Multivan T5 Towbar

[coastie]

Hi, I'm interested in fitting a towbar to my T5 Multivan. Hayman Reese have one for a T5 Transporter but the MV is not listed. My VW agent wants over $800 to arrange for a local guy to fit. Does any one know about the multiplex wiring and the kits required to fit towbars to these vehicles?

Thanks

[syncro]

Why would a Multivan be different to a Transporter?

I wouldn't bother with Hayman Reese anyway.

[peter_j_g]

T5 multivan & transporter are the same. Here's some info, sorry it's in Finnish & Swedish but the diagram shows how it goes together. Kovil is one of the largest towbar manufacturers in Europe. Fitted one to father-in-laws Bora a couple of months ago.

http://www.kovil.fi/pdf/56321A-FS%20.pdf

[shogun2]

A friend has a Caddy who had the same problem.
He was quoted $1200 for the tow bar. The solution was to source the electronics from the US for about $100, and then fit a Hayman Reece bar with a friendly auto electrician who knows about the CAN bus system to install the electrics. If interested I can find the link for the electronics.
I would also like to do this to my T5.

Rod

[Bug_racer]

You just need to get yourself a can bus ECU which will be a swap . Then get the towbar fitted .

Hayman reece make the factory units for Australia and NZ only

[T4 Trakka]

A friend has a Caddy who had the same problem.
He was quoted $1200 for the tow bar. The solution was to source the electronics from the US for about $100, and then fit a Hayman Reece bar with a friendly auto electrician who knows about the CAN bus system to install the electrics. If interested I can find the link for the electronics.
I would also like to do this to my T5.

Rod

Do I need the CAN Bus system for my T4 Transporter 2003 model? The VW dealer in Adelaide says there are no towbar wiring kits listed for the T4. Southern Towbars state that it is not needed for my model, but is for the T5.

[MultiplexMan]

Hayman Reese have one for a T5 Transporter but the MV is not listed.

T5 Transporter = MV

My VW agent wants over $800 to arrange for a local guy to fit.

$800 supplied and fitted is approximately what the VAG kit should cost (fitted by a third party including CAN bus "programming"). Dealers quoted me from $1200-1600 from memory. The main difference being the labour charge.

It was because of this I did not bother with Hayman Reese-no cheaper than VAG.

You will get the usual bullsh@t from the dealers about CAN Bus programming - does the quote "and the monkey flips the switch" ring a bell?

On a T5 the CAN bus tow bar "switch" (flipped via VAG-COM) is more to do with acknowledging the extra load of the second tail light set so a blown bulb fault is not registered than anything else.

I got sold a couple pork pies about a different shift pattern being utilised when the tow bar electrics are engaged. This was another shovel load of bs as the vehicle cannot differentiate between a bike rack, a trailer or a fully loaded caravan...I verified this when I used my own Ross Tech VAG-COM unit...

Does any one know about the multiplex wiring and the kits required to fit towbars to these vehicles?

The harness was cheapest from VW when I went looking. A lot of after market tow bars in Europe actually bundle a VAG harness rather than make up one - AUD100-200 from memory. Search The Brickyard forum T5 posts for a detailed summary of my Kombi Beach install

Cheers, MM

PS I just remembered one other thing the VAG COM "switch" can do - it turns off the rear ultra-sonic park sensors so you do not get a false positive with a trailer attached.

EDIT: I refer to a hitch receiver (square hollow section tow coupling) not a fixed tow bar. This will make a difference to price. A fixed tow bar should be cheaper.

[MultiplexMan]

You just need to get yourself a can bus ECU which will be a swap .

??? Not required on my T5 Kombi Beach and any of the T5 Transporters/Multivans I have seen to date. Sure you aren't thinking about cruise control and the Highline ECU?

Hayman reece make the factory units for Australia and NZ only

I actually compared these side by side - they may come out of the same factory (have to look at the manufacturer's stamp on mine) but they were cosmetically different. I remember the height of the hitch receiver ended up being slightly different...nothing much in it in the end though.

Cheers, MM

[MultiplexMan]

Bugger! I just noted the date of the original post - 2006.

[WEDEL.1]

Bugger! I just noted the date of the original post - 2006.

Never mind. There's more info now for the next users.

Maris