Getting a tow bar installed

[MGKIRA]

I'm currently purchasing a Range Rover Velar Approved (before there's any Land Rover bashing, I've had one for years and never had any issues and it has 3 years warranty in it too). It's been a long discussion with my partner on what to use to tow and this is the only car we can agree on I'm wanting to tow a Ifor Williams 505/506.

I haven't a clue to be honest about what tow bar to get fitted - I have seen some saying don't use a detachable.. just wanted to get people's opinions on this. I was quite happy with the fixed bars but then how much does it set off the parking sensors and is this a real issue to consider?

Also what plug do I need to be getting quotes for 7 or 13?

If any one has any recommendations for the sheffield/barnsley area too that would be great

Thanks!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Definitely get a properly fixed tow bar .
And I think the 7 pin is the latest plug type so I'd go for that. If need be , it's easy to get it changed in the trailer.

 

[Sealine]

Before doing anything check that getting a tow bar fitted won’t invalidate the warranty. You may need to get it fitted by a Landrover dealer.

 

[silv]

If you are getting it through a dealer ask them to put on a towbar as part of the sale or at least before you pick it up. I have a detachable towbar and have had no issues with it, would never bother to take it off though not sure why anyone would to be honest.

 

[EventingMum]

Which plug depends on yyour trailer electrical connection. You can get adapters to plug a 7 pin trailer into a 13 pin car.

 

[McFluff]

I got the dealer to fit mine which helped ensure no issues with warranty (negotiated as part of the sale got a good price).
I got detachable as it was the back up tow car. I always took the towbar out when not towing. If you tow frequently then I’d get fixed, as it was a pain. And if you aren’t going to take it off when not using it, then go fixed (all the issues I found when researching detachable bars arose when they were left in).
When sourcing new tow kit for ours, we went for 13 pin - it is the newer one, and you can get a converter if your trailer is 7 pin (or get the electrics on the trailer updated, which is what I did).

 

[Merry neddy man]

Fit both 7 & 13 pin sockets very little extra cost,and you can tow anything. Have a look at www.towsure.com they are at Malin Bridge Sheffield (1/2 mile from Sheffield wednesday football ground) and have been trading for years, e- mail or ring them they will advise you re reversing sensors etc. Are you buying from a Land Rover agent? If so haggle a big discount with them for a towbar & electrics (get a price from Towsure to compare)

 

[TPO]

Personally, I'd never get/use a detachable towbar. I'm sure there was a horror story on here about one.

13 pins are for newer trailers (& perhaps caravans?) and 7 pins for older ones. You can get adapters each way.

I had a 7 pin towbar for my ifor then needed an adapter when I bought a new cheval. My adapter was a PITA and always needing some "wiggling".

The towbar didn't affect my parking or reversing sensors. When it was fitted the garage sort all that.

 

[MGKIRA]

Fit both 7 & 13 pin sockets very little extra cost,and you can tow anything. Have a look at www.towsure.com they are at Malin Bridge Sheffield (1/2 mile from Sheffield wednesday football ground) and have been trading for years, e- mail or ring them they will advise you re reversing sensors etc. Are you buying from a Land Rover agent? If so haggle a big discount with them for a towbar & electrics (get a price from Towsure to compare)

Thanks you - I forgot about towsure in Malin! We've haggled a lot with them and think we've got as much out of them as we can. They did say though that they had someone they recommend who would do it for about £700 or they do it for £1500 but I will check regarding the warranty as it's not worth voiding it - thank you.

 

[meleeka]

Thanks you - I forgot about towsure in Malin! We've haggled a lot with them and think we've got as much out of them as we can. They did say though that they had someone they recommend who would do it for about £700 or they do it for £1500 but I will check regarding the warranty as it's not worth voiding it - thank you.

Blimey that’s a lot of money! I’ve no idea how much it usually costs as OH fits ours, but I’m surprised it’s that much as it isn’t a long job. These days the wiring is already fitted in the car, it just needs bolting on and plugging in.

 

[MGKIRA]

Blimey that’s a lot of money! I’ve no idea how much it usually costs as OH fits ours, but I’m surprised it’s that much as it isn’t a long job. These days the wiring is already fitted in the car, it just needs bolting on and plugging in.

I'm going to get some prices from a couple of places but it seems to be around the £600 mark - might get a better price if I ring up than getting the online quotes - just wanted a rough idea! But yes it seems a lot!!

 

[meleeka]

I'm going to get some prices from a couple of places but it seems to be around the £600 mark - might get a better price if I ring up than getting the online quotes - just wanted a rough idea! But yes it seems a lot!!

