Tow Bar Fitting - Car Specific Wiring Looms

[Batfink 201]

I'm looking at getting a Westfalia removable tow bar for my car and was wondering what to do about wiring.

I'm not sure I'm equipped for doing it myself so should I fork out the money for a car specific loom or just save £100 and get a basic kit and expect that who ever fits it will be competent with a simple job? Are these car specific kits a rip off? Its not clear what you get really.

 

I am looking at this site as it seems cheap for the towbars

[Anthony 1,003]

I've not fitted one, but have removed a few.

 

The universal looms usually just splice into the wiring on the back of the tail light for the various feeds, and is straight forward enough - usually it's 2 x indicators, brake lights, rear/numberplate lights, and rear fog. Certainly it's a 10-15 minute job on older cars, but not sure if it would be any more involved on something like your Audi as I'm guessing it has fancy nonsense like warnings for bulb failures etc?

[omega 82]

fitted a few towbars but be carefull if its a new car as fitting tow electrics can mess up everything.i just fitted a tow bar to a 2007 mondeo but the electrics are a nightmare as it has so many electric items on it,the ford wireing kit is a fortune and even if you use it you still might need the electrics resetting! so the dealer told me,so fitted a wireing kit with a relay that seams to be doing the job.

[rallysteve 22]

Get a car specific kit, the connectors will fit straight onto the manufacturers plugs. You might even find on your audi there is a connector from the factory for a towbar meaning an easy fit and possibility the cars systems even monitor the bulbs on the trailer and you have the warning light on the dash.

 

You can wire with a basic kit, however you will need a 7-way bypass relay which senses the voltage at the original wiring then operates the trailer lights from a seperate 12v feed. If you tap from the original wiring it will upset the cars bulb failure system. The only complication is if your car is CAN-BUS based in which case you might need a CAN trailer interface.

 

Steve

[Redtop 14 2 Cars]

Just get the likes of a pct smart box which is universal. Then get who ever is wiring it in to solder or hear shrink it in, rather than those silly scotch locks as the wires on modern cars are quite fine with being multiplex. Not that hard really. You for still towing an older trailer or a new one with the 13 pin system? You can get either in any decent motor factors. All caravans now have 13pin one socket and all trailers made after Oct iirc this year have to be 13 pin, just do you know, but you can get adapters to go either way.

 

We've fitted numerous of these on modern peugeots and have had no issues or comebacks in 3 years.

Edited May 20, 2012 by Redtop

[Masekwm 2]

I paid £200 for a towbar to be fitted at http://www.wilmond.co.uk/ this week. Very happy with the work and the £100 labour charge was worth it.

 

It took the 2 hours and the wife found a park nearby to enjoy whilst she waited.