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Thread: Golf Mk5 Tow Bars - Q&A - All you need to know Guide!! Advice, Tips...

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  1. #21
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    Today, whilst sat in a traffic jam on the A34 Just north of the M4 I spyed another golf with a towbar.

     
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  2. #22
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    That's interesting, I can't spot any visible bumper cut in that photo. I wonder which towbar manufacturer it is? It is not obvious either from the picture whether or not it is a detachable towbar.
     
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  3. #23
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    Maybe i should of put a little extra text. It is not removable. From my vantage point, Transit height in the next lane, I could see a bumper cut but it wasn't very visible, the tow bar hides it. I couldn't really get out my vehicle as it was stop start, but i got the best photo i could with my phone on full zoom.

    Either way its not very well looked after, the electrical socket cover flap is broken off and its mounting is all bent, there is slight corrosion and there is added a bicycle carrying attachment. Plus it sticks out a mile!

    Still, I was quite pleased i saw another example.

    I saw another MK5 a bit later on too and it was actually towing an empty twin axle car trailer, couldn't photo as i was as speed.
     
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  4. Witter Detachable Towbar with Bumper Cover 
    #24
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    A bloke in the UK got this Witter towbar for his GTI. It's a detachable towbar, and requires a special bumper with a removable panel. It actually hides the towbar quite neatly.



    More photos here: http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showpo...42&postcount=2
    And he discusses the price and other stuff here: http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3019
     
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  5. Exclamation Starting to Look for Prices!!! 
    #25
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    Many thanks to rainsensor - I've decided the path i'd like to take with my towbar. see the above image^^.

    Thisafternoon I paid a visit to my local VW dealership - Listers of Coventry and got quotes for the following... new lower skirt with cut out, the tow bar and it seems the electrics are a seperate item too.

    here is the results, in image for should any one question the part numbers.

    Lower skirt, I was pleasantly suprised at this price. I thought it would be well in to 3 figures.



    Here are the 2 quotes for the tow bar and electrics. I made them in to one image.

    This is a bit pricey so i'll continue to hunt for better deals.

    As requested i've enlarged the image with my scanner.


    BEn
     
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  6. #26
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    Just got off the phone to towbars direct, by heck do they know their stuff, If any one is looking in to a tow bar speak to these guys. I was enquiring in to the Witter removable at £237 and they said that the better tow bar is the Westfalia at £149. Now thats honesty!

    The electrics Quoted by Vw are the 13 pin european electrical plug which is too much if you only going to tow a little box trailer. Plus you'll need a converter if you want to tow a british caravan.

    I'm awaiting an email from towbarsdirect to confirm the following figures. They said they can supply me with the tow bar £149 + british electrics £30, postage £10. all in £189.00 which i think, as i'm sure you'll agree, knocks spots off the £235 + £229 (£464.00) that VW wanted to charge.

    All i have to do now is order the new bumper skirt @ 49.90 and get it colour coded and order the tow bar. I don't see that there is much point looking much further, but i probably will .

    So far potential costs total £49.90 + £189.00 add to this the painting and a bit of labour to fit the tow bar and i don't think i'll have done too badly.

    I'll amend this post when i have the exact figures.

    I have now recieved the confirmation email and here is the amendment as promised....


    Following your telephone conversation with James a few minutes ago, I confirm our prices below.


    Towbar and Accessories

    Westfalia EC Type Approved Quick Release Detachable Towbar for VW Golf Hatch Mark V - £149.00
    Universal Single Electrical Kit with Multiplex By-Pass Relay - £26.45
    UK mainland carriage (excluding IV & KW postcode areas) - £10.00
    TOTAL OF ABOVE - £185.45


    Notes

    All prices include VAT
    Towbars are designed to fit UK/European Versions and can not be guaranteed to fit imports/non EU vehicles
    With a few exceptions, towbars are normally dispatched the same day on orders received before 2pm Monday to Friday.
    Orders are taken over the phone on 01925 730 005.
    Please note some Westfalia/GDW/Brink towbars may take slightly longer to dispatch.
    We welcome collections but please check to see if we have the required towbar in stock and reserve it. If not in stock we can normally get it within 24 to 48 working hours
    We are open from 7.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 2.30pm on Saturdays.
    Full details of how to find us and a link to a map are at http://www.towbarsdirect.co.uk/location.htm
    We accept Visa (including Visa Delta), Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro (Switch) and Solo cards.
    Although towbars are sent on next working day delivery (to most areas) we cannot guarantee delivery especially if nobody is home to sign for it. We advise to allow up to 3 working days from dispatch.
    We supply to the UK, Isle of Man and the Channel Isles. I am afraid we do not supply outside these areas (including the Republic of Ireland and the USA).
    Unless stated these are supply only prices. I am afraid that we only fit at our premises between Warrington and Northwich in Cheshire.

