After market towbar - is a new rear valance or pre-cut panel needed

[Maxi24]

Hi all - new joiner 🙂

 

I've had a look & a search but can't find my question answered. Collecting my new (to me) IV Estate VRS on Saturday and I will need to fit a detachable towbar for carrying bikes and towing a small, single axle trailer. I have found a local fitter but he has suggested that I will need a pre-cut panel - I've seen elsewhere reference to a 'special' rear valance (same thing ??) but I can't work out if I need this. I will be going for a detachable swan neck that in pictures I've seen, comfortably bends around the valance without appearing to have been cut.

 

Anyone who has had a towbar fitted, please can you help. Is it a case that some manufacturers (Westfalia) don't require any other changes to be made?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Maxi

[Andy585]

I have the factory drop down towbar fitted and was looking at the aftermarket rear valance also 

[Andy585]

This might help with sizing it up

 

https://youtu.be/xoHBUnFZFkY

[SteelSniffy]

Hi Maxi,

 

I used to work in the tow bar business for about a decade, so I've seen a few situations like this before. The larger brands do supply some sort of a cutting template that a dealer/fitter can use to cut out a hole just large enough (but not larger) to fit the tow bar, be it detachable or fixed like mine. If it's not supplied, a fitter could do this themselves if they're somewhat experienced with it. Or you can order a new bumper valance with the pre-cut hole, but it most likely will be the cutout for the retractable tow bar Andy585 mentioned, so it may be a bit bigger than required for your detachable. I even noticed situations where a pre-cut valance had to be cut further because the aftermarket tow bar had the socket located on the other side than the OE variant.

 

TL;DR: find a tow bar with a cutout template supplied, a fitter that can do it, or a pre-cut valance.

 

For reference, this is what mine looks like, I'll make a close up of the rear end when I get home:

 

[EnterName]

On 25/04/2023 at 15:59, Maxi24 said:

Hi all - new joiner 🙂

 

I've had a look & a search but can't find my question answered. Collecting my new (to me) IV Estate VRS on Saturday and I will need to fit a detachable towbar for carrying bikes and towing a small, single axle trailer. I have found a local fitter but he has suggested that I will need a pre-cut panel - I've seen elsewhere reference to a 'special' rear valance (same thing ??) but I can't work out if I need this. I will be going for a detachable swan neck that in pictures I've seen, comfortably bends around the valance without appearing to have been cut.

 

Anyone who has had a towbar fitted, please can you help. Is it a case that some manufacturers (Westfalia) don't require any other changes to be made?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Maxi

Do look into any effect a new towbar could have on your reversing sensors.

Good luck! 👍

[Markeknows]

22 hours ago, EnterName said:

Do look into any effect a new towbar could have on your reversing sensors.

Good luck! 👍

If they know what they are doing this all gets coded at the time. Easy job to a decent fitter. Mines been no problem at all and a great (unofficial as no row weight on my vin plate) add on for a bike carrier to my iV. Needed the official cutout valence ordered, not a diy cut job that will weaken the one that’s already fitted

[Maxi24]

Thanks - really useful. Looks like I'll have to get the valance in advance.

[SteelSniffy]

11 hours ago, Markeknows said:

If they know what they are doing this all gets coded at the time. Easy job to a decent fitter. Mines been no problem at all and a great (unofficial as no row weight on my vin plate) add on for a bike carrier to my iV. Needed the official cutout valence ordered, not a diy cut job that will weaken the one that’s already fitted

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about any "weakening": the attachment/clipping points normally remain untouched. Plus, like I mentioned, if you're not getting a retractable tow bar, the cutout (be it OEM) will be larger than required for a fixed/detachable variant.

 

This is what mine looks like, had to duck under the car to make the shot, the cutout itself is absolutely invisible when looking from behind.

 

[Maxi24]

I had a really useful discussion with parts manager of Simpsons Skoda in Preston. There is a part described for a factory fit removable towbar (removable trailer hitch

5E7807521FF9R) but he couldn't confirm if this is valid for an after market fitted towbar, but makes sense that it would. However, no stock in the UK for special order (no refund if wrong) so reluctant to go ahead and order one.

 

I've asked the dealer that I bought the car from for the relevant part numbers as they had offered to fit one for me but would have been several weeks time (and a 5 hour drive). I'll check with my local dealer if the can offer a fitting service.

[DarylB]

Not long had a detachable towbar fitted to my mk 4 vrs estate, towsure towbar fitted, went to a long standing towbar fitter in Shrewsbury who confirmed no new valance needed, I think he said existing was already marked for cut out.

[Maxi24]

1 hour ago, DarylB said:

Not long had a detachable towbar fitted to my mk 4 vrs estate, towsure towbar fitted, went to a long standing towbar fitter in Shrewsbury who confirmed no new valance needed, I think he said existing was already marked for cut out.

Thanks - confusing & conflicting guidance from different sources. I think my best bet is to get the fitter to have a look and make the call based on his experience (asuming he's happy to cut the valance). I don't particularly want to have to order a part if it's not needed.

[DarylB]

Thats what I would suggest, would reccommend a specialist tow bar fitter, they should know straight away which option is the best. When I looked into a rear valance there were none available in the country, nearest was in Czech republic. 

[Maxi24]

Still trying to get this resolved - local fitter calling round later to have a look.

 

Question 1 - how do I know if the factory towbar preparation has been done ? Is it as simple as if towing weight appears on VIN (which it does)

Question 2 - what does the towbar prep provide. Does it include wiring (5E3 055 202B + 5E3 055 204B) or is that still needed.

 

Very confused and not getting much help from Skoda dealer / direct.

[Boosted_8]

I'm walking this same path now, I'm leaning towards simply asking the fitter to make a 'bespoke hole' for the towbar in question.

[Maxi24]

54 minutes ago, Boosted_8 said:

I'm walking this same path now, I'm leaning towards simply asking the fitter to make a 'bespoke hole' for the towbar in question.

So I think I know what my problem was - although the car had towbar prep done as part of the factory build, they did not include the correct valance / spoiler (i.e. the one with the cutout already done). I took it to my local dealer and they fully expected to see the cutout as that is what the system said.

 

Ignored that and got an aftermarket one anyway 😀