Retrofittable options

[Sp0_0k]

Still struggling hard playing with options, deciding what I might need or not.
Is there a list of options here that lists if they are retrofittable?
Can tow bar be added later? I suppose need just to take that "prepared" option?
How good are those extra interior "camper lights"? Are they led? If halogen I won't even bother.
That box with electronics interface under passenger's seat can't be added later, right?

 

[daveyboydanger]

Still struggling hard playing with options, deciding what I might need or not.
Is there a list of options here that lists if they are retrofittable?
Can tow bar be added later? I suppose need just to take that "prepared" option?
How good are those extra interior "camper lights"? Are they led? If halogen I won't even bother.
That box with electronics interface under passenger's seat can't be added later, right?

Having gone down the 'diy camper' route (at least part way down it!) I think that the idea of the Cali is that it's already done. Might be pricey but on the whole you get what you pay for. The internal lights? Would you really want to retro fit and take panels off here there and everywhere, whilst cutting holes in them?
Tow bar and alloys. Easy added later.
Lights, electrics, heater in my opinion are best specced and then fitted and warrantied by VW.

 

[CALI FATE]

Still struggling hard playing with options, deciding what I might need or not.
Is there a list of options here that lists if they are retrofittable?
Can tow bar be added later? I suppose need just to take that "prepared" option?
How good are those extra interior "camper lights"? Are they led? If halogen I won't even bother.
That box with electronics interface under passenger's seat can't be added later, right?

Just been quoted £250 inc VAT for towbar with electrics - simple job by all accounts

 

[reserves]

Just been quoted £250 inc VAT for towbar with electrics - simple job by all accounts

Isn't there a TowBar prep you can order? From what I've read it's a really simple job if the factory wiring has been prepared for it.

 

[CALI FATE]

Isn't there a TowBar prep you can order? From what I've read it's a really simple job if the factory wiring has been prepared for it.

its not required - the electrics are connected locally at the rear light clusters - so no prep required electrically. no sure what else could be prepped

 

[reserves]

its not required - the electrics are connected locally at the rear light clusters - so no prep required electrically. no sure what else could be prepped

Happy to be wrong but from memory it was recommended for the T5 that if you were considering getting a tow bar then getting the Tow Bar Prep was deemed to be worthwhile.

Can't remember the details, think it's something about the vehicle knowing if it had a towbar connected or not, with an aftermarket system the vehicle doesn't know if it has a towbar connected. This would be useful with Parking Sensors for example.

 

[CALI FATE]

Happy to be wrong but from memory it was recommended for the T5 that if you were considering getting a tow bar then getting the Tow Bar Prep was deemed to be worthwhile.

Can't remember the details, think it's something about the vehicle knowing if it had a towbar connected or not, with an aftermarket system the vehicle doesn't know if it has a towbar connected. This would be useful with Parking Sensors for example.

equally reserves i happy to be wrong too - will ask the question as a new thread see if anyone knows what the prep involves - watch this space

 

[snowy55]

its not required - the electrics are connected locally at the rear light clusters - so no prep required electrically. no sure what else could be prepped

20 years ago that's what you did but in these modern electrical canbus systems it's not that simple, voltage sensing, rear parking sensors etc. I've read threads on other forums where people get into all kinds of problems. If you are thinking about a tow bar at least get the prep kit fitted at the factory.

 

[Sp0_0k]

If you are thinking about a tow bar at least get the prep kit fitted at the factory.

Thank you! good to know

 

[WelshGas]

its not required - the electrics are connected locally at the rear light clusters - so no prep required electrically. no sure what else could be prepped

There is more to the Factory Fitted Towbar or Prep than a few Scotchlocks on the rear lights wiring loom.
1. Change in the rear braking performance when Trailer fitted.
2. Switch off rear parking sensors when trailer fitted.
3. Trailer lights monitoring when trailer fitted.
4. Rear vehicle foglight disabled.

Really depends what you want. Oh, and don't forget as some other T5 owners on the other forum have found out. ANY electrical problems that might arise will NOT be covered by VW warranty until Towbar wiring has been removed as the cheap installation can throw up CanBus errors etc: that can have widespread effects. But of course others know better. Just remember Cheap is Cheap for a reason.

 

[Archie]

When we ordered our beach a few weeks ago from Laine at SMG Tonbridge he said that he always orders his demo vehicles with the removable towbar as in the SE / Ocean some of the cupboard units have to come out to do it afterwards!