The actual towbar was £400 to buy for our Transit, so that sounds more reasonable. I think it’s only a couple or hours labour at most.

 

[Birker2020]

I'm currently purchasing a Range Rover Velar Approved (before there's any Land Rover bashing, I've had one for years and never had any issues and it has 3 years warranty in it too). It's been a long discussion with my partner on what to use to tow and this is the only car we can agree on I'm wanting to tow a Ifor Williams 505/506.

I haven't a clue to be honest about what tow bar to get fitted - I have seen some saying don't use a detachable.. just wanted to get people's opinions on this. I was quite happy with the fixed bars but then how much does it set off the parking sensors and is this a real issue to consider?

Also what plug do I need to be getting quotes for 7 or 13?

If any one has any recommendations for the sheffield/barnsley area too that would be great

Thanks!

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These are the types of towbar, I always towed with the flange type. If your car has automatic parking sensors you can turn these off but when mine does the long beep I know I'm roughly as far back as I can go before I strike something with the towbar.

If you buy a car without a tow bar you can be looking at around £250 inc VAT for supply and fit, but that depends on the type of car. You should always say its for towing a horse, they are different types for caravan. You can get a mirror that you put on the front of the trailer so that when you look through your rear view mirror you can see the tow ball when its below the tow hitch so you don't have to keep getting in or out of the car. I'd say in 26 years of towing I can reverse the car below the towbar (so I just have to get out an adjust it minutely) in only about 2 out of 10 outings! Most of the time I'm cursing and jumping in the car to move another inch or two! It's hard with an an electric handbrake too!

My Dad fixed a pull down mirror to the front of my trailer but never reattached it when it was painted. I will get round to it one day when I get my trailer back from the respray mechanic chap.

You must always put the brake cable (also called the breakaway cable) around the bottom of the framework for the tow bar and never around the tow ball. If the tow ball should break off the tow hitch you will still have the brakes coming on!

Get someone to take you to an industrial park after hours and practice towing/reversing there.

 

[AandK]

I think £600 seems reasonable. I paid just over £500 to get a fixed tow bar fitted to my Merc ML 2yrs ago. I did it via the Witter website, have a Witter tow bar and a local-ish company came out and fitted it at my house.

 

[tda]

Yes I think it cost 4-500 for a detachable fitted over ten years ago.
Not quite Barnsley but Swillington trailers are good nr garforth Leeds.

I just got an adaptor when I had a newer vehicle and older trailer

 

[Tiddlypom]

have a detachable towbar and have had no issues with it, would never bother to take it off though not sure why anyone would to be honest.

A heads up. Detachable tow bars are designed and required to be removed when not needed. The constant vibration if left on permanently weakens them and causes them to fail.

It also gives the manufacturers their excuse to evade responsibility when it fails as you have invalidated the guarantee.

Detachable tow bars = barge pole.

 

[Alibear]

I tow with a Range Rover, and it has the retractable tow bar, I had no problems, and I've done 1000s of towing miles with it. It doesn't have the issues of the manual detachable ones. Although I did also tow with one of those issue-free I left it permanently attached. My freelander has a permenantly attached one, which was done by a third-party tow bar company, and that also works really well. I just keep a cover on it so I don't get grease on my trousers when using the boot.

 

[Bobthecob15]

My husband had a detachable tow bar fitted to our last car as he “didn’t like the look of it” I wasn’t keen but we never had any issues towing with it, we sold the car and got a different one and I insisted on a fitted regular tow bar due to all the horror stories I’d seen on here

So if you can get a permanently fitted if you can…. But we never had an issue with ours, it was a faff taking it off and putting it back on though

Think we paid about £450 for ours to be fitted (permanent one)

 

[PeterNatt]

Definately do not get a detachable tow bar as these are the ones that fail.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I'm currently purchasing a Range Rover Velar Approved (before there's any Land Rover bashing, I've had one for years and never had any issues and it has 3 years warranty in it too). It's been a long discussion with my partner on what to use to tow and this is the only car we can agree on I'm wanting to tow a Ifor Williams 505/506.

I haven't a clue to be honest about what tow bar to get fitted - I have seen some saying don't use a detachable.. just wanted to get people's opinions on this. I was quite happy with the fixed bars but then how much does it set off the parking sensors and is this a real issue to consider?

Also what plug do I need to be getting quotes for 7 or 13?

If any one has any recommendations for the sheffield/barnsley area too that would be great

Thanks!

Speak to Jim towbars, they are trustworthy and will help you. depends where you are