Question regarding towbar fitment

[AlexB]

Hi!

We have a 1-year-old T6 Cali Ocean which we ordered with towbar prep.

Roughly how long should we expect a VW Commercial Vehicles dealer to take to fit the remaining hardware? We're being quoted 5 hours which seems excessive given what I know of the parts in question, but I would love to hear from anyone with experience of either DIY or 3rd party fitment.

Cheers,

Alex

 

[TripleBee]

For any towbar on any vehicle, you count on 3 - 5 hours, so it's not that excessive.

 

[AlexB]

For any towbar on any vehicle, you count on 3 - 5 hours, so it's not that excessive.

Thanks @TripleBee, good to know.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi!

We have a 1-year-old T6 Cali Ocean which we ordered with towbar prep.

Roughly how long should we expect a VW Commercial Vehicles dealer to take to fit the remaining hardware? We're being quoted 5 hours which seems excessive given what I know of the parts in question, but I would love to hear from anyone with experience of either DIY or 3rd party fitment.

Cheers,

Alex

Although straight forward, rear bumper off. fit Towbar metalwork, fit towing socket and route wires into vehicle, involves removing undertray, connect wiring and check function. Replace bumper, undertray and then connect diagnostic computer and reprogram vehicle computer for the Towbar.
Reprogramming vehicle computer enables the rear fog light and rear parking sensors to be switched off when the Towbar electrics are connected but also allows changes to braking power and suspension to accommodate the trailer when attached.
5 hrs seems reasonable.

 

[AlexB]

Although straight forward, rear bumper off. fit Towbar metalwork, fit towing socket and route wires into vehicle, involves removing undertray, connect wiring and check function. Replace bumper, undertray and then connect diagnostic computer and reprogram vehicle computer for the Towbar.
Reprogramming vehicle computer enables the rear fog light and rear parking sensors to be switched off when the Towbar electrics are connected but also allows changes to braking power and suspension to accommodate the trailer when attached.
5 hrs seems reasonable.

Thanks for that detail, @WelshGas, much appreciated. I think you've just put me off the DIY option!

I must admit that I had in mind that some of what you described (e.g. route wires into vehicle) fell under the category of "towbar prep" and would already have been done, thereby making the job of fitting the remaining hardware a (relatively) quick job. Happy to be corrected.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks for that detail, @WelshGas, much appreciated. I think you've just put me off the DIY option!

I must admit that I had in mind that some of what you described (e.g. route wires into vehicle) fell under the category of "towbar prep" and would already have been done, thereby making the job of fitting the remaining hardware a (relatively) quick job. Happy to be corrected.

No, Towbar prep means the wiring harness from the vehicle computer and various fuse boxes has been installed, but ends in a Plug/Socket that is taped to the inside of the body panel in the vicinity of the Mains Hookup/Water Filler. So a short wiring loom comes from the Towbar Electrics socket to the Towbar Prep socke/plug.

 

[AlexB]

No, Towbar prep means the wiring harness from the vehicle computer and various fuse boxes has been installed, but ends in a Plug/Socket that is taped to the inside of the body panel in the vicinity of the Mains Hookup/Water Filler. So a short wiring loom comes from the Towbar Electrics socket to the Towbar Prep socke/plug.

Understood. Thanks again for the detail, I'm very much clearer now on the effort in question.

 

[paul_f]

5 hours if you have towbar prep is excessive!
It's already coded, so it's a simple case of fitting the towbar.
I'd contact PFJones and get one of their fitters to do it

 

[WelshGas]

5 hours if you have towbar prep is excessive!
It's already coded, so it's a simple case of fitting the towbar.
I'd contact PFJones and get one of their fitters to do it

They should still plug it into the Diagnostic Computer to check for errors rather than take it on faith, ie if they are doing a good job.

 

[paul_f]

They should still plug it into the Diagnostic Computer to check for errors rather than take it on faith, ie if they are doing a good job.

I agree, but the amount of work is massively reduced

 

[AlexB]

5 hours if you have towbar prep is excessive!
It's already coded, so it's a simple case of fitting the towbar.
I'd contact PFJones and get one of their fitters to do it

Thanks Paul, but not an option I'm afraid (certainly not in the short-term, at least). I'm based in Barcelona and current lockdown restrictions prevent me from taking the van outside of Catalonia.

The VW Commercial Vehicles dealer who quoted 5 hours is based here in BCN.

 

[B J G]

don't know about dealers with you but it would invariably be the case with UK dealers that they get the actual job subcontracted out to an independent Towbar Supplier. ie you pay a commission to VW.

 

[TripleBee]

It's already coded, so it's a simple case of fitting the towbar.

No, it's not coded. If the towbar was already coded, you would run with a lot of errors on the dashboard because of certain connections not made.
Don't forget, most of the time is everything that is needed for mounting the towbar and the electrics. The coding is approx 30 minutes.

 

[AlexB]

I spoke to PFJones earlier today. A few points that I noted from the call:

• I was quoted 3 hours fitment time
• Total cost £576.42 including wiring kit, towbar and coding
• Requires a replacement bumper support rail (to be sourced from dealer) at a cost of £30 - £40
• A mobile fitting service is offered at an additional cost of £65
• Earliest available slot for fitment (at their Manchester facility, at least) is 15th July, which is the longest lead time they've ever had

I am planning to drop by my local dealer in BCN tomorrow AM, so it will be interesting to compare notes.

