Towbar - Poor workmanship

[Umai Naa!!]

Yeah, that is pretty rough. No filed edges, over-cutting, scratching.

The front side of the valance doesn't need to be removed at all.

[Transporter]

Why they don't have (use) the stick on template for the jobs like these is beyond me.
Anyone with the tow bar ordered should print this thread's pages out and give them to their dealers before they butcher their bumper bar.

[Umai Naa!!]

There's actually a mould line on the inside of the valance that indicates where to cut. It seems some installers don't feel that it's sufficently big enough. There is a template with the instructions, however.

[wind]

Thanks guys - good to hear that they have templates etc. with the tow bar installation instructions.

Will take photos and post them in this thread when my wagon gets its tow bar done (about 4 weeks time).

Can't see them taking more than half a day to do the whole tow-bar install (including the usual stuffing about!) and I do want them to get it done right - so am happy to spend the time at the dealer when they do it (I think of it as peace of mind insurance).

Looking at the pictures and the scratch/gouge marks, I get the feeling that they cut the hole on the car by eyeball not by template (that is, not removing that part of the bumper - saving the dealer a couple of $$$). Will definitely ask to see the instructions and the tow-bar kit box when I meet/speak with the installer before they touch my car.

[wind]

Update on tow-bar fitment . . . what I got on my car:

The Service Manager at the dealership I got the car from told me that the 'hack-jobs' seen around would not have been done by his people as all of them are factory VW trained and the strictly follow the factory guidelines . . .

While speaking with them, I also found out that if the car is a commercial delivery (i.e. company car, like mine) then the tow-bar (and other accessories?) is fitted by the service department of the dealership. On the other hand, if the car is a normal (consumer) purchase, the tow-bar is fitted by VW pre-delivery (i.e. before it gets to the dealership).


When I came in to speak with the Service Manager, his 2 guys doing the tow-bar install on my car had the rear bumper already off and the inside of the bumper very clearly showed the cut lines embossed on the plastic and they also had paper templates/drawings for the hole with VW logos on them.

I noticed that there were 2 cut lines marked/embossed on the inside of the bumper: (i) a smaller rounded/elongated oval one - I am assuming for when a tow-bar with no power connection is fitted and (ii) a larger rectangular one - for the tow-bar with power connection is fitted.


Having seen this and with a chance to speak with the guys doing the job to express my concerns about some of the tow-bars running around and how I wanted to have a neat finish with a minimal hole, I left them to it and when I picked up the car a few days later, this was what I got:



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I admit that on the left hand side, the hole is (slightly) bigger than what I had hoped (would have liked) for it to be but apart from that it is neater than some of the examples floating about.

In general, I am reasonably happy . . .

[Transporter]

It looks good.
The hole should have the certain dimensions, so you can connect the trailer cable and so on.

[buzuki]

The left side is cut out so you can remove the locking pin so the tongue can be removed isnt it?

[wind]

Transporter - Yes, is a good result, all considering. I was afraid I would get a hack job and that would p-ss me off to no end every time I saw the car's rear end (even after the dealer would have fixed it - as I told them that I would insist that they did before I would accept delivery!).



Buzuki - Yes, the left side is just big enough to remove the pin with some spare 'wiggle room'.

Have tried it a few times and you need pretty much the whole space on the left before the end of the pin is out from the metal housing.



Next on my list . . . getting a bike carrier rack that I can slip into the tow-bar mount (would prefer not to go the std route of attaching one to the tow-bar. Any ideas/suggestions?

(probably best to start a new thread on this topic)

[MJW]

On a slightly separate note, I used a trailer for the first time last weekend. I am sure at the time of deciding whether or not to get a towbar from VW or Hayman Reece, I was told by VW that the VW version fully integrates with the car. ie. when I reverse with trailer the rear sensors won't be activated. I can tell you this clearly isn't the case.

Can anyone else confirm?

[wind]

On a slightly separate note, I used a trailer for the first time last weekend. I am sure at the time of deciding whether or not to get a towbar from VW or Hayman Reece, I was told by VW that the VW version fully integrates with the car. ie. when I reverse with trailer the rear sensors won't be activated. I can tell you this clearly isn't the case.

Have not towed a trailer so cannot comment on my own wagon (will get around to doing it sooner or later).


I am assuming that you had the trailer electricals plugged into the car?

According to what VW told me (and what I have read on the forums) having an electrical load on the trailer plug is what deactivates, or should deactivate, the rear sensors (and possibly auto-tailgate - so it does not slam into the trailer!). This would be a CAN-Bus setting . . . maybe they forgot to code your car for it?

P.S. Not sure which of the lines on the trailer plug needs a load to disable rear sensors going mad when reversing with a trailer attached! Logically, it should the the reverse light line/s.