Retro fitting tow bar and electrics to GC 600

Steve Gray · Oct 21, 2022

Can anyone provide some clarity on fitting a tow bar and electrics to the GC 600. I know there are a couple of threads on this but my specific question is this:-
I have asked my local VW Van Centre if they can fit a tow bar and electrics to my GC 600 so that my manufacturers warranty is not compromised. The answer is yes the tow bar is straight forward, however, if you GC does not have the tow bar prep from factory, then the electrics need a special wiring loom. My 2021 GC 600 needs the wiring loom, the problem I have been told by the Van Centre is that VW are still developing a loom for the year model? They cannot give a date when it will be available for the Van Centre to order so for now I am stuck with not being able to have a fully working tow bar fitted. Has anyone else come across this or do you have any experience of having a tow at fitted to the Van that does not have the factory tow bar prep?

AndrewCook680 · Oct 21, 2022

There might be places selling towbar and electrics which integrate with the vans canbus system, if it uses that ?
I bought a towbar and electric wiring kit for wife’s BMW X1 and fitted it. It did take me 1/2 a day to do the wiring and plug it and splice it into vehicle wiring system using canbus not all wires spliced in. I imagine on a van it would be a much bigger job to remove trim to feed in wiring

AndrewCook680 · Oct 21, 2022

I got the bmw kit from of jones
looks like they have crafter options, for vans with and without trailer prep

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AndrewCook680 · Oct 21, 2022

And PF Jones fitting instructions here for 7pin kit
link

https://www.pfjones.co.uk/pfjoneswiringkits/19500629PF_VW_Crafter_03-17_MAN_TGE_06-17.pdf

rod_vw · Oct 21, 2022

Speak to these folks about a wiring loom and trailer control unit. Their loom and box were supplied for the tow bar for my T6 and the control unit was a genuine VW item. The kit included full fitting/connection instructions but you must remember that it will need coding into the can bus etc of your vehicle. For the T6 the coding was quite straight forward with VCDS which I already owned although the can bus connection is notoriously awkward on a T6 due to the location of the BCM (Body Control Module).

Ah someone else has replied with the PF Jones link, that is where I had my T6 from but the manufacturers were as above so it's quite likely that PFJ still source their kits from Right Connections.
I see that they also include the VCDS coding instructions.

andyinluton · Oct 21, 2022

Steve Gray said:
I have asked my local VW Van Centre if they can fit a tow bar and electrics to my GC 600 so that my manufacturers warranty is not compromised. The answer is yes the tow bar is straight forward, however, if you GC does not have the tow bar prep from factory, then the electrics need a special wiring loom. My 2021 GC 600 needs the wiring loom, the problem I have been told by the Van Centre is that VW are still developing a loom for the year model?

Sounds like they don't want to do it.
I had the removable bar retrofitted to my GC600 that didn't have tow bar prep by the dealer, it took about 3 months for the parts to arrive as they are on back order.
They were expecting it to take half a day to fit but it ended up taking them 3 days! that was with them using the same guy who comes in to fit towbars to any of their vans at a commercial dealership.
Although it states its a detachable bar, I would describe it better as an unboltable bar - socket set & spanners are required!
This is what was used on mine as sent to me by the dealer before they went ahead.

Steve Gray · Mar 16, 2023

andyinluton said:
Sounds like they don't want to do it.
I had the removable bar retrofitted to my GC600 that didn't have tow bar prep by the dealer, it took about 3 months for the parts to arrive as they are on back order.
They were expecting it to take half a day to fit but it ended up taking them 3 days! that was with them using the same guy who comes in to fit towbars to any of their vans at a commercial dealership.
Although it states its a detachable bar, I would describe it better as an unboltable bar - socket set & spanners are required!
This is what was used on mine as sent to me by the dealer before they went ahead.View attachment 100802

Hi Andy
Eventually my VW commercial dealership has now just fitted my VW Towbar and electrics so thank you for the information. One question, they have said that the electrics will not work LED trailer lights or LED trailer boards due to the software not being able to communicate with the LEDs and it will only work conventional bulbs. I asked if you were towing a tow car with LED lights would it work. They said they had spoken to VW and the round about answer was it might or might not depending on whether the software can see the car at the plug?? Have you any experience of the tow bar electrics not working LED lights. I asked if a factory fitted Towbar was the same and they have said it is. Have you any experience of LED trailer lights working with the GC Towbar electrics?

rod_vw · Mar 16, 2023

Steve Gray said:
Hi Andy
Eventually my VW commercial dealership has now just fitted my VW Towbar and electrics so thank you for the information. One question, they have said that the electrics will not work LED trailer lights or LED trailer boards due to the software not being able to communicate with the LEDs and it will only work conventional bulbs. I asked if you were towing a tow car with LED lights would it work. They said they had spoken to VW and the round about answer was it might or might not depending on whether the software can see the car at the plug?? Have you any experience of the tow bar electrics not working LED lights. I asked if a factory fitted Towbar was the same and they have said it is. Have you any experience of LED trailer lights working with the GC Towbar electrics?

My opinion for what it's worth is that it will work OK if the LEDs in the trailer board have ballast resistors included in the circuit. Normal practice to fool light failure monitors into believing that it is seeing a normal filament bulb.

TreborGC2020€ · Jul 27, 2023

rod_vw said:
My opinion for what it's worth is that it will work OK if the LEDs in the trailer board have ballast resistors included in the circuit. Normal practice to fool light failure monitors into believing that it is seeing a normal filament bulb.

Steve Gray said:
Hi Andy
Eventually my VW commercial dealership has now just fitted my VW Towbar and electrics so thank you for the information. One question, they have said that the electrics will not work LED trailer lights or LED trailer boards due to the software not being able to communicate with the LEDs and it will only work conventional bulbs. I asked if you were towing a tow car with LED lights would it work. They said they had spoken to VW and the round about answer was it might or might not depending on whether the software can see the car at the plug?? Have you any experience of the tow bar electrics not working LED lights. I asked if a factory fitted Towbar was the same and they have said it is. Have you any experience of LED trailer lights working with the GC Towbar electrics?

Hi Steve & Andy.
We have a 2020 LHD GC600 and need a tow bar fitted but our main dealer (Ireland) are refusing to retrofit . Looks like you guys have succeeded in doing this in the U.K. Any recommendation for a fitter would be most welcome.

andyinluton · Jul 27, 2023

TreborGC2020€ said:
Hi Steve & Andy.
We have a 2020 LHD GC600 and need a tow bar fitted but our main dealer (Ireland) are refusing to retrofit . Looks like you guys have succeeded in doing this in the U.K. Any recommendation for a fitter would be most welcome.

I used Citygate Wooburn Green. They sub it out to a mobile fitter,

Steve Gray · Jul 27, 2023

VW Lancashire Van Centre did it for me with the VW technicians doing all the work to VW specifications. They did a really great job too.

TreborGC2020€ · Aug 2, 2023

Thanks for your advice guys. I’ve found a towbar fitting company to do it in Cork.
Hopefully it’ll go okay tomorrow.

Steve Gray · Aug 2, 2023

TreborGC2020€ said:
Thanks for your advice guys. I’ve found a towbar fitting company to do it in Cork.
Hopefully it’ll go okay tomorrow.

Good luck let us know how you get on

TreborGC2020€ · Aug 4, 2023

Not the prettiest (need to paint the bolts) but so practical as we’ll always be towing bikes or scooter or something. Great company in Cork

http://www.murraytowbars.com/

AndrewCook680 · Aug 4, 2023

these might work better than painting, choose size for bolt head

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