Tow bar on fabia vrs?

[Alan C]

No problem Alan,

You are correct it is a fixed towbar fitted with 19mm nuts and bolts. Takes about 3 or 4 mins to remove or fit, so not much hassle.

I would let you now what make it is, but unfortunately I bought it second hand and the makers sticker has come off.

If you look at the top of the last pic you will see part of the seven pin socket that I mounted on the towbar bracket, to plug a short lead with a plug on it to go to the socket by side of the tow ball.

Karl

Thanks Karl - yes can just see the hidden socket - I was thinking to just leave one of the two bolts in to hold the socket in place there all the time, but would be visible beneath the bumper.

Alan

[korban]

Karl, what exhaust have you got? It looks great!

Just a generic exhaust tip I choose when I had the back box removed so nothing special

but have a look here http://www.briskoda....-final-picture/ and its now black !!

Thanks Karl - yes can just see the hidden socket - I was thinking to just leave one of the two bolts in to hold the socket in place there all the time, but would be visible beneath the bumper.

Alan

Not a good idea Alan, did that first time around, worked fine until I reversed back on to a high kerb and smashed it to pieces

That's why its now mounted inside the bumper.

Karl

[Polo6n1600i]

Ok - so we all know that these aren't type approved for fitting tow bars to. But I wonder how much the type approval would cost??

And how many people would be willing to chip in towards it?

[Polo6n1600i]

Just sent this to vosa:-

Dear Sir/Madam

I'm a private owner of a 2003-2008 model skoda Fabia Vrs (1.9 diesel 130bhp). Now on the V5 document the section about maximum towing limits is blank as skoda in their wisdom didn't put the sport model VRS forward for type approval as they didn't think people would want to put a tow bar on their top of the range model. They were wrong! 

Now here lies my question. The only thing different between the Vrs and the model below it (which has the same monocoque as the Vrs - there is even mounting points on my Vrs to bolt a tow bar to) is the fact that the rear bumper is deeper & it has a more powerful engine. Might I also add that the VW polo 9n sport 130 is also the same basic car underneath and it's towing weights are probably similar to what my Skoda Fabia VRS can do?

There are several tow bars available that are all type approved the fit this shell - so what about the VRS? Is there any way to get the VRS approved for this??

Are you going to suggest I sell my car and buy a lover spec vehicle just so I can put a bike rack on my tow bar ? I think not - but even that under ec regulations is illegal - even though I'm not towing anything!

I hope you can help with an answer on this as myself and several hundred of the owners club would love to know what can be done in this situation

Yours sincerely

Andrew France

Towbar-less Fabia VRS driver

Sent from my iPad

[Babs]

Surely you'd just need SVA?

[rwbaldwin]

Manufacturer Type Approval is assigned to a vehicle at the time of manufacture - it cannot be assigned retrospectively.

[vRSAnt]

Oh dear

I suggest stickers made up to suite the predicament

"vRS .....Too Fast To Tow !"

[Ashby14]

I sold my vrs over a year ago but I'm looking for another now but i need to be able to tow my jetski. My mate own an 2007 limited edition and in his hand book is states his engine and all the towing technical data why is this if its not approved.

[Ashby14]

Just spoke to skoda coventry and they are not aware of this issue and said they have had a company fit tow bars to all fabia including the vrs

[Guest BigJase88]

My mate has a witter detatchable one

Don't listen to the preachers and squares who tell you that you can't

[Ashby14]

Skoda have never heard you cant i dont see it being a problem towing my tiny stand up jetski :s

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Skoda have never heard you cant i dont see it being a problem towing my tiny stand up jetski :S

 

No, the dealership you spoke to havent, skoda clearly have, else they would have put the towing weights on the V5 for the car. 

 

Speak to your insurance company, if they are happy to cover you for the non approved tow bar then go for it if you see fit. 

[DRJ]

I sold my vrs over a year ago but I'm looking for another now but i need to be able to tow my jetski. My mate own an 2007 limited edition and in his hand book is states his engine and all the towing technical data why is this if its not approved.

