T6 Towbar - Advice / help needed please!!

[JonLevey]

Hi all,
New member here so appreciate some patience!!
I’m looking to get a towbar for our T6 Beach and am reading lots of conflicting advice.
Please could anyone tell me where I find for definite if our van has the electric prep?
Also then has anyone used a fixed towbar (we have the parking sensors) or does everyone stick with the detachable?
Thanks!!
Jon

 

[Perfectos]

Hi Jon,

A dealer would be able to tell you from your Vin Number

 

[Alan Andrews]

Hi all,
New member here so appreciate some patience!!
I’m looking to get a towbar for our T6 Beach and am reading lots of conflicting advice.
Please could anyone tell me where I find for definite if our van has the electric prep?
Also then has anyone used a fixed towbar (we have the parking sensors) or does everyone stick with the detachable?e
Thanks!!
Jon

I have Ocean. This had towbar prep from factory.

The towbar control module was installed beneath driver seat....plus wiring up to dash.

The control module is located at rear of seat frame and visible by removing plastic cover from cabin area.

I also have fixed towbar, and does not interfere with parking sensors.

 

[Perfectos]

A fixed tow bar would be possible if that’s what you choose.

Lots of decent companies out there that can advise and fit.

Regarding the “prep” and if you have it or not, it seems to make little difference if you go down the OEM route, I have seen posts where “prepped” vans are more expensive to fit an OEM tow bar !

 

[JonLevey]

Hi,
Oh ok that’s perfect thanks, I guess this will be in my logbook / handbook?

 

[JonLevey]

Thanks Alan, that’s good to know, I much prefer the look of the detachable but am being quoted £200 extra and can’t really justify it! I’ll have a look at the seat and see if I can find it!

 

[Perfectos]

Hi,
Oh ok that’s perfect thanks, I guess this will be in my logbook / handbook?

Your Vin number is the unique number given to your vehicle during its manufacturing process. If you can’t find it, look at the front windscreen, (near side) there is a clear section where you can see as series of letters and numbers, that is your vin number, it should also be clearly stated on your V5 document

 

[Perfectos]

Something like this image taken from tinternet

 

[JonLevey]

ok that’s what I seem to be finding!!

plus at the minute there isn’t as much choice for fitting as places aren’t all open.
I think I’ll do some ringing around and hopefully end up with a reasonable price!

 

[JonLevey]

Something like this image taken from tinternet

View attachment 61980

Awesome thanks

 

[WelshGas]

Awesome thanks

Make sure whoever quotes can do the vehicle coding that is required otherwise the Parking Sensors will be activated everytime something is plugged in and you won't get the correct display on the screen if you have the rear camera.

 

[JonLevey]

I have Ocean. This had towbar prep from factory.

The towbar control module was installed beneath driver seat....plus wiring up to dash.

The control module is located at rear of seat frame and visible by removing plastic cover from cabin area.

I also have fixed towbar, and does not interfere with parking sensors.

Hi Alan,
Just checking do you mean rear of the bench seat frame? Or the passenger seat?

thanks

 

[Perfectos]

Some reading!

There is lots on this forum about tow bars
This link is a recent thread with a link to older threads

Good luck, let the forum know your experience

Aftermarket Tow Bar

Hi All After replying to a thread earlier about tailgate or tow bar mounted bike carriers, I think I have talked myself in to selling my tailgate rack and having a tow bar fitted. We have a demountable Thule on my wife's Audi which is a great piece of kit and I think Thule supplied a bespoke...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[WelshGas]

Hi Alan,
Just checking do you mean rear of the bench seat frame? Or the passenger seat?

thanks

Passenger seat.

 

[Perfectos]

WG make a very good point about the coding, not all companies whom fit tow bars can do the vehicle coding, in addition to the rear view camera / sensors etc, you vehicle will need coding to activate trailer stabilisation, which is an important safety feature Google VW trailer stabilisation

 

[JonLevey]

Make sure whoever quotes can do the vehicle coding that is required otherwise the Parking Sensors will be activated everytime something is plugged in and you won't get the correct display on the screen if you have the rear camera.

