RAV4 and ATC
Hi all,
I have a 2013 RAV4 with a detachable towbar which was dealer fitted last year. At the time they didn't fill me with confidence that they knew what they were doing but I didn't want any issues with the warranty if I had a modification done somewhere other than the dealer.
We upgraded to a newer van with ATC this year and the towbar won't power it. Definitely an issue with our car as it works with a different car. I asked my dealer to look at the towbar when in for service but they don't seem to have done as the ATC is still not working.
We're away at the moment and at our stopover point noticed that the electrics cable had fallen down onto the exhaust pipe. The heat had of course melted it. Luckily the lights were still working so we carried on to our final destination. I booked in with a dealer down here to check the melting hadn't caused any safety issues and they have made the situation even worse. Now the towbar isn't even powering the lights. They were clueless about the ATC and commented that they doubt the Toyota towbar would power a system like that and it's just for lights.
Do any of you have a dealer fitted towbar who can confirm for me whether that's true or not? I know nothing about towbar electrics but it sounds like bunkum to me. I've now given up on Toyota and am trying to get a mobile fitter to come to fix whatever the dealer yesterday bodged so that we can get home at the weekend!
Comments
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Take the car to a tow bar specialist, they will soon sort you out. Its all about having power to the right pin.
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The dealer is unlikely to have fitted the towbar, they almost certainly got a specialist in to fit it for them and you need a specialist to sort out the problem. I would NEVER take my car to a car dealer for tow bar problems unless it was a FACTORY fit
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I think that the problem will lie with an incorrect wiring by the dealer/their Agent.
My dealer is well used to caravans and trailers of all kinds so knows what is required.I have a 2014 RAV4 with the factory fit (not dealer fit) towbar and it has no problem with the ATC. I also had a 2008 RAV4 that had a dealer fit towbar and, at the time,
12N and 12S sockets. I used a converter when I picked the new van up and later converted it to the Euro socket. No problems with either set up and the ATC.Go back to the dealer and tell them they need to get it sorted out or you will take it to a specialist fitter and invoice them for the work they should have done properly the first time.
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I've got just one socket, with 13 pins. I've found a mobile fitter who is going to come to site tomorrow. Advantage of that is that obviously the van is here too so can check it's sorted before he leaves. I don't trust the dealers now and need this sorting
quickly. Lesson learned the hard way.0 -
Its your responsibility IMO to make it clear that you require full function wiring for a caravan, particularly two separate feeds of at least 3mm wiring for the Fridge and ATC/ charging.
Not everyone tows a caravan, so for many people towing a trailer, or perhaps a boat and horse box, a standard wired socket is all that's needed.
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Both dealers knew I was towing a caravan. I had a quite lengthy chat with my home dealer originally as they asked me how many sockets the van had and when it was manufactured etc. They supplied a cable to connect the car and van as the van was an older one which needed two sockets and car only had one.
The update is that the mobile fitter hasn't been able to fix it. Process of elimination suggests the problem is the power module, which is a Toyota specific module and will need to be fitted by Toyota. Have spoken to my home dealer and they can see me tomorrow. Going there instead of the local dealer in case there's any warranty claim that can be made (it was only fitted last year).
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