Tow Bar fitting

Hi,

I want to fit a tow bar to my 2004 Freelander and wonder if anyonw has any recommendations?

I have looked into a witter one and can pickup one for about £130 including single electrics. I fitted a witter two bar to my last car and it was fairly stright forward and the instructions were clear. Reading around the forum I hear that Land Rover also do a tow bar. Is it better to get a L/R one? Are they expensive in comparison?

I also read that the L/R electics come already fitted with a plug that connects into a socket on the loom, just being the back panel. So I would prefer this rather than cutting the loom or using the blue crimps. Can the single electrics be bought seperatly?

In addition I have rear parking sensors. Would a fixed towbar interfere with these and would I need to get a removeable one?

Cheers

Chris

chaskins said:

Hi,

I want to fit a tow bar to my 2004 Freelander and wonder if anyonw has any recommendations?

I have looked into a witter one and can pickup one for about £130 including single electrics. I fitted a witter two bar to my last car and it was fairly stright forward and the instructions were clear. Reading around the forum I hear that Land Rover also do a tow bar. Is it better to get a L/R one? Are they expensive in comparison?

I also read that the L/R electics come already fitted with a plug that connects into a socket on the loom, just being the back panel. So I would prefer this rather than cutting the loom or using the blue crimps. Can the single electrics be bought seperatly?

In addition I have rear parking sensors. Would a fixed towbar interfere with these and would I need to get a removeable one?

Cheers

Chris

Click to expand...

Can't help with which towbar to fit or wether it'll interfere with the reversing sensors. But there are 2 electrical connectors on the loom. one for 12N and the other for 12S (caravan) connections. Unless you buy a LR towing socket it won't have the plug on the end of the cable. So you'll need to buy one and fit it to the cable anyway. so back to the blue scotch clips. or as I did cut the socket and fit a strip of terminal connectors.

I had reverse sensors and a tow bar on a Jeep Cherokee a couple of years ago. The sensors got very confused by it all. They thought there was always something in the way! Detached the towbar and they worked fine.

Cheers

Rog

redhand said:

Can't help with which towbar to fit or wether it'll interfere with the reversing sensors. But there are 2 electrical connectors on the loom. one for 12N and the other for 12S (caravan) connections. Unless you buy a LR towing socket it won't have the plug on the end of the cable. So you'll need to buy one and fit it to the cable anyway. so back to the blue scotch clips. or as I did cut the socket and fit a strip of terminal connectors.

Click to expand...

Bollix - a witter tow bar has the plug connections on it - at least mine did.

It is recomended that yu fit a removeable tow bar - so that it doesnt interfere with the reversing sensors - but I left mine in all the time with no problems - so i reckon thats a ploy to get yu to buy a more expensive version.

If you have LR reversing sensors you can turn them off cant you

dont think yu can - and I dont see why yu wud want to - as I sed - i had no probs with them.

Thanks for the replies guys.

You can turn the parking sensors off but they re-enable when you re-start the car. It's so you don't get annoying whine whilst towing.

'Mad Hat Man' its interesting to know that you get no problems from a fixed towbar, as the detachable ones are double the price for some reason.

Cheers

Chris

hi Chaskins
I think yu mis-understood me - i had no probs with a removable tow bar - but left attached - so to all intents it was the same as a fixed device.

chaskins said:

Hi,

I want to fit a tow bar to my 2004 Freelander and wonder if anyonw has any recommendations?

I have looked into a witter one and can pickup one for about £130 including single electrics. I fitted a witter two bar to my last car and it was fairly stright forward and the instructions were clear. Reading around the forum I hear that Land Rover also do a tow bar. Is it better to get a L/R one? Are they expensive in comparison?

I also read that the L/R electics come already fitted with a plug that connects into a socket on the loom, just being the back panel. So I would prefer this rather than cutting the loom or using the blue crimps. Can the single electrics be bought seperatly?

In addition I have rear parking sensors. Would a fixed towbar interfere with these and would I need to get a removeable one?

Cheers

Chris

Click to expand...

