Got a $400 towbar together with faulty rear lght and hole for free.

[mancunian.com]

Hello Volks,

My first post!

I've run VWs most of my life - beetles, type3s, campervan and I still have an un-regoed 1964 Beetle in my shed.

In recent years I've run Ford, Holden and Toyota. But, in my dotage, and because my wife cannot park a big six, I indulged my fancy by buying a Golf Pacific 2TDI -almost $40K on road.

I was impressed at the precise steering and quality after my Falcon wagon. But the bumpy ride is obviously the compromise one has to take.

I needed a towbar and roof rack because, with 3 kids in safety seats at back and living 50K out of town, we can't fit our fortnightly shopping in the piddly boot.

I asked for a quote from my VW dealer for these additions and it was $1800. This was too much self-indulgence and the salesman suggested I bought 3rd party.

So I bought a Pro-rack for $220 from Supercheap and fixed it. Not very smart compared to the custom Ford bars on my Falcon. But it'll do for now until I suffer another rush of blood to my ageing head.

Next the towbar! Usually I have Trailboss TBs fixed. But a check of my local guy revealed that they did not do Golf. The Hayman Reese site said they did and I was supplied with their Townsville appointed fitter - TJM at the 4x4 Megastore. Because I had read of the problems on this group I decided not to have the very expensive wiring harness fitted until further research.

The towbar only was fitted at $470. When I switched on the ignition there was a brief warning message in the Multi-function display saying that the lamp on the rear number plate is not working. A warning light then appears, and stays, on the rev counter.

I had a heavy dose of flu and wanted to get back to bed. Then a call from TJM asking if their mechanic had left some tools in my car's boot. I dragged myself out and it was so. Then TJM wanted me to return them. Luckily I was staying in town overnight with my son. I said they could pick up the tools in our carport which they did.

Later on I checked the light and it was, indeed, off. I also noticed that the hole cut in the bumper was bigger than the towbar fitting and that it extended 12 mm on one side. A very unsightly hole 13x110 mm!

I have sent an email to the TJM manager asking that they fix the light and fix a new bumper with a properly sized hole.

I'll let you know what happens

[WEDEL.1]

We took delivery of an Edition 1.9TDI last Friday.

I had the towbar fitted at the dealer - no problems & a 3 year warranty

I heard that most places can fit a towbar, but the problem is the wiring up. You can no longer splice into the existing wiring.

Maris

[Mischa]

sorry to hear about your dramas. could you use a roof mounted pod (or something) to carry the shopping instead of dealing with the dramas of a towbar?

also, i had a look around the forums and bought a genuine vw roof rack for just over 100$, you might like to do the same

[brad]

I needed a towbar and roof rack because, with 3 kids in safety seats at back and living 50K out of town, we can't fit our fortnightly shopping in the piddly boot.

Doesn't it annoy you when people don't take pride in their workmanship?

Just out of interest, did you consider a Skoda Octavia for the extra boot space?

[nayfen]

sorry to hear about your rear bar.

the reason the genuine tow hitch is $1800 is the wiring. the system uses a wire loom that feeds back into the main car electrics via canbus. it sences when a trailer is being towed and auto level the headlight, lets you know when you have blown a light (including trailer) and a few other bits n pieces. you can get arround this by usuing a multiplex wiring relay. these draw very low amps to trigger the functions for the trailer hitch while eliminating blown bulb warnings on the mfd on dash. the warning light suggests you have blown a bulb in the rear #plate. just replace it. if it reappears ask the tjm mechanic what he stuffed up.

best bars in new zealand make the genuine vw removable tow bar hitch? maybe they have an an aftermaket harness?

[mancunian.com]

TJM fixed the rear light but.....

Thanks for the replies and advice.

I did not consider another model because I wanted a Golf - a toy really; but using my wife as an excuse. And my wife will go shopping in it without me which she would not do in the Falcon or Avalon. She cannot park in the spaces they provide.

TJM soon fixed the rear number plate light. They said the mechanic had forgotten to re-attach the connector.

The too-big hole in the bumper was made bearable when they fixed a gromet round the hole. It now looks neat but had the correct hole been cut there would have been no need.

I understand about the wiring harness. I did not want to pay the hundreds of $s. In the olden days when flashing indicators were introduced many motorists with the older semaphore arms bought kits to fix flashers front and back. A switch was mounted on the dash which contained a flasher unit. Not self-cancelling! So I thought that I would knock up a little box with a flasher unit and relevant switches for lights and flashers.
I will have this finished shortly when I find my soldering iron. The box slips in the little compartment between the seats and can be worked by me or the passenger. Costs $30 because I had the wire and a couple of switches.
The lead with trailer socket goes through the ski hole and the hatch lid.

