Everything You Need To Know About Buying A Tow Bar For Caravan
Whether you have just invested in a new touring caravan or are enjoying the decision-making process, you are going to need to buy a tow bar for your vehicle. Although tow bars are unlikely to be one of your most exciting purchases ever, they are a critical component in the caravanning lifestyle, so it is essential that you devote some time to conducting your research and gaining sufficient knowledge to make an informed purchasing decision.
For many years, North West Towbars have been fitting and supplying towbars and have guided thousands of customers in the North West and beyond. This article is written as an educational piece to provide you with that basic understanding, although we can and are always happy to answer any further queries you may have in person.
Towbars - Brackets, Towballs and Electrics
There are essentially three key components that need to be considered when purchasing a towbar. These are the bracket, which secures the towbar to your vehicle safely, the tow ball, which is what you will attach the caravan to, and the electronics, which ensure that your brake lights and other indicators are meeting the legal requirement.
Four Things To Consider Before Having A Towbar Fitted
Vehicle Requirements - As you might expect, there are specific regulations that you need to meet when having a towbar fitted. You need to confirm with the manufacturer if your vehicle has been designed for towing and, therefore, has all the necessary fittings to accept a towing bracket. There are other more technical considerations, such as kerb weight, maximum towing limit and nose load, that you cannot ignore.
Driving Licence - Not all driving licences cover a driver to tow a caravan, so in order to avoid breaking the law, check with the DVLA that you are legally entitled to tow a caravan.
Hired or Leased Car - If you are hiring a vehicle, it is a company car, or you are in some form of lease agreement, our advice would be to confirm with the vehicle owner that you have their permission to install a towbar before having one fitted.
Check Your Insurance - Another consideration that many people overlook is checking with their vehicle insurance that they are allowed to tow a caravan. The last thing you want on your first trip is to get pulled over by the police only to discover that your insurance is null and void because you are towing a caravan.
What Are The Different Types of Towbar?
Technically speaking, there are two types of tow bars - Swan Necks and Flange, although there are more variations because both of these types offer a fixed and detachable option.
Swan Neck Towbar - Today, the most commonly fitted type of tow bar is called a swan neck towbar. This design gets its name because it does indeed resemble the shape of a swan's neck. The biggest reason for the increase in popularity in recent years is that because of its unique shape; it does not trigger reversing sensors or other parking sensors. Although this might be a matter of opinion, the swan neck design also looks much nicer than the flange alternative.
Flange Towbar - The Flange towbar design is what most people imagine when they think of a towbar and is typically fitted to the main bracket with heavy-duty bolts. As mentioned above, you can choose to have a fixed towbar or a detachable towbar fitted in most cases, both of which offer certain benefits.
What's The Difference Between a Fixed Towbar and a Detachable Towbar?
With a fixed towbar, the towbar is permanently attached to your vehicle, which some people prefer, as there is no hassle involved, and no matter where you are, you always have the towbar with you. A detachable towbar can be removed when not in use. This means that your car looks nicer, but you have to store the towbar and think about security and locking mechanisms if you choose to leave it attached to the vehicle.
A retractable towbar is another slight variation and a design that could be considered as some type of compromise (only available on certain models of car). These types of towbar remain permanently attached to your vehicle but can be rotated out of the way when required.
Where Can I Get A Towbar Fitted?
NorthWest Towbars was established in 1984, and our team of towbar fitters have many years of experience within the industry. All of our engineers are National Trailer and Towing Association (NTTA) QS Assured and capable of fitting Towbars to all vehicles, as per the car manufacturers' recommendations, from classics to the most modern.
If you need a new towbar fitted, need advice about your towing vehicle or want to discuss the type of towbar you need, then contact us today; we are more than happy to help and advise.
What About Towbar Electrics?
Towbar electrics can be a minefield and are best left to the professionals. Getting the electrics installed properly is critical. Most car manufacturers now provide dedicated wiring kits for specific makes and models. Although there are universal kits on the market, we recommend using a dedicated wiring kit as it will not risk invalidating your vehicle's warranty. Another important requirement is that the towing vehicle must have some type of warning system to alert the driver should the electrics of the towbar stop working.
What Does The Law Say?
European Type Approval - Although the United Kingdom is no longer a member of the EU, any passenger-carrying vehicle that has a towbar fitted must have European Type Approval. You can check this quickly by looking at the technical specification of your towbar.
Nose Load - This is a technical but essential term you need to understand. It refers to the weight which is exerted on the towbar when it is towing a caravan. It is illegal to exceed the nose limit load.
Number Plate - As you might expect, the law states that your number plate must be visible at all times. This means that your towbar must be fitted in such a way that it does not obstruct your registration plate.
Breakaway Cable - In the unlikely event that a caravan ever came away from the towing vehicle, the law states that your caravan must have a breakaway cable fitted. This failsafe device engages the breaks on your caravan should the worst scenario happen, and it becomes detached.
North West Tow Bars is a family-owned and operated business. We value our reputation and love exceeding the expectations of our customers. Whatever your towbar requirements, feel free to contact us today for advice or book an appointment for a towbar installation.