Mk1 Fabia VRS Tow Bar - LEGAL

[Huskoda]

To be fair, if you were buying a brand new car, and the supplying dealer fitted a towbar (even if they sub-contracted it out), would you actually check that the car was type approved for towing?

Well, I would check the tow weights to see what it can tow. At that point you would see it can't. Especially if I wanted to tow a trailer with another car on it.

[peteskinner]

I've had a witter bar on my 05 VrS for most of its life, originally towing a motorbike trailer for trackdays.

Now just a little Erde thing for trips to the dump etc.

 

Even got done by a speed camera with it behind me, and nowt said by Police. Enjoyable day out at the Speed Awareness Course too, with nothing said.

 

You'd think it would make a better tow car than the rest of the range wouldn't you?

 

Red tape for its own sake.

[AaronMountford1990]

Right UPDATE: I've contacted both DVLA & DVSA for their comments on this - both basically said go away and ask Skoda, both state they rely on the manufacturers information. 

 

I'm outstanding an update from Skoda to have written proof on whether it can or can't from the manufacturer's point of view. 

[sepulchrave]

20 minutes ago, AaronMountford1990 said:

Right UPDATE: I've contacted both DVLA & DVSA for their comments on this - both basically said go away and ask Skoda, both state they rely on the manufacturers information. 

 

I'm outstanding an update from Skoda to have written proof on whether it can or can't from the manufacturer's point of view. 

 

Towing capacity of a Fabia 1.9 TDI is 1000kg, a VRS is a high spec. 1.9 TDI.

Nobody cares about the nameplate, trim level or what extras are fitted.

Towing capacity is primarily rated on the structural strength of the towing vehicle and how the towbar is physically attached to that structure.

[AaronMountford1990]

On 28/06/2019 at 11:43, sepulchrave said:

 

Towing capacity of a Fabia 1.9 TDI is 1000kg, a VRS is a high spec. 1.9 TDI.

Nobody cares about the nameplate, trim level or what extras are fitted.

Towing capacity is primarily rated on the structural strength of the towing vehicle and how the towbar is physically attached to that structure.

That's one of the argument's I have with this, 

 

If it's the bumper, then fit a base model bumper when towing - done. To my knowledge it's the plastic that's cut when modifying the rear bumper anyway isn't it so it's not like they're affecting safety by cutting the rear crash bar. 

If it's the type approval, then claim compliance with the rest of the range as it's the same chassis.

If it has the fixing points for a tow bar then you're not modifying the vehicle to tow - it was chassis designed to tow. 

 

I believe the rating plate is where the police and others have an issue. There's meant to be a weight for the car then another fully laden with trailer - the values are the same indicating from the rating plate point of view it cannot tow, however, check yours and see if the values are different as yours is a non vRS anyway, isn't it! 

 

I'm waiting on VW and Skoda to actually give me a concrete response, at the minute I'm getting, erm, what do you think? Can it?

 

 

[Lofty]

I cannot expect that for one minute anyone at Skoda is remotely bothered about a response regarding the ability of the vRS to tow. The car has been out of production for 12 years, they can barely focus on the stuff that's still in production!

 

End of the day, the car was NEVER rated to tow, deal with it and move on. 

 

But if you want to risk doing it, and the resultant bumming from DVSA/VOSA, Police, Insurance then crack on. You will not re-write the rule book by arguing the case with a manufacturer who doesn't need to care about it.

[AaronMountford1990]

On 05/07/2019 at 10:16, Lofty said:

I cannot expect that for one minute anyone at Skoda is remotely bothered about a response regarding the ability of the vRS to tow. The car has been out of production for 12 years, they can barely focus on the stuff that's still in production!

 

End of the day, the car was NEVER rated to tow, deal with it and move on. 

 

But if you want to risk doing it, and the resultant bumming from DVSA/VOSA, Police, Insurance then crack on. You will not re-write the rule book by arguing the case with a manufacturer who doesn't need to care about it.

 

You misunderstand, I'm doing this to stop the argument cropping up again in future - like threads like this noting its legal to fit one.

 

I'm Still chasing.

At the minute I've received a shove from the Skoda side as they can't confirm anything for the UK as the people who know are in Czech, so they've passed it to the VW Homologation team who said there's no reasoning detailed on the homologation report, as of writing this the latest response I had was they contacted the factory and got a response of 

 

"

Regarding your question – tow for Fabia RS.

