I want a discreet Tow bar

[Daddio3750]

Can anybody tell me whether the electrics for the Westfalia Detachable on a T6 are as well hidden as those described above please. I'm in the position where I was going to make a call this very day to arrange for one of them to be fitted. If it makes any difference, I think the 'stock' electrics for the Westfalia are 13 Pin. I'm only planning on using it for a 2 bike rack - just need to find one that will fit through the lost hatch when it's not in use. Also, I had a quick look at the Towsure website this morning and priced up a home installation for a detachable with the vehicle specific 13 pin wiring at came to £834 - am I the only one that thinks that's a bit excessive when compared to around £600 for the Westfalia (inc.with the foam support inserts).

I am pretty sure thatThule do a nice 2 bike, tow bar mounted bike rack that folds up into nothing. But it’s a top spec cost. The Tule and witter bike racks that I have both have a single 13/7 pin plug with end caps so you just switch it around. The west fails tow hook is the best and the electrics are completely hidden when not in use, but if the cost is making you a bit green, just get a hang off the boot type bike rack. I suppose it all depends on how much your bike is worth as to how much you want to spend hanging it from the back of the van.

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

I paid £504....the swinging electrics is very nifty

 

[Tsixty]

Can anybody tell me whether the electrics for the Westfalia Detachable on a T6 are as well hidden as those described above please. I'm in the position where I was going to make a call this very day to arrange for one of them to be fitted. If it makes any difference, I think the 'stock' electrics for the Westfalia are 13 Pin. I'm only planning on using it for a 2 bike rack - just need to find one that will fit through the lost hatch when it's not in use. Also, I had a quick look at the Towsure website this morning and priced up a home installation for a detachable with the vehicle specific 13 pin wiring at came to £834 - am I the only one that thinks that's a bit excessive when compared to around £600 for the Westfalia (inc.with the foam support inserts).

Couple of points:
1. the 13 pin electrics with my Tow Trust do not swing up out of sight - unlike Westfalia Tow Trust do not make electric kits so it will depend on which electric kit will come with what you have priced up, as to whether they swing up out of sight or not I suspect.
2. The price you have for the Tow Trust and electrics seems high. The bar itself is around £450 so where you are buying from look like they are charging you a lot for the electrics.
3. It won't matter to you because you are using only for a bike rack, but for completeness the standard Westfalia electrics do not come with the caravan fridge pin wired up in the 13 pin socket, you have to purchase a separate Westfalia kit to add to the wiring. The electrics on mine (made by ConwyAG) did come with the fridge and battery charging pins in the standard kit.

 

[rover220]

Couple of points:
1. the 13 pin electrics with my Tow Trust do not swing up out of sight - unlike Westfalia Tow Trust do not make electric kits so it will depend on which electric kit will come with what you have priced up, as to whether they swing up out of sight or not I suspect.
2. The price you have for the Tow Trust and electrics seems high. The bar itself is around £450 so where you are buying from look like they are charging you a lot for the electrics.
3. It won't matter to you because you are using only for a bike rack, but for completeness the standard Westfalia electrics do not come with the caravan fridge pin wired up in the 13 pin socket, you have to purchase a separate Westfalia kit to add to the wiring. The electrics on mine (made by ConwyAG) did come with the fridge and battery charging pins in the standard kit.

1, doesnt matter what brand electrics are fitted. the swinging up part is a mechanical feature of the bar, nothing to do wiyh brand of electrics.

2, tow trust bar can be bought for £200 and ecs electrics are circa £150

3, ecs kit also comes fully wired for pins 9 and 10.

 

[Tsixty]

On (1) true but the point is even in this thread there are users with the same tow bar (Tow Trust) some of which have swinging electrics some of which do not. The question posed was specifically whether the bar had the swinging socket or not so it is an important point to the person asking the question.

