Components Parts
Towing, Trailer Hitch, Trailer & Electrical Wiring.







Before being towed or considering towing others bear in mind the loss of power steering & power assisted brakes That keys need to be in the ignition so as to ensure the steering wheel locking devise doesn't engage and turned on for the indicators and stop lights to work. ( Hazard warning 4 way flashers) should only be used while stationary primarily to warn other road users of a hazard. See exception to this rule on Motorways and A class de-restricted roads. For tows other than emergency short haul, i.e. to get the vehicle to a safe location, electrical services along with the registration details should be provided by the vehicle towing. Bearing these points in mind a suspended tow or car transporter may be preferable. For your own safety and that of other road users display appropriate signs to indicate that you are towing or are being towed.
Owners of Vehicles with automatic transmission should make themselves aware of the procedures to be adopted where a recovery is necessary








Ensure that the towing bar is screwed fully home before use or damage will be caused to the car as well as the thread on the bar. Take precautions to ensure that the colour coded blanking plug is not torn from its anchorage and lost it can be easily removed for safe keeping and will without doubt be expensive to replace especially when you have to get in colour coded . see photo. even worse when you loose it giving someone else a tow! Press the two point together to remove from car, it is now safe and can easily be replaced later on. .







I like many owners I object to moving rubbish in my car, hence the fitting of a tow bar to pull a small trailer. The garage where I got the car not M.B. fitted it complementary so can't comment accept to say it didn't appear to me to be straight forward. The white arrow indicates the small cut-out which had to be made in the skirt hardly noticeable while the bar is fitted , try and retain the material cut out for replacement purposes. Having said that it does afford that little extra protection at the rear, from the "bumper bashers". The ball stands well away from the rear of the car preventing those trailer hitch scratches that always seem to appear with trailers. Cost, Sept 03, Bar complete with electrics and mandatory go faster ball cover £120.89 all in delivered next day delivery, Purchased over the phone from TOP GEAR Product Ref. No Tow bar= TGMR750e. I was quoted £75.00 for fitting by a local t/bar company but they couldn't touch TOP GEAR
for price on the bar complete. Contact http://www.topgear-sales.co.uk










This trailer purchased recently cost £199.99 on special offer at http://www.halfords.com ( my old one 30 plus years old gave up) This one is the middle size of three available, 102, 122 132 made in France, http://www.erde.fr The manufacturing standard is high with mostly encapsulated nuts, assembly takes about 45mins max, with the exception of the number plate for the trailer it is ready to tow away. colour coding the wings cost a further £8.00. The only modification to the fitted tow bar was the adding of a snap shackle to facilitate anchorage for the break away/security chain. Another company who I have dealt with over the years is Indespension, a massive range of products from trailer lighting kits to complete trailers and they produce a fantastic helpful information manual, I understand the new one will be ready shortly and will be free! http://www.indespension.co.uk

leisureshack.co.uk Need a new Bosal tow bar? We are a tow bar suppliers and stock a huge range - buy online from a leading tow bar specialist.plus loads of accessories








I apologise in advance for the quality of these reproductions, copies of them along with a manual of trailer spares and electrics can be obtained from Indespension Tel 0800 720 720 for your nearest stockist.

Anybody who is in to towing trailers will with out doubt have experienced some difficulty with failed wiring, that odd indicator that won't work, along with the stop lights that come on the the brake lights etc. Rewiring the plug or even the socket can be a nightmare and wiring diagrams are hard come by. Many faults from my experiences are caused by bad earths which when made good solve a lot of problems . If you have indicators lighting with stop lights and vice versa, almost certainly the problem is with the earth connection and can be easily corrected.















Supplementary 7 pin Socket type 125
Modern caravans require power from the towing vehicle to run their accessories (such as fridge and internal lighting )The input is made via a second or supplementory 125 socket which is conventionally grey or white and has a different pin arrangement to the 12N socket used to carry power to the rear lights.

The 125 socket is mounted next to the towball in addition to the basic 12N sockek.
The feed from the car is taken using grey sheathed 7 core cable.

The following shows the function and wire colour of each pin on the 125socket. if installing a 125 socket remember to follow the wiring instructions or nothing will work when it should!













Bulb Failure Indicators
Be aware that Honda, Mazda, Mercedes, Volvo, to name a few are fitted with bulb failure warning indicators, I have therefore included these two diagrams because of the bulb test facility on the Mercedes 'A' Class which can malfunction when a trailer electrics are connected to the car electrics. These relays overcome the problem and are available from Indespension, address above.
























Remember to stay within the law your vehicle must be fitted with either a visual or audible alarm, which is normally fitted at the rear of the vehicle. This alarm is designed to be connected to give an alarm when using the indicators/cornering. In the case of this unit Indespension direct it should be wired as follows-: Orange N/S indicator. Yellow to yellow of seven core cable. Green to Green of seven Core Cable. White to Earth. Grey to O/S indicator.













