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Subject Topic: Towbar - which make? Post Reply Post New Topic
23/8/2009 at 9:42pm
 Location: Norfolk
 Outfit: Coachman Pastiche 560
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Hi

I am looking to have a detachable towbar fitted to my Honda CRV.I am getting quotes of around £420 inc vat for a twin socket towbar.

Is there much in the makes? I have only heard of Witter and Brink but one of my recent quotes was for PCT which I'd never heard of.

Any advice greatly appreciated!



24/8/2009 at 5:36pm
 Location: Cornwall
 Outfit: Toyota LC3 TDi 04 Abbey GTS Vogue 418
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I have always found the 'GOOD' mobile towbar fitters very competitive on price. Ask in advance what they would fit & recommend for your Honda. £420 is expensive, I have had 2 towbars/twin electrics fitted to my last 2 Landcruisers & both were under £200, [last towbar was a Witter].

-------------
Mike


24/8/2009 at 5:38pm
 Location: Cheshire
 Outfit: Shogun Sport V6 & Coachman Amara 520
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Witter and Brink are the market leaders. However I have fitted towbars on and off for 20 years and I have just fitted a Bosal to our Shogun. A good quality tow bar at a good price. The main piece of advice I would give is to pick a multi piece towbar instead of a one piece 'slap on' bar. Multi piece towbars are joined together by nuts and bolts - never going to fail if torqued to the correct figure. The other type of bar can come as a one piece bar with the various sections pre-welded together. In my opinion I would trust a bolted joint over a welded joint any day of the week. All just mr personal opinion of course.



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24/8/2009 at 6:27pm
 Location: Norfolk
 Outfit: Coachman Pastiche 560
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Thanks for your replies.

Mike - I have so far asked for 5 quotes,picked from the Yellow pages.One of those was a company that fitted at home/office and they were the same price range too.A local company fitted Brink and they were £445 for a twin socket detachable.Two companies didn't even have my car listed! I enquired at my local Honda dealer and their price was £600!

Craig&Sam - Thanks for the advice,I guess the only way I would know if it was multi piece or not is to ask?



24/8/2009 at 9:18pm
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Quote: Originally posted by craig+sam on 24/8/2009

Witter and Brink are the market leaders. However I have fitted towbars on and off for 20 years and I have just fitted a Bosal to our Shogun. A good quality tow bar at a good price. The main piece of advice I would give is to pick a multi piece towbar instead of a one piece 'slap on' bar. Multi piece towbars are joined together by nuts and bolts - never going to fail if torqued to the correct figure. The other type of bar can come as a one piece bar with the various sections pre-welded together. In my opinion I would trust a bolted joint over a welded joint any day of the week. All just mr personal opinion of course.




Intesting viewpoint. Personally I would be happier to see a good strong weld. There is inevitably going to be clearance on the bolt holes, and it is not unknown for bolts to come loose or even get loosened by people for a joke. Once they start moving in the holes, the bolts and holes start to wear. I would rather see a weld. No one is going to be loosening that off.

Maybe this is because I can weld and therefore know just how strong a good weld is. I would be quite confident in a towbar that I had welded, not so confident in a strangers welding, especially if I hadn't seen it being welded.


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24/8/2009 at 9:56pm
 Location: Somerset
 Outfit: La Strada Sprinter Campervan
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As a matter of interest, does anyone know of a tow bar falling off? How good is the European Type Approval of Towbars?


24/8/2009 at 10:16pm
 Location: Northants
 Outfit: Ford Kuga + Abbey Vogue GTS
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Quote: Originally posted by bowler70 on 24/8/2009
I have always found the 'GOOD' mobile towbar fitters very competitive on price. Ask in advance what they would fit & recommend for your Honda. £420 is expensive, I have had 2 towbars/twin electrics fitted to my last 2 Landcruisers & both were under £200, [last towbar was a Witter].

Under 200 quid for  fitted detachable towbar? that sounds very very cheap.  The swan neck Brink towbar I had fitted to my Mondeo with twin electrics was over 200 quid, and that wasn't detachable.  I had three other quotes more expensive. 



24/8/2009 at 10:30pm
 Location: Kennington OXFORD
 Outfit: 2005 Eccles Sterling Topaz 2 berth
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FWIW my Focus had a Witter (it is in the garage now waiting for me to adapt it to fit the Roadster!)
Current car (the Rover 45) has a Towsure. Nice 'bar, only needed a small cut-out down at the bottom of the bumper (bumper? Ha! now on the Roadster - THAT's what I call a bumper....)
As long as the 'bar is a leading make you should be OK but if the car is under manufacturer's warranty I think it pays to check conditions.
A good mobile fitter I feel is the way to go if you are not into DIY. We have a good one locally (although [see my other posts] we disagreed on the 'buzzer' situation) - he works at a very competitive rate and knocks the dealers into a cocked hat. My experience of main dealers (hope I don't tread on any toes here) is that (horses for courses) they don't generally have mechanics dedicated for towbar fitting. Shame, cos the makers kits are very good quality.
Pete


25/8/2009 at 3:08pm
 Location: Norfolk
 Outfit: Coachman Pastiche 560
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Thanks again for your replies.

I called into the local Indespension branch today,they use PCT which in their book is recommended for my CRV and I was told they fit 90% PCT towbars.They are an approved towbar and have a guarantee. £419 detachable twin socket or £286 for fixed.

Indespension were the same price as a mobile company that come to you.



25/8/2009 at 5:00pm
 Location: Cornwall
 Outfit: Toyota LC3 TDi 04 Abbey GTS Vogue 418
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Hi Saint, neither of my towbars were detachable - no need on a Landcruiser. The price was still excellent and I am very satisfied with the work.

-------------
Mike


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25/8/2009 at 5:32pm
 Location: Freckleton Nr Preston
 Outfit: Autotrail Apache 700
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My volvo was £465 for fixed witter bar and twin electrics at the local towbar place i always use, he showed me the parts prices, the bar was ok the electrical adaptor for the volvo Cambus wiring loom was £150 on its own.

The last one I had done was a 2001 passat at £200 at the same place but that had older style wiring so was cheaper.



25/8/2009 at 7:12pm
 Location: Northants
 Outfit: Ford Kuga + Abbey Vogue GTS
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Hi Mike, sorry I thought you meant that they were detachable.  Still 200 quid for a fixed one with twin electrics is an excellent price. 17.  

Cheers Al.




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