remain charged and a fridge to remain cool while

towing a caravan; it is only the UK market that requires this function therefore the vehicle is wired in accordance with EU

regulations.

When a split charge function is required a ŠKODA Retailer fit wiring loom will be required, including the 13 pin socket along

with an additional loom for the split charge function operation.

In some cases, depending on the age of the caravan, which may have a 7 pin wiring connector, then a 13 to 7 pin adapter kit will

be required.

A vehicle that has a factory fitted tow bar preparation and factory fitted optical parking sensors, the sensors will

automatically become inactive when an electrical socket is plugged in.

If a factory preparation tow bar kit is fitted with accessory fitted optical parking sensors there may be the option to code out

the parking sensor function.

I trust this information has been of help to you, however if you require any further information please feel free to contact me

on the telephone number listed below.

Thank you for contact ŠKODA Customer Services

Kind regards

[weasley]

That still reads like someone regurgitating bits they have been given to read about it, because it hardly comes across as well-informed (and doesn't actually tell us anything we collectively didn't already know).

[Merlinman]

I concur - call centre script.

It's beyond belief that a major manufacturer has been unable to date to provide a definitive answer on the specification of the cars it produces!

[Llanigraham]

I spoke to the sales manager of the local Peugeot dealer recently, and guess what.....................they are in the same boat!! So perhaps our criticism of SUK isn't totally justified.

And no the 13 pin electrical socket isn't the one behind the trim panel, as mentioned by Fireblade, but the one we plug into when the caravan's on the back. It is now the standard fitment by all manufacturers.

[fuzzybunny]

I spoke to the sales manager of the local Peugeot dealer recently, and guess what.....................they are in the same boat!! So perhaps our criticism of SUK isn't totally justified.

And no the 13 pin electrical socket isn't the one behind the trim panel, as mentioned by Fireblade, but the one we plug into when the caravan's on the back. It is now the standard fitment by all manufacturers.

Now I am confused, maybe some yetis are fitted with a connector as fireblade found and others were fitted with the proper euro socket.

No doubt I will find out when I get mine in January!

I think you are right about SUK customer service knowledge being no worse than other makes though, I had a simlar experience with my last VW.

[Llanigraham]

There are two parts to the wiiring.

Part one is the bit fitted by the factory that ends in a square plug behind the rear trim panel, as firebalde said.

Part two is the bit that goes from there to the trailer socket, and this is fitted by the dealer, when they fit the towbar. Standard for that now (across Europe) is a 13 pin socket, but you can specify to the dealer that they fit 2 x 7 pin sockets.

[fireblade]

Llanigraham is correct, the towbar prep, is the electrical multi plug fitted behind the near side rear interior trim, the towbar kit is the towbar that needs fitting and the electrical wiring from this multi plug to the euro socket that you plug the caravan into. This 13 pin euro socket can then have an adapter plugged into it , to convert its pins to the old style socket that most older caravans have. Some people ask if the towbar prep is worth having, I am a mechanic, and I ordered it with my yeti, so I would say yes it is...... This is the truth, I'm sure other skoda mechanics will back up who write on here........

[mfdaustrey]

Having contacted numerous tow bar fitters and four Skoda dealers out only appears to be the dealers having difficulty on understanding you need split electrics. This then causes them problems on pricing. My local dealer had just replied saying he is following Skoda pricing, and he has no influence on what other dealers are charging. Out also spears from this final email that he did not even quote for the requested detachable bar on his £1226 quote. Do you think they can't be bothered?

Also only one fitter made difference of the preparation had been done and this was a saving of £50

[Truthseeker]

Was quoted £700 + vat by local Skoda dealer (detachable Westfalia/new rear bumper with cut out etc). Managed to find out from the receptionist who the work is contracted out to - contacted them direct and they done a 1st class job for £600 + vat. Still a fortune but all correct parts used including split charging, correct re-coding (did not have the tow bar prep already). Company was Richter Sport, Bletchley, Milton Keynes - they do all of the local VAG dealers after market electrical work.

[a65rocket]

I have just ordered a new 170 4x4 elegance, but did not specify the tow bat prep as I was going to install this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290697226765?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

ebay item 290697226765f

The instructions for the genuine Westfalia fit are easy to follow, and then I was going to use VCDS to code the loom.g

I am also going to add the extra harness for split charging.

The information help at my local dealer on towbars is ZERO, they only seem to be knowledgeable about financial packages, rather than their products.

[vegit8]

I had towbar prep done on car when built, then got dealer to arrange fitting a detachable ball.

I was quoted £265 by the dealer - with no margin for them.

The work was done by Northwest Towbars in Stockport, who supplied a Thule fitting.

The only annoyance was despite me asking a number of times before hand to make sure that the ECU updates were done, neither the dealer nor the fitter did it.

I had no way of testing the electrics when I picked the car up, it was a Saturday afternoon.

