Wiring for a trailer board with no towbar

[technics100]

We have a 2 month old yeti and are going away for a few days.. I would like to take the bikes with a strap on rear carrier, but I have no wiring for our trailer board, is there anyway we can easily plug something in to give us brakes and indicators for the trip?

 

cheers

[skoda1982]

Idont think so No

[Llanigraham]

We have a 2 month old yeti and are going away for a few days.. I would like to take the bikes with a strap on rear carrier, but I have no wiring for our trailer board, is there anyway we can easily plug something in to give us brakes and indicators for the trip?

 

cheers

 

No.

You have to have the full towing electrics fitted.

[Frenchtone]

Or sit wife/partner on the back with a set of indicator paddles etc  --  sorry, off to the corner now  ; - D)

[technics100]

Thanks, but a bit of a pain.. with our old VW Sharan I ended up wiring in towbar electrics in the boot for the connector.. 

 

I take it the Yeti will be far to fancy just to crimp a few wires on a taillight?  All this fancy CAN-bus stuff etc?

Edited 2 August, 2016 by technics100

[Llanigraham]

Correct, it is the CanBus that stops you doing that.

 

There was a member earlier that had exactly that done by a so-called professional fitter, and he had to have a new Lighting Control Unit and half the loom replaced; it was VERY expensive!!!

 

Do the job properly or not at all, I'm afraid.

[muddyjim]

I remember reading many years ago about a prototype universal system intended for just this purpose;

 

It consisted of small light sensors that attached to the existing car rearlights with suckers, and the lighting board simply 'repeated' the existing lights. I'm sure with today's modern technology it would be fairly simple to include a wireless link back to a display at the dashboard that would echo and/or confirm the integrity of the system...

 

Jim

[bluecar1]

Or sit wife/partner on the back with a set of indicator paddles etc  --  sorry, off to the corner now  ; - D)

or save the money on gym fees and get swmbo the peddle the bikes to where your going, she will also be too worn out to nag when she gets there as well after all the peddling

 

       

 

French tone, any room in the corner for an extra one???

[technics100]

thanks, we are going about 60 miles.. seats down in the vrs and two cars.. me thinks.. 

[skoda1982]

I got quoted £900 dealer fit 13 pin

[weasley]

I got quoted £900 dealer fit 13 pin

Just the electrics or a 'bar too?

I would have a bar fitted anyway, then you have the option of a bar-mounted carrier. If the car is towbar-prepped then just fitting electrics would be a relatively straightforward task (I did it myself on mine and got my dealer to code it). You just have to find a place to mount the plug that was secure but accessible.

Edited 2 August, 2016 by weasley

[skoda1982]

Just the electrics or a 'bar too?

I would have a bar fitted anyway, then you have the option of a bar-mounted carrier. If the car is towbar-prepped then just fitting electrics would be a relatively straightforward task (I did it myself on mine and got my dealer to code it). You just have to find a place to mount the plug that was secure but accessible.

With the bar. cover plate fitted and coded

Edited 2 August, 2016 by skoda1982

[Llanigraham]

North West Towbars would do it for half that price, including the correct coding.

They even have a Yeti in one of their videos.

[PirateSyrett]

+1 for Llanigraham - £900 is way too much.

Our fixed Westfalia bar and full coded 13 pin electrics were done for just over £400 in the 'expensive' South West. We even used the towing specialist that the main dealer uses so we've got precisely the same kit that the dealer would have fitted.

[175GDY]

Have a look at the attached pdfs.  I used a kit from ECS when installing towbar to a Volvo V50.  It did not need any coding.
Anyway, the pdfs indicates a bit of work if you want to install this kit in a Yeti.

ECS-Installation-Yeti-7P.pdf

ECS-Installation-Yeti-13P.pdf

[Frenchtone]

p f jones sell a relay kit to piggy back the rear light services etc quite cheap, but needs panelling in boot taking out - others are not keen on this system, I used waxoyl on all the connectors to stop corrosion etc never had a problem in 3 years of ownership of my first yeti!

probably similar to posting immeadiately above!

Edited 3 August, 2016 by Frenchtone

[liamryan]

If you tow a caravan and need the extra wiring for the fridge, that is not included in the 13 pin kit from the dealer (my experience anyway). The dealer 13 pin socket only has, either 11 or 12 pins in it.

I had to sourse two pins and add them to the socket and wire them seperately for the full caravan electrics.

 

Cheers

 

Liam

[SuperbTWM]

You don't need the full lot fitting.

 

Just piggy back the wiring like you did on your previous car, the only additional thing you will need is a bypass relay. You can power the bypass relay from the 12v outlet in the boot if you have one, job done.

[Llanigraham]

You don't need the full lot fitting.

 

Just piggy back the wiring like you did on your previous car, the only additional thing you will need is a bypass relay. You can power the bypass relay from the 12v outlet in the boot if you have one, job done.

 

And doing it that way resulted in someone previously getting a very large bill when the lighting ECU burnt out!!

[gumdrop]

£900! cheaper to buy and fit  roof bars to transport the bikes.

[KBPhoto]

I fitted a genuine Skoda detachable towbar and 13 pin dedicated electrics for under £300 to my Yeti. Coded it using VCDS and have no issues since fitting it.

It did take me 1.5 days, of which about a third was wrestling with the connector block to get the pins out to move them to another socket. If you can do that, it's possible to DIY in a day.

The professionals can do it in a lot less, but then you pay more. And I enjoy a challenge and doing things myself knowing that it's been done well and not bodged and hidden from sight.

[SuperbTWM]

And doing it that way resulted in someone previously getting a very large bill when the lighting ECU burnt out!!

That's like saying don't buy a petrol Skoda because there are over 50 people on the forum who have needed a new engine. Tow bar companies sell and fit loads of those bypass relays.

 

It is a bit of a bodge job and on a 2 month old Yeti, personally, I wouldn't fit one, not to a car under warranty. But it is an option.

[KBPhoto]

I wouldn't fit one on the basis that a dedicated and fully integrated wiring kit isn't really that expensive.

And because when I eventually saw the bypass relay fitted to my previous car, I couldn't believe how c**p it was. Never again.

[Michael G]

We have a 2 month old yeti and are going away for a few days.. I would like to take the bikes with a strap on rear carrier...

 

cheers

Did you have one in mind? I'd always understood the Yeti 5th door would not work with a strap on (ooh err missus)

[pingo]

A Saris Bones works OK, you just need to replace the top hooks with hatch huggers.