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Subject Topic: Tow bar advice please! Post Reply Post New Topic
11/4/2012 at 5:55pm
 Location: West London
 Outfit: Outwell Tennessee 5 Outwell Oregon 4
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Hi All,

Need some advice about tow bars.  Have resigned myself to the fact I simply can't fit all my stuff in the car anymore - so need to get a trailer. I did want to replace my car this year but can't afford it so it will have to wait until next year - therefore any tow bar I fit will probably only be used a couple of times.  Can't really avoid this but that does mean I want to keep the cost down.

Obviously fitting one myself would be the cheapest, but not being naturally gifted with car electrics not sure I fancy it - not too sure what's involved either.  I have a MK1 Ford Focus Hatch and as far as I can tell I'm looking at a rough price of £300 fitted, does that sound about right?

Has anyone any advice they can share about fitting your own, or has anyone used a reasonably priced fitter in West London?



11/4/2012 at 6:23pm
 Location: manchester
 Outfit: tent .vango signiture 600
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would have thought around £250 ish ,i bought my own of ebay (honda accord 2.2)approx £125 delivered,and fitted it myself .took approx 3 hrs,and you get all the info with it you need to fit it ,and also  a help line (which i used) very helpful and new my prob straight away. (required a new plug on the trailer ) it had rusted inside the plug .i also bought a test main screwdriver approx £3 wilkinson ,to pierc the wires on the car harness inside the boot .it may look hard to do but is simple really ,it colour codes all the wires on the car attacment pug and tells you where you need to connect them too ,ie brake lights (left and right sides) main lights etc ,all i would say is give it a go you may be surprised ,how easy is will become .worse case senario,get someone to come round and do it if you cant manage to compete it

hopes this helps  



-------------
sod the weather,everyone get there camping gear out


11/4/2012 at 11:05pm
 Location: durham
 Outfit: Tent Hi Gear Zenobie 6 Vango Icarus 3
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We got Ford Focus fitted with tow bar 2 seasons ago, cost £145, but costs seem to be cheaper up here in North East area, as, getting new car fitted with tow bar this week, and at £180, all in, ( good company, used them last time )  other campers on here think thats cheap.

Once you get your trailer you'll wonder how you fitted all your gear in the boot!!



11/4/2012 at 11:37pm
 Location: West London
 Outfit: Outwell Tennessee 5 Outwell Oregon 4
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Thanks for the responses, CW52 I had wondered about getting it fitted up North - my parents live in Hull - but some of the posters from there in previous threads seemed to think the prices weren't that low...

 



12/4/2012 at 6:41am
 Location: devon
 Outfit: fc plus 2 many tents
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if for only one year,would you not be better off with roof bars and a roofbox?
or have you looked at a price for getting just the electrics done as the tow bar itself is an easy fit.plus you can buy them for around £70.

Post last edited on 12/04/2012 06:50:45

-------------
tony
that was a lovely summer


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12/4/2012 at 7:06am
 Location: Glasgow
 Outfit: Vango Monte Verde 900
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looking at ebay you could buy 2nd hand for about £50.
We are going to be fitting our own soon but we're having to buy a very particular model as we have a sport bumper nd I'm not prepared to make a bumper cut.
Have you looked at handi bag etc 2nd hand? Would mean you could just move it to your new car.


12/4/2012 at 7:43am
 Location: Hertfordshire
 Outfit: Esterelle Caramatic T39
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Google Jim's tow-bars, situated in Cambridge but came out to me in Hertfordshire the next day,
very good service.
John


12/4/2012 at 9:18am
 Location: West London
 Outfit: Outwell Tennessee 5 Outwell Oregon 4
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Hi Wongers,already filled the roof box! :-( In the ideal world I should have got a larger car before getting a 2nd dog, but most of the time our car is fine......except when camping.  Now find myself with a bit of a space problem! 

Brickiemum: I hadn't thought about 2nd hand tow bars I'll take a look today.



12/4/2012 at 6:42pm
 Location: London
 Outfit: Vermont XLP 2012
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Quote: Originally posted by OldEnglish on 11/4/2012

Hi All,

Need some advice about tow bars.  Have resigned myself to the fact I simply can't fit all my stuff in the car anymore - so need to get a trailer. I did want to replace my car this year but can't afford it so it will have to wait until next year - therefore any tow bar I fit will probably only be used a couple of times.  Can't really avoid this but that does mean I want to keep the cost down.

Obviously fitting one myself would be the cheapest, but not being naturally gifted with car electrics not sure I fancy it - not too sure what's involved either.  I have a MK1 Ford Focus Hatch and as far as I can tell I'm looking at a rough price of £300 fitted, does that sound about right?

Has anyone any advice they can share about fitting your own, or has anyone used a reasonably priced fitter in West London?


GT towing potters bar. great guys . OK its not West London but it is only about 30 mins from heathrow

-------------
camping since I was a kid


14/4/2012 at 7:09am
 Location: West Yorks
 Outfit: Outwell Oakland XL
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another point to remember is to tell your insurance company. They class a towbar as a modification.


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14/4/2012 at 10:34am
 Location: East Ull
 Outfit: Kampa Kielder Air 5
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I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself unless you know what you are doing, we used a local so called fitter and they really cocked our electrics up. Once we got our new car (C4 Picasso) we used Towbars Direct, they were fantastic, will come to your home or workplace, you don't even have to be there, think we paid around £250 2 years ago.

-------------
May/June - Spring Valley
Aug/Sept - Leekworth





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