• This topic has 23 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 6 years ago by Euro.
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  • How much to fit a basic towbar?
  • slimjim78
    Free Member

    Im done with piling my muddy bike into the back of my bangernomic Polo.
    It’s a 3 door without roof rails or mounting points, and I’m not sure I’m keen on clamping on an aftermarket roof rail system.

    So, what will it cost to have a really basic towbar fitted on order to fit a single tow mount bike carrier?
    Will I need an electric hookup for lights?
    Also, can Thule 598s be converted for use on a tow bar?

    This is for occasional use and the car is unlikely to be with me for many years so I’m looking for the best value option.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    old car? do it yourself.

    i got one for my old golf off gumtree for £20 and took an afternoon to fit.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    You will need lights. There are kits available online with full instructions. Depending on your car, the electrics kit could cost £50 or so. I did the electrics on my van in less than an hour.

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    slimjim78
    Free Member

    So what would a kit list look like?

    Tow bar
    Electric kit
    Tow mount bike carrier
    Electric/light board
    ?

    Starting to look pricy

    rossburton
    Free Member

    Roof bars are fine without dedicated mounting points, our Jazz has had Thule roof bars that clamp to the door frame on for years. There’s long-term value in roof kits as the bars are separate from the mounts, so if you change cars you can just change the mounts.

    I wanted to get a towbar on our Jazz for convenience but it did start to get pricy once I added in the wiring. Ended up keeping the roof bar.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Remember that the bike carrier and lighting board (possibly built in) are transferable between vehicles too.

    bails
    Full Member

    I bought a PF Jones ” own brand” detachable towbar for my car for <£140. It turned out to be a Witter one, so a free upgrade (if there is such a thing for a towbar). The non-detachable ones are cheaper.

    I fitted it myself in about an hour, didn’t need to cut any bumpers to remove it. Then I paid a local towbar wiring place £50 iirc to fit the electrics. Mine’s an oldish car and I’ll only use it for the bike rack so didn’t go for a fancy kit that connects to the ECU.

    The towbar rack would normally have a light board built in.

    taxi25
    Free Member

    To actually answer your question I got this quote from Indespension. Exactly as you described for a mk4 mondeo hatchback.

    INDESPENSION TOWBAR QUOTE: #78428
    £294.00 INC VAT
    QUOTE INCLUDES:
    PCT Fixed Flange Ball
    Universal 7 Pin Electrics
    FITTING TO A FORD MONDEO

    They phoned me a week later saying they’d do it for £270.

    lazlowoodbine
    Free Member

    Tow bar itself should be easy enough. You may even find ready threaded mounts under the floor but it’s more likely to need holes drilling.

    I’d be inclined to try a bar, bike rack and bike first and see if it obscures any lights or the numberplate. If it doesn’t then I’d not bother with the electrics at all. If it covers only the plate then you can get a spare one made for a tenner at most factors(you have to take your V5 in with you nowadays).

    If you do need a light board then assuming the car doesn’t have can-bus or some other weird wiring layout (my car needs a relay box despite not being can-bus) you could get a wiring diagram for it and splice the trailer socket wire into the lighting loom in the boot. Just don’t use those bloody blue scotch lock connectors, they’re rubbish. Even choc blocks and tape would be better.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    I’m struggling to imagine a tow bar bike rack on a Polo that doesn’t obstruct the lights.

    And a number plate has to be lit at night.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Hang on a mo and our favourite bike rack salesman will be along….

    lazlowoodbine
    Free Member

    And a number plate has to be lit at night.

    Very true.

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    I’m struggling to imagine a tow bar bike rack on a Polo that doesn’t obstruct the lights.

    Yup,I had tow ball on a Polo and used a rack with built in lightboard(bit more expensive Obvs)

    pocpoc
    Free Member

    Another alternative is one of those Seasucker roof carriers.
    That way it can go on any car and you’re not investing money in a car you don’t plan on keeping for long.

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    chvck
    Free Member

    I’ve recently done this. Towbar was £108 off Amazon I think, it’s a umbrari morchi who seem to make loads of the cheaper ones. I went detachable (obscures my plate when attached) and 7 pin as I also only wanted to stick a rack on it. I paid to have it fitted and I think that that was another 100 or so, he just spliced the electrics in. The rack was by far the most expensive part due to needing to be able to handle an ebike. Spare number plate was 18 quid from Halfords, had to take the V5 with me.

    prawny
    Full Member

    My 2 Series Active Tourer doesn’t have mounting points, we had a right game finding a set of bars with a reasonable load limit that hook into the doors.

    Got a set of Whispbars in the end, they’re rock solid, but not cheap. With the cost of a bike carrier it’s probably not far off the cost of a fixed towbar and cheap rack.

    craigbroadbent
    Free Member

    Got mine on Ebay for £75 including 7Pin electrical kit. PF Jones = witter
    The towbar took 3 hours to fit. You will need a torque wrench, and need to remove the bumper. You can probably find a tutorial online. I made one for a qashqai bumper. Some brands may differ a bit.
    I didn’t fit the electrics as this was a universal kit (ie. no plugin connectors). I am too worried about the electrics been damaged. Big Bill!
    Vehicle specific electrics will cost about £70-100. Easier to fit than universal type (plugin). If you can manage to arrange the bikes not to obscure the lights then just add a license plate and daylight running could save you a packet.
    I guess you can get a secondhand rack on ebay too, but make sure it is compatible with the type of towbar you choose, see a small guide to explain different towbars. All towbars meet the same regulations, so not much to differentiate. Some may rust faster/look nicer.
    towbar options

    Euro
    Free Member

    This is for occasional use and the car is unlikely to be with me for many years so I’m looking for the best value option.

    scotroutes – Member

    You will need lights.

    You don’t you know. Mine has no wiring and passed the MOT for the 3rd time yesterday. If wires are fitted they have to be working – but aren’t required for occasional, day time use.

    RamseyNeil
    Free Member

    For one bike and occasional use wouldn’t a strap on rack be a better option ?

    poly
    Free Member

    You don’t you know. Mine has no wiring and passed the MOT for the 3rd time yesterday. If wires are fitted they have to be working – but aren’t required for occasional, day time use.

    Passing an MOT and being legal with a rack on it are two separate things. I can’t imagine any bike rack on a polo tow ball that doesn’t obscure the lights. Where is the exemption to displaying brake lights and indicators “occasionally” even in daytime?

    Euro
    Free Member

    I can’t imagine any bike rack on a polo tow ball that doesn’t obscure the lights.

    Sorry – only half read the OP 😳 Mines on an Octavia Estate. Lights are clearly visible through the spokes/wheels when the bikes are fitted (roof level brake light too) and not using a ‘rack’ as such but one of these…

    no. plate obscured but that’s no biggie – i carry a spare on the front 😆

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    So your lights are obscured and you have no legal number plate fitting.

    Where are you going with this exactly?

    benp1
    Full Member

    Being ‘clearly visible’ is based on judgement though. In an accident I can see that being argued as not clearly visible, as there is something clearly in the way

    Euro
    Free Member

    Where are you going with this exactly?

    Usually to the mountains, but not always 😉

    Lights obscured by a few spokes??? Nah! All lights/indicators are clearly visible – i wouldn’t drive it if they weren’t. Not bothered about the partially obscured number plate. I have it on good authority this isn’t high on the list of things the local police need to worry about.

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