R36 Tow Bar

[ozr36]

Sorry but you're contradicting yourself. If can't be the "genuine VW tow bar" when it's not factory fit. The VW tow bar is designed to curve under the rear spoiler. Look at one on a German VW. Fits a LOT nicer than the cheap after market cut out Australian job. Not that it bothers me. If I need to tow something, I'll tow it with my V8!

European tow bars that curve under the rear bumpers do NOT meet ADR so the Australian supplied towbars on Australian sold euro cars are either from NZ or Haymen Reece

[Maverick]

Sorry but you're contradicting yourself. If can't be the "genuine VW tow bar" when it's not factory fit. The VW tow bar is designed to curve under the rear spoiler. Look at one on a German VW. Fits a LOT nicer than the cheap after market cut out Australian job. Not that it bothers me. If I need to tow something, I'll tow it with my V8!

Sorry Rocket but that is the genuine VW towbar. It's not a factory fit but is an after market job made by Best Bars in NZ and fitted by dealer. It is however the "official" tow bar provided by VW for the Australian market (and presumably others like NZ as well).

I concur with Rocket but it's a hard one as VWA supply it to the dealer channel.

It's like the bluetooth, VW have an awesome bluetooth in the Skoda kit but in Australia they supplied overpriced junk like the parrot.

With the golf I'd order the factory tow bar when I want to get one as it goes under the rear bumper and I assume that VW will let you order it through parts. If not it'll cost about the same to get it shipped from Germany so I'll go down that path.

[vanDub]

Sorry but you're contradicting yourself. If can't be the "genuine VW tow bar" when it's not factory fit.

Rocket36.
Please don't mis quote me just to suit your own purpose. I did not say "genuine VW tow bar", I said " "official" tow bar provided by VW for the Australian market" ". That is exactly what it is and AFAIK it is the only one available to dealers from the VW parts system.

If you don't like it please don't say that it is "Bad form from that dealer!" when the dealer had no say in the matter (except to refuse to fit it and that's not likely at the profit margin that must be built in to the exhorbitant price).

By your arguement, my mud flaps, bonnet protector and headlight protectors (all genuine parts) must be non genuine purely because they were fitted by the dealer as part of the pre delivery process.

[Swallowtail]

I remember when VW Australia first published the specs for the R36 back in July 2007, the said it had a 2500kg towing capacity...
How things change..

My manual says 2200KG braked / 750KG unbraked for the R36, but the bar itself says 1500 / 750.

May be time for a clarifying request to VWA... if they'd have a clue!

[passatpout]

My manual says 2200KG braked / 750KG unbraked for the R36, but the bar itself says 1500 / 750.

May be time for a clarifying request to VWA... if they'd have a clue!

I'd love it if a Passat could tow 2000kg+.. but then I'm not sure if I want that much hanging on the rear end, especially trying to pull a boat up a ramp..

[Rocket36]

Rocket36.
Please don't mis quote me just to suit your own purpose. I did not say "genuine VW tow bar"

Errrrrrr......

Sorry Rocket but that is the genuine VW towbar.

By your arguement, my mud flaps, bonnet protector and headlight protectors (all genuine parts) must be non genuine purely because they were fitted by the dealer as part of the pre delivery process.

That's not at all what I said. The fact is VWA aren't supplying a properly fitting tow bar engineered for the car by VW in Germany. They're supplying an after market one than needs some dodgy body work trimming done in order to fit it. The mud flaps, bonnet and headlight protectors (although detracting from the look of the car and generally being a waste of money) are the parts supplied by VW in Germany. Nowhere did I ever claim they weren't non-genuine. The thread isn't even about those options.

[gregozedobe]

My manual says 2200KG braked / 750KG unbraked for the R36, but the bar itself says 1500 / 750.

May be time for a clarifying request to VWA... if they'd have a clue!

If you want to tow anything that weighs a bit it is also worth paying very close attention to the design ball weight limit - VAG cars often seem to have very light ball weight limits compared with Oz trailer norms.

[vanDub]

The fact is VWA aren't supplying a properly fitting tow bar engineered for the car by VW in Germany.

Rocket, vehicle manufacturers don't always make every component in house but buy in from specialty manufactures, eg Bosch for fuel injection, Borg Warner, Gertrag or ZF for transmisssions.

Yes, those examples are factory fitted but a similar situation applies with tow bars even for the Euro market. See post by Jmac 25/02/08 on an earlier Tow Bar thread [QUOTE] "I fitted Genuine tow bars back in the mother country and the VW/AUDI ones were made by BRINK" [QUOTE]. The Aust ones just happen to be made by Best Bars and I would not be so rash as to claim that either the Brinks or Best Bars ones were or were not engineered for the car by VW in Germany.

The attached placard on the Best Bars towbar looks awfully like its an "official" VW part, maybe I'll even say its "genuine".

Damn, they have changed posting of pictures - but it says in part:
"Part No VGA 803 921 PAS06
NZ PATENT 231286. VOLKSWAGEN GROUP AUSTRALIA. FOR TOWING PURPOSES ONLY.
Manufactured, designed and tested in accordance with AS4177 1-1994 by BEST BARS NZ"

[Maverick]

European tow bars that curve under the rear bumpers do NOT meet ADR so the Australian supplied towbars on Australian sold euro cars are either from NZ or Haymen Reece

Do you know what the problem is with the Euro ones?

BMW sell factory fitted bars into the country without any problems and I thought that were a similar design.

Is it just another case of our ridiculous ADR's being inflexible and slow to move with the rest of the world as is the case with isofix child seats etc.

I'm inclined to import the factory kit as it looks so much neater and is removable without making a mark on the bumper unlike the bodgy towbars VWA slapped together to meet ADR's.

[Umai Naa!!]

There are four distinct templates for cutting the Passat rear bumper. Sedan, wagon, R36 sedan, R36 wagon.

Using the wrong template, or cutting the bumper in the wrong spot will leave a nice big hole. Done correctly, the modified section is barely noticable once the towbar tongue is fitted.