Skodas and tow bars

[PWM]

Asked dealer about tow bars for the Octavia wagon is Australia and was quoted $1,000 "because it takes 5 hours to fit". Told it was a Hayman Reese bar. Called HR and was told they haven't developed a bar as not enough demand and no request from VW. If they started one now would take a couple of months at least with compliance folders. Has anyone fitted a bar yet, who made it, and what was the cost?

[DanSA]

I think a lot of their accessories are still in homogenation stage, meaning they are not fully developed and priced. It's early days i guess and they are still testing the market.

$1,100 is a pretty good price. I looked at putting one on our Golf (retrofit) and min price was $1,450.

[Mischa]

its not just the fitting, its the electronics with the control module for the lights on the trailer. yes i was also told 1500 from my dealer for my golf.

[gregozedobe]

I'm not sure, but think it might also need another electrical control module added to tell the ESP there is a trailer on the back, so it can help you not crash properly.

[Transporter]

I’m just curios what tow bar did you people get?
A friend of mine bought a secondhand (done 10,000km) Octavia wagon 1.9TDI DSG and he is looking to get one fitted.

[TuNeS]

I got quoted $1500 as well. Each dealer said it was a big job. However I got it bundled into the sale of the car and got it cheaper. Apprently it is a Hayman Reece bar and the removable bar that you see in the Euro accessories guide is not permitted in australia.

I will find out how it all goes when I get the car soon.

[Ocy_RS_TDi_Kombi]

I received this from Hayman Reese when I enquired on a towbar for a Skoda Octavia:

Thank you for your enquiry regarding a towbar fitment for a Skoda Octavia. We currently do not have a listing for a towbar on that vehicle, we do have it on our development schedule but no time frame as yet to when we will have a design complete and ready for release. Genuine Skoda may be your only option at this stage

[TuNeS]

has anybody in Australia actually got a tow bar fitted to an Octavia vRS or non vRS yet?

[TuNeS]

A guy here at work has cleared up something for me. Apparently, 'Hayman Reece' is often used to describe the style of tow bar that Hayman Reece makes. Kinda like us Aussie's calling a cooler an 'Esky'. Just terminology that has stuck

That might explain why it was refered to as a Hayman Reece. When I was shopping for the car, all three dealers said the bar wasnt a problem. I am just yet to see a picture of what one fitted looks like or even hear about someone who has one.

[dazag]

Ok, this is what I've heard with the tow bars.

You order a new car and have it optioned for a tow bar - it comes from the factory ( Overseas) with the wiring loom from the ECU to the rear of the car. Then all it needs is the locally sourced tow bar and final loom to be fitted to the car and the ECU re-programmed ( to turn Reverse Sensors off and slight program change for engine mapping and safety features for when towing ) by your local dealership.

If you buy a car off the show room floor and it doens;t already have this loom in, then they need to pull a fair bit of the flooring/paneling up to run the loom from the ECU to the rear of the car. Hence the extra cost or variation in costs between vehicles - some already have the loom some dont.

A guy at work has a recently purchased pre FL Octavia 1.9 Sedan and had a tow bar fitted - it does look similar to a haymen reese bar, in that it looks like a tidy fitment, doesn;t look out of place, but I wasn;t fully aware of what brand of towbar it was.

I pick up my FL Octavia Wagon 2.0 TDI DSG next week and it has a tow bar fitted. will tae pics and take down the info and post it up for ya's later next week