[Farmlad1983]

hi i have a 05 reg 1.4 fiesta zetec, to which i would like to fit a towbar to

has any other people done this to a simular fiesta as i am unsure about doing it, mainly because part of the bumper needs cutting, but also is it worth doing. i must admit its nice to have the towbar on the car for peace of mind, for general towing here and there!!

also i would like to know if fitting a towbar will ruin the general apperance of the car!

let me know what you think guys

 

[medusa]

Be careful when fitting towbars as you must ensure (certainly in the UK) that the number plate is not obscured. To get round this problem (and to avoid the need to cut the bumper) on my Fiesta I have had fitted a detachable towbar. What this consists of is the bracket and a lockable housing (plus electrics) which are connected to the car as usual. Seperate to this comes the towball itself which locks into position onto the towing bracket so you only need to attach it when you are ready to tow. The added advantage of the detachables is that they tend to have a longer 'neck' which often means they will reach round bumbers and therefore remove the need to spoil the overall appearence of the car (plus when the towbar is not in use, all you see at the rear of the car is the electric points and a nicely capped attachment rather than a rusting towball).

There are a number of manufacturers which produce detachable towbars, but the best known are Witter, Bosal and Brink (in the UK at least). The best person to speak to for advice about towbars and the correct one for your specific car (as there are different models available specific to manufacturers and model) is of course your towbar fitter as they are the experts and most are usually more than willing to offer advice.

On another cautionary note, do be aware of the towing limit for your car. Exceeding this is a criminal offence in the UK and I know from the bitter experience of friends that the police are pulling people over and weighing them, so do be careful. In theory this limit should be available in your handbook, but this is not always the case and in my experience Ford Tech Support are not too forthcoming with information for older cars.

Best of luck :driver: