Towbar on Monte Carlo?

[Scatterbrain]

Hi all, first post. Hope to buy a Monte Carlo either TDi 105 or TSI 105. Can these cars take a towbar? Have heard that vRS can only take one for putting bike rack on, but not for towing with. And do you need to cut the bumper if fitting? Or maybe a supplier makes a bent or swan neck bar?

 

Next question did Monte Carlo Tech start in April 2013? (am being offered a Jan 13 car which has Amundsen Satnav and bluetooth and is said to be a Tech).

Re the veering left tendency described on forum, the car has excess tyre wear on outside side of front left tyre, does that sound like the veer? How usually cured? Does changing to Pirellis usually cure it, or does it need more eg wheel realignment?

 

Many thanks for any input.

[iSamage]

I'm pretty sure all Fabias (bar vRS) can tow. And yet, I've still seen plenty of Mk1 vRS towing a 'van   Both the 105 engines have a braked towing weight of 1200. Which isn't bad, but I wouldn't want to tow anything near or over 1000 with the hatch! Not sure on towbars. However, there is usually the option for a swan neck/removable tow bar with either no or minor cutting in to the rear bumper (in our case, splitter).

 

I think the Tech did start around April '13, however I've seen quite a few standard Monte's with the goods (Amundsen, Maxi-dot etc). Best way to check if it really is a Tech is to try and get an insurance quote online if you have the registration plate. It'll tell you in the vehicle description "Tech Edition" if it is.

 

A lot of people have said changing tyres solves the problem but it often hasn't been the end of it. I don't know much on this, and hope not to know even after getting my Monte.

[Ootohere]

There is a thread in this section showing a member that has fitted a Towbar to a Monte Carlo.

(maybe you will find it with a search, or a few keywords on google.)

 

EDIT, sorry that took a few seconds longer than i thought.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/245487-my-new-tow-bar-monte-carlo

[Scatterbrain]

Many thanks for input, guys. The linked thread makes it look hairy at best. Spoke to a towbar company today, who is very unkeen to put towbar on a MC. He contacted one of his main towbar suppliers who say they've never done one on an MC. They aren't saying 100% it can't be done, but are very chary.

[Ootohere]

It is dead simple,  it is not specialist putting on of a towbar,  it is a Fabia Mk2, the car is EU approved.  (vRS is not though)

There are EU Approved towbars for the car.

 

Is it the wiring that bothers them?

http://witter-towbars.co.uk

Just as a quick example, obviously cheaper are available.

 

You just need to check the Vehicles Towing Weights/limits, Un-braked & Braked.,

and then your Driving Licence for your rights Towing & Weights.

 

george

[Noggythenog]

I had a tow bar fitted locally to my greenline estate.....they needed to cut out a slice of the bumper from underneath, you couldnt see it without looking underneath...it was a good quality Witter single point for my motorbike trailer.

Problem 1.....when i went to trade the car in i wanted to take the tow bar off but the stealer said because the bumper had been "modified" they weren't too happy with me taking it off.

Problem 2....i believe there's a bar that gets taken out (maybe someone else can ellaborate) from the car so the tow bar can take its place & taking the tow bar out would mean you need the old bar to refit which i didnt...anyone know about this????

Looking at my Monte Estate now there's much more bodywork down there so i imagine it's just a case of cutting out more plastic but im not gonna bother as i think it will look messy and if i trade in again ill have the same problems.

[w11q]

Hi,

 

Just thought I'd chip in with my tuppence worth..... just taken delivery of a Monte Carlo 105 TDI  .... it has a tow bar fitted which I didn't

really want so I asked the dealer to remove it. Problem : about two hours of labour costs plus the costs for a replacement "extension bar"

all told about £230 - and that is reduced because I've just bought the car.

 

Suppose the upside is that it's a dis-incentive for anyone to run into the back of you !

Edited 8 February, 2014 by w11q

[Outofthi5world]

Hi,

 

Just thought I'd chip in with my tuppence worth..... just taken delivery of a Monte Carlo 105 TDI  .... it has a tow bar fitted which I didn't

really want so I asked the dealer to remove it. Problem : about two hours of labour costs plus the costs for a replacement "extension bar"

all told about £230 - and that is reduced because I've just bought the car.

 

Suppose the upside is that it's a dis-incentive for anyone to run into the back of you !

It is that! We had an M reg Audi 80 about 8 years ago and someone ran into us on a roundabout https://www.google.co.uk/maps?t=m&ll=54.553905,-1.595987&z=13&output=classic&dg=opt (south to north going off the A1 to turn off first exit and go walking distance down that road to buy a trailer tent)

We had a tow-bar on and a car came flying up the slip-road, overtook 2 others and ran into the back of us whilst we were waiting at the roundabout. We were pushed forwards onto the roundabout so hard it sent the radio out of its slot but the only damage that was done to our car was the boot lid was slightly bent (you could shut it but had to slam it hard) and was slightly chipped from his headlight glass, the socket for the tow-bar was bent round to the side (which proved handy when we got a bike rack with special mount) and the bumper was damaged, but not by much.

His car had no lights, grill, bumper, needed a new bonnet, radiator and he smacked his head off the windscreen because he wasn't wearing a seatbelt

[milleniumbugs]

We have the previous Monte Carlo 2013 and had a tow bar fitted to it although not removable and have been told that it was illegal by Skoda who contacted me when I enquired as to why they wouldn't fit one on our 2015 model which we have waited over 6 months for.

 

Mr technical advisor went into great detail of how someone who wrongly fitted one (as not type approved) was stopped by Mr plod who discovered the car was not type approved for towing so said driver had to get someone else to tow his race car home for him.

 

Mr Skoda technicals answer to why it wasn't type approved was (Wait for it) because the Monte Carlo being a sport version with a high performance engine (????) might break engine mountings, gearbox etc on acceleration or other performance actions.

 

I do believe that the engine is no different to that fitted to the other Fabias and the only thing sporty about it is the look, have contacted major tow bar companies and none of them will now supply a tow bar so presume we will have to "break the law" and hopefully persuade someone to fit one.

 

I also wonder if Mr Plod really had the details at hand to tell him that a Skoda Fabia VRS or Monte carlo would not be type approved or if maybe just an elaborate story he made up?

 

 

[Ootohere]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Mk2 Fabia vRS Hatch and Estates are not EU Approved to have a Tow Bar fitted to tow.

There is not a Towbar Approved to fit to a vRS for towing.  Your Insurance can be Void if you were Towing 

and you would be committing an Offence, or may be committing an offence.

(Fitting a Bar and Hitch to fit a Bike Rack to is a Grey Area, as with many cars.)

 

?

Which model of Fabia Monte Carlo 2011 - 2014 has no Allowable Towing Weights?

Are there no Braked & Unbraked Weights on the cars 'Plate' showing its max limits.?

 

Unbraked 500kg, Braked 1,200 kg Petrols. 105 ps

Unbraked 500kg, Braked 1,100 kg Petrols. 86 ps

Unbraked 500kg, Braked 1,200 kg Diesels. 105ps

Unbraked 500kg, Braked 1,000 kg Diesels 75 ps

 

Or something like that with Hatchs.   Estates 450kg Unbraked & the same as Hatches Braked ???

 

?

So is that all changed when they Corrected the 'Kerb Weights in 2013/14 and changed them on Websites?

(including a Light Drivers weight)

 

FABIA MK2 FACELIFT EU TYPE APPROVAL was running before 2010 and the Facelift,

and the All New 2015 Skoda Fabia had no New Type Approval, it runs on the same EU TA as the Mk2.

MK3 have Tow Weights as Skoda submitted them, i imagine that includes the latest Monte Carlo models.

Not sure on the 1.0 litre version.

[briscaF1]

Just to clarify... An 86hp Mk 2 fab SE combi could tow 500kg unbraked etc with an approved tow bar?

Sent from my XT1039

[Lukeb]

Certainly not illegal millenium bugs, it's a standard Fabia with some body kit. They didn't bother type approving the VRS (I'd fancy a towbar on mine for my bike rack but can't).

 

Should anyone need one Thule do a swan neck that needs a very small cut and is pretty innocuous once fitted. That's what I went for with mine.