Tow bars EC Type Approval Explained
94/20/EC applies to all new light passenger vehicles (NOT commercial vehicles) which have European Whole Vehicle Approval (EWVTA), Certificate of Conformity and are first registered in the UK on or after 1.8.98 ('S' reg on). A legal requirement to comply with 94/20/EC in the UK has been introduced through a change to the Construction & Use Regulations.
Make sure that the tow bar you are fitting or have fitted to your car complies with the EC regulations.






Q "My local motor dealer says that my warranty will be invalidated unless I fit the manufacturer's tow bar" A 94/20/EC was designed to create free trade. If you fit a Type Approved tow bar it will not invalidate the vehicle warranty. Under Block Exemption Rules a motor vehicle manufacturer cannot prevent a franchised outlet from supplying or fitting components deemed to be of equal quality to that supplied by the vehicle manufacture - such as a Type Approved Tow bar.
Q "How can I tell if a tow bar is EC Approved or not" A It will have a label, data plate or stamping showing an 'E' number (e.g. E11*01*1662) This figure denotes that it is EC Approved in the UK (E11) and has an approval number of 1662 which is in fact EEC's Vectra Saloon/Hatch/Estate.
Q "Why has EC Approval for tow bars been introduced" A Directive 94/20/EC was introduced as part of EWVTA to provide a common standard though out the European Community, Irrespective of where a tow bar has been manufactured, providing it has been type approved, a customer will know that it has been manufactured to a known technical and quality standard.
Q "What happens if I do not fit a Type Approved Tow bar" A If your car is first registered on or after the 1st August 1998 you could be prosecuted for an infringement of Construction & Use regulations or your insurers may decline to pay out in the event of an accident claim. If you are unsure which tow bar to fit please feel free to contact us.
Q "I only tow a small trailer to the tip now and again - do I need a Type approved Tow bar?" A YES. You need a Type Approved tow bar even if you do not use it for towing! Otherwise it does not comply with the Road Traffic Act.
Q "Can I transfer my non approved tow bar from my 1996 Vauxhall Vectra to my 'T' reg Vectra?" A NO. Only Type Approved tow bars can be fitted to relevant vehicles first registered on or after 1st August 1998.
Q "Can I fit a type Approved tow bar myself or do I have to go to an authorised fitter" A YES. You can fit the tow bar yourself provided that it is installed in accordance with the instructions provided.
Q "Does 94/20/EC mean that I can only have a swan neck tow bar fitted as supplied by the vehicle manufacturer?" A NO. A tow bar with the popular two-hole flange ball faceplate and tow ball made by an Independent tow bar manufacturer can be EC Type Approved. Over 2/3rds of are EC Approved range of tow bars are of the two-hole flange type.
Q "I have a Vauxhall Tigra, but can't find a Type Approved Tow bar listed, can I have one specially manufactured?" A NO. When the vehicle was EC Type Approved the manufacturer did not declare it to be suitable for towing. It therefore has no specified towing capacity and no specified mounting points. Towing with, or even the fitment of a tow bar to any such vehicle registered on or after 1st August 1998 would make you liable to prosecution. Other such examples are the Ford Ka and the Audi TT coupe.
Q "I am going to by a 1999 'T' reg Escort Hatchback. The tow bar fitted to it is not Type Approved. What do I do?" A Insist that the tow bar is removed immediately and replaced with one that is Type Approved. If you do not get a satisfactory response you should report the matter to your local trading standards office.
Q "I have a non EC Approved tow bar on my 'P' reg Laguna Hatchback (An EC Type Approved vehicle, which was registered in the UK in January 1997). Can I legally use the car to tow my caravan to Germany?" A YES. Although the EC Regulations are applied differently and introduced at different times in different countries, it is the country of registration that defines how and when you comply with the relevant EC Regulation.
Q "If I have an accident whilst towing on the continent using a non EC approved tow bar on my 'R' rag Omega will I be liable for prosecution for not having an EC Approved tow bar?" A NO. Provided the vehicle is registered in the UK before the 1st August 1998, however if the tow bar is considered to have contribution to causing the accident for reasons of inadequacy e.g a poor made "home made" unit, or obviously incorrectly installed than naturally prosecution may be a possibility.
Q "I have a Motor Caravan and a 1999 Transit Van - do I need to fit a Type Approved Tow bar to them?" A NO. Vans, Pick Ups (including double cabs, crew cabs), Chassis Cabs, Motor Homes, Personally imported vehicles (not bearing EC Type Approval), vehicles not for use on the public road and any vehicle classed as a motorcycle do not need a Type Approved tow bar although in the case of the Transit Van most tow bar manufactures would Type Approved there tow bar for it.




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