Tow Bar Question

[Guest tom2b]

I have just bought and fitted a tow bar to my 206

this may seem like a stupid question but someone said to me that any tow bars that are fitted after 2000 have to be made of something other than metal due to a rear end shunt twisting chassis with the metal ones?

To me the unit feels like metal but it is EC approved so should it be ok?

[Guest elwe]

I have never heard of any such rule, or seen non metallic tow bars for sale. And I have been to towsure recently.

 

If you had a carbon fibre tow bar then it would still bend the chassis in an accident, just like a metal one. So long as it is strong enough to do the towing in the first place!

[Guest bunnyman]

tow bars fitted after 2000 have to be eu stamped etc etc and cant be home made....warren

[Guest tom2b]

Thanks, thats what i thought, its all stamped and looks legit to me.

[Guest tom2b]

Towbars all fitted, now for the electrics.

Ive got a 54 reg xsi, can i just splice in to the loom or should i use the 7 way bypass relay? I dont have a clue about wiring

[baj25]

Tom,

last one I did was on my 2001 merc C180. I was told at the time that most cars later than this needed the bypass, and you could do some expensive damage if you didn't have one. I got mine from Towsure- they were really helpful on the phone. You could always give them a bell for advice (no need to tell them you've already got a towing bracket ) HTH, Brian

[Guest tom2b]

Did you connect your relay directly to the battery?

[baj25]

Tom, mine didn't need the relay, it was later models that did. I spliced mine in direct to the loom. HTH, Brian

[Guest elwe]

A friend of mine thought he would avoid buying the towing electric pack for his Jag and spliced into the loom.

 

One expensive electronic control module later he ended up buying the towing electric pack anyway. Aparently this control module was very sensitive to the loads placed on it and wouldn't support an extra set of bulbs. Some might say it was made like that to force you to buy the towing electric pack.

[Steve Walker]

Your confusion about the use of metal may be tenuously linked to the towball itself, although this is of course metal! The problem there is that the EU approved towbars have to have EU approved towballs as well to maintain their approved status. The approved ones are distinguished by being a gold colour - you are not allowed to refit the old silver ball from your old car if you have one.

[Guest bunnyman]

when i put the towbar on my octavia i got a wiring loom what fitted onto the rear lights,relay included etc,no scotch locks, was about £25 very easy fit.........warren

[Guest tom2b]

Popped in to the main dealer today, they want £71+vat for a pre wired loom that plugs in to my existing loom.

Think i will struggle on with the supplied electrics and relay before going down that route!