Hi, I have a tow bar fitted to my Freelander and i have recently fitted some reversing sensors for the wife!
I've had no problems yet, i suppose it depends where in the bumper your sensors are.
Mine i have 4 sensors that i fitted just above where the embosed Land Rover sign is. They work well and not interupted by the towbar.

I got a genuine removable towbar, from autowbars (yes this is how it is spelt) in Bradford with twin electrics - doddle to fit, only tricky bit is running the cable to the fuse box under steering wheel. You do need to cut a bit of plastic out of the rear bumper - it's not visible though.

Have fun

Anyone tell me where to find the plug for the electrics...? Fitted mine (and might need removing again depending on where the pick up is) but not sure where to find the pick up... Also can you buy the LR connector from anywhere... Mines a Ebay one like Mings, so single electrics without connector and beeper unit...

TA

The plug in inside the off-side rear corner trim of the car. the cable runs up through a grommet underneath the 0/s rear corner.
I am not sure if you can get the connector, but I believe (from memory) that it is a Molex fitting

just spoken to LR and they have said that the gen electrics are 15 quids with a relay at 26 quids...! what is the relay.. and can it be got elsewhere for cheaper?

the relay on mine fools the car's bulb sensors into thinking everything is ok.. without it the sensors thinks there is a fault in the light circuits and lights up yer dash warning.. the relay takes a small current from whichever circuit it is and uses that to fire up the trailor light. so the sensor dunt see the extra electrickle load...

i had a ship load of relays lying about and made me own one but if i didn't have them i would have bought the real thing... try ebay for one they might be a tad cheaper.

Just fitted me towbar, top job, from TowEquipe up north. Single electrics do indeed go to a connector behind the offside trim (white plug). No messing, cut the f**ker off and crimp through using the following colour codes:
Vehicle Wiring Function Pin No 7 Core colour
Black (SW) Earth return 3 White
Green/Red(Gn/Ro) LH Indicator connect to audible relay
Yellow/Red(Ge/Ro) Fog Light 2 Blue
Green/Violet(Gn/Pu) Brake Light 6 Red
Black/Red(Sw/Ro) LH Tail light 7 Black
Orange/Red(Or/Ro) RH Tail light 5 Brown
Green/White(Gn/Ws) RH Indicator connect to audible relay

there are then three connections from the audible relay to make:
black to good earth (eg Black cable in vehicle loom)
two connections from relay to relevant indicator circuit, as per manufacturers details, shown on the relay packaging

connect ya trailer board, test it, then go for a beer on a job well done

do you not need to fit a relay then?

Well, legally, you have to fit the audible relay, which gives you a warning (ie it bleeps or buzzes) when the trailer electrics are connected and either (or both) of the indicators are on. Not withstanding, it will work fine without it.
Other than that, there is no other relay required.
However, some vehicles have a "bulb failure warning", and connecting the trailer electrics may confuse it into showing you have a bulb failed when you don't.
Obviously, any advice given is without prejudice, with no liability, I am just telling you what I have found when connecting the towbar electrics on my freelander (td4 auto commercial)

wigleytuff said:

Well, legally, you have to fit the audible relay, which gives you a warning (ie it bleeps or buzzes) when the trailer electrics are connected and either (or both) of the indicators are on. Not withstanding, it will work fine without it.
Other than that, there is no other relay required.
However, some vehicles have a "bulb failure warning", and connecting the trailer electrics may confuse it into showing you have a bulb failed when you don't.
Obviously, any advice given is without prejudice, with no liability, I am just telling you what I have found when connecting the towbar electrics on my freelander (td4 auto commercial)

Click to expand...

Yer dint have ta have an audible warning if yer got a visual one on yer dash.

Me visual one in me disco flashes even when I aint got a trailer on....hows that for performance

Sirus said:

Me visual one in me disco flashes even when I aint got a trailer on....hows that for performance

Click to expand...

well where else fur flashing lights than in a disco! Lucky you've only got the one flashing. Buy a freelander, it's like a funky strobe laser show sometimes, always with no warning, usually with no cause.