Superb II Detachable Tow Bar recommendations

[Alistu]

Thanks will investigate further. I have to confess I am not great at selecting what parts etc I require and it would be really helpfull if you could provide a breakdown. I have a 2006/7 Ace Aristocrat Jubilee Caravan which has twin electrics 7 pin on an Alko stabiliser. It looks as if the cut required to the Skoda Superb Outdoor Plus bumper is not visible which is great. Really appreciate your help and hopefully can use this data to negotiate a cheaper price with the tow bar company in Glasgow as there are no P.Jones in Scotland.

[chimaera]

It's worth asking the dealer you bought the car from for a quote. The OE towbar and electrics for a Superb 2 are about 400 gbp for the parts IIRC - they might do a deal on the fitting since you just spent lots of money there.

[Snapper1725]

My westfalia tow bar as a 13 pin socket fitted, and bought a adaptor to make it 2, 7 pin sockets ( not the cable type ) which is ideal as they said it would need a lot bigger cut and harder for it to fold up out of the way. Me also thinking ahead that caravans now have 13 pin sockets. The ball does look close to the bumper but it does miss with the alko stabiliser fitted. Just be carefull when when you disconnect after reversing in that the alko doesn't push into the bumper when jacking of the ball

[SuperbTWM]

My westfalia tow bar as a 13 pin socket fitted, and bought a adaptor to make it 2, 7 pin sockets ( not the cable type ) which is ideal as they said it would need a lot bigger cut and harder for it to fold up out of the way. Me also thinking ahead that caravans now have 13 pin sockets. The ball does look close to the bumper but it does miss with the alko stabiliser fitted. Just be carefull when when you disconnect after reversing in that the alko doesn't push into the bumper when jacking of the ball

 

After needing to use the trailer this week to pick up a large sheet of plywood for under a shower tray I need to get one soon. I forgot how handy it was.

 

The Westfalia seems to be the best one to go for as it has a 2 Ton towing capacity and 100KG nose weight.

 

For dedicated 13 pin electrics and detatchable tow bar it comes to £320 with free delivery which isn't too bad.

[Alistu]

Help - Has anyone had a westfalia detachable tow bar and dedicated electrics fitted to a skoda superb outdoor plus tow bar fitter experiencing problems and westfalia do not apoear to have fitted one on an outdoor plus before !!!!

[SuperbTWM]

Help - Has anyone had a westfalia detachable tow bar and dedicated electrics fitted to a skoda superb outdoor plus tow bar fitter experiencing problems and westfalia do not apoear to have fitted one on an outdoor plus before !!!!

 

I received my Westfalia detachable today with dedicated wiring kit plus the optional 12V switched live supply wiring also. I must say the instructions are very confusing as it appears the kit fits a LOT of cars but i'm sure it will all come together once I get the car apart.

 

Its a shame I can't find any videos on installing the dedicated electrics as I would of liked to see where the cabling is best routed.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get it all done in one day as its forecast rain so we shall see

Edited 2 September, 2016 by SuperbTWM

[chimaera]

If it's anything like the OE electrics, you'll need to remove all the internal trim in the boot, plus the lower trim panels along the driver side in order to run the cables up to the fuse panel and BCM.

[SuperbTWM]

If it's anything like the OE electrics, you'll need to remove all the internal trim in the boot, plus the lower trim panels along the driver side in order to run the cables up to the fuse panel and BCM.

 

It is exactly the same as the OE electrics.

 

The Westfalia manual has the wires going down the passenger side and then across to the fuse box. The switched live supply goes ahead into the engine bay and into that fuse box but I haven't bothered with that for now, as far as i'm aware its just for keeping the fridge cool and battery topped up on a caravan and by the sounds of it a lot of people don't bother with it.

 

Just one side of the boot was taken off and then the door trims just popped up and the wires went in easily. Used a draw cable in a few places to save taking trim off. I didn't manage to break anything which was a bonus. The worst part was getting the rear seat bolster off.

 

All in all i'm very pleased with the Westfalia set-up, without the tow ball on and the socket swung up out of the way it just looks like it did before the tow bar went on. The instructions were a bit poor though and confusing at times.

[chimaera]

In the OE electrics the additional power supplies for charging/etc are taken from the internal fuse box, which eliminates the need to mess around in the engine bay.

[SuperbTWM]

In the OE electrics the additional power supplies for charging/etc are taken from the internal fuse box, which eliminates the need to mess around in the engine bay.

 

Well there are 3 seperate 15 amp feeds already going to the back of the car from the internal fuse box so I thought that would cover everything but apparently not. There must be a reason why the split charge/fridge feed comes straight from the battery.

[chimaera]

One of them is a 15 A supply, the other is 30 A - that's a lot of current. From what I could figure reading the instructions, there's some additional wiring added to the back of the fuse panel (the wires in the kit to do this are pretty chunky), and the stock fuse locations for those 2 connections are enabled as a result. Ages back I found the fitting guide for the OE electrics online but I can't for the life of me find it now.

[SuperbTWM]

One of them is a 15 A supply, the other is 30 A - that's a lot of current. From what I could figure reading the instructions, there's some additional wiring added to the back of the fuse panel (the wires in the kit to do this are pretty chunky), and the stock fuse locations for those 2 connections are enabled as a result. Ages back I found the fitting guide for the OE electrics online but I can't for the life of me find it now.