Would someone, who knows, be good enough to let me know what VCDS changes I need to get done to get this sorted. My nearest VCDS owner is not conversant with Yeti's. My supplying dealer is 250 miles away :think:

[33q]

I have just ordered a new 170 4x4 elegance, but did not specify the tow bat prep as I was going to install this.

http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1423.l2649

ebay item 290697226765f

The instructions for the genuine Westfalia fit are easy to follow, and then I was going to use VCDS to code the loom.g

I am also going to add the extra harness for split charging.

The information help at my local dealer on towbars is ZERO, they only seem to be knowledgeable about financial packages, rather than their products.

I think it is quite feasible to fit all of this yourself provided you are competent with such things. You have to dismantle part of the fuse box to add in the extra wires. I had mine fitted and the fitter said the wiring was the part he liked least.

Running through the cables and bolting the bar itself to the car is very easy.

I have previously fitted a towbar myself to a Cmax and I think the Yeti is easier to do.

The dedicated wiring is for a number of VAG cars and the towbar itself is as per an A3. Look around for a better price than £140...I paid less than this to the Towbar fitters.

[Truthseeker]

Note: if you fit a detachable towbar, you will also need a new lower section rear bumper (the silver coloured part not the whole rear section), which has the cut out for the removable part for towbar. You cannot use the original lower section. That will probably cost a fortune as it will need to be a genuine Skoda part.

[JohnYeti]

You can remove the lower "skirt", cut out the opening that is marked inside and buy the two relevant parts that fit to the skirt that make up the quick-release cover. These two parts are £25.00 from Skoda dealer, if you buy the full skirt ready-cut and the hatch bits fitted it is £86.00. Took me ten minutes to cut mine and fit the parts.

[Llanigraham]

Note: if you fit a detachable towbar, you will also need a new lower section rear bumper (the silver coloured part not the whole rear section), which has the cut out for the removable part for towbar. You cannot use the original lower section. That will probably cost a fortune as it will need to be a genuine Skoda part.

Sorry, but that is incorrect. When you remove the rear bumper there are moulding marks on the inside of the silver section that shows where it needs to be cut. You then need the frame kit to make the removeable section.

[33q]

Graham is correct....inside is marked. Cut carefully and fit the frame to the inside of the cut and the cover fits flush into the frame.

It's a bit stiff to click in and out but mine fits really well and does the job.

I have done 3 tip runs today with my trailer and returned the rear to standard in about 4 minutes.

[Truthseeker]

I stand corrected. However, I prefer the "factory" option rather than a "cut n shut" job - especially as I am not that good with a stanley knife!

[JohnYeti]

Sorry, but that is incorrect. When you remove the rear bumper there are moulding marks on the inside of the silver section that shows where it needs to be cut. You then need the frame kit to make the removeable section.

Funny, I thought that`s what I had already said, with the relevant detail ? Oh well. :wonder:

Edited 16 November, 2012 by JohnYeti

[33q]

Johnyeti, my apologies. I missed your post.

[fuzzybunny]

...I have done 3 tip runs today with my trailer and returned the rear to standard in about 4 minutes.

I find i have to lift the spare wheel to get the tow bar into its storage place,

Also take out the 7 pin adapter and stash that. takes me more like 10 minutes faffing about.

I suppose I need to practise more often. :think:

Where do you keep the bumper cover when the tow bar is fitted ?

[33q]

I store the tow hitch the wrong way round in the box. That way it fits without removing the spare wheel. Its not so neat but it doesn't rattle so I accept speed over correctness just for once. I'm glad someone else has mentioned the hitch fouling the spare. I thought it was just me. I keep the cover on the LHS of the spare it just fits in the space between the storage box. I leave my 7 pin adapter with the trailer which I store vertically in a keter store from home base.

[Truthseeker]

I have a dealer fitted spare tyre which comes with 2 large storage compartments either side of the wheel. The new replacement raised floor is hinged about 9" in from the right. It is very easy to open the hinged section (without removing the whole floor), and store the towball in the right side storage compartment (more than big enough). I don't know what the floor/storage arrangement is like when a factory spare is ordered. Also, the reason I was not aware of the DIY rear bumper cut out, was because there was a new factory rear bumper lower section with the cut out in situ, supplied in the towball kit. I have the original as a spare, and having now had a look inside, I can see the template for a cut out - still would not have trusted myself to do the cut though.

[fuzzybunny]

I store the tow hitch the wrong way round in the box. That way it fits without removing the spare wheel. Its not so neat but it doesn't rattle so I accept speed over correctness just for once. I'm glad someone else has mentioned the hitch fouling the spare. I thought it was just me. I keep the cover on the LHS of the spare it just fits in the space between the storage box. I leave my 7 pin adapter with the trailer which I store vertically in a keter store from home base.

Ah thinking outside the box ay, never thought about turning the hitch round.

Thanks, I'll try that, and the place for the cover, (when I get my next yeti.)

[vegit8]

One thing I have not seen mentioned here is that a new cross member is fitted behind the bumper.

When we picked up our car we were given the OEM piece, apparently this is the crumple zone member and is not of sufficient strength to support any weight.