The towball itself will be covered in paint, and that paint needs to be removed. Why? well, its to do with how modern caravan stabiliser hitches work. When you have finished with the Master Key Set please return it to your local Westfalia Fitting Partner or send it directly to us. Home | About us | Towbars | Electrics | Accessories | FAQs | Deliveries | Collections | Price List | A member of the

While a fixed towbar performs perfectly well as a device for towing, its ergonomic issues are present when its not in use. As you can see from the video above, with the Witter detachable towbar, a spring pin fixes the towbar into the car. If you want to tow and attach a cycle carrier at the same time, the flange towbar will be for you. Be careful though, you must add together the weight of the bikes and the nose weight of the trailer, the two added together should not exceed the maximum nose weight stated by the vehicle manufacturer. Now, arguably fitting a bumper protector plate with a bolt-on towball makes an ‘ugly’ towbar even uglier. The Westfalia Automotive Detachable TowBar is one of the most popular towing systems on the market and is catered towards more high-end vehicles due to its removable operation.You can see an example of such a manual deployable towbar in the Brink video at the start of this post. However, the true ‘poshest’ option is to have an electric motorised deployable towbar. The pros of a motorised towbar are its discrete appearance when not in use. Now, that’s obviously also true of a detachable towbar. This type of towbar has no rated towing capacity. Therefore, if the car itself is even actually capable of towing, the bike carrier towbar would need to be removed and replaced with a ‘proper’ towbar before you pull a caravan/trailer. Fixed Towbar Pro & Cons

However, as I’ve stated above, fixed towbars can also be a pain when you are loading the car, as they can bang your legs. The point is, with a fixed towbar, as long as the bolts/welding is strong and in a good condition, there are no other components that could potentially fail or seize up. Dan discusses an important point in the video above. You need to degrease the towball before you hook up to a caravan. The flange towbar was for many years the only type of towbar manufactured in the UK. The tow ball is bolted to the towbar with either two bolts or four bolts. The flange is a versatile towbar which can be used with towball mounted accessories eg cycle carriers, bumper protectors and all types of stabilisers, all mounted between the towbar and ball. The flange towbar is non-removable.However, proper maintenance and servicing will reduce any potential reliability issues. Hence, always read the instructions. With detachable towbars, there are spring clips/pins to secure them into position. With retractable tow bars, there are hinges and even electric motors. The best towbar option for you will depend on your budget and how important it is to maintain the original appearance of your car. However, even manufacturers such as Ford are now offering the option of an electronic deployable towbar.

Ergonomics covers how well something is designed for human use. In other words, how efficiently and safely can a person interact with an object? If you are trying to decide which type of towbar would be best for your car, I hope the above information was of some use. We find that typically most customers will go for a 13 Pin System as then the vehicle is covered for any towing need. This video from Brink shows the different types of towbars available When A Towbar/Towball Is Not Suitable For Towing

Matching accessories

The assembly and operating instructions of the towbar are to be included with the other vehicle papers. These serve as the Operating Licence during the general vehicle inspection. Additional expert opinions are not required for towbars not subject to design approval but are accepted on a case by case basis.

Making sure the spring fixing/release mechanism is working properly. The manufacturer’s instructions may recommend an occasional spray with WD40/Silicon lubricant. Retractable/Deployable Towbar Pros & Cons That’s obviously subjective, but it does serve a purpose. We have a bumper protector plate fitted to our bolt-on towbar. We are pleased to send you a new type plate as soon as we receive from a garage a Statement under oath, which includes the identity of the towbar. The German Federal Office of Automobiles has taken the decision that the delivery of type plates directly to the vehicle owner is no longer permitted. Diode test plugs are not appropriate for inspection purposes due to their low loading capacity. The electrical load has to be 21 watt. Over the last couple of years, we have had a few guests with Land Rover Discoveries with electrically deployable towbars.

OUR PRODUCTS

So no more banging your legs on a towbar when you’re just going to the shops. Furthermore, other than the towbar fixing point, when the detachable towbar is not fitted the car retains its original appearance. The pros, as discussed above, with a detachable towbar are that it can be relatively easily detached when towing is not required. While detachable/retractable towbars do provide a discrete appearance, their added complexity may potentially cause you issues in the future. Furthermore, while the condition of any type of towbar should be inspected. With a detached towbar, it will require a bit more attention.