Towbars

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Discussion

Chicken Chaser

Original Poster:

7,744 posts

223 months

Wednesday 6th September 2017
quotequote all
Just looking at the price of towbars for a Honda Accord and with a 13 pin electrical connection its over £600 fitted. Does that sound about right? I think it was for a swan neck due to the parking sensors.

PurpleTurtle

6,941 posts

143 months

Wednesday 6th September 2017
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I've just paid £409 for a detachable bar on our '54 plate Honda FRV with 13 pin universal electrics via Autowfix mobile.

They were at least £100 cheaper than anyone local, the mobile fitter came to me in Reading from Essex, did it at home at my convenience, a first rate job. Definitely recommend them.

http://nationwidetowbars.co.uk/towbarfitted/

The more modern the car, the more likely you will need dedicated electrics to cope with tech such as traction control, that bumps the price up a bit more.

Pesty

42,655 posts

255 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Kits are around 130 quid on eBay for removable 13 pin electrics.


That's an awe full lot of labour

PurpleTurtle

6,941 posts

143 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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My kit was around £130 but it took the guy 2hrs to fit, including doing the electrics which I wasn't confident about. Where the tow bar mounts behind the bumper there is a heavy steel bracing bar, several of the mounting bolts were seized, took an age for them to shift. Whilst I would've been happy doing the mechanical spannering, in the end I was glad it was a job I farmed out to the pros, especially being a first time tower.

Simes205

4,528 posts

227 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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I bought a second hand witter tow bar and electrics and spent a couple of hours fitting it.
£130 on our e91.
Bmw charge well over a £1000

MXRod

2,731 posts

146 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Things like canbus electrics and type approved tow bars come to mind when considering diy ,our car is programed to recognize when a caravan,/trailer is on the hook,then lamp failure,parking sensors etc are adjusted to compensate.not so straight forward

Simes205

4,528 posts

227 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Canbus in mine.
The cheap kits' only fault is that the rear parking sensor alert sounds continuously when hitched up and reversing.

bristolracer

5,528 posts

148 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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I have just bought and fitted a 2nd hand one onto my Jag

It was simpler than I expected,I thought the electrics would be really complicated,canbus and all that stuff!

On mine you use a relay to do the trailer lights, so the car electrics are only used to trigger the appropriate circuit on the relay.

You will need a 12 volt positive feed in the boot and a decent earth.
It still sees the caravan with the reverse sensors but as you don't tend to reverse very much when hooked up it's no real problem

Chrisgr31

13,440 posts

254 months

Thursday 7th September 2017
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Simes205 said:
Canbus in mine.
The cheap kits' only fault is that the rear parking sensor alert sounds continuously when hitched up and reversing.
Thats actually an advantage when reversing the small trailer, because I cant see it in the mirrors. When the beeping gets faster I know its no longer straight so can look for it in the mirrors!

Shakermaker

11,317 posts

99 months

Tuesday 12th September 2017
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Chicken Chaser said:
Just looking at the price of towbars for a Honda Accord and with a 13 pin electrical connection its over £600 fitted. Does that sound about right? I think it was for a swan neck due to the parking sensors.
Was that from Honda direct?

I asked about having one fitted to my Skoda when I had it in for a service one time. The chap said "Yes, we can do it but we don't really want to do it due to loads of criteria we would have to meet fitting it aftermarket etc etc... the book price is about £700 to have it retro-fitted. Better for you to go to Tanfield Towbars in town where they charge about £400"


bristolracer

5,528 posts

148 months

Tuesday 12th September 2017
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Shakermaker said:
"Yes, we can do it but we don't really want to do it due to loads of criteria we would have to meet fitting it aftermarket etc etc... the book price is about £700 to have it retro-fitted. Better for you to go to Tanfield Towbars in town where they charge about £400"
I believe a lot of main dealers sub the work out anyway.
They regard it as a specialist job, so even if you take it to Audi or whoever they just drive it down to the local installer and Chuck a mark up on it for the bother.


K50 DEL

9,227 posts

227 months

Tuesday 12th September 2017
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I bought one for my X1 from EBay - a genuine Witter with 13 pin electrics and the dedicated connectors and PDC bypass etc for the X1
I then paid a local independent mechanic to fit it, total cost just over £200 all in.

I was happy with that given the quotes for a new installation were into 4 figures.

Chicken Chaser

Original Poster:

7,744 posts

223 months

Tuesday 12th September 2017
quotequote all
K50 DEL said:
I bought one for my X1 from EBay - a genuine Witter with 13 pin electrics and the dedicated connectors and PDC bypass etc for the X1
I then paid a local independent mechanic to fit it, total cost just over £200 all in.

I was happy with that given the quotes for a new installation were into 4 figures.
Was that used or new? That's a great price.

K50 DEL

9,227 posts

227 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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That was used, though you wouldn't have known it to look at the kit.

Yep, i got lucky, I'd been watching eBay for a while.

towser44

3,472 posts

114 months

Wednesday 13th September 2017
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Paid approx £250 fitted with twin electrics at Indespension for mine on a Honda Civic, but was 2 years ago now.