Towing bracket plans needed ?

[doc]

I recently bought a small (4' x 3') unbraked secondhand trailer, an

until this week my Volvo was used to tow it. I Now have an Astra an need to weld up a Tow bar with towing ball. The sort that is mostl hidden bolted underneath the boot of the vehicle, with only the towin hitch ball on view at the back. Is there anywhere i can get plans fo the dimensions of metal needed to make up a towing bracket for thi vehicle ?

There does not seem to be any set plan for these as they are obviousl dependant on the makeup of the rear of each different make of auto.

thank

-- doc

[mrcheerful]

to be honest the cost of a ready made kit is very low if you search a bit. I feel confident enough to make one (C & G welder) but I would not bother unless impossible to get a ready made one. they usually need all sorts of bits of tube to stop the chassis rails being crushed etc. and can be quite complex to get round modern bumpers.

And if your home made one fails on the road the consequences could be horrific, not to mention expensive.

mrcheerful

[Autolycus]

According to the Towsure web site, which I have no reason to doubt:

"94/20/EC applies to all new light passenger vehicles (NOT commercial vehicles) which have an European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EWVTA) Certificate of Conformity and are first registered in the UK on or after the 1st August 1998.

A legal requirement to comply with 94/20/EC in the UK has been introduced through an amendment to the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986"

So if your Astra is newer than 1/8/98, you're a bit stuffed. There are a few on ebay, and specialist breakers might have them for newer cars (try

for instance, if you're anywhere near the Derby/Nottingham.

If you've got an older car, there are so many in ordinary scrapyards for a fiver including the towball, socket, and wiring, that it's hardly worth striking the arc to make your own.

[usenet]

They also need to be CE marked or have some sort of approval don't they if fitted to a fairly recent car.

[Dave Fawthrop]

| |I recently bought a small (4' x 3') unbraked secondhand trailer, and |until this week my Volvo was used to tow it. I Now have an Astra and |need to weld up a Tow bar with towing ball. The sort that is mostly |hidden bolted underneath the boot of the vehicle, with only the towing |hitch ball on view at the back. Is there anywhere i can get plans for |the dimensions of metal needed to make up a towing bracket for this |vehicle ? | |There does not seem to be any set plan for these as they are obviously |dependant on the makeup of the rear of each different make of auto.

My 40 year old (5' * 3') unbraked trailer has fitted the tow ball on every car I have had in 40 years.

Have you got the wrong type of tow bar? My present Witter tow bar has room for any hitch without problems.

[Dave]

Dave Fawthrop wrote: [...]

If you read the OP again you'll see he's asking about making a tow bar, he doesn't have one ATM so it can't be the 'wrong type'.

As far as making one goes, it's probably illegal in that it won't be certified as complying with the relevant regulations - I know this is a DIY group, but in this case I'd stick to DIYing the fitting of a proper one.

Dave

[Dave Fawthrop]

|Dave Fawthrop wrote: |[...] |> Have you got the wrong type of tow bar? My present Witter tow bar |> has room for any hitch without problems. | |If you read the OP again you'll see he's asking about making a tow bar, he |doesn't have one ATM so it can't be the 'wrong type'.

Which as other people have pointed out is a *bad* idea.

.

[Dave]

Absolutely, and so did I (but you chose not to quote that bit of my message).

The point that I made about you misunderstanding the original question still stands.

[Sponix]

Bit weird that it's effectively illegal to make your own towbar but a completely different matter when it comes to the trailer itself!

sponix

[Ian White]

Quick - cancel that post before the ODPM sees it!

[Sponix]

Do you recon fat-boy Prescott has a towbar on any of his jags?

sponix

[Paul-S8]

I almost could have helped you out, I have a volvo towbar that I need to get rid of.

Oh well

[Ian White]

No, but I'm sure his department would be happy to dream up a new set of regulations for the rest of us. They're watching everywhere, you know...

[Baz]

A mate of mine wanted to make a towbar, so he ordered one from a mail order catalogue, measured it all up and sent it back. Baz

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Given the relatively low cost of these things I'd be surprised if he could make one for anywhere near the same price if buying new materials in the small quantities involved. Rather like kitchen cabinets.

[The Medway Handyman]

How else would he carry his lunch around?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I was thinking more like gut.

[Baz]

Not if you have access to an engineering workshop and materials and do it in works time. Baz

[Mike]

Not if you have access to an engineering workshop and materials and do it in works time. Baz

Thats theft that is

Mike

[T i m]

And kit cars using the floorpan / running gear (afaIk) don't need to go through the more rigorous MOT test thing that 'complete' kit cars do?

However, even a trailer has to be 'roadworthy' so if it was showing any signs of 'unroadworthyness' I'm sure it would be carted off for a closer inspection by the boys in blue?

I'll agree re the buying rather than making of a bar these days ..(*I* have fitted them to all my vehicles having 6 towable things), even if I had the materials / facilities to hand? As mentioned it's not just the size, section and gauge of the steels used but the array of bolts / spacers / washers etc that are often in a bag as heavy as the bar itself that add to the complication! ;-)

I would like to fit a towbar to her 93 1.4i Astra (Belmont) just 'because' .. (it will tow all our stuff ok) but haven't got round to it yet .. (if anyone out there is getting rid of a suitable bar though .. ) ;-)

All the best ..

T i m