Towbar fitting - avoiding issues

[Spudskoda]

Hello everyone.

 

I am looking for some advice regarding the fitting of a towbar to my Superb MkII Estate please.

 

I have seen on various owners groups etc that people's experiences of having a towbar fitted are wide and varied, and that some vehicles come "pre-prepared" for a towbar being fitted, with some of the electrics etc bring in place ready to connect into.

 

I have also seen that if towbars are fitted by places which don't really know about the Superb have made real hatchet jobs of cutting into the bumpers and messing up the parking sensors.

 

Could anyone point my in the right direction to establish if my car has the pre-prepared kit on it, and how to avoid a bodge-it job of the fitting, maybe even suggest a known and trusted fitting company who operate in the North West area?

 

Many thanks

 

Mark

[chimaera]

The OE Skoda towbar will be the least effort to fit, and the inside of the bumper has the cutout area marked already. The build label will have the option code for Factory Towing Prep if it's installed - I can't remember what the code should be, but if you put all the codes into a decoder online you'll be able to see if it's there.

 

Factory prep means the wiring from the fuse panel to the boot is factory fitted. You still need to remove the boot trim panels to fit the controller and the rest of the wiring. Skoda's 13 pin kit is worth getting IMO for minimum fuss during install and no worries down the line about compatibility with different trailers.

[Spudskoda]

Cheers @chimaera

 

Where is the build label located please?

 

Is it only possible to buy the OEM towbar from Skoda, and do you know roughly what they cost please?

 

Thanks again

 

 

[chimaera]

There are usually two copies of it, one in the spare wheel well and a second inside the cover of the service book. If you can't find either, you can always sign up for an hour on erWin and download the build sheet there. The code for factory towing prep is 1D7; if you see 1D0 you don't have any factory towing prep.

 

The OEM towbar is made by Prof Svar, possibly sourceable outside the dealer network but I never checked. Westfalia make a very similar one and also supply an electrical kit that's similar to the OE one (though I don't think it has coding/diagnostic support).

 

IIRC I spent around €200 on the towbar and €300 for the electrics from my local dealer but that was 7 years ago.

[Spudskoda]

Just checked the coding on the build label in my service book and unfortunately I have the 1D0 code 😞 

 

 

[chimaera]

So that means a different wiring kit and a little more work. The driver's side sill trims have to be lifted to run the harness from the boot up to the fuse panel at the end of the dash. This video goes through the install (I haven't watched it but it was recommended on another thread about towbars): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAwJmN74qG4

[Spudskoda]

Cheers Buddy 👍

[Animado]

I have the Westfalia detachable fitted to my 2011 MkII Saloon done by John Ingham Towing in Preston. It's been on a few years now so I can't remember the cost. It's the Westfalia kit, fully integrated into the car's systems as far as shutting off the parking sensors, setting off the alarm if the trailer / caravan is disconnected etc.  Can't fault it.

[Snapper1725]

North West tow bars fitted mine, Westfalia detachable 

You wouldn’t know it had a tow bar fitted when it’s off 

[Spudskoda]

On 31/03/2023 at 04:11, Snapper1725 said:

North West tow bars fitted mine, Westfalia detachable 

You wouldn’t know it had a tow bar fitted when it’s off 

If you don't mind me asking, what did that cost please mate?

[Snapper1725]

7 hours ago, Spudskoda said:

If you don't mind me asking, what did that cost please mate?

Am going back to 2015 when I got mine fitted 

was around £560 if I can remember right 

it’s a good job, you wouldn’t know car had a tow bar fitted when it’s removed, socket folds up out of the way.

All wired correctly and coded or what ever they do.

When you put it in reverse, picture of a trailer comes on screen to remind you that the caravans on 🙄 not sure how you’d forget though 😆

Edited 6 April, 2023 by Snapper1725

[chimaera]

Interestingly, when you have a reversing camera fitted it keeps the camera on when a trailer is hitched. Very handy for getting the towball lined up, and for reversing the trailer too as it's much easier to check your angles.

[Snapper1725]

17 hours ago, chimaera said:

Interestingly, when you have a reversing camera fitted it keeps the camera on when a trailer is hitched. Very handy for getting the towball lined up, and for reversing the trailer too as it's much easier to check your angles.

Camera be handy for hitching caravan on 

Normally tell wife to get in the car and back up to the caravan.

Its so much easier then her telling me 😆

[chimaera]

2 hours ago, Snapper1725 said:

Camera be handy for hitching caravan on 

Normally tell wife to get in the car and back up to the caravan.

Its so much easier then her telling me 😆

Oh it's super handy for hitching up the caravan, I can get right in under the coupling no hassle.

[J.R.]

Yes my AliExpress reversing camera has been a game changer for coupling (phnarr phnaar!).

 

I cant quite see the towball just a tiny shadow on the bottom of the screen, I have encouraged the plastic camera housing as much as I dare, slotted the holes etc to arrive at that point so now just have a tiny Tippex dot on the head unit LCD surround to indicate where the towball is in the left right axis.

 

Even the trajectory lines are very accurate for placing the trailer despite from my view them looking very wrong.

Edited 7 April, 2023 by J.R.

[softscoop]

Which reverse camera have you fitted?

[chimaera]

I have this one: https://www.cars-equipment.com/en/shop/skoda/oem-rvc-rear-view-highline-camera/?tpl=product_detail

 

There's a thread around somewhere with instructions for fitting, I'll look for it in a sec.

 

Looks like this with a trailer hooked up

[chimaera]

This is the thread: