TOWBAR GUIDE as at 27/08/12 (already on version 2!)

My dealer told me as long as a dedicated wiring kit is used warranty is unaffected as its all plug and play . But if you use a wiring kit where you splice into wiring then warranty becomes void as the car electrics is so complex it can cause problems ie with parking sensor and engine management ecu.

Sorry guys maybe i did not explain properly, I have ordered my Evoque and had asked the dealer to install a detachable tow bar and of course he will be more than happy to do this, but he warned me that even when you detach the tow bar the electrics will still be showing. So after the great research done on this website i see that there are better options out there. So my plan is to cancel LR installation and take the car to an independent tow bar installer in Northern ireland, So my original question was will this affect my warranty in any way by using a Retrofit company.
Regards and sorry for confusion

I was told aftermarket is fine as long as dedicated wiring kit is used.

Final got round to fitting both the relay and the fuses today (I cannot believe how poor access is to the fuse box), however both fuses were already fitted I just needed to plug the relay in. Has anyone else found this?

Don't you think this Umbra Rimorchi tow bar looks very similar to the Tow Trust ?

I wonder about the ground clearance with those tow bar … aren't they too low in comparison to the one LR one ?

Yes, the aftermarket bars limit rear clearance compared to the LR products. Having carried out extensive studies of all the available tow bars I concluded that despite the need to cut, the LR bars fit best. Not simply for rear clearance but the way they are located away from the exhaust silencer (lots of aftermarket bars are prone to vibration due to proximity to exhaust).
I actually don't mind the cut out, especially with the rubber trim supplied. I do think LR should have designed the rear plastic skid plate with perhaps a removable trim so bars could be fitted more easily. That said the cutting was easy using the template supplied. I used a tool called a nibbler for both plastic and metal heat shield.
After studying all available bars I fitted a fixed neck swan bar. I figured the electrics were on show in any case so why bother with detachable. The fixed bar is also half the price, simpler and lighter. The evoque is still an SUV so tow bars and roof rails look better to me than lowering or massive wheels. In fact I'd rather raise the height!!

Simon

Has any one ordered the Towtrust detachable from outside the UK? I mailed derek at http://www.just-tow.co.uk and he said 100quid delivery to Seattle. Then Asked how to proceed and if they can omit the VAT and never got a reply. Chased up on it and never heard back.

I could get it delivered to my house in the Uk and forwarded on, but it's a bit of hassel.

Things cannot be going to badly in blighty if business are not motivated to process a guaranteed sale.

Has anyone had the Westfalia Towbar fitted. I am having a problem with the caravan being low at the front and the stowed Jockeywheel touches the road on undulating surfaces. Quite frightening and load bang when it happens and I have confirmed this is the problem by wrapping tape around the wheel which was shown to be scuffed and torn off after a journey. Suspect the ball height at 16 1/2 inches is too low for my caravan ( Sterling Eccles Ruby) which is well within the limits of the car and towbar at 96KG download on the ball. I have referred this to the dealer and the towbar fitter but no solution suggested by either. Today I spoke to Westfalia and sent them data and photos and hope they can suggest something. Any ideas for the forum would be appreciated. My only thought at the moment is if there is a higher ball bracket available from Westfalia or I will have to remove the jockey wheel at each journey.

I have the westfalia detachable vertical towbar fitted really just for the bike rack. Its almost completely hidden and I like the way the electrics slide up behind the bumper. I'll have a look as see what ball height is on mine. I might even hook it up to my Dad's caravan to see what the clearance is like.

(28-06-2013 08:41pm)Noki Wrote:  I have the westfalia detachable vertical towbar fitted really just for the bike rack. Its almost completely hidden and I like the way the electrics slide up behind the bumper. I'll have a look as see what ball height is on mine. I might even hook it up to my Dad's caravan to see what the clearance is like.

I would be interested to hear from you