Ultimate Guide to Motorhome Towbars
An aftermarket tow bar fitted to your motorhome is a great idea and gives you several options to enhance your travels. Having a motorhome tow bar fitted allows you to carry cycles or e-bikes, have a tow bar-mounted carrier, or tow a trailer.
So what do you need to know about when it comes to motorhome tow bars?
Type-approval:
All motorhomes built after April 2012 must only have a type-approved tow bar fitted. Before this date, a motorhome could have any old tow bar fitted, after the date only type-approved tow bars can be legally fitted.
Type-approved tow bars are specifically designed for the make and model of vehicle they are being fitted to. After April 2012 Towing with or having a non type-approved tow bar fitted on your motorhome is illegal both in the UK and across the EU, with fines of £2500 and six points for those in the UK.
Chassis Extensions:
Most motorhomes are based on standard vehicle chassis extended to allow for a living area.
Camper vans and small motorhomes usually don’t require a chassis extension and use the standard chassis, however, larger motorhomes require extensions to allow for the living area. These are often little more than floor supports which require additional support if a tow bar is to be fitted. The extra supports are known as chassis extensions.
As stated previously, extending beyond the base chassis so that a living area can be accommodated requires the floor to be supported. This is often done by using lightweight materials, such as aluminium. If the floor supports are not strong enough to allow the vehicle to tow then chassis extension supports are required. Fitting the extension supports will allow for a type-approved tow bar to be fitted.
Towing Weight:
Before towing with your motorhome, it’s essential you check the towing capacity of the vehicle. This is done by either, checking the chassis plate on the vehicle, or looking in the vehicle handbook. Towing over the maximum towing weight , apart from being illegal, will likely cause serious damage to the vehicle.
Towbar Types:
There are three types of tow bar available for motorhomes, these include fixed flange, fixed swan neck, and detachable swan neck.
Choosing the appropriate towbar type depends on your intended use.
If you require a tow bar for use with a bike carrier then a detachable tow bar can be a good choice, the benefit is that of removing the tow bar neck when not required. The downside with the detachable tow bar is that not many tow bar manufacturers make detachable motorhome bars.
The fixed swan neck is what you have probably seen on most cars that have a tow bar fitted.
A fixed flange tow bar is often a good choice for a motorhome. The benefit is the choice of accessories that can be fitted to the flange and the fact that the tow ball can be changed without a problem should it get worn or damaged.
Motorhome Towbar Brands
Aftermarket motorhome tow bars are manufactured by the following companies:
Memo
PCT Automotive
TowTrust
Westfalia
Witter
Motorhome Towbar Electrics:
Depending on what you intend to tow, you will either require 13-pin or 7-pin wiring.
Our recommendation is always to have the 13-pin fitted, you can downgrade to 7-pin by using a simple 13 to 7-pin adapter.
The 13-pin wiring has the functions for brake lights, indicators, side lights, fog lights, reverse lights, 12-volt and switched 12-volt. The 7-pin wiring doesn’t have any live feed and does not include the feed for the reverse lights.
Dedicated or Universal wiring?
Dedicated wiring is designed for your particular vehicle and connects to the electrics through the manufacturer’s approved connections. Due to the complexity of motorhome wiring, we only recommend having dedicated wiring. Universal wiring connects by means of plastic Scotch locks, outdated, unreliable and not what you need on your motorhome.
Motorhome Modifications:
In rare occasions, the vehicle fabricators fit parts to the motorhome that interfere with the possibility of having a tow bar installed.
These modifications can include things such as water tanks that are fitted at the back of the motorhome, gas pipes that run on the rear underside, and aftermarket electrics that have been fitted which interfere with the tow bar electrics connections. Always make sure you inform the tow bar fitting company if you think there are modifications that might get in the way of a tow bar or the associated electrics.
What You are Towing?
There are a few things to consider when towing with a motorhome.
We’ve already mentioned about the tow weight, thios being the maximum weight that can be pulled behind your motorhome, you will also need to consider the neck weight (nose weight)
Cycle Carriers
The nose weight is the amount of weight that the towbar (and vehicle) can handle. If you’re planning on carrying eBikes then this weight is very important…
Calculate the weight of your eBikes, plus the weight of your carrier, this will give you the total amount of weight you will be putting on the tow ball. Providing this total weight is not over the maximum nose weight then you’re good to go.
Towing a Car with your motorhome.
There are two options for towing a small car behind your motorhome. The A Frame or a car trailer.
Using an A-frame o trailer for towing a car is very popular, you need to account for the vehicle and trailer when working out the maximum weight.
Motorome Towbar Fitting Cost:
The price of supplying and fitting a motorhome tow bar can vary vastly.
The make, model and fitting time will determine the overall cost. In most cases, to be safe, two technicians will be required to fit the tow bar and electrics. With a tow bar weight over 30kg lifting a motorhome tow bar is a two-man exercise.
The cheapest motorhome tow bar fitting would be a standard van-based vehicle without any rear floor supports. Large coach-built motorhomes that require chassis extensions can take a full day to fit and cost several times as much as a basic motorhome.
A couple of benefits to having a tow a fitted to your motorhome is that the tow bar protects the rear of the motorhome, and having a tow bar fitted adds value to the vehicle. many buyers are searching for motorhome that already have a tow bar fitted.
Recommended Motorhome Towbar Fitters?
The best people to fit your motorhome towbar are the ones who have the experience and knowledge to fit the tow bar professionally and in line with the regulations.
Having a motorhome tow bar fitted is not the same a having a car tow bar installed. Expert knowledge is essential in order to complete the fitting without damage to the vehicle’s body or electrical system.
Ultimate Motorhome Towbars are part of Ultimate Towbar Systems Limited, Well known for their expertise in aftermarket towbars. They provide mobile motorhome tow bar fitting throughout a large area of around 100 miles from their base in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
Get a motorhome tow bar fitting price by completing their online fitting quote form found at > https://ultimatemotorhomes.co.uk/motorhome-towbar-fitting/
Get a Quote Today on 0114 360 7080