 

[teeboy]

Think that has been covered before, but to save you reading loads of post, here is the summary (from a T5 perspective, but I suspect the T6 is identical):

If you do not specify the Tow Bar Prep:

• You can get OEM Westfalia wiring and towbar kit
  • You can fit the actual tow bar really simply- a keen DIYer can do it in an hour or two
  • The wiring is hard, but not impossible.
    • The cupboards do not need to come out, the wiring goes under the van
    • You have to remove both front seat and the bases of the seat
    • The wiring comes up under the passenger seat (on UK vehicle)
    • Then part of the wiring continues under the drivers seat up to the light switch
    • You will need a VW dealer, or someone with VCDS to modify the van software to tell it that a towbar is installed
    • There is an extra wire that you can fit that goes from the towbar to the battery if you are towing something that needs a constant positive feed (like a caravan)
• You can get cheapo wiring which connects into the rear lights with a bypass relay to simplify the wiring. This will work fine and will not need the vehicle coding, but if you are going to tow anything bigger than a bike rack I would avoid this. The coding of the vehicle also adjusts the stability control and ABS .

If you do specify the Tow Bar Prep:

• Again You can fit the actual tow bar really simply- a keen DIYer can do it in an hour or two
• The wiring is much simpler, as there is a large connector at the back of the van that you just plug into (not sure where as I haven't done one)
• Again you will need a VW dealer, or someone with VCDS to modify the van software to tell it that a towbar is installed.
• You can also use the cheapo wiring in this scenario, but that would be madness, as the pukka wiring is probably simpler

So in summary not specing the towbar prep will not close the door to adding a bar later, but will make it harder.

Also when asking a dealer to fit a towbar (rather than factory fit), ask hard questions, some dealers will simply send it to a local 3rd party towbar fitter, in this scenrio make sure they are fitting the OEM Westfalia kit, otherwise they might go down the cheapo route....

Hope that helps - I did a lot of reading and did a DIY fit. It was a day and a halfs work but do-able.

T

 

[AlanC]

its not required - the electrics are connected locally at the rear light clusters - so no prep required electrically. no sure what else could be prepped

I had tow bar electrics which had been tacked into the rear lights. The reversing sensors always saw the bar and drove me to distraction. Once I fitted the right electrics and got the computer re-coded for a trailer, they worked perfectly with the fixed bar. And the trailer display came up on the radio too.

So don't consider using anything but the right electrics with the Canbus control box if you are retrofitting.

Trailer prep is an ideal option and will simplify a retro install.

Alan

 

[Hotel California]

I think if your concidering having a towbar on a new verhicle buy it factory fitted.
Imo , stupid to fit one afthermarket on a brand new verhicle....
Alu wheels , side bars , bike-rack,.. things like that ok but like said above there is the parkingsensor interface . Would not let a afthermarket shop cutting wires underneeth to take power for a towbar.

 

[Sp0_0k]

If don't need it now and getting that factory prepared electrics whats the problem with it?
They can install oem one later one without issues, don't they?

 

[Hotel California]

If don't need it now and getting that factory prepared electrics whats the problem with it?
They can install oem one later one without issues, don't they?

Getting the wiring option is the thing to go for ....
There are post above about retrofit and Do It Yourself and thats what i am referring to beeing silly...
All personal choices ....just giving opinion.

As for the interieurled light on the T6 i seen it , looks very nice and is for sure a +

Comes standard on SE in the roof and rear door i think so....

 

[Blackwell]

its not required - the electrics are connected locally at the rear light clusters - so no prep required electrically. no sure what else could be prepped

New vans will need trailer prep as it all connects via the canbus. You can't just connect locally at the lights anymore.

 

[Speleo62]

Thanks for the information on the towbar wiring prep' kit and all the potential problems with routing cables as a retrofit and interfacing to the vans CANBUS. We had decided to add the Westfalia OEM towbar later in the year, if and when we needed it, but after reading the thread I spoke to Chris at SMG Cowfold and luckily he managed to add the wiriing prep' kit to our order.
Definately worth adding the wiring prep' kit if you thing you may want to add a towbar in the future. His service department were quoting around £1200 to retrofit the wiring and code it. ouch!!

 

[Blackwell]

1200 quid!!!!! I don't know where they get these prices from.

 

[Speleo62]

I nearly died as well, so was very happy when Chris told us we could added it to our order at the standard option price of £165 + vat. At least adding the towbar will now be a fairly straigthforward DIY job, if and when we need it.

 

[Sp0_0k]

So will getting it later not from VW (with prepared electronics) be cheaper than factory one?

 

[Blackwell]

That's more like it.

 

[Blackwell]

So will getting it later not from VW (with prepared electronics) be cheaper than factory one?

Yes it will

 

[Speleo62]

I had an estimate of £540 to supply and fit a Westfalia detachable towbar including the wiring and coding it to the control head from my local Towbar company that i have used before. As far as he knows VW fit the westfalia detachable as a factory fit. He has fitted them on T5's which he uses himself, but not on a T6 yet as he is waiting for coding information for the configuration to the CANBUS. Reading through everyones comments getting the wiring right and connecting it to the Canbus could be a nigthmare so wanted to de-risk that by getting the wiring done at the factory. I had a Thule detachable towbar put on my Galaxy and that cost about £350 fully fitted, so can't see fitting a towbar assembly costing more than

 

[Andy]

OEM westfalia detachable bar & under van wiring from pf jones cost about £300. They have national neywork of fitters. I think fitting is about another £200.

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