Tow Bar

[llith]

Hi

I am thinking of fitting a tow bar on my 2005 XTR to pull a small trailer.Has anyone any advice as to the type of tow bar and also where to get it fitted. Should I go to a specialist firm , a Toyota main dealer or DIY.Also , does anyone know roughly how much it will cost?

Thanks

Llith

[mikew]

Hi

I am thinking of fitting a tow bar on my 2005 XTR to pull a small trailer.Has anyone any advice as to the type of tow bar and also where to get it fitted. Should I go to a specialist firm , a Toyota main dealer or DIY.Also , does anyone know roughly how much it will cost?

Thanks

Llith

I've just fitted one to my wife's new XTR. I got a Brink 4089 which is the same one Toyota sell themselves, I paid £180 from www.towequipe.co.uk with very helpful service. This is with detachable ball. To get the correct towing height for normal trailer standards you need this because the ball is higher than the bottom edge of tail door. For a twin axle horse trailer this matters; if you don't mind your little trailer being nose down there are many chaeper towbars, non detachable, and mounting 30mm lower to just clear the door.

However they are all VERY ugly and have a huge projection to catch your shins on if you don't have the detachable one. Oh, and to punch expensive holes in the fronts of any cars you nudge while parking! I'd go for the detachable one.

An alternative detachable one is the Witter TY123AR, same price near as dammit. The Witter looks as though it may weigh a bit less, the Brink is COLOSSAL. They all have to meet ludicrous EU regulations on strength and fatigue life regardless of the fact that they will rip out of the body way before failing. On an old RAV before these rules we had a bar weighing less than half as much and it never gave any trouble.

For electrics you can pay about £60 for an easy plug in kit, or you get a simplke kit with Scotchlok connectors thrown in free with the towbar. Fitting the bar is very easy, takes 30 minutes. Paint it first, it's only primed. The electrics will take all afternoon becuase of taking the rear trim panels out.

From Towequipe's website you can link to another site with detailed fitting instructions and drawings, very helpful. You''ll also find them via eBay.

Mike

Hi

I am thinking of fitting a tow bar on my 2005 XTR to pull a small trailer.Has anyone any advice as to the type of tow bar and also where to get it fitted. Should I go to a specialist firm , a Toyota main dealer or DIY.Also , does anyone know roughly how much it will cost?

Thanks

Llith

I've just fitted one to my wife's new XTR. I got a Brink 4089 which is the same one Toyota sell themselves, I paid £180 from www.towequipe.co.uk with very helpful service. This is with detachable ball. To get the correct towing height for normal trailer standards you need this because the ball is higher than the bottom edge of tail door. For a twin axle horse trailer this matters; if you don't mind your little trailer being nose down there are many chaeper towbars, non detachable, and mounting 30mm lower to just clear the door.

However they are all VERY ugly and have a huge projection to catch your shins on if you don't have the detachable one. Oh, and to punch expensive holes in the fronts of any cars you nudge while parking! I'd go for the detachable one.

An alternative detachable one is the Witter TY123AR, same price near as dammit. The Witter looks as though it may weigh a bit less, the Brink is COLOSSAL. They all have to meet ludicrous EU regulations on strength and fatigue life regardless of the fact that they will rip out of the body way before failing. On an old RAV before these rules we had a bar weighing less than half as much and it never gave any trouble.

For electrics you can pay about £60 for an easy plug in kit, or you get a simplke kit with Scotchlok connectors thrown in free with the towbar. Fitting the bar is very easy, takes 30 minutes. Paint it first, it's only primed. The electrics will take all afternoon becuase of taking the rear trim panels out.

From Towequipe's website you can link to another site with detailed fitting instructions and drawings, very helpful. You''ll also find them via eBay.

Mike

[llith]

Mike

Thanks for your reply . A lot of information to get me started . I will fit the detatchable version as I will not be using the trailer very frequently .

Regards

Llith

[IanXT4]

Hi

I looked into Tow bars a while ago, because I wanted a detachable Towbar but also wanted to be able to open the door with it connected.

Toyota do two towbars, a fixed bar that allows the door to be open and a Brink detachable bar (sold as Toyota OEM) that has to be removed when the door is opened.

I called Brinks technical support line Tel 02476 355 820 and spoke to one of their technical people and it seems that Brink do two detachable towbars for the RAV4 (4.2 model)

Apparently, there is a legal range for the towbar height, the detachable towbar supplied to Toyota and resold by them is at an optimum height but does not allow the door to be opened.

They also do another tow bar that is 20mm lower and allows the door to be opened, this tow bar is at the lower limit of the legal requirement and may be to low for some towing combinations.

I bought the lower detachable bar and have found it to be great for my requirements, tows ok and door opens. I am not sure I would recommend it for a Caravan, I use it for towing a glider Trailer (9M long) and it is slightly nose down, but is very stable (and I have been to Germany & back)

Brink do not sell this part directly, you have to buy it through one of their recommended suppliers. I was recommended Towing Equipment UK Ltd by their tech department (Sales@Towstore.co.uk) 00 353 1 456 4093/4159.

