I’m thinking about getting one of those Thule Towbar mounted bike rack arrangements so I can carry 3/4 bikes and people. Probably Thule EuroClassic Pro 903 (http://www.thule.com/Thule/ProductDetailPage____83177.aspx)

Any idea what sort of money im looking at to have a towbar and a (13pin?) socket for the light board fitted to a Volvo V70 (phase 2 2002).

Cost less than £150 (all in) for a mobile fitting service chap to do my old Vectra. ACE Towbars of Swindon I think it was.

thats a very good price pedalhead – i was getting quotes of around £300 to have one fitted to my wifes Zafira. ended up doing it my self, towbar and electrics came to about £160 only took an hour and was very easy indeed.

It depends very heavily on the car…. Our 55 reg Focus Estate was £195 though from

http://www.towbarmansouth.co.uk/

Wow £300 sounds rather steep. Mind you, mine was done a couple of years ago, but it is a decent Witter jobbie, with electrics. I suppose it might depend on the vehicle too.

Are there much difference between towbars then? I know nothing about them as ive never had any inclination to tow something. I just want to expand my bike carrying ability.

One for my Mondeo was £150 fitted, maybe even 130 actually. Took about half an hour to fit outside my house.

Oh and rack wise have a look at the aiston wheel support rack as well. I’ve had pendle, thule (not the one your looking at granted) and aiston and if i go back to one now (have a van so don’t need them anymore) i’d only have the aiston.

http://www.aistoncycleracks.co.uk

Hmmm looks like the Aiston one only carries a max of 3 bikes unless you have a 4×4.

Are there much difference between towbars then?

As I understand it, there’s a couple of basic types, but it depends on what type fits each vehicle in some cases, and obviously each vehicle needs a different design, and some will need more metal then others in said design. Some are hard to fit and require the bumper cutting. Then you get into electrics and it all gets a bit mad….
🙂

Right, I know extremely little about such matters, but the BF has the Aiston cycle rack as well. Does the job very well. However, he had to convert the tow bar already there (swan neck style) to a plate (??) style so that he could attach the rack. Think it cost him no more than 150.

Also, he bought the three-bike rack but changed it to carry only two bikes after carrying three downhill bikes on the back contributed to breaking one of the car’s shock mounts. (His car’s a 9 year old Primera though and I imagine your volvo would be okay??)

Once it’s all done make sure the bumper is back in the correct place so the boot / tailgate doesn’t rub on it like mine does now oh and that they fit a bypass realy if it’s meant to have one fitted so the bulb failure warning light doesn’t come on when you apply the brakes 🙁

It cost me £240 to get a towbar and electrics fitted to my 04 Nissan Micra – I booked it all through the Witter website.

£180 for Witter bar + electrics couple of years ago.

Weird I was looking at those bike racks this morning

Ford Cmax £160 all in they even fitted my Dave cooper trials bike carrier attachment lovely people

Make sure you get a plate type towbar as some racks have to bolt to the plate rather than clamp on the ball. I got a swanneck towbar factory fitted to my CRV thinking I could borrow my brothers 3-bike rack – I can’t 🙁

Oh and Towsure will do it for about £250 inc electrics

£180 inc VAt to my 07 Scenic from some fella in Bromley.

Had mine fitted 3 weeks ago and that was £189 for a nissan primera 2004 from towequipe of nuneaton