Yep that’s what I’ve been worries about. I have a good local company, highly recommended and experienced, in just struggling with the £699 price tag for detachable and hoping the prep might save me some money if we have it!

 

[JonLevey]

Some reading!

There is lots on this forum about tow bars
This link is a recent thread with a link to older threads

Good luck, let the forum know your experience

Aftermarket Tow Bar

Hi All After replying to a thread earlier about tailgate or tow bar mounted bike carriers, I think I have talked myself in to selling my tailgate rack and having a tow bar fitted. We have a demountable Thule on my wife's Audi which is a great piece of kit and I think Thule supplied a bespoke...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Thanks much appreciated, already learnt a lot in the last 10 minutes!!

 

[Perfectos]

PF Jones towbar fitting?

Hi Blubus. We have owned many Caravans over the years at present we have a Swift Elegance 580 2016 year. We owned our previous 2014 Vw California 180 SE Manual for 4 years very good tow vehicle.. We upgraded the rear suspension with a pedders kit totally transformed the back end, no more saggy...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Perfectos]

BTW, I see you joined a whole 53 minutes ago.

Post an intro into the new members “ introduce yourself” section, with a couple of photos, people generally get a good welcome particularly if the post is a good intro with photos, from there you can ask other questions, of those that have engaged initially

 

[JonLevey]

Ok thanks for that, we’ve had our van for 2 years but are just now about to start towing our latest purchase - an Eriba!
It’ll add into the new members piece as I’m sure there will be lots more advice needed.
Thanks for the warm welcome already

 

[JonLevey]

Hi Alan,
Just checking do you mean rear of the bench seat frame? Or the passenger seat?

thanks

Hi Alan is this what I’m looking for? And if so does this mean the electrics are present already?

 

[WelshGas]

Hi Alan is this what I’m looking for? And if so does this mean the electrics are present already?

View attachment 61984View attachment 61984

There is a sticker on the Drivers Seat base or in your Service Book that details all the build options. You can check what they mean on one of these sites.

vw T6 option codes - Google Suche

 

[Alan Andrews]

Hi Alan,
Just checking do you mean rear of the bench seat frame? Or the passenger seat?

thanks

Neither, rear of drivers seat frame. Is a black plastic box approx. 100 wide x 125high x 40 wide. With 2x connector sockets.

Well this is where it is installed on my Ocean. I do not think that VW would change the location for a Beach.

 

[AlanC]

The sticker you are also looking for is a paper one usually found on the front of the driver's seat frame under your knees when seated. It has a lot of codes printed on it which you will need to translate from WG's link.
The one in the front of the handbook that came with your van may be easier to use.

We have also just bought an Eriba but have a 7 pin socket on our SE and will need to use an adaptor. The Eriba has a 13 pin plug so make sure you specify this socket to the installer.

BTW, when we bought our van it had a fixed tow bar which did trigger the reversing sensors.
This was because the wiring had been made direct to the rear lights and not to the front of the van to interface with the Body Control Module (BCM).

I had to change this for the correct wiring loom and fitted a Westfalia detachable tow bar at the same time (my shins were complaining!). Once the BCM was coded correctly the rear sensors worked perfectly and were switched off when the trailer was plugged in, as did the rear foglight and the radio display. I can only assume the other specified changes happened but these are not so obvious.

Hope that helps.

Alan

P.S. A fixed bar does have one advantage. If you get shunted from behind...the other vehicle gets more damage than you do

 

[JonLevey]

Hi everyone, thank you for all your help, I have found the info now and we after all that we do not have the electric prep!!
Final question if you don’t mind, my local supplier who is highly recommended and very reputable, would fit a flange fixed as oppose to a swan neck. His comment was that they have fitted 000’s of these and they work perfectly.
Does anyone know of any reason why the flange wouldn’t be ok??