 

This equipment has been really  prohibited for this model. The reason was the rear bumper (positioning, shape…).

 

"

 

I've asked for it to be confirmed in an official statement but now suddenly everyone's gone quiet...

[KenONeill]

22 minutes ago, AaronMountford1990 said:

Regarding your question – tow for Fabia RS.

 

This equipment has been really  prohibited for this model. The reason was the rear bumper (positioning, shape…).

 

That argument doesn't make much, if any, sense. Other manufacturers are or have been quite happy to allow the plastic pelmet for a rear bumper to be cut to allow fitment of a tow bar. NB - I'm talking about the plastic, not the crash bar under it.

[AaronMountford1990]

On 23/07/2019 at 14:34, KenONeill said:

That argument doesn't make much, if any, sense. Other manufacturers are or have been quite happy to allow the plastic pelmet for a rear bumper to be cut to allow fitment of a tow bar. NB - I'm talking about the plastic, not the crash bar under it.

 

Agreed - my argument with them thus far has been my eldest has a 2014 Kia Rio which needed modification for a legal tow bar. 

 

Providing it doesn't modify the crash bar what's the issue? 

 

I'm now receiving silence back and I'm sending emails to multiple people trying to chase this further. 

 

The weight label in the engine bay doesn't help, as laden and unladen weights are the same which would prevent you as far as the police are concerned from towing as they would think it was unsafe - which ironically it's not. 

[Tech1e]

2 minutes ago, AaronMountford1990 said:

Providing it doesn't modify the crash bar what's the issue? 

 

Tow bar replaces the crash bar anyway.

[AaronMountford1990]

7 minutes ago, Tech1e said:

 

Tow bar replaces the crash bar anyway.

 

So what's the problem with it? 

 

Type approval team said it didn't have a tow bar option - but that's just a commercial sales thing, doesn't mean it can't be fitted with one, it's the same chassis and as such still has the same mounting points as the other fabia's?

 

I'm even trying to get hold of people internally to group and as usual - getting no where fast. 

 

I've asked the Homologation team, type approval team, and skoda infoline team to go back and ask someone else for specifically why as at the minute all we're getting is, "well yeah it's not really possible" - why? SILENCE...

[Breezy_Pete]

On 23/07/2019 at 14:09, AaronMountford1990 said:

I'm doing this to stop the argument cropping up again in future

 

Not worth your time (or that of those you're contacting) to be honest. The Mk1 Fabia vRS will gradually die out, and the problem with them.  Those who lovingly keep them going into the future will have probably resigned themselves to either not towing, or towing with a towbar that isn't officially approved.

Edited 29 July, 2019 by Wino

[AaronMountford1990]

Final response from Skoda's Infoline is: 

 

"

we only proceed, as our Homologation department inform us.

There is important to look at this vehicle, as the whole equipment. Not only chasis. There might be overload of the rear axle, or missing reinforced engine cooling and others components. It is also important for homologation, to look at the specific weight of every car's equipment. This specific car equipment of your vehicle can not be equiped with towing device. That is the last and official answer, from our competent department. There is no way to make it happend for you legally, we are sorry. There is no other statement for this situation.

"

 

So this thread want's renaming to vRS Tow Bar - Illegal if anyone would be so kind

 

At least that's that done now unless VW come back with a more detailed response other than - we don't know...

[TMB]

They sound annoyed with you

[Tech1e]

5 minutes ago, TMB said:

They sound annoyed with you

 

Reminds me of the Shawshank Redemption where Andy sends a letter every week to ask for funds for the prison library.

[AaronMountford1990]

On 31/07/2019 at 15:54, TMB said:

They sound annoyed with you

 

They can be as annoyed as they like, if they dropped the ball on filling out paperwork and someone documenting a reason for this not being able to tow, that's their balls up - and as such expect people to ask about it

 

It's probably asked as many times as, why did you make the MK2 vRS a petrol, and look like a MK2 Polo Breadvan?

 

On 31/07/2019 at 16:03, Tech1e said:

 

Reminds me of the Shawshank Redemption where Andy sends a letter every week to ask for funds for the prison library.

" I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged"

[Brogeur]

Just fit one.