Towbar For Rav4.3

[SteveR.]

they spliced all the wirng and didn't use plug in stuff

I'm a bit nervous at letting anyone loose on the car anyway - the thoughts of them hacking at multiplex wiring fills me with dread, I guess I'll just have to hope they know what they're doing!

All bars have to be properly approved nowadays so whatever you get should be OK.

I was thinking more about ease of use (attaching/removing), tendency to rust etc.

[Parts-King]

For ease of use and for long term fault free wiring, I would recommend having the genuine plug and play wiring kit. Splicing is all well and good if done properly, sadly it is not often done correctly and in time you will suffer from wiring/earthing issues. Just one point to note about tow bars, they do all have to meet a certain ISO standard, but in terms of quality, some are far better than others. The genuine tow bar is designed to fit the towing points on the car, MOST other manufacturers make a bar for ease of fittment, regardless of where it fits on the car

Kingo

[Rav City]

This is a copy from the towbar company who supplied and fitted my towbar,

Thanks again for your e-mail

fixed towbars on this vehicle do affect the opening of the rear door, and also give a poor towing height.

with any type of towbar on this vehicle opening the rear door whilst hitched up is not possible.

We recommened fitting a detachable towbar to your vehicle as it will be more suitable.

Please find details listed below

Toyota Westfalia Detach Towbar Rav4 00>>06

Part no:335250 (Not for vehicles with step)

This Deal includes Free Helpline, Bolts, Fitting Instructions

Twin electric Fittting £354.60

Towequip - Special deal done at caravan show 2007

[SteveR.]

I was sorely tempted to DIY so that I knew exactly what was being done to my car, but apart from being a bit nervous about it I've got a lot of other things to do at the moment and time is pressing somewhat. I found another local installer and checked that they would be using proper plug-in harnesses and not cutting wires. The bar itself is a TowSure, which he assures me is a respected, tidy unit. I just hope he's right, because it's now booked in!

Thanks for all the comments.

[BarryRudd]

I was sorely tempted to DIY so that I knew exactly what was being done to my car, but apart from being a bit nervous about it I've got a lot of other things to do at the moment and time is pressing somewhat. I found another local installer and checked that they would be using proper plug-in harnesses and not cutting wires. The bar itself is a TowSure, which he assures me is a respected, tidy unit. I just hope he's right, because it's now booked in!

Thanks for all the comments.

Hi SteveR

Just found this thread whilst Checking our google ratings.

We are auto electricians and stockists of Witter and Brink towbars. Brink make the OE tow bar for Toyota.

I Wish you had stumbled across us as Buxton is part of our cachment area.

We are based in Whaley Bridge and Poynton and provide a mobile fitting service, we also fit for Toyota in Macclesfield.

Consequently we are in a good position to advise you on number plates/door clearance etc

For the record

Old RAV is probably better off with a Witter-on fitting there are two height settings-the lower position will clear the door and is the one we use with no recorded height issues.

New RAV with low number plate should have a detachable and Westphalia is the best

Number plate on door, then any make is OK

Towsure are a budget product-but none the less Strong enough and EEC type approved

As to wiring-we use a standard ready wired socket and buzzer, which we solder join to the vehicles loom. We never get a call back from our wiring that is a failed joint. OE plug in kits are great but people usually dont want to pay.

Cheers

Barry Rudd

Mobelec

[cliffg]

I spoke to someone who had a genuine Toyota detachable towbar fitted and he wasn't best pleased. Apparently he has to remove it in order to open the rear door, which he finds a pain - and potentially expensive if he forgets and dings his door. He said he'd since seen "Witter" bars and wishes he had one of theirs fitted instead (I gather they don't foul the door). When the time came to have a towbar fitted, I found a local installer who fits Witter bars. I've never had a towbar fitted before, so the prices for what I've always though of as a simple lump of metal on the back seemed quite high, and I was persuaded to go with the much cheaper option of a fixed bar instead of a removable one. It was booked in for this coming Monday.

Yesterday (Friday) the installer called yesterday to cancel - apparently the supplier doesn't have any in stock and doesn't know when they will get them in. It's a bit of a blow because I was hoping to be able to use it very soon, but perhaps I should take it as an opportunity to look more closely at the options. Since booking it in, I've heard comments about towbars on Ravs being very low because of the rear door. I was told that although this doesn't really matter with a single-axle trailer, it might cause problems with a twin-axle one. That's not something I had considered; my trailer is single-axle, but it would seem a pity to limit future options if it's avoidable. I also can't help wondering if the reason the Toyota part fouls the door is because that's the only way they can get the tow height correct, and that anything that doesn't foul might cause problems if I ever want to tow a twin-axle.

So I find myself floundering in an area that I know very little about. I always assumed a towbar is a towbar is a towbar, but I'm now having to consider fixed vs. removable, interference with rear door, and tow height. Can anyone with more experience with such things clear any of this up for me? What I'd really like is for someone to recommend a make that's trouble-free, easy to fit on a DIY basis, in stock for next-day delivery, and cheap :) Realistically, I'll settle for any help in sorting out what's important and what isn't.

SteveR.

HI steve I have had 3 Witter tow bars fitted that are detachable swan neck.I have no problem with rear door opening,and it is set at correct. If you fit a fixed towbar just remember to wear shin pads on your legs.

[bothwell_buyer]

Both my RAVs have towbars. Number 1 was fitted with the towbar by Toyota. I've never had a problem with towing single or double axle trailers/caravans. The height seems ideal.

The bar is at a height where the rear door opens fine. When a trailers hitched on, then the door will only open as far as the hitch. I should say that all the trailers ahve been 2-3 ton hitches so are bigger than a small trailer hitch.

Of course my RAV is a 4.1.

You can always alter the tow height by fitting bigger wheels/tyres

No, please - don't laugh!!

I did that with the landrover - its been lifted 2-3" so the towbar bracket has multiple points to move the ball hook up or down. I did have a Renault Trafic but its tow hook was low to allow the rear door to open and as a result the towhook height was really too low for twin axle trailers....so they tended to run harder on the front axle.

[highlandjock]

Got my towbar last week, looked at detachables and quoted £400 fitted,not for me at that price, my son inlaw just got me a branded towbar for £95 includes single socket and ball, this will be fitted next again week so I let let you know how it goes,