 

[Ayjay]

Thanks people. It's good to know that the Westfalia electrics are hidden when not in use. That probably makes up my mind for me.
The price for the Towsure came straight from their website - I chose Towsure Detachable Towbar @ £442 + Fitted with 13 Pin Vehicle Specific Wiring Kit @ £392.60 = £834.60. I need the fitting service as I'm much more a Destroy It Yourself than Do It Yourself kind of a guy but that price does seem a bit excessive to me.
Daddio - As to your points, if I use my 'best' bike, we're talking over £3K, maybe more after I Di2 it as planned plus there's my wifes cheaper bike. Apart from the fact that I never want to overpay for something (which seems to be the case with Towsure), I've not really limited the budget. However, I been dithering over this for a while now and finally concluded that, for a number of reason, I just prefer a towbar mounted rack to one that I would hang off the tailgate. I know others have a different view but that's mine.
Thanks again for the inputs people.

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

Expensive.... £504 fitted

 

[DaveD]

£834.60

Oh, now I understand.
I've heard the expression "scene tax" before, now I get it!
5 years ago I put a Witter detachable towbar on my Freelander 2. That set me back £280, all in, including electrics, and took me a couple of hours.

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

Paying for the name... Westfalia

 

[rover220]

Volkswagen Transporter T5 Van 2003 - 2015 Vertical Detachable Swan Neck Towbar #TVW9VK - Towing Centres UK Ltd

Buy a TowTrust #TVW9VK Vertical Detachable Swan Neck Towbar for your Volkswagen Transporter T5 Van 2003 - 2015. Online Price £244.99. For more information please call 0330 333 1525.

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[rover220]

Westfalia bars do not offer hidden electrics, certainly my current fixed Swan neck and previous detachable did not offer swing away electrics.

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

Good price that

 

[Ayjay]

Volkswagen Transporter T5 Van 2003 - 2015 Vertical Detachable Swan Neck Towbar #TVW9VK - Towing Centres UK Ltd

Buy a TowTrust #TVW9VK Vertical Detachable Swan Neck Towbar for your Volkswagen Transporter T5 Van 2003 - 2015. Online Price £244.99. For more information please call 0330 333 1525.

www.towbarandtrailercentre.com

Thanks for that but I'm guessing that a vehicle specific wiring kit would be £150 more which then starts making it look pretty uncompetitive when you factor in fitting it on my driveway. Also, I note where they're based and it's a long way from me. In any event, I'm not too sure that I want to be doing much visiting up north at the moment (and I speak as a northerner in exile, albeit very long term exile!).

 

[Ayjay]

Paying for the name... Westfalia

Says the person that, presumably, is happy to pay the VW tax .

 

[rover220]

Thanks for that but I'm guessing that a vehicle specific wiring kit would be £150 more which then starts making it look pretty uncompetitive when you factor in fitting it on my driveway. Also, I note where they're based and it's a long way from me. In any event, I'm not too sure that I want to be doing much visiting up north at the moment (and I speak as a northerner in exile, albeit very long term exile!).

how? you have been quoted over £800 all in yet can buy the parts for £370 at retail....how much is the installer paying for the parts?

the bar is very very easy to fit. you could even run the wring yourself and get any decent auto electrician to connect and code and spend under £500........

 

[rover220]

even cheaper

Detachable VW Volkswagen T5 Transporter, Caravelle, Shuttle 2003> Towbar Tow Bar | eBay

This is a detachable swan neck towbar for the VW Volkswagen T5 And T5.1 Transporter 2003 to 2015. All nuts and bolts & instructions included. Without the code we cannot.

www.ebay.co.uk

404 Not Found - Towing Centres UK Ltd

www.towbarandtrailercentre.com

 

[Ayjay]

As I said, I thought I made clear (and apologies if I didn't), I'm really NOT interested in fitting the thing myself, even with outside assistance for the electrics.

 

[gavp]

Yes the socket is well hidden on Westfalia T6

 

[Nev-D]

Westfalia detachable is very popular.

Pete

Got one on my T6, Cannot be seen from the rear at all and very discreet

 

[sparkzer]

Another Westfailia owner here, The only way you would know the van has a bar is by laying under it! - I went a step further with the electrics as I seldom use the bar, I left the socket inside the van (under a fixed rear seat) - it was part laziness during installation as i needed to tow something that day but partly to keep the socket nice and dry so on the rare occasions i do need to use it, i know the contacts wont have corroded. My trailer cable is long enough to go under the door and in to the socket.