Removable towbar??

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yhanni

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Hi, we've bought a 2016 Kia Sorento & I've taken it today to have a tow bar fitted. When I collected it, they've fitted a removable tow bar when I had specified, and paid, for a fixed. They are happy to change it next week although I'm going to have to use it at the weekend to collect a trailer (sans horse). Is there any particular benefit/detriment to either type? Apart from having to pay extra if I keep the removable one of course!
 
I have collected a trailer using a car with a removable tow bar with no concerns, so this weekend shouldn't be a problem. Fitting a tow bar can affect the reversing sensors of a car, which is why some people fit detachables, as well as improving the aesthetics of the car. There was a thread about this very point a little while ago. My personal thought would be that a fixed bar has less to go wrong and it removes the possibility (however slim) of the removable section being fitted incorrectly. Also, you can't fit a stainless steel protection plate to a detachable bar, and they do help to protect your bumper if you overdo the reversing into position. It would be worth checking if the detachable bar has a lower towing weight limit.
 
I may be wrong but i am sure when this has been debated before that the same vehicle with a removable tow bar (vehicle manufactuer fitted) has a lower towing weight than a non removeable one. (ROG may know)
 
Removable should be removed when not in use as otherwise they can wear and subsequently fail. Fixed gets around having to faff with taking it off and on all the time!
 
We used a removable for many years on the last Range Rover we had with no problems, we always removed when not in use . We now have a deployable one which I prefer.
 
Right thank you. I'll get it changed for the fixed. I did search the other threads but there didn't seem to be a definitive decision. I certainly can't be arsed with removing it when not in use!
 
A girl on my yard had a removable tow bar fitted to their car! It snapped whilst towing, thank god they had unloaded the horses and was actually just moving the car and empty trailer!

Could have been mush worse had it of happened 5 / 10 minutes before hand! I’d defiantly get it changed to a fixed one.
 
We have a removable tow bar to tow our caravan. It is very secure when in use but is a decent make (Westphalia). There are cheaper alternatives on eBay etc which I wouldnt have as much faith in. If your tow bar has been fitted by a specialist and you are happy with it then perhaps stick with it? If it helps, mine was also ordered and fitted by mistake and despite being a hell of a lot more expensive, the fitter we used acknowledged his mistake and honoured the tow bar at the price of the original fixed I’d asked for. I wouldn’t have been happy to pay more for it if it was fitted in error! Their mistake not yours.
 
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