 

[AlisonF]

I was quoted 6 hours without towbar prep by a VW commercial van outfit and making it clear several times I had a reversing camera and no towbar prep. That, alongside an awning retrofit took 17 days... errors from VW centrally not despatching correct or complete parts (several times).
I was later advised (I think as an excuse) the 6 hrs is what it takes in the factory, so it would be longer for retrofit...
But others here say they have had it done quicker. I think the things to check are
- do you have towbar prep kit
- do you have a reversing camera
- do you want VW warranty to be maintained
- do you want wiring under the van or through the van

not an explicit list and I’m sure open to criticism. Just trying to advise based on my own experience. Happy to accept a PM to explain further it that helps.

 

[AlexB]

I spoke to PFJones earlier today. A few points that I noted from the call:

• I was quoted 3 hours fitment time
• Total cost £576.42 including wiring kit, towbar and coding
• Requires a replacement bumper support rail (to be sourced from dealer) at a cost of £30 - £40
• A mobile fitting service is offered at an additional cost of £65
• Earliest available slot for fitment (at their Manchester facility, at least) is 15th July, which is the longest lead time they've ever had

I am planning to drop by my local dealer in BCN tomorrow AM, so it will be interesting to compare notes.

Nearly forgot: I was also told that the towbar prep kit is next to useless on the Cali Ocean due to the location of the kitchen cabinets. Can anyone verify this ... ?

 

[AlexB]

I was quoted 6 hours without towbar prep by a VW commercial van outfit and making it clear several times I had a reversing camera and no towbar prep. That, alongside an awning retrofit took 17 days... errors from VW centrally not despatching correct or complete parts (several times).
I was later advised (I think as an excuse) the 6 hrs is what it takes in the factory, so it would be longer for retrofit...
But others here say they have had it done quicker. I think the things to check are
- do you have towbar prep kit
- do you have a reversing camera
- do you want VW warranty to be maintained
- do you want wiring under the van or through the van

not an explicit list and I’m sure open to criticism. Just trying to advise based on my own experience. Happy to accept a PM to explain further it that helps.

Thanks @AlisonF. To your questions:

• Yes, although I'm really starting to wonder about the towbar prep as a factory optional extra given what I was told by PFJones earlier today (see my previous post)
• Yes, I have the reversing camera
• Yes, I would like my VW warranty to be maintained. How would my warranty be impacted/invalidated by fitment of a towbar? Do you mean fitment by VW as opposed to fitment by a 3rd party?
• I hadn't realised that there was an option...

 

[AlisonF]

Thanks @AlisonF. To your questions:

• Yes, although I'm really starting to wonder about the towbar prep as a factory optional extra given what I was told by PFJones earlier today (see my previous post)
• Yes, I have the reversing camera
• Yes, I would like my VW warranty to be maintained. How would my warranty be impacted/invalidated by fitment of a towbar? Do you mean fitment by VW as opposed to fitment by a 3rd party?
• I hadn't realised that there was an option...

On the last two, I would ask VW dealer about the warranty impact as I don’t know if fitted my someone else. I just asked them to confirm
If fittend with VW parts by VW that it would not impact my warranty (and then got challenged that it would, hence getting it in writing up front).
On the last point I would ask the fitters how they plan to do it. I understood it’s a lengthy job internally as they need to remove stuff... so underneath is simpler, but potentially exposes wires?

 

[TripleBee]

This is the longest part of uncovered towbar wiring.
All the rest is between the body and the plastic plates.
Mine is an ECS-electronics wiring set, coded to the vehicle, so my rear parking sensors mute and show a trailer on the RCS310 screen. Don't know if the fog light goes out, and I don't care as I only use it for small trailers and bike rack.
It even has light bulb check.

The wire goes up under the left front seat, and then 1 wire to the starter battery.
So yes, it's a lot of work, but up to now, no problems with the wiring under the van.

 

[AlanC]

Thanks @AlisonF. To your questions:

• Yes, although I'm really starting to wonder about the towbar prep as a factory optional extra given what I was told by PFJones earlier today (see my previous post)
• Yes, I have the reversing camera
• Yes, I would like my VW warranty to be maintained. How would my warranty be impacted/invalidated by fitment of a towbar? Do you mean fitment by VW as opposed to fitment by a 3rd party?
• I hadn't realised that there was an option...

It would seem to me that having the towbar wiring preparation is an ideal situation as the harness is already routed through the van to the body control unit behind the dashboard picking up all the right feeds in the factory. All the fitter has to do is connect to the wiring tails located at the back of the van. The only difficulty is locating the tails by all accounts.

Full cable installation requires the harness to be routed underneath the van above the splash shields (as @TripleBee as shown) and then connections are made for power and various light feeds and into the Canbus system, all of this is in the engine bay or behind the dash.

I would have stuck with the prep if I had had it. As it was, I spent a fair amount of time underneath the van when I installed my system.

Alan

 

[AlexB]

Thanks @AlisonF, @TripleBee and @AlanC, really helpful. I feel well-primed for my trip to the dealer this morning.

I'll report back here a.s.a.p.