So I was looking at getting a towbar fitted to the Passat in order to tow a small trailer with yet more superfluous stuff to the campsite.
The choice seems immense, I get the difference between detachable & fixed but what is the three different types of ball all about? Do I need a swanneck, flange this or that? I know I don’t need the pin type but that’s it 🙄

Do the typical type of trailers you buy in Halfords use a different systems? I can even see the type they use listed 😕

Any help appreciated.

All tow bars have a ball and that will allow you to tow any small trailer, such as the halfords ones. A swan neck is just the ball on a long bent bar so the neatest looking if you care. A flange mount will allow you to fit other mounts for agricultural trailers for example. You can also fit certain bike racks (although most just mount on the ball) as well as extra brackets for aiding towing bigger trailers and caravans.

How bothered are you about aesthetics?

Fixed for simplicity, versilitity & cheapness. Downside is ugly and smashed up shins loading the shopping

Fixed Swan neck same as above but a bit less ugly and you can’t fit some “bolt on” bike racks but these arnt that common anymore.

Removable for wet knees when fitting in the rain, normally swan neck type

Tow balls are universal so all trailers fit all towbar.
(Excepting Alko & other friction caravan hitches, although they do fit still)

(You can’t have the pin type on a car only on commercial vehicles where the type approval is different, ignore pins)

If it helps, I’ve just fitted a swan neck (non detachable) to my Passat. Look on the pf jones website, loads of info on there. IMO, swan neck looks better than the flange type, but flange is a bit more versatile as you can mount things twixt ball and mount which you can’t do with the swan.

I’ve found the shin bashing aspect of fixed types to be a non issue.

I’ve found the shin bashing aspect of fixed types to be a non issue.

Says someone who hasn’t yet discovered how much this hurts!

You won’t bash your shins very often but it hurts and is incredibly annoying when you do.

Tow balls are universal so all trailers fit all towbar.
(Excepting Alko & other friction caravan hitches, although they do fit still)

What now?

Do those friction stabiliser hitches have special towballs?

BAshing your shins on your towbar is like sneezing underwater.

you only do it once.

I’ve found the shin bashing grease on your jeans/legs aspect of fixed types to be a non issue.

The Alko friction hitch needs a taller ‘neck’ between the ball and the base of the hitch. No problem with a swan neck but some flange ones won’t allow the big lever that actuated the friction brake to engage properly.
Mind you an Alko compatible one can be had for £15 so it’s not an issue really. Just have to bear it in mind if you tow a caravan.

I’ve found the shin bashing grease on your jeans/legs aspect of fixed types to be a non issue.

No grease on towbars. Mounting a bike rack or Alko hitch to a greased towball is a big no, no.

Oh yes, I knew that, actually. They also recommend that the ball be a certain distance from the bumper to avoid the mechanism hitting the bumper on sharp turns.

I just went for a detachable one as I don’t use it that often – maybe 5 or 6 times a year. It takes 5 mins, if that, to set up and for most of the time it’s not there. A bit pricier, but worth it I thought. Also I wanted a near as invisible look as possible when the towbar was detached and it is amazing how many of the usual popular brands have a load of structure and metal hanging below the bumper when detatched which looks as unsightly as a towbar. I went for PF Jone’s own brand removable swan neck (basically a re-branded Whitter I believe) which is invisible when detatched apart from the two loops you need when towing a trailer.

If you’re not bothered about the aesthetics of a detachable one then just go for a permentant conventional tow ball one – they’re the most versatile and cheapest.

Says someone who hasn’t yet discovered how much this hurts!
You won’t bash your shins very often but it hurts and is incredibly annoying when you do.
[/quote]

Neither have I discovered that – though I’ve only had the car (which came with a towbar) 4 years, so I suppose there’s time yet. I suppose if I was bothered I could remove the ball as I’ve never towed anything and the bike rack attaches to the flange.

I smacked my shin on someone else’s towbar in a car park. That was seriously painful for a long time.

But once you’ve got around the problem of walking around what’s there as opposed to through it, you’ll find an attached towbar to be no problem at all. there’s also the phaff of taking it off of course because even if you keep it clean from oil (which implies you’re not towing anything) it’ll be covered in road dirt.
However, some parking sensors are set of permanently by the fixed type towbar as they can ‘see’ it. On my Touareg, they don’t, have no idea on a Passat.

Fixed for simplicity, versilitity & cheapness. Downside is ugly and smashed up shins loading the shopping

Upside is a nice level of added protection to slow speed shunts, or hitting of low walls reversing into spaces.

However, some parking sensors are set of permanently by the fixed type towbar

Depends where the sensors are. Top half of the bumper and it’s not really a problem, mine are not activated by the towbar at all.

Ball is nowhere near the sensors:

That red tape on the towball cover is handy anti-shin bashing measure as it catches your eye and reminds you it’s there 🙂

I went with a fanged one (towequipe.co.uk own brand, which turned up in a witter box).

I don’t have parking sensors so that’s not an issue.

My bike rack is a bolt on type, a flanged one at least gives more options.

Whether you think a towbar is unsightly enough to pay the premium for a detachable one is upto you. I can barely be bothered to brush my hair in the morning let alone worry about what having a towbar on the back of my car says about me!

even if you keep it clean from oil (which implies you’re not towing anything)

Ah no – mine’s clean, I tow a caravan with an Alko hitch and I use a bike rack. No grease required. And it’s not grimy either.

No grease on towbars. Mounting a bike rack or Alko hitch to a greased towball is a big no, no.

I think you’ll find that this is only if you have a stabiliser as I believe they have friction pads that need to be clean.

For everything else a bit* of grease is prefered.

* not dollops, just a smear to stop wear.

I think you’ll find that this is only if you have a stabiliser as I believe they have friction pads that need to be clean.
For everything else a bit* of grease is prefered.

* not dollops, just a smear to stop wear.

In other words an Alko hitch or bike rack which rely on friction or clamping force to work neither of which are helped by a smear of grease.
Never used grease on towbars regardless of what it’s towing unless it’s the fifth wheel on the truck but that’s a different mechanism.

Excuse the hi-jack.

I had this fitted last week. What type is it (to add to the insurance). FWIW OP, the type in the image that I’ve posted seemed the best as it can take any form of adaption to tow anything. I declined the offer to weld it to the chassis but may take them up on it if there’s any benefit.

Thanks

In other words an Alko hitch or bike rack which rely on friction or clamping force to work

No I mean a stabilising hitch with friction pads.

Not all Alko hitches have friction pads and the bit of grease on my tow bar makes no difference to the clamping of the bike rack that I regularly put on it.

Many thanks for the replies all, it’s now much clearer what the differences are, if only I was told they all do the same job as far as trailer towing is concerned, with cost & aesthetics being the only real differences 😆

Cheers.

You haven’t got to the electrics yet, dual plugs or modern 13pin single plug… 😀

Makecoldplayhistory, it’s a receiver hitch!

PePPeR you toss pot, why complicate things, or why not come & fit it for me 😀

I must admit I just buy cheap towsure ones from EBay, costs peanuts compared to a swan neck detachable stylee.

Although my Laguna came with one and it works well and does look much smarter for it.

thanks PePPeR.