They are based in Dublin but the goods are shipped directly from Brinks stores in the UK. When I bought it two years ago it was around £180.

The part numbers are:

Brink part Number for detachable bar supplied to Toyota (OEM) 4089 (Door does not open)

Brink lower detachable bar 3669 (The one I bought, door does open)

The installation for the Brink lower bar is identical to the Toyota bar, I had mine fitted by my local dealer (I supplied the Bar). I would recommend that you buy the Genuine electrical kit From Toyota its about £70 and it neatly plugs into the RAV wiring loom in a number of places. (Its not a simple wiring installation, you can find the wiring installation on http://techdoc.toyota-europe.com/default1.asp)

The Brink website has the installation instructions for both bars go to www.brinkweb.com select country then select “search” enter “Toyota” you want RAV 4 (2 & 4WD) details and manuals are downloadable.

Hope this information helps, please check part no’s etc with Brink Technical Guys before placing an order as things may have changed.

Ian

[mikew]

[

Brink do not sell this part directly, you have to buy it through one of their recommended suppliers. I was recommended Towing Equipment UK Ltd by their tech department (Sales@Towstore.co.uk) 00 353 1 456 4093/4159.

They are based in Dublin but the goods are shipped directly from Brinks stores in the UK. When I bought it two years ago it was around £180.

The part numbers are:

Brink part Number for detachable bar supplied to Toyota (OEM) 4089 (Door does not open)

Brink lower detachable bar 3669 (The one I bought, door does open)

Towequipe do sell the Brink 3669 as well. It's the same basic bar as the 4089, just a differently shaped plug-in bit.

The Witter bar has 2 sets of holes in the chassis brackets. You can mount it on the lower set so it clears the door (but the crossbar is more visible) or on the upper set so the ball is at standard height but has to be removed to open the door.

Mike

[llith]

Ian and Mike

Thanks for the info .

Regards

Llith

[llith]

Hi

Got an email quote today from a specialist firm to fit a Brink towbar with removeable towball with single electrics for a trailer .

Supply and fit at my home address £305. They did not specify the actual part number for the bar .

Does anyone know if single electric connection needs a relay for a RAV XTR 2005 ?

Regards

Llith

[IanXT4]

Hi

I believe so, the Toyota wiring kit is extensive see:

techdoc.toyota-europe.com/aim_SchresultsBycate.asp?mscssid=aimUser38631&d=1&admin=

(Paste above link into your browser)

Do a find on the page for PZ457-X0563-00 and this document will show you all the new wiring harness and relay that is needed.

One minor point, I would recommend that you get a quote for fitting a bar from your Toyota dealer. (either a bar you supply or theirs) I seem to remember they only charged an hour labour and they used the RAV4 wiring kit.

If you use an independant they have a habit of cutting into wiring looms (as its cheaper) which can cause problems if you ever have to claim something "related" under warranty.

I know independants say they will always warranty their work but its always much easier to deal with one supplier/dealer when cars are under warranty.

Ian

[mikew]

If you use an independant they have a habit of cutting into wiring looms (as its cheaper) which can cause problems if you ever have to claim something "related" under warranty.

####

No it doesn't need a relay.

If you use the expensive Toyota wiring kit, yes it plugs in very easily at the rear lights - it has piggy-back connectors i.e. you unplug from the lights, plug the towbar harness in, then plug the main harness into the back of the towbar harness connectors. However, it then requires you to take up all the trims to run a wire to the front and connect to a warning light in the dash.

The simple harness which Towequipe (and others ) throw in free or for a few ££ has an audible buzzer warning instead of a light. This can be mounted at the back so you don't need to run a wire forwards. It's legitimate. Yes you tap into the vehicle harness with Scotchlok connectors - no need to actually cut the harness. Could this really cause warranty problems? Easy to remove anyway!

Overall I reckon it's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, as reagrds ease of fitting.

BTW mechanically fitting the towbar is the easiest I've ever done. You don't even need to jack the car up! You remove the chassis tie down at the left - 2 bolts - and attach the towbar brackets with 2 bolts there and 2 bolts at the corresponding position at the right, then 2 or 3 bolts each side from the brackets to the crossbar, 2 bolts to attach the ball socket to the crossbar, and it's done! (Oh, if it's a 3 door you have to drop the exhaust temporarily too).

The nuisance bit in connecting the electrics is removing the rear side trims (5 screws, the seat belt anchorage, sundry clips and the door seals). Oh and drilling a hole in the floor for the cable.

So you can do it yourself for £180 and an afternoon's work, saving £125 - your choice.

I think I saw somewhere that Toyota's standard time for the job is 30 mins mechanical and 2 hours electrical but I can't swear to it. I'm not saying someone really practised couldn't do it all in an hour but I'd be pretty amazed.

Mike

[mikew]

Just looked at the Toyota fitting instructions. It does say 30 mins for the bar, for both the PZ408-X0557-00 which is the Brink 4089 detachable, and the PZ408-X0554-00 which is the Brink 3289 non-detachable (mounted lower than the door, like the 3669).

For the wiring kit PX417-X0561-00 it says 40 minutes. I'm impressed - I certainly couldn't do it in that time!