 

Could you get it scanned and attach here please? I'll compare it to mine.

[birdie]

The Fabia VRS mark 1 is not type approved for towing. Check your mate's V5 and it will say what weight he can tow. I have already looked into this myself and you cannot tow with the VRS unfortunately. There is a story of someone having a tow bar fitted by their dealer only for them to be stopped by the police, should be able to find it on google, he ended up getting compensation from the dealer.

If you had an accident whilst towing anything, I suspect your insurance company would be quick to decline your claim once an engineer inspected your vehicle.

PS I'm not a preacher or a square, just my experience and years of working in the insurance industry ;0)

[SKYHAWK]

Hi i know they dont make a tow bar for the fabia vrs but all i want one for is mtb rack for one bike.

Will a standard towbar of a standard fabia fit? I know the bumper will need cutting but just wanted know if it can be done?

Cheers

i have a red rear bumper already cut out and tow bar complete for £100 collected if intrested

[SKYHAWK]

The Fabia VRS mark 1 is not type approved for towing. Check your mate's V5 and it will say what weight he can tow. I have already looked into this myself and you cannot tow with the VRS unfortunately. There is a story of someone having a tow bar fitted by their dealer only for them to be stopped by the police, should be able to find it on google, he ended up getting compensation from the dealer.

If you had an accident whilst towing anything, I suspect your insurance company would be quick to decline your claim once an engineer inspected your vehicle.

PS I'm not a preacher or a square, just my experience and years of working in the insurance industry ;0)

any car is untitled to tow if you google it u will find the towing weight allowed i towed my vxr 130 miles and was over taken by an x5 police vehicle with no problems 

Edited 4 December, 2013 by steveopc

[DGW]

This is the information relating to towing recorded in the V5C for my 2007 Fabia vRS.  This confirms as others have said that it is not Type Approved for towing.

 

O     Technical permissible maximum

        towable mass of the trailer

 

O.1   Braked (kg)

 

O.2   Unbraked (kg)

 

 

Additionally, the Skoda Fabia Technical Data booklet which comes with each car has no data on permissible trailer load for the Fabia vRS whereas it does for all other Fabia models.

[birdie]

"any car is untitled to tow if you google it u will find the towing weight allowed i towed my vxr 130 miles and was over taken by an x5 police vehicle with no problems"

Sorry, that's not correct, you need to read the V5 for the Fabia VRS as above.

Also see the link below for someone who was stopped by the police:

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/uk-news/tow-blow-1455546

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

So,a police car overtakes you, this makes your car 100% legal. Hummmmm

[vRSAnt]

This is why the human species being wiped out by a giant asteroid might actually be a good thing. We have become effectively the Vogons.

 

Sadly the post by Birdie post above only confirms my worst thoughts on this matter.

 

I mean, a car which tons of torque like the vRS but no lets make sure its made unsuitable for towing, what bloody genius thought of that.

 

Then again, I'm not big or bold enough to challenge the weight of authority on this matter, but do see it as deluded to the max. I don't care what profession oversees or confirms this, just that its bloody stupid

Oh well get an Octy vRS if you want to tow.

[Guest BigJase88]

Its the same reason there are no rear mudflaps for a vrs

Skoda couldnt be arsed to design them. Same goes for the towbar

[SKYHAWK]

So,a police car overtakes you, this makes your car 100% legal. Hummmmm

thats correct and all my cars are 100% legal also the towing weight for a 1.2 fabia is 800kg so i'd say any where near that would be sweet  

[pulse]

Apologies if this has been asked or is stupid, but would all this apply to towing another vehicle too? I.e. Me towing a mate who's broken down?

[SKYHAWK]

why have they got a towing eye if they ain't allowed to tow anything don't make sence waste of metal!

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

The towing eye is to pull it onto a recovery truck or out of a ditch, not to tow anything with Quality