Not very elegant but it's only for occassional use and then the wife will operate it - keep her alert I'll keep it in the boot.

What I am keen on is a Back-rack which are made by Thule, a firm in the UK and even in Melbourne. The latter has an adaptor to carry a ride-on - I seem to remember. The rack just clamps to the tow ball and allows one to carry a bag/box/bike/BBQ/bale of hay etc. The advantages over the top box is no wind resistance, more flexible and easier loading. In the olden days many cars came with a fold up rack on the back. Especially the posh cars! They could carry the cases and cabin trunks for the liner trips. You'll see them on the old movies. In fact there is one in "The Mummy Returns." We saw it last week on TV.
I'll probably make my own.
Mancunian.com

[Maverick]

Thanks for the replies and advice.

I did not consider another model because I wanted a Golf - a toy really; but using my wife as an excuse. And my wife will go shopping in it without me which she would not do in the Falcon or Avalon. She cannot park in the spaces they provide.

What's wrong with the spaces they provide? The Golf is around the same width as the Falcon/Avalon and it's over 4m long + you have the length of the trailer at another 1.5m or so. The Falcon is around 5m so I can't understand how it can be easier to park a slightly smaller car + a trailer as opposed to a slightly longer car by itself?

Am I missing something here because to me parking with a trailer is a lot harder then parking a car?

A skoda octavia wagon with front and rear sensors may have been a better choice if she truly can't park and it has room for the shopping inside with minimal extra length.

[mancunian.com]

parking with a trailer is a lot harder then parking a car?

I agree! That is why my wife would not tow a trailer. And that's why the golf -without trailer- is easier for her to park. It is a yard shorter. Much easier to swing between two cars at the supermarket. Also, as she can shop without me, she has the extra space on/in front of the passenger seat and this compensates for the small boot.

When she had to shop without me in the Falcon wagon she had to ask men to park it. She is not a western woman and culturally she finds it embarrassing to talk to unknown men.
mancunian.com

[Maverick]

A switch was mounted on the dash which contained a flasher unit. Not self-cancelling! So I thought that I would knock up a little box with a flasher unit and relevant switches for lights and flashers.
I will have this finished shortly when I find my soldering iron. The box slips in the little compartment between the seats and can be worked by me or the passenger. Costs $30 because I had the wire and a couple of switches.
The lead with trailer socket goes through the ski hole and the hatch lid.

Not very elegant but it's only for occassional use and then the wife will operate it - keep her alert I'll keep it in the boot.

I'd be very wary of this not only from a legal point of view if you have an accident or are pulled over but if you screw up the electronic systems in the car you could be in for a very expensive repair that far exceeds the $4-500 cost of the proper wiring.

You may also run into problems with the dealer if you have any obscure electrical problems with them pointing the finger at your box which could result in a big repair bill.

[mancunian.com]

Plugs into the accessories' socket.

My little box plugs into the accessories' socket. It's like plugging in a cooler box etc.

Can't see why it can be illegal. There is, so far as I know, any law which says where your flasher switch has to be. On the Golf, for example, the flasher arm is on the left. Now that is a dangerous position for Australia because the arm is on the right on a Holden, Falcon etc.

I'm switching from an Oz to Golf all the time and automatically use the wrong function first few times. I turn on the wipers on the Golf. I hope the guy following me knows that, as I am driving a VW, the wipers on when it's not raining means I'm turning. But which way?

Mancunian.com

[gregozedobe]

I turn on the wipers on the Golf. I hope the guy following me knows that, as I am driving a VW, the wipers on when it's not raining means I'm turning. But which way?

If they only wipe once then you are turning left, but if they stay on then obviously you want to turn right

[Maverick]

My little box plugs into the accessories' socket. It's like plugging in a cooler box etc.

Can't see why it can be illegal. There is, so far as I know, any law which says where your flasher switch has to be. On the Golf, for example, the flasher arm is on the left. Now that is a dangerous position for Australia because the arm is on the right on a Holden, Falcon etc.

Common sense would tell you that this isn't safe. To operate the tail, brake and indicators from a seperate manual control is asking for trouble.

And there are a number of laws that you brake by doing this.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/pdf/vsb_01.pdf

Vehicle Standards Bulletins (VSB) 1 .......National Code of Practice – Building Small Trailers

"Unless specifically mentioned, lamps on a trailer must be wired to operate with the corresponding lamps on the towing vehicle and where pairs of lamps or reflectors are fitted, they must be spaced equally on either side of the centre line of the trailer."

