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+--- Thread: Towing Electrics with no Towbar (/Thread-Towing-Electrics-with-no-Towbar)
Towing Electrics with no Towbar - NightFox - 16-10-2012 12:03pm
I know there's a good thread on here about towbars, but can anyone tell me the cheapest/easiest way to go about installing just the electric socket so I can power a lightboard to go on the back of a boot-mounted bike carrier?
I also understand that the 'offical' Evoque towing options don't allow you to use trailerboards with LED lights, would this be specific to the LR socket or would it be the same for any socket fitted to an Evoque?
Thanks!
RE: Towing Electrics with no Towbar - XFullFatTim - 16-10-2012 12:37pm
IIRC you can have LED tailboard lights if you add a resistor into the circuit - have a look on our sister forums Disco3.co.uk or disco4.co.uk as I'm certain this has been discussed over there. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't have just the electrics on a 7pin plug, the problem is where to mount it as most times it is on a plate projecting from the hitch fitting.
RE: Towing Electrics with no Towbar - NightFox - 16-10-2012 01:08pm
Thanks.
Do you know what's involved in installing a plug? Is the wiring already there and it's just a plug and play installation, or would it need splicing-in, or a whole new wiring loom installing? Also, would the car require any software updates to activate the wiring?
Re: Towing Electrics with no Towbar - DaveR - 16-10-2012 01:29pm
Most of the wiring is already there and terminates on two capped connectors just under the rear bumper. The electric kits usually contain the hitch socket cabled to two plugs that plug into the two connectors (you just need to remove the caps first) and two fuses and a relay that plug into the fuse board behind the glove compartment.
As suggested you would need to fabricate a mount for the hitch socket.
If you look at the towbar threads there's a link to a write up I did about fitting the tow trust bar that has a few pictures that you might find useful
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
RE: Towing Electrics with no Towbar - XFullFatTim - 16-10-2012 01:29pm
I've no idea what is involved - I paid the dealer to deliver my car with the LR optional fitted detachable tow hook and electrics. Is there no indication for the wiring in the thread about fitting a tow bar? I suspect that it will be an additional snap-in loom/ spur as they tend to be these days. IIRC the only thing that makes LED lights incompatible is the trailer lamp on the dash board that monitors if you have something plugged in and also detects the trailer/ lighting bar fog and brake lights etc are working, the LEDs do something to the "feedback" circuit. It is the same problem with LED trailer lights and I had all my Defender lights except the headlights replaced with LED's about 8 years ago as they were always blowing. I had to have a different relay fitted otherwise the
LED indicators flashed at twice the rate they should have - I've never had a blown lamp since, and my side lights are whiter than the headlights!
RE: Towing Electrics with no Towbar - NightFox - 16-10-2012 02:48pm
Thanks very much for the advice chaps!