Towbar

[Sk1]

Hi all, I'm just getting used to forum and wonder if anyone can shed some light on whether anyone has had an after market fitted towbar.

I have a 190 SEL exec which I'm going to use for towing a caravan. I've had after an market towbar with dedicated electrics on my previous car, which had trailer prep under the rear and fitted by an approved fitter.

Has anyone had any issues or is it straight forward and what is it like to tow?

Thanks in advance.

[BennyS3]

Hi. I found the following links useful and hopefully they might solve it for you or give you an idea of what's best to do. Some of the links involve after market fittings.

Make sure to go back to the beginning of each link.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/377776-factory-towbar-or-after-market-for-combi/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/396530-aftermarket-detachable-towbar-fitted/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/394447-for-those-who-tow/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/400207-skoda-superb-iii-with-factory-fitted-tow-bar/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/395083-has-anybody-fitted-a-towbar-yet/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/393778-factory-fitted-tow-bar/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/393102-skoda-superb-towbar-demo-video/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/379789-factory-tow-bar-%E2%80%93-mounting-accessories-limitations/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/384850-towball/?view=getnewpost

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/377368-tow-bar-associated-additions/?view=getnewpost

Edited 28 August, 2016 by BennyS3

[Sk1]

Thanks for the links, which I've scanned through.

However, has anyone out there had an aftermarket towbar fitted recently?

Thanks.

[GaSelle]

I had a Westfalia detachable towbar fitted recently with OEM electrics. It was 1/3 of the price compared to the OEM towbar. Very pleased with it, and all electronics works as it should (parking sensors, extra indicator light, ESP etc.)

[Sk1]

I had a Westfalia detachable towbar fitted recently with OEM electrics. It was 1/3 of the price compared to the OEM towbar. Very pleased with it, and all electronics works as it should (parking sensors, extra indicator light, ESP etc.)

Hi Gaselle, thanks for the post and that's reassuring to know. I was dreading paying the factory fit cost plus labour costs! Was the fitting straight forward? I.e. Plug and play?

Edited 29 August, 2016 by Sk1

[Paul R T]

Hi SK1,

I bought a ex-demo 16 plate 190 SEL estate in July, having previously had a 2010 CR 170. I had a Westfalia towbar fitted by my local towing specialist, and have just returned from 2,500 miles of towing round a pretty hot France. I was very pleased as to how the car performed - more power and torque than the 170, better towing economy, and perfectly stable in cross winds. I was slightly concerned that an after market towbar did not include the changes to cooling that is referred to in the brochure for a factory ordered towbar, but water temperature kept steady at 90 and oil temperature did not exceed 120 on the most demanding autoroute gradients (A75 over the Massif Central for those that know it). So,all in all very pleased - a really excellent towcar, and very good solo also.

Cheers

PaulRT

[GaSelle]

Hi Gaselle, thanks for the post and that's reassuring to know. I was dreading paying the factory fit cost plus labour costs! Was the fitting straight forward? I.e. Plug and play?

The fitting is "plug´n´play" if your car has the towbar preparation ordered from factory. If not, you have to route three power cables and two CAN-bus cables to the front, which can be a little tricky. I paid £275-ish for my Skoda-dealership to fit and code it. Paid around the same for the towbar including the electrics, wires etc

[Sk1]

Hi SK1,

I bought a ex-demo 16 plate 190 SEL estate in July, having previously had a 2010 CR 170. I had a Westfalia towbar fitted by my local towing specialist, and have just returned from 2,500 miles of towing round a pretty hot France. I was very pleased as to how the car performed - more power and torque than the 170, better towing economy, and perfectly stable in cross winds. I was slightly concerned that an after market towbar did not include the changes to cooling that is referred to in the brochure for a factory ordered towbar, but water temperature kept steady at 90 and oil temperature did not exceed 120 on the most demanding autoroute gradients (A75 over the Massif Central for those that know it). So,all in all very pleased - a really excellent towcar, and very good solo also.

Cheers

PaulRT

It's a very good car, which I'm really pleased with and its good to hear that it tows well and has loads of power and torque. Did you have any issues with fitment of the towbar or was it straightforward because it had trailer prep from the factory, like GaSelle says or did you towbar fitter make light work of it? Thanks.

[Sk1]

The fitting is "plug´n´play" if your car has the towbar preparation ordered from factory. If not, you have to route three power cables and two CAN-bus cables to the front, which can be a little tricky. I paid £275-ish for my Skoda-dealership to fit and code it. Paid around the same for the towbar including the electrics, wires etc

Thanks for the reply, price seems reasonable, as I was dreading the cost. What is troubling me is that if I get it fitted by my local towbar fitter, who I've had 4 towbar a from previously, will it affect warranty and does it need those "upgrades". How do I know it has been trailer prep?

[Paul R T]

Hi again Sk1,

Can't really help on your last query. As an ex- demo model, I had no idea whether it had the towbar prep, but I suspect not. I left the fitting expertise entirely to my local towbar specialist, GT Towing, (near Hatfield, Herts), whom I have used several times in 15 years of caravanning. They had obviously fitted several towbars to Superb 3's before mine. The outcome with all the gizmos working as they should was entirely satisfactory. However, it was not cheap - 790 quid, but I gather the time involved is much longer than on the Superb 2.