The only relay type device included is a current sensor to drive the indicator so it doesn't falsh if a trailer bulb has gone, but the buzzer type kit does that too.

Mike

[IanXT4]

Hi Mike

Interestingly in the Toyota kit PZ457-X0563-00 the wire that runs to the front of the car is not for a warning light, it connects directly to the Battery via a inline fuse to take a 12V feed . (I have checked this in my car).

I was very supprised when I saw this, I assumed (probably wrongly) its was because Toyota felt the existing wiring loom was not up to feeding the extra current if a trailer had its full compliment of bulbs. (Forexample my glider trailer has EEC running lights all the way down the side).

Otherwise why go to the effort of running this cable from the Battery and not tap into a more local feed, like they did for all the other signals ?

I am interested did your kit connect to a warning light if so , which light and what does it do ?

Regards

Ian

[mikew]

Hi Mike

Interestingly in the Toyota kit PZ457-X0563-00 the wire that runs to the front of the car is not for a warning light, it connects directly to the battery via a inline fuse to take a 12V feed . (I have checked this in my car).

I was very supprised when I saw this, I assumed (probably wrongly) its was because Toyota felt the existing wiring loom was not up to feeding the extra current if a trailer had its full compliment of bulbs. (Forexample my glider trailer has EEC running lights all the way down the side).

Otherwise why go to the effort of running this cable from the battery and not tap into a more local feed, like they did for all the other signals ?

I am interested did your kit connect to a warning light if so , which light and what does it do ?

Regards

Ian

Hello Ian

I don't know. Hadn't looked at these instructions before. I can't tell what is fed from this wire, or whether you have a light or a buzzer.

The instructions I looked at for kit PX417-X0561-00 draws all its power from the rear and only has a wire to the front for a light AFAICS but it's not very clear from the drawings and I haven't seen an actual wiring diagram.

Mine is wired just at the back, with a buzzer at the back, no wires to the front at all. It seems OK, and our previous P reg RAV was happy like that for 7 years!

Mike

[llith]

Many thanks to Ian and Mike who pointed me in the right direction and went to the trouble of posting a wealth of information.

Here are the three options that are available to me to fit a detachable tow bar with single electrics .The info and prices are a guide to anyone else who might need to fit a towbar on a RAV .

Option 1 Specialist firm who could do the fitting on my drive . Here is a copy of their email reply

'The Price would be £ 305.00 supplied and fitted. If you are happy with the price and want to book the job in or have any questions please phone 01706 642302 '

They do not specify which Brink towbar and I am not sure what wiring method they would use.Would they have a set time to do the job and how much care would the take when removing and replacing panels ?

Option 2 Take it to my nearest Toyota dealer .Here is a copy of their quote by email .

'PZ408-X0557-00 £247.80

PZ457-X0563-00 £70.28

PZ408-00550-01 £15.42 Lock Optional

2 hours labour to fit tow bar supplied £136.03

£469.53 all in

Kind regards

Part Department'

Rather expensive in my opinion but your warranty would be intact

Option 3 DIY

Brink towbar from Towequipe. here is the quote from their website

' Brink Detach Towbar RAV-4/Fun Cruiser 408900 2000 to onwards £202 SPECIAL OFFER EXTRA 5% OFF

up to end Feb

This Deal includes a Free towball, single wiring kit, Coverset and Wiring Tester '

The wiring kit that comes with it only needs to be fitted to the rear lights .there is no relay and it uses Scotchlock connectors .

If you want to upgrade the wiring to better quality connectors , plug in ,you can purchase a kit from Towequipe for £65 (ZEKTY0001 or TO-072-BE)which includes a relay and you would need to route a cable to the front of the car .

Another company sells a car specific wiring set . The company is called Right Connections and they have a website. The part number is TO-RA-7 costs £39 and you would need to add either an audible or visible warning kit for trailer indicator failure an extra £23.Here is a copy of the reply the company sent me when I made an enquiry about the kit.

'The answers to your questions....

1/ The wiring kit comes with 3 harness. 1 for the left side, 1 for the right side. Both use the

connectors leading to the rear lamps with an additional one on the right for the Fog lamp connection

2/ There is a suggested route for the harnesses in the fitting instructions.

3/ The 3rd harness is an interface which fits in between the flasher relay and the flasher relay holder.

this is mounted at the front and you may have this with either a small lamp fitting which requires an

8mm hole to be drilled in a convenient place, or with a buzzer option. The buzzer can be a bit loud

for some folk, but this can be easily muffled. The flasher unit is very easy to locate on the Rav.

I will await your response to this. I will send a fitting instruction later on.

Many thanks, '

I am not sure but you may be able not to bother with the 3rd harness but I would have to check with the company .

Well there you have it : Decisions Decisions

Regards

Llith

[mikew]

Minor extra point -

I bought my bar from Towequipe via their eBay shop, slightly cheaper still, AND it included iwth it the lock for which Toyaota quoted you £15 extra! (It's just a pathetic little thing which stops you pushing the button to release the plug in ball). Anyawy if you have the 4089 towbar you're not going to need the lock because youre not goint to leave the ball in because you can't open the rear door.......