General Tow bar fitted

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General Tow bar fitted

Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Messages
59
Points
12
Location
Glasgow
Got around to fitting a Witter tow bar to 'BRIAN' this afternoon.

For anyone that is considering it...

plus points
+ very straight forward to fit
+ easy access around the back of the car and underneath (after the middle section of the bumper is removed)
+ no need to raise or lift the back of the car

negative points
- sorting out the electrical connections for the trailer socket
- trimming the bl***y bumper to fit snugly round the bl***y tow bracket...

Lucky points
# accidentally routing the electrical loom in to the passenger side of the boot and discovering that the main wiring loom for all lighting was on that side behind the panel

Alex
Spirito di Doblo (20% ABV)
 
To meet the new regs' the car must be set up to receive a tow-bar - that's of course if the manufacturer declared it at time of European Whole Type Approval... which Ford didn't do with the Ka so its illegal to fit one to a Ford Furball (KA, the noise a cat makes bringing one up...)

So in the case of the Doblo the only holes that you have to use - that aren't used on a standard Doblo - are pre-drilled and fitted with a rubber gromit and a plastic plug.

Process
+Take off the middle part of the rear bumper (a mixture of Size 30 Torx and a couple of screws)
+Remove the fitted crash bar (basically a square section metal beam the size of the bumper mid-section) its secured by 6 easy to get to bolts, 3 each side
+Put the towbar into the position of the crash bar - it looks identical and is slightly heavier duty - apart from the towbar mounting bracket
+Fit a 'side arm' to the each end of this towbar/crash bar - two bolts each side
+If you look under the boot carpet, in the far most back corner at the rear vents you'll see a rubber gromit - this is what's removed. Under the car there is a white plastic plug, the bolt comes out here into the side arm (a simple tube shaped bush about 5cm long is used up inside this hole for extra strength - just a case of pushing it upwards throught the hole) and secured with a nut.
+Tighten up the nuts and bolts (checking you've put all the necessary washers in the correct places and the locking washers are the right way round)
+Fun part comes up now... you cut the bumper to have a snug fit round the protuding tow bracket - this is fiddley in fact it was the longest part of