# Towbar for Van TI



## 107594 (Oct 12, 2007)

Hello to everyone from a newbie to the forum.

just signed on the dotted line today to trade in our Auto-Trail Tracker for a Van TI. I need to tow my bike trailer and was wondering if anyone has had a tow bar fitted to one of these vans?

Dealer seemed to think it would cost about £800 which seems a bit steep.

I had a look underneath at the one at the dealers and there seemed to be a substantial bar running across the extreme rear of the chassis, so it would be a straightforward job to fit if this is strong enough?

Colin.


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

Ring Bill at Towtal. He will do it for about £350.


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## 107600 (Oct 12, 2007)

*towbar*

We had a Towtal towbar fitted to Autocruise Starblazer. It went rusty in 3 days. We were told to put nailvarnish on in. After two months it was red rusty. Good old bill told us to **** off. £385.00 of rubbish . Ended up making my own, got it galvenised for £37.00. Ask a friend who is competant to make you a tow bar !!


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

Nailvarnish !!??

That would have taken a day or two with the small brush supplied (I would imagine...)

Did he specify which colour??!!

Cheers

Dave


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## 107600 (Oct 12, 2007)

*towtal*

Hi Dave,
Rust is not an option with towtal, all their towbars come with it. 1000 flies can not be wrong. All I can say is look at any towtal towbar on a motor home and you will see my point. Towtal Rust In Peace !!!


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

*Rusty Tow Bar*

Well I can see you might not be too chuffed when your towbar went rusty within a week but surely this is a cosmetic issue and if the price was right and it still functioned as it should, then all that was needed was to give it some surface prep and a few coats of hammerite or similar

OK - perhaps a more expensive tow bar would have this done already but if the target market for Towtal products is people who are more driven by price/value than looks then perhaps Bill (who incidently I had never heard of prior to tonight) reckons people will recognise his (less expensive)towbars need some further protection applied after they are fitted - or does he just supply?

I dunno - it's just a thought

We hired a Eura Integra in September and the towbar on that was a masive affair which was also going rusty but this would have been 18 months old or so.

It worked just fine but had it been my van I would have had it off and treated PDQ, just for the look of it.

I guess you pays your money and takes your choice

Cheers

Dave


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

*Re: towbar*



bumblebee2 said:


> We had a Towtal towbar fitted to Autocruise Starblazer. It went rusty in 3 days. We were told to put nailvarnish on in. After two months it was red rusty. Good old bill told us to **** off. £385.00 of rubbish . Ended up making my own, got it galvenised for £37.00. Ask a friend who is competant to make you a tow bar !!


What was wrong with some paint. If you want the tow bar fitted while u wait then they can't paint it properly. I said I would put a coat on mine which I have. No probs.
Wouldn't like to tow anything with yours that you have made. No come back if it falls off and no legal plate I suppose!


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## 107594 (Oct 12, 2007)

*Tow bar for Van TI*

Thanks for all the replies.

I know Towtal 'cos they fitted my current van's towbar. It was well painted but stones from the back wheels quickly left the bar looking the worse for wear. It's not the neatest looking bit of kit either.

I won't say I wouldn't use them again but I would like to see if I could find something that doesn't detract from the looks of the van too much, even if it costs a bit more

Does anyone know if the chassis on all the new Ducato mwb coachbults are the same, in which case there would be a generic bar; or are there differences between converters?

Colin


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## 107600 (Oct 12, 2007)

*Towtally rusty towbar*

We were advised to go to Towtall, so we did. We had spent £45000 on a new motor home we thought that we would treat it to a proper towbar.
Bill explained to us that it would be tied back to the chassis rail, it wasn't. It relied on the alco support brackets for the garage floor for its anchor point. After 2 months most of the paint fell off it. They had used no primer and painted over the millscale, bad practice eh!!!!

As far as the the Towtall idenification plate, identifying that they have fitted the towbar, it is not a legal requirement. This logo is insignificant as it an advertisment. Commercial vehicles, which a Motorhome is, does not need a type approval towbar fitted to it. Ask Towtall if this is correct and if they have certification to verify this. Are you also aware that no encap crash test to any commercial vehicle exists. Your motorhome is based on a commercial vehicle.
I am a Chartered Engineer with 40 years experience. I understand stress and loading factors which I applied to my own towbar.
The towbar that I made was anchored back to the chassis did not wholly rely on the alco support brackets for the garage floor. I had it galvanisided . Towtall told us that it was not possible to galvanise it or to powder coat it. Bill was arrogant, dismissive and very obnoxious. He was impossible to talk to about any possible problems with his towbars. If you have to deal with him be prepared to have to fight your corner. 
So you want to buy a towtall towbar !!! This is all logged with Trading Standards.


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

I wonder why bumblebee2 didn't make his towbar himself in the first place if he is so specific about his requirements.
I have never had a problem with Bill. Yes, he is a wheeler dealer, but he has been very helpful to me. There are a lot of dealers who use them for towbars. 
I suppose you can't please all the people all the time. 
I used to deal with the public in retail and I am so glad I am now retired. Some can be totally objectionable and rude. I used to give as good as I got and and banned some customers from our shop with the wrong attitude.
Sounds like bumblebee2 might have been one!!!!!!


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## f0rrest1 (Nov 2, 2008)

*Re: towbar*



bumblebee2 said:


> We had a Towtal towbar fitted to Autocruise Starblazer. It went rusty in 3 days. We were told to put nailvarnish on in. After two months it was red rusty. Good old bill told us to **** off. £385.00 of rubbish . Ended up making my own, got it galvenised for £37.00. Ask a friend who is competant to make you a tow bar !!


I had a very similar experience with Towtal as regards fitting a towbar set up for bikes on my Swift Kontiki. Rusted horribly within 6 months.It was a poor £400 spend.


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