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Subject Topic: sensors & tow bars Post Reply Post New Topic
22/7/2017 at 5:27pm
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Hi, we have been told when buying a replacement car that due to the sensors on the rear of the car a very expensive tow bar would have to be fitted for our trailer.   Is this the case? - any info welcome - the sensors on the car detect vehicles coming too close as well as when the car is reversing

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Agility Nut


22/7/2017 at 5:32pm
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Someone is talking dross.

You fit a standard/normal towbar, a wiring harness is fitted to connect the electrics, if it is to manufacturers specification it will isolate the sensors as soon as the trailer is hooked up and the electrics connected.


22/7/2017 at 5:41pm
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Wonderful, many thanks.   Is the wiring harness very expensive?
Is that what the car salesman was thinking when he said it would be about £800 for a towbar to be fitted to it? Or are we being fed the proverbial?

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Agility Nut


22/7/2017 at 7:24pm
 Location: Bridgwater Somerset
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Maybe stupid here, but on our car it has Thule swan neck towbar fitted when we bought it, but there is a switch on the dash to turn off the parking sensors etc for when towing the trailer. Just to se what the sensors did I turn d them on with the trailer hockey up and they still stayed off so from that I worked out that they must be deactivated hen I he came emailer electrics was plugg ed in to the car!


22/7/2017 at 7:29pm
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Quote: Originally posted by merrilegs on 22/7/2017
Wonderful, many thanks.   Is the wiring harness very expensive?
Is that what the car salesman was thinking when he said it would be about £800 for a towbar to be fitted to it? Or are we being fed the proverbial?



As I said, someone is taking the mick.

My BMW had a Westfalia detachable tow-bar fitted with a 13-pin socket (wiring for fridge and charger included) with a genuine BMW wiring harness all done for £415.00. And a guarantee on the work for as long as I have the car.
I will let you make your own judgement...........


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23/7/2017 at 9:37am
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Many thanks for the info, one last query - with no switch to turn the sensors off on the dashboard, do the sensors not pick up and react to the actual tow bar when no trailer is attached?

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Agility Nut


24/7/2017 at 8:58am
 Location: West Yorkshire
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Having a factory fitted towbar gives all sorts of clever effects. For example, the car indicators do not display when towing (because, of course, they cannot be seen due to the trailer), no false proximity alarms etc. The rear camera on our car is very handy when reversing to attach the trailer.
We have a VW Tiguan with swivelling electric hitch - when not in use you would not know a towbar was fitted to the car.


25/7/2017 at 8:29am
 Location: Hampshire
 Outfit: Camplet Classic & Nissan Qashqai
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Have a look on "pf jones" website.

They sell a range of towbars and provided you buy a "dedicated" wiring harnessfor your model of car, you shouldn't have a problem.

But also check if the cars electrics have to be remapped to take account of the tow bar. Some newer cars these days use a canbus sytem of electrics.

I have a qashqai. Brought as described above, fitted myself, no problems. My dashboard alights a special lamp to tell me the trailer lights are working and automatically disables the rear fog lamp.

You can pay pf jones to have the towbar fitted by one of their sub contract fitters who will come to your home.

Wont be anything like to money the garage want.

Hope this helps

R


25/7/2017 at 10:05am
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That is fantastic info, just had a quick look and will explore this further as it looks to have all the answers, many thanks.

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Agility Nut



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