I don't have my Yeti yet (a 2012 Elegance) it suddenly occured to me,

that the towball may be a lot higher than it is on my Ford Focus.

Can anyone put my mind at rest please.

Platinum the Bath dealer has Witter towbars fitted and it will be an 

Alko towball. I pick it up on the Tuesday and hope to be away on the

Wednesday, so am cutting it fine.

 

Johann opened a long thread on this recently, but the conclusion overall that the Yeti tow ball height is within the approved EU range of measurements, although at the very top of that limit. He found a very simple way of dropping his but that was only with the Westphalia bar, which is the only approved Skoda fitment.

 ^^^^^^^^  Johann = 900000 

Link:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/296794-height-to-top-of-westfalia-detachable-towball/

Thank you both.

Just measured it, 480mm to the shoulder of the towball on the Focus.

Which means the Alko once hitched its bottom edge is 480mm

Edited 22 January, 201412 yr by gumdrop

From the Witter site:

http://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/faq/faq_category.aspx?id=448

 

How do you measure towball height?
 

The towball height is measured as the vertical distance between the ground and the centre of the towball. This must be measured on flat and level ground – most surfaces are far from level! Also, the laden condition of the vehicle must be known. (Note; In the case of “coupling height”, this is the position of the centre of the towball location when within the coupling head).

 

 

What height should the towball be?
 

The million Euro question! The EC Directive 94/20/EC states that the towball height should be between 350 and 420mm with the vehicle in the ‘laden’ condition. Laden condition may have been defined (by the manufacturer) as either fully laden (the maximum technically permitted mass of the vehicle as shown in the vehicle handbook), or, conventionally laden (defined as 68.5kg per specified passenger seat and 6.5kg of luggage per specified passenger and located in the centre of the luggage storage area). Alternatively, the towball may be at the height or height range specified by the vehicle manufacturer in the homologation documents and possibly the vehicle handbook. Not so straightforward!

All my work done for me!  Awh...  

I had a Witter removable bar on my now departed Yeti ... it rode level with a 2012 Sterling and a 2014 Swift on tow (not at the same time before some wag suggests it!), both riding on Alko chassis.

 

Johann seemed to have issues peculiar to his outfit.

I have heard of caravan tyres being replaced and the profile making a difference.

Some caravans had small diameter wheels and later or even interim models

getting larger diameter wheels.

I took my Alko Towball to the Bath dealer, where it was fitted to a Witter Towbar.

I asked for the height to be checked while I was there and it was ......... 430mm!

Rod,

This is the Westfalia removable with my Triton. Slightly nose up but no noticeable effect.

Hello Fred, how are you? My Troll has always towed nose up,

now it will be nose down, within the stated EU range (almost)

I must get a Milenco nose weight guage

Hello Fred, how are you? My Troll has always towed nose up,

now it will be nose down, within the stated EU range (almost)

I must get a Milenco nose weight guage

Bathroom scales do a better job Rod. I've tried 4 different N/W gauges and they were all different!

 

You won't really know which way it will go until you get it, to some extent it depends on how much the rear suspension has "settled".

You'll definitely enjoy it though.

 

Fred

The Milenco calibrated guage is a great bit of kit ... highly recommended.

Edited 23 January, 201412 yr by IainM1970

The Milenco calibrated guage is a great bit of kit ... highly recommended.

I have just bought one last week, look to be well made

Johann's idea of the Tiguan tow hitch is of interest.

I tow a Brian James Minnow trailer with a Caterham 7.

My colleagues tell me that the tow hitch looks too high. Which it does!

It is a 4 wheel trailer with the rear two taking most of the load.

When reversing on uneven ground the number plate (which is the lowest point)on the trailer catches on the ground.

Sometimes I have to take the Caterham off the trailer to reverse it!!

Sounds like lowering the tow hitch is the way forward as this would raise the rear of the trailer.

Any ideas besides ebay (already searched) where I could get a Tiguan tow hitch?

Thanks in advance.

You should be able to order one direct from Westphalia, or through their agents, but you will probably pay a premium!!