Towbar Fitting Questions and Answers

How long does it take to fit a towbar?

Towbar fitting time varies significantly from vehicle to vehicle. We will give you an estimate of the time it will take when we book your Towbar Fitting.  Generally, towbar fitting takes between two and four hours depending on the vehicle and the parts being fitted.  (This includes installing and fitting the electrics.)

How much weight can my vehicle tow?

You can find this information in your vehicle handbook. Each vehicle varies in towing capacity.  The information is also normally available by looking at the weight limits that are found on a plate attached to your driver’s side vehicle’s door pillar.

Why is a Dedicated Wiring Kit better?

Dedicated Wiring Kits are manufactured specifically for your vehicle make and model. They have their own wiring loom and most of the time they connect directly to your vehicle without the need for soldering or scotchloks. Dedicated kits also activate advanced towing features and vehicle safety features such as Trailer Stability (Vehicle Dependant) Dedicated towbar wiring tends to be a lot more reliable than universal electrics.  Also, dedicated towbar wiring will not alter your vehcle manufacturer guarantee, fitting universal wiring will.

Will my vehicle have to be re-coded after the towbar fitting?

In most cases yes! This is to ensure that your vehicle can communicate with the towbar electrics to enable advanced towbar and safety features. Some vehicles don’t need coding to activate the towing features, these vehicles automatically activate the features when they detect a dedicated electrical kit has been installed.

Can I fit my own towbar?

We highly recommend that a competent towbar fitter fits your towbar due to the complexity of the installation. However, we have many customers who do buy the tow bar and wiring kit that they self-fit. To keep the type-approval and guarantee the tow bar must be fitted exactly to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Should I inform my insurance company about my towbar?

Because a towbar is an aftermarket accessory you must inform your insurance company that you have had a towbar fitted. Most of the time there is no charge for this add-on. Failure to inform your insurance could void your policy, so to be safe it’s best to check with them.

What’s the dufference between an ALKO towball and a standard one? 

The difference is that the ALKO style tow ball has a longer reach and longer neck, this allows for the articulation of the hitch on the tow ball.  Under no circumstances should you use an ALKO style hitch on a standard 50mm tow ball.

Can I transfer my tow bar to my new vehicle?

In theory, if the vehicle is the same make, model, year and has the same chassis then yes, it is possible. You would need a new bolt and fixings  pack if this is something you want to do.  Moving a used tow bar from one car to another isn’t something we recommend. To be safe we always advise that a new tow bar be fitted.

Why are tow bars so expensive?

Towbars are a safety critical part and as such they require regulation to ensure they are upto the job at hand.  Manufacturer’s spend vast amunts of money designing, making and then getting appropval for the parts to be legally used on a vehilce.  

What may happen if I don’t fit a Type Approved towbar? 

If your vehicle was manufactured after the 1st of August 1998 and weighs less than 3.5 tonne, then you can only tow with a type-approved tow bar.  If the vehicle is not being used for towing then type approval is not entirely rellevent.  What is relevent, as far as the law is concerned, is the fitting of the tow bar and its security.  Driving a vehilce that is in a dangerous state will get you into legal trouble.  If your vehicle requires a type-approved towbar then it is recommended that one is fitted and fitted corretly.

If you have any tow bar related questions then ping us an email to info@ultimatetowbars.co.uk and we’ll get you an answer over in a jiffy.