Getting a tow bar added to a car for a reasonable price

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Getting a tow bar added to a car for a reasonable price

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#1057083 31-May-2014 14:31

timmmay: I just want to be able to do things like take a trailer of stuff to the dump, pick up some soil or like I needed last week drainage chip, etc. That's why a tow bar isn't worth that much to me, I can get on fine without it, borrow mates cars, get skips, etc.

If its over 1 tonne get it done properly.

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#1057093 31-May-2014 14:54

TimA: What are you towing by the way. if its a 1.5 tonne boat you might want to see the pros otherwise just hack it on.

Before we get too carried away Toyota spec Corollas at 450kg unbraked and 1300kg braked trailer. Many towbars for light vehicles are rated for 1200kg.

Coil

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#1057096 31-May-2014 15:08

Bung:
TimA: What are you towing by the way. if its a 1.5 tonne boat you might want to see the pros otherwise just hack it on.

Before we get too carried away Toyota spec Corollas at 450kg unbraked and 1300kg braked trailer. Many towbars for light vehicles are rated for 1200kg.

Considering back in the days we had a 1.8 tonne non braked single axle boat on an old Subaru that hardly moved when it had no load on it.

itxtme

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#1057106 31-May-2014 15:33

Used East coast towbars, they did PitStops work for them, they were the cheapest I could find. $300 from memory

nakedmolerat

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#1057107 31-May-2014 15:35

I have towbar put on both of my cars with the manufacturer original accesories. The Hyundai cost me ~$1450 inc GST and Mitsubishi for ~$1600 inc GST (3 tonne towing). So that price you quoted is cheap.

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#1057111 31-May-2014 15:44

nakedmolerat: I have towbar put on both of my cars with the manufacturer original accesories. The Hyundai cost me ~$1450 inc GST and Mitsubishi for ~$1600 inc GST (3 tonne towing). So that price you quoted is cheap.

What is so special about modern cars that means the cost is so high? I read the post earlier that it relates to the modern features like stability control, but how exactly does this impact? (It's just this is depressing reading as I had intended to get one fitted on our car, but at those prices... Also I assume a non-official bar will void a new-car warranty?)

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mattwnz

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#1057113 31-May-2014 15:56

$500 seems like a good price to me. When I had a quote for one on a new car back in about 2005, it was well over $1000.

Sidestep

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#1057142 31-May-2014 16:47

jonathan18: What is so special about modern cars that means the cost is so high? I read the post earlier that it relates to the modern features like stability control, but how exactly does this impact? (It's just this is depressing reading as I had intended to get one fitted on our car, but at those prices... Also I assume a non-official bar will void a new-car warranty?)

One of the issues with modern cars is finding suitable attachment points.
Most newer cars are built on a lightweight, engineered stressed metal shell, designed to crumple in an accident leaving an intact passenger capsule.
That's why manufacturers design their own towbars.
Some have flanges and tabs that mount to the weirdest, non intuitive places..

timmmay

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#1057146 31-May-2014 16:51

TimA:
timmmay: I just want to be able to do things like take a trailer of stuff to the dump, pick up some soil or like I needed last week drainage chip, etc. That's why a tow bar isn't worth that much to me, I can get on fine without it, borrow mates cars, get skips, etc.

If its over 1 tonne get it done properly.

Bung:
TimA: What are you towing by the way. if its a 1.5 tonne boat you might want to see the pros otherwise just hack it on.

Before we get too carried away Toyota spec Corollas at 450kg unbraked and 1300kg braked trailer. Many towbars for light vehicles are rated for 1200kg.

I'd be surprised if I put more than 100kg on it. The heaviest thing I've moved recently is half a cube of drainage chip, that was 0.8 ton or so I think, on an unbraked trailer attached to a friends station wagon. I don't think I'd attempt that with my car, even if I had a tow bar.

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#1057147 31-May-2014 16:52

The vehicle I'm driving right now has a factory tow package that senses when a trailer's attached, disables the normal stability control and enables a trailer anti sway/stability control. Be kind of hard to do at home..

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#1057150 31-May-2014 16:55

jonathan18: What is so special about modern cars that means the cost is so high? I read the post earlier that it relates to the modern features like stability control, but how exactly does this impact?

I'm no expert, but it's my understanding that ESC uses violent differential brake force to correct a loss of traction. If the system has no awareness of a trailer being present then it wouldn't be a surprise if it had the potential to cause the trailer to jackknife.

With the possible exception of old vehicles as in this example I personally wouldn't take the gamble with a cowboy job.

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#1057162 31-May-2014 17:34

I have used East coast Bars for about 6 cars, their prices a good their workmanship is excellent.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

timmmay

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#1057164 31-May-2014 17:40

I've sent a message to east coast bars, thanks.

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#1057171 31-May-2014 18:04

Don't just look for towbars. Approach a couple of general engineering firms. My uncle had one added to a new Honda (inside the car looks like an aeroplane).

From the local all purpose engineers cost him $350 incl GST and incl wiring and certification up to 1,500KG.

The tongue weight was rated to about 70KG. I've noticed on some cars only have 50-80KG, which is a bit stupid when the best way to tow is with 10% of the trailers weight on the vehicle which means 120KG for a 1200KG trailer.

Once you're over 12-1500KG then it gets quite costly.

richms

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#1057198 31-May-2014 20:06

Just be aware that the car will take the presense of a lights plug to signal the car that their is a trailer there. Friend when towing his mixer with no lights has it start to gocrazy in reverse becasuse the sensors are still active and he is about to hit a trailer.

Also check that they wire the socket fully if you are going to tow a braked trailer. Without that the brakes dont disable in reverse and you have to get out and put the flippy thing down to disable them and then remember to reenable them before driving off again.

Richard rich.ms

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