How To Fit A Tow Bar To Your Car
This guest post is courtesy of Simon Brisk from Car-Towbars.com. Thanks Simon!
Most car owners will come across a situation at some point in their live where they need to tow something whether it is a caravan or a trailer of some sort. There is a common misconception that a truck or a SUV is needed, but in fact by fitting a tow bar most vehicles can do the job perfectly well. The good news is that fitting a tow bar is fairly straight forward.
Fitting The Tow Bar To Your Vehicle
The first, and possibly one of the most important, step is to find the mounting points. This will most likely require that you detach a section of the interior boot trim. Often this involves lifting the floor covering and in some cases the side panels. It may also be necessary to remove the bumper from the vehicle, but not always so check with your car’s owner manual. In a few rare cases you may find that the tail pipe of the exhaust need to be dropped and the heat resistant shield removed.
Once the mounting points have been located the tow bar can be fastened into the holes. There are usually two holes on each side of the chassis legs. With some models you may also need to secure the tow bar to supports further down the chassis. If the bumper had to be removed to fit your tow bar then it is possible that it will need to be cut to allow refitting over the newly installed tow bars.
Is It Safe For Anyone To Fit Their Own Tow Bar?
In theory, anyone should be able to fit a tow bar without too much fuss. However, as the old saying goes: in theory practice and theory are the same, but in practice they are not. Whether or not you are able to properly fit a tow bar will depend on your own technical ability. If you are at all unconfident in your abilities then you may wish to opt for having a professional do the installation for you. Many tow bar retailers also offer fitting.
Fitting Tow Bar Electrics
If you are fitting a tow bar with electrics then it is a different story. The majority of tow bars should be supplied complete with a wiring diagram, but unless you have experience this may prove to be a little too complex for you to attempt.
It is very important that you make sure the correct type of wiring is used to be compatible with your trailer or caravan. Again, full instructions should be included with the tow bar you have purchased showing where the wires should be fitted. Some people will find these easy to follow while others will struggle. In the majority of cases it is probably safer to have a professional fit tow bar electrics to ensure that they work properly.
Fitting a standard tow bar to your vehicle is probably not even half as complicated as you might assume. Armed with your car manual, the tow bar instructions and a good selection of tools the job can usually be carried out in just a few hours. It only becomes more complicated when wiring comes into play. It is well worth asking your retailer if they can provide a tow bar fitting service. If you are lucky you might even get the service free or at a discounted rate!
Entrepreneur Simon Brisk is crazy about cars. He is the owner of Car-Towbars.com,which specializes in witter towbars and other car towing accessories.
Level 2, 9 Help Street