 

are you sure you have a switched 12v connection on pin 9?

 

You have 45 amps total coming from the internal fuse box. I also have 45 amps total from the internal box ( difference being I have 3 15 amp cables instead of a 30 and a 15 )

 

But for the switched live supply on pin 9 I'm supposed to have a permanent 15 amp supply from the battery which is switched by a relay from an ignition live feed.

Edited 4 September, 2016 by SuperbTWM

[chimaera]

I don't have mine fitted yet, I'm just going on what's in the installation manual. I wonder if the difference is because the OE kit connects to the BCM so a bunch of switching is probably handled there rather than via extra relays and feeds.

[Campermartin]

The new Skoda tow bar is a thing of engineering beauty....small handle in the boot releases the tow ball, a little finger can get it located and you are away. However second mortgage required to fit........

Beware of after market kit on brand new cars, apparently when the Skoda system is all linked the engine management system knows you are towing and makes allowances for it, if not they will go into limp mode as the engine feels the extra strain but doesn't know why......how clever (and expensive) is that?

i would advise specifying with a new car, its works out cheaper than fitting after the event, plus no bumper cuts either. Let's see how it tows.............

[williamshatnerspants]

Hi, does anyone know if a tow bar from a B6 Passat (2006) will fit a Superb II? thanks.

[scottalej2]

No

[andrehj]

No tow bars from a Passat won't fit, but most tow bars of an Octavia 2 do, since the rear of the cars is the same. I have a fixed Westfalia, and it fits on both an O2 and an S2.

[williamshatnerspants]

3 hours ago, andrehj said:

No tow bars from a Passat won't fit, but most tow bars of an Octavia 2 do, since the rear of the cars is the same. I have a fixed Westfalia, and it fits on both an O2 and an S2.

Thanks Andre!

[silver1011]

Hmm, I have a need to carry a towbar mounted bike rack on my Superb.

 

I really don't need it to tow but at the same time have a hatred for the aesthetics of a fixed flange type towbar.

 

So cost vs. benefit, do I really need to pay the best part of £400 to take the family out on a bike ride?

 

Perhaps I should sell the bike rack and get one that doesn't need a towbar.

[SuperbTWM]

2 hours ago, silver1011 said:

Hmm, I have a need to carry a towbar mounted bike rack on my Superb.

 

I really don't need it to tow but at the same time have a hatred for the aesthetics of a fixed flange type towbar.

 

So cost vs. benefit, do I really need to pay the best part of £400 to take the family out on a bike ride?

 

Perhaps I should sell the bike rack and get one that doesn't need a towbar.

 

What about mounting them on roof bars. If you pick up the hardware second hand you can always sell it again and probably won't lose much on them

[silver1011]

I tried those before I got the tow bar mounted rack.

 

A mix of being a bit of a lightweight and the fact my wife's bike wights more than me meant it was a nightmare 

 

I'll ring around a few local towbar fitters in the morning to see how prices vary.

 

I reckon there are at least another 3 years life in the old girl yet so should get my monies worth.

[chimaera]

Unless you need to routinely carry 4 bikes at a time, a boot mounted rack is a much cheaper option if you don't see yourself needing to tow.

[williamshatnerspants]

6 hours ago, silver1011 said:

Hmm, I have a need to carry a towbar mounted bike rack on my Superb.

 

I really don't need it to tow but at the same time have a hatred for the aesthetics of a fixed flange type towbar.

 

So cost vs. benefit, do I really need to pay the best part of £400 to take the family out on a bike ride?

 

Perhaps I should sell the bike rack and get one that doesn't need a towbar.

 

I've tried all the options over the years, and there are so many variables. If you cycle a lot, your bikes are light, and you are fit, roof mounted options are great. But they are not the best or cheapest option for the average person, or taking the kids to the park a couple of times a year. I hate the boot mounted options as they are complicated to setup (at least the first time), can damage the car where they attach to, limit access to the boot, and if the bikes move in transit they can hit the car too.

The towbar option IMO suits most people. I'm going to buy one of these towbars (in Aus and NZ only).

 

http://www.haymanreese.com.au/products/heavy-duty-towbars-class-4

 

Its the 50 x 50 square removable type, so you won't have to look at the flange base unless its carrying bikes.... I presume there is a similar towbar in the UK?

Edited 14 May, 2017 by williamshatnerspants

[SuperbTWM]

The tow bar set-up in the UK is a bit different but essentially its still a ball mounted to a frame. That design seems purpose built so you can remove the tow ball and attach any accessory that fits in the 50x50 box section. I imagine it will still look ugly on the car though compared to a detachable swan neck type that hides away 100%

[Phil-E]

Well good luck finding anywhere in York that will do it at a reasonable price!

 

I was getting silly quotes for my Saab.

 

I ended up buying one myself from PF Jones online. I went for the dedicated wiring as I didn't fancy tapping into my wires etc.

 

They're a doddle to fit especially if you only need one 7 pin socket (which you will if you're just using a cycle carrier). Should just be plug and play and bolt it on.

 

The detatchable ones should not be visible from the back either (might be able to still see the plug though).