I'm hoping to order a Superb Estate any time now, but the towbar options are making me pause.  I really like the "concealable" (i.e. fold away) towbar that comes on the superb, but i could do without spending the extra 500 notes or so right now, and just going for prep.  Prep is not on the Aug 17 onwards price list, but dealer has confirmed you can order it (£175).

My question is: does this prep allow for the fitment of the factory-fit towbar at a later date, or is it basically just wiring, and thus you have to fit a less elegant (IMHO) aftermarket towbar??

Anyone got experience of this? 

 

Thanks

nik

I can not answer your question but suspect it is just the wiring loom and data set up in preparation for a future tow bar, none Skoda. I have recently had an aftermarket removable tow bar fitter £570 with dedicated electrics, wish I had just got the factory fitted one. but at the time it was over £700 and I didn't have a caravan then so it wasn't a priority.

 

Tow bar prep puts the wiring from the canbus to a module in the boot. When you get a towbar with dedicated wiring you can then install the mechanical part and electrics which will then be plug and play. The hardest part of the install is the canbus to boot wiring.

 

If you get a Westfalia removable towbar they are the OEM manufacturer for most German car makes including Skoda and once fitted the only difference will be the extra cash in your pocket. If you can remove the bumper yourself you can fit the towbar and electrics easily with towbar prep. I did mine on the Octavia Mk2 but did the full install  to the canbus. If mine had the towbar prep it would have taken 2-3 hours, start to finish.

I have the estate that didn't have the wiring - the green-line doesn't have it. But when I had a tow bar fitted I was told that had the wiring been there it would have been a simpler job.

I sourced the tow bar parts online (it includes a whole new rear bumper metal C shape part - replaces the whole rear bumber metal part) - I went for the removable version

Then I had that fitted by a mate

Then I took it to a witter wiring expert

The whole bill still came to more then Skoda are apparently offering to do the job for on a new car - so I would go with them if possible

 

 

 

57 minutes ago, russ1610 said:

I can not answer your question but suspect it is just the wiring loom and data set up in preparation for a future tow bar, none Skoda. I have recently had an aftermarket removable tow bar fitter £570 with dedicated electrics, wish I had just got the factory fitted one. but at the time it was over £700 and I didn't have a caravan then so it wasn't a priority.

 

 

I assume you went through a dealer who would have just contracted and independent fitter then charge a markup to you. 

The current price for a Westfalia towbar and dedicated electrics is £308 at P F Jones. 

Edited 1 September, 20178 yr by CWARD

28 minutes ago, CWARD said:

The current price for a Westfalia towbar and dedicated electrics is £308 at P F Jones. 

That sounds a very good deal - better than I paid abd less hassle that my route. I didn't want a swan neck though

35 minutes ago, S00perb said:

That sounds a very good deal - better than I paid abd less hassle that my route. I didn't want a swan neck though

 

Flange tow bar would be around £100 cheaper still. I think you can get detachable flange towbars too now. 

Thing is, I am only going this route to avoid tipping the car over the 40k limit which triggers higher road tax. The full factory fit towbar would tip me about 300 quid over, and then cost about 1500 quid or more extra over 5 years in road tax!!!  = world's most expensive towbar!  

So, even if I paid top whack for a retro fit, it would still be a better option    Just want something really discrete that is invisible when not in use... 

The witter removable is totally invisible when not is use

2 hours ago, CWARD said:

The current price for a Westfalia towbar and dedicated electrics is £308 at P F Jones. 

Not sure that that is including fitting though

That's supply only. You can arrange a fitter through them though. 

 

As said above, if you can remove the rear bumper then you can fit the tow bar and electrics easily if the tow bar prep has already been done. 

I got a PF Jones detachable towbar with Skoda dedicated electrics delivered and fitted for £518.

It all works brilliantly.

The PF Jones towbar is the same as the Witter one.

Although the Skoda factory fitted one is nice it takes all of 30 seconds to clip in the detachable one and it is a big saving on cost.

That's a great answer, thanks. I'm going to defer costly items like factory towbar until after purchase and also things that can be enabled later on VCDS , mainly to avoid tripping the new road tax break point.