[brad]

But Mancunian is in FNQ & everyone knows that isn't really part of Australia

[mancunian.com]

Tell me which laws, please.

Common sense would tell you that this isn't safe. To operate the tail, brake and indicators from a seperate manual control is asking for trouble.

And there are a number of laws that you brake by doing this.

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/pdf/vsb_01.pdf

Vehicle Standards Bulletins (VSB) 1 .......National Code of Practice – Building Small Trailers

"Unless specifically mentioned, lamps on a trailer must be wired to operate with the corresponding lamps on the towing vehicle and where pairs of lamps or reflectors are fitted, they must be spaced equally on either side of the centre line of the trailer."

Thank you for informing me that a manual control for the trailer lights breaks several laws.

But what are they? I see that you provide the pdf of a code of practice. As far as I know this is not a law. Laws covering trailers in Qld are, I believe, enacted by the Qld Govt. They may even apply to NQ

Even the Code refered to does not say that the trailer lights should be integrated into the towing vehicle's circuit. "must be wired to operate with the corresponding lamps " does not necessarily mean this. And there are exceptions to this: "Unless specifically mentioned". Though what this means I do not know.

"To operate the tail, brake and indicators from a seperate manual control is asking for trouble."

I towed a large Sidall caravan with a Landrover all over Europe including over the Massif Central and the Pyrenees with no trouble at all with separate, manual control.

My trailer lights, when connected, can be operated in conjunction with the vehicle's lights.

But I would still like to know to what Qld laws you refer.

Thanks for your help.

mancunian.com

[Maverick]

Thank you for informing me that a manual control for the trailer lights breaks several laws.

My pleasure.

But what are they? I see that you provide the pdf of a code of practice. As far as I know this is not a law. Laws covering trailers in Qld are, I believe, enacted by the Qld Govt. They may even apply to NQ

The Qld Government has nothing to do with ADR's, these rules apply across Australia.

If you had read the introduction in the PDF it clearly states

"The Federal Act introduced a single national uniform set of requirements for the design and construction of vehicles to replace State and Territory legislation which required compliance with the ADRs as a condition of registration.
This Vehicle Standards Bulletin summarises the construction requirements for caravans and trailers necessary to meet the ADRs, and trailers built to meet the requirements in this bulletin are accepted as meeting the ADRs.
The ADRs and Australian Standards referenced in this bulletin may be amended from time to time and it is the trailer builder’s responsibility to ensure the latest requirements are being met."

Even the Code refered to does not say that the trailer lights should be integrated into the towing vehicle's circuit. "must be wired to operate with the corresponding lamps " does not necessarily mean this. And there are exceptions to this: "Unless specifically mentioned". Though what this means I do not know.

Yes it does, you're trying to find ways out of your obligation to operate your car/trailer safely.

"must be wired to operate with the corresponding lamps" is VERY VERY clear. It doesn't mean that you can manually operate those lights.

The exceptions are only for SPECIFIC circumstances for special trailers.

I towed a large Sidall caravan with a Landrover all over Europe including over the Massif Central and the Pyrenees with no trouble at all with separate, manual control.

And I'm sure your drum brakes, cross ply tyres and carburettor didn't give you any problems either but the world has moved on from motoring of old and we have laws that require cars to be safe for a reason. To have manually separately activated brake and indicator lights on a trailer is absolutely ludicrous and if someone doesn't see you brake and ends up in the back of your car then you only have yourself to blame and if someone in the other car or your car is hurt you will be responsible.

My trailer lights, when connected, can be operated in conjunction with the vehicle's lights.

Not at the same time and this requires you to operate a switch manually.

If a child walks out in front of you when driving along and you hit the brakes and steer around it are you going to be able to active the manual brake light button at the exact same moment so the traffic behind can see or are they going to plough into the back of your car or swerve around hitting the child on the road? How would you feel then? Ok because you drove across Europe in the same unsafe manner?? Not having a go at you here but you seem to not be thinking about how unsafe what you are suggesting is.

LED eye level brake lights light up faster then incandescent globes but you wouldn't think it would make much of a difference would you? At 80kph the LED brake light results in a reduction in stopping distance of the car behind by 5.5 metres.

Let's assume you take 2 seconds after braking to find the box and press the button, what happens now?

But I would still like to know to what Qld laws you refer.

There are no Queensland laws, all vehicles have to abide by the ADR's.

Do you really think that it's legal to manually operate brake, tail and indicator lights on a trailer?