Tow Bars and Electrics 2008 California

[Ardigly]

Hi, I have recently purchased a 2008 California SE 174 and wish to put a tow bar on it. to tow a small sailing dinghy.
I have spoken to Pf Jones and read previous discussions on the forum about the subject although most the discussions seem to involve post 2010 vans.
Pf Jones have said that I don't need the wiring kit that goes under the van to the dash as it is a 2008 van, and that the wiring just plugs into the rear lights, I have parking sensors and don't know if this makes a difference.
I hope there are people on this forum who are able to help and have experience of putting a tow bar on a 2008 Cali.
Thanks in advance for any replies/help.

 

[jts46]

Agree with pf jones, had a towbar fitted on my cali by anker towbars and no problem plugs into rear lights parking sensors activate when trailer fitted but i just switch them off on dash.

John

 

[AlanC]

I have 2010 Cali with a retro fit Westfalia fixed swan neck bar.

The rear parking senors were a 'pita' as the wiring was tacked into the rear lights and not via the CanBus computer. So they didn't know the tow bar was there and kept complaining that I was about to hit something.

I considered changing the bar to a removable one, but instead bought the correct wiring kit from PF Jones, for a 2009 onwards van, and fitted it myself. My local garage, who I trust implicitly, found one fault I had made and coded the computer correctly.

Since then the van has been a delight to drive.

The kit included a small box that fits beside the engine battery and this picks up the power and switches the relevant lights on the trailer on the command of the CanBus computer. My only error was that the rear fog light feed below the passenger seat was supposed to be on a light blue connector block and was a grey and white cable. I found the correct colour block but the cable from the right hole was grey and blue. This was not the fog light feed. Chris sussed this and tried the adjacent light green block that did have a grey and white cable in the right hole and sorted the error I have made.

Now the parking sensors work perfectly and the display comes up with a trailer image when something is plugged in.

I would suggest that if you have parking sensors, and a van with a CanBus system, then you have to have a cable kit that connects with the on board computer.

The kit I was sold was made by Right Connections http://www.rightconnections.co.uk/
so it may well be worth giving them a call to clarify your situation.

Alan