TOWBAR FRUSTRATIONS

DRAGJOHN
DRAGJOHN Forum Participant Posts: 27
edited March 2013 in Your stories #1

I have just bought a Skoda Superb to tow the caravan. It is 1 year old and of course I needed a towbar. As usual the dealer said he would arrange to have one fitted. I said I wanted a bog standard tow bar, with rear protector. I was immediately told that this kind of tow bar was totally unsuitable for a Skoda Superb, because it would affect the reversing sensors. I tried to explain that I have had two previous Skoda Octavias with reverse senors and never had any trouble, but the 'so called' tow bar specialist insisted that it could not be done, and the dealer also said it might affect the warranty. They claimed that they would test it by sticking a shoe box where the tow bar would sit to see if it could be done!

Has anyone ever seen a tow bar that looks like a shoe box?

I was told categorically that only a 'detatchable tow bar' would be acceptable. Cost £400. I was also told that because the car was part of the VW/Skoda Range I should spend an extra £100 to have some computerised gadget linked to the car to make all the gadgets work in conjunction with the tow bar. So the net cost was £500.

The towbar is now fitted. It has NO EFFECT on the reverse senors. It will never be detatched by me and I feel I have 'smooth talked' (polite word for conned) into a product I do not like and did not want. Furthermore the 13 pin electric socket has been fitted so far under the car that I need to almost lie down to connect it to the caravan and the caravan lead droops down to almost touch the road, but is too short to link around the jockey wheel handle. I will need to tie it in place.

I have also realised that NO warning signal has been fitted in the car to tell me if the caravan is connected. I wonder if this illegal. The towbar specialist says it is NOT needed because of this computer gadget that tuned my car and cost me £100.  Apparently if it is NOT working a signal will appear!

The good news, of course, is the towcar is fabulous but I would NOT recommend the so called tow bar specialist.

 

Comments

  • nick2611
    nick2611 Forum Participant Posts: 71
    edited March 2013 #2

    Hi Dragjohn,

    Its a minefield out there.  I used a company called Indespension who have been fab over the years.  I have the Thule Retractable, so no removal necessary, but folds away almost invisibly behind the bumper when not in use.  We too had the conversation about
    parking sensors, and have never had a problem if I forget to stow the bar away... Sounds like you got unlucky with your supplier...

    Would you be willing to name the supplier, just as a warning to others...

    Nick

  • MiDor
    MiDor Forum Participant Posts: 18
    edited March 2013 #3

    I'm fairly new to caravaning & have never heard of a warning signal in the car to tell you a caravan is connected, is is a fact?

  • Mike16
    Mike16 Forum Participant Posts: 12
    edited March 2013 #4

    built in to the land rover  a little trailor symbol that eluminates on the dash when the plug is used

  • ainsleybird
    ainsleybird Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited January 2014 #5

    I have just built a Superb as well. having a nightmare trying to chose a towbar and electrics. I have come to the conclusion that I need the vehicle specific electrics with dealer coding. Not only does it isolate the reversing sensors it will also activate
    the anti-snake function on the car, it also isolates the fog light on the car, put the caravan lights on the bulb failure system but also if the car is locked and the 13 pin socket removed then the car alarm goes off. 

    I guess from the posts above I am looking at £100 for the dealer to do this. I am happy to fit the bar and electrics myself. anyone know of any good price suppliers. 

    I hate paying dealers money for a job that takes 5 minutes!!!!

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