Custom towbar on a car that IS homologated for towing
Discussion
I have an older but post-2000 car that I want to fit a towbar to, for a bike carrier but would like the option of tugging a trailer if I ever need to.
The car is homologated in the EU and the UK for towing and has a healthy 2,000kg towing capacity, however due to the age of the car I'm having no luck finding one either new or used/salvaged.
Online shops that sell ready-made towbars have stern warnings about how using towbars without EC type approval is so illegal that they advocate the use of VBRJ for anyone who fits one.
However fabricators that make and sell custom-made towbars... they sell custom-made towbars. Do they have another way to approve towbars that isn't a complete ballache? I'd rather avoid having an over-enthusiastic MOT tester fail my car if it doesn't have a type-approval marking somewhere on the towbar or a certificate...
Alternative is a US-market receiver hitch, but they are SAE J684 certified and I don't know if that is even equivalent (or who I'd need to prove that to).
Any thoughts or ideas, besides "don't be a Jessie, it's safe so just do it"?
The car is homologated in the EU and the UK for towing and has a healthy 2,000kg towing capacity, however due to the age of the car I'm having no luck finding one either new or used/salvaged.
Online shops that sell ready-made towbars have stern warnings about how using towbars without EC type approval is so illegal that they advocate the use of VBRJ for anyone who fits one.
However fabricators that make and sell custom-made towbars... they sell custom-made towbars. Do they have another way to approve towbars that isn't a complete ballache? I'd rather avoid having an over-enthusiastic MOT tester fail my car if it doesn't have a type-approval marking somewhere on the towbar or a certificate...
Alternative is a US-market receiver hitch, but they are SAE J684 certified and I don't know if that is even equivalent (or who I'd need to prove that to).
Any thoughts or ideas, besides "don't be a Jessie, it's safe so just do it"?
Yep - plenty of bespoke towbar suppliers.
As an aside I’m having to take my Merc SL to Germany in March. It’s not type approved for towing but this company fit (they will not supply, hence us having to go there) what looks like a detachable towbar but it’s actually a bike rack mounting - the actual ball has a nobble on it to prevent towing. Brink do them for attaching bike carriers to EVs.
As an aside I’m having to take my Merc SL to Germany in March. It’s not type approved for towing but this company fit (they will not supply, hence us having to go there) what looks like a detachable towbar but it’s actually a bike rack mounting - the actual ball has a nobble on it to prevent towing. Brink do them for attaching bike carriers to EVs.
Having seen the devastation an unladen trailer can cause when it detaches itself from the towing vehicle at approximately 30 mph, I would want some kind of guarantee from an independent fabricator. Admittedly the towbar itself didn't fail - the connecty bit on the trailer failed - but it severely damaged 2 cars before embedding itself in the front of a house.
Fire brigade and police attended, trailer was impounded for inspection (trailers have MOT's over here). Fortunately the insurance covered all damage.
Fire brigade and police attended, trailer was impounded for inspection (trailers have MOT's over here). Fortunately the insurance covered all damage.
sunbeam alpine said:
Having seen the devastation an unladen trailer can cause when it detaches itself from the towing vehicle at approximately 30 mph, I would want some kind of guarantee from an independent fabricator. Admittedly the towbar itself didn't fail - the connecty bit on the trailer failed - but it severely damaged 2 cars before embedding itself in the front of a house.
Fire brigade and police attended, trailer was impounded for inspection (trailers have MOT's over here). Fortunately the insurance covered all damage.
In reality, custom made towbars are very unlikely to be bad (assuming it's a reputable towbar place)Fire brigade and police attended, trailer was impounded for inspection (trailers have MOT's over here). Fortunately the insurance covered all damage.
BertBert said:
sunbeam alpine said:
Having seen the devastation an unladen trailer can cause when it detaches itself from the towing vehicle at approximately 30 mph, I would want some kind of guarantee from an independent fabricator. Admittedly the towbar itself didn't fail - the connecty bit on the trailer failed - but it severely damaged 2 cars before embedding itself in the front of a house.
Fire brigade and police attended, trailer was impounded for inspection (trailers have MOT's over here). Fortunately the insurance covered all damage.
In reality, custom made towbars are very unlikely to be bad (assuming it's a reputable towbar place)Fire brigade and police attended, trailer was impounded for inspection (trailers have MOT's over here). Fortunately the insurance covered all damage.
waynecyclist said:
What car is it as I am struggling to believe nobody aftermarket makes one.
It's a Lexus LS. TBH I doubt anyone bought them for towing or bike carrying, there's not much call for that in the airport limo business I reckon it would make a pretty decent tow-car; 2-tonnes kerb weight, air suspension, torquey V8, not sure how the transmission would hold up longterm. But, rear-seat entertainment to keep the kids entertained too!
There appears to be an option to go with the US receiver style.
Not sure on the legalities of this in the UK though.
Not sure on the legalities of this in the UK though.
h0b0 said:
There appears to be an option to go with the US receiver style.
Not sure on the legalities of this in the UK though.
Thanks - yes, that was plan B. I like the idea of a receiver hitch (indeed I googled if the principle was legal and someone, possibly on PH, had made mention of a RR or LR model that has a 2" receiver as standard so yes) but the US products are certified to some SAE standard rather than the EC standard.Not sure on the legalities of this in the UK though.
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