Cheers

Paul R T

[Sk1]

Hi again Sk1,

Can't really help on your last query. As an ex- demo model, I had no idea whether it had the towbar prep, but I suspect not. I left the fitting expertise entirely to my local towbar specialist, GT Towing, (near Hatfield, Herts), whom I have used several times in 15 years of caravanning. They had obviously fitted several towbars to Superb 3's before mine. The outcome with all the gizmos working as they should was entirely satisfactory. However, it was not cheap - 790 quid, but I gather the time involved is much longer than on the Superb 2.

Cheers

Paul R T

Thanks again for reply Paul, I've got a bit more shopping round to do. Did pop into my local dealer, who looked at the cost as £799 fitted, and that was with the tow bar which folds away into the recess. So will see what my local towbar fitter says. Thanks again. ????????????

[Sk1]

Update; I've made a few enquirers and had prices, which are substantially cheaper than a dealer fit. I have a choice of detachable or retractable. I fancy the retractable, but been told that due to the mechanics of how it works, there could be a possibility in the future that it may where and could suffer from "play", which will obviously cause problems and not easily resolved.

My question is, has anyone had any experience of this and would they recommend one, as I will be keeping the car long term and be towing a caravan.

Many Thanks.

[aaronjb]

Update; I've made a few enquirers and had prices, which are substantially cheaper than a dealer fit. I have a choice of detachable or retractable. I fancy the retractable, but been told that due to the mechanics of how it works, there could be a possibility in the future that it may where and could suffer from "play", which will obviously cause problems and not easily resolved.

My question is, has anyone had any experience of this and would they recommend one, as I will be keeping the car long term and be towing a caravan.

Many Thanks.

 

No experience but I am interested in the retractable option - which make bar is that? Westfalia don't list a retractable bar for the Superb III..

[Sk1]

No experience but I am interested in the retractable option - which make bar is that? Westfalia don't list a retractable bar for the Superb III..

Sorry don't know what make it is, as I didn't ask. I presume either brink or bosal?

[Sk1]

No experience but I am interested in the retractable option - which make bar is that? Westfalia don't list a retractable bar for the Superb III..

Sorry don't know what make it is, as I didn't ask. I presume either brink or bosal?

[aaronjb]

Be interested if you can find out which - Brink don't list any options for the Superb 3 on their website and Bosal only list detachable, same as Westfalia.. failing that, the name of the fitter who quoted you for the retractable?

[Sk1]

Be interested if you can find out which - Brink don't list any options for the Superb 3 on their website and Bosal only list detachable, same as Westfalia.. failing that, the name of the fitter who quoted you for the retractable?

Give Sinclair Skoda (Swansea) a ring and they will be able to help you. The retractable one could be fitted by them. I presumed it would be one of the major brands.

Edited 3 September, 2016 by Sk1

[aaronjb]

Thanks! From what I can figure out they might actually be quoting for the factory option retro-fitted, since I can't find a retractable from anyone else.. Westfalia make one (it's almost certainly what Skoda fit) but they say they do not supply it to the aftermarket, only OE.

 

Might be a trek to Swansea.. although t'other half's mother lives in Cardiff so there's an excuse to visit S. Wales at least..

[Coops]

Sorry late to party here - I had an aftermarket one fitted.

 

Westfalia, detachable, 13 pin electrics, installation and all coding £535.

 

Came out to work place, cracking job, electric socket swings out from under bumper.

[skodarog]

Sorry late to party here - I had an aftermarket one fitted.

 

Westfalia, detachable, 13 pin electrics, installation and all coding £535.

 

Came out to work place, cracking job, electric socket swings out from under bumper.

that sounds like a bargain. i paid c.£300 for a detachable Bosal towbar and Westfalia electrics. it then took me around 3 hours to fit the towbar, and another 6 or so to do the wiring. on top of that i then bought VCDS to activate the towbar, then spent around another 20 hours or so trying to turn the ACC module back on as it lost it needed recalibration at another £220 - the dealer quoted me £1080 for a skoda towbar, so thats why i did it myself - if i'd got a quote for under £600 i'd had snapped their arm off.

[Coops]

that sounds like a bargain. i paid c.£300 for a detachable Bosal towbar and Westfalia electrics. it then took me around 3 hours to fit the towbar, and another 6 or so to do the wiring. on top of that i then bought VCDS to activate the towbar, then spent around another 20 hours or so trying to turn the ACC module back on as it lost it needed recalibration at another £220 - the dealer quoted me £1080 for a skoda towbar, so thats why i did it myself - if i'd got a quote for under £600 i'd had snapped their arm off.

 

It was a top notch fitter that I used - subcontracted through PF Jones so I suspect you'd get cheaper if you went direct to him.

 

He took less than half a day to fit. There was an error when he coded in that it lost the ACC and triggered a fault but he had come across it with a similar install on a VW Passat previously. Although he couldn't clear initially, a few phone calls later the fault was cleared and I've not had a problem. 

[skodarog]

It was a top notch fitter that I used - subcontracted through PF Jones so I suspect you'd get cheaper if you went direct to him.

 

He took less than half a day to fit. There was an error when he coded in that it lost the ACC and triggered a fault but he had come across it with a similar install on a VW Passat previously. Although he couldn't clear initially, a few phone calls later the fault was cleared and I've not had a problem. 

not Darren or Richard, was it? PF Jones gave me their number, and they came over to Swindon try and activate the ACC again and after spending 30 mins or so trying to do it unsuccessfully i had to take it to a dealer for re calibration. They did say that this car is a pig to do the wiring on - which i found out. My last car - an XC90 was plug and play - 20 mins later all done. 

[Coops]

It was Darren. Very very good and came recommended from another member on here. Agreed the fitment was a pig to do.

 

The coding was done with a programmer and NOT a laptop.