Towbars!

[Arabella77]

Ok so I am about to start trailer shopping!

My car is a 2015 BMW X3 XDrive SE 2.0 Diesel with towing weight of 2000kg. So I am planning on getting a lightweight double trailer (Horse is young 14.3 Connie and sometimes friends 13.2hh chunky mini cob will join us!)

However I need to get tow bar fitted first obvs! ...So Can anyone shed some light on these questions on towbars please?

I’ve started contacting tow bar fitting companies and I am now confused as to what is recommended for my car.
.....it has parking sensors which I know makes a different as to what towbar I can have.

1) Do I definitely need a detachable one because of this?
2) What electrics pin do I need?
3) Does it need to be car specific electrics?
4) Are there any particular tow bars recommended?

This is all so new to me!

I'm getting conflicting advice from fitters! Can anyone help? Thank you!

 

[Kizzy2004]

I can’t help with type of tow bar as mine was factory fitted.

Mine is a fixed tow bar and car has parking sensors and it doesn’t interfere with the sensors.

Personally I would never have a detachable one as a few friends have had them detach when towing.

The electric pins would depend on what trailer you get. The older models are 7 pin whereas newer models are 13. I have an Ifor Williams 505 which has a 7 pin.

 

[Merry neddy man]

You can have 2 sockets fitted one either side of the tow bar 1x 7 pin 1x 13pin then you can tow old or new trailer caravan or horse trailer not to much extra cost.

 

[Annagain]

I would avoid the detachable ones - there have been several cases of them detaching while towing. A decent fitter will be able to sort the electrics so that the reversing sensors switch off when the trailer electrics are plugged in. If they can't it's not that big a deal to just turn the sensors off manually when you're towing, 7 pin or 13 depends on the trailer electrics but you can get adaptors fairly cheaply so I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'd go to a local independent fitter rather than to BMW - they will almost certainly try to sell you the detachable one as it's easier for them. Do you have a local horsey Facebook group where you can ask for recommenndations?

 

[Arabella77]

Thanks all...the fitters all seem to want to sell me the detachable and it’s more expensive of course! I will ask on my local Fb horse group thanks ? Def staying away from BMW to fit it??

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I don’t think electrics or parking sensors is what dictates a detachable one? I had to fit a detachable one to my outlander because of the boot configuration (it has a tail gate that when opened would hit the tow bar), but with the tow bar on it doesn’t affect the parking sensors.

 

[Birker2020]

Ok so I am about to start trailer shopping!

My car is a 2015 BMW X3 XDrive SE 2.0 Diesel with towing weight of 2000kg. So I am planning on getting a lightweight double trailer (Horse is young 14.3 Connie and sometimes friends 13.2hh chunky mini cob will join us!)

However I need to get tow bar fitted first obvs! ...So Can anyone shed some light on these questions on towbars please?

I’ve started contacting tow bar fitting companies and I am now confused as to what is recommended for my car.
.....it has parking sensors which I know makes a different as to what towbar I can have.

1) Do I definitely need a detachable one because of this?
2) What electrics pin do I need?
3) Does it need to be car specific electrics?
4) Are there any particular tow bars recommended?

This is all so new to me!

I'm getting conflicting advice from fitters! Can anyone help? Thank you!

You can switch the parking sensors off, mine has a button that you press, I have a Insignia. They only start beeping when you reverse into the trailer to hitch up.
Just switch it off on your dashboard, there will be a switch somewhere.

I would strongly recommend CDF towbars. I have used them for the last three towing vehicles, all which have been saloons and they explain about type of towbar and electric pins on their web page.

Highly recommend them. Think it cost me £270 last time which was Spring 2018 for present car (Vauxhall Insignia) before that in 012 it was £170 for a Vauxhall Vectra.


http://www.cdftowbars.co.uk/

 

[ROG]

7 or 13 pin - you can get a plug in line converter for less than a tenner which means you can tow either
If poss fit 13 to car so it can then tow a 13 pin trailer using all electrics and then plug in converter to tow a 7 pin using essential electrics

 

[Arabella77]

You can switch the parking sensors off, mine has a button that you press, I have a Insignia. They only start beeping when you reverse into the trailer to hitch up.
Just switch it off on your dashboard, there will be a switch somewhere.

I would strongly recommend CDF towbars. I have used them for the last three towing vehicles, all which have been saloons and they explain about type of towbar and electric pins on their web page.

Highly recommend them. Think it cost me £270 last time which was Spring 2018 for present car (Vauxhall Insignia) before that in 012 it was £170 for a Vauxhall Vectra.


http://www.cdftowbars.co.uk/

thank you... I’ve contacted them for a quote ?