    If you have any further questions please get back to us.

    Yours

    James, Tony, Sue & Paul
    Towbars Direct
    Norbrook Trailers Ltd
    Tarporley Road
    Whitley
    Warrington
    WA4 4DS

    01925 730 005
    www.towbarsdirect.co.uk



    BEn

    Westfalia website http://www.westfalia-automotive.de/e_frameset.htm

    Witter website http://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/default.aspx

    Bosal website http://www.catalogue.bosal.com/pages...ve_settings=on

    Brink website http://www.brinkweb.com/index.php?li...488fab0e3ade60

    PCT website http://www.pct.eu.com/automotive/index.htm

    Tow bars direct website http://www.towbarsdirect.co.uk/

    My advice to those who want to get a towbar fitted to their car is to approach their local dealer, find out what they would use if supplied on a new car or on your car at the time it was new. Also look in to wether you'll require a bumper cut or not and if the dealer supply oem bumpers like VW do for the MK5 Golf.

    Visit the tow bar manufacturers website and further research the towbar your dealer recommended.

    Get in touch with tow bars direct and see how much you could save plus they'll answer any questions that your dealer may want to try and avoid or just not be fully informed upon.

    I hope this helps.

    BEn
     
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  7. Post What makes up a MK5 bumper? 
    #27
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    Today I extracted yet more information out of VW. This particular information will be helpful to you if you have the urge to remove your rear bumper.

    The images consist of 1 diagram and 4 pages of corrisponding part numbers and names.

     
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  8. Don't do it! 
    #28
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    Just a little more info for you all. I've just fitted a VW detachable towbar to a MK5 Golf. The one that requires a ruddy big whole to be cut in the bumper. I carefully marked out and cut the bumper, but the cover plate that is supplied with the towbar wouldn't fit properly. It didn't match the profile of the bumper. It says in the instructions that the towbar also fits a Golf+. That explains why the cover doesn't fit very well because the Golf+ bumper is a different shape from the standard Golf, yet it's one cover to fit both bumpers .
    Then you have to remove half the vehicle interior to fit the electrics. There is a big control box that gets bolted behind the N/S boot trim. You then need to remove the back seat and the sill trims from both sides, the O/S kickwell trim, O/S lower dash trim and the fusebox. You need to run a wiring loom with the CAN bus wires from the boot into the passenger area, under the back seat, down under the O/S sill trim and into a control unit behind the O/S dash trim. You then need to disassemble the fusebox and insert a couple of connectors and fit new fuses. Then you have to refit all the parts you removed. Then you think you've finished, but you haven't because now you have to tell the onboard computers that you have just fitted a towbar. Then you try and test the electrics, only you can't because the trailer board you use to test it has a 7 pin plug and the towbar has 13 pins . So you try to probe the pins with a test light, only that doesn't work because the bulb failure circuit doesn't like the 5 Watt bulb in your test light . So you have to connect a 55 Watt front fog lamp bulb in series with the test lamp to make it work. Time to complete the job - 7Hours (where did VW get 4Hrs from?). Only the job isn't finished yet because the customer (quite rightly) doesn't like the look of the dodgy cover plate, so the bumper has to come back off to fit the factory cut spoiler and cover.

    NEVER AGAIN!

    Jim.
     
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  9. #29
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    bosal in attleborough fields ind est nuneaton they fit anything
    worth a go hey?
     
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  10. #30
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    Sorry to hear that Jim, as you have read, i've been very thorough in my research before spending money or cutting.

    I am also very aware about the 13 pin issue. This seems to be a european thing that has not as yet be made standard policy across the EU. This is one of the reasons i'll not be buying my bar or electrics off VW, the other reason is price.

    Don't let this experience put you off Jim. To keep my costs down, i'm sourcing all the parts myself and will then look for someone to fit. If they then balls it up, they can pay to have it put right.

    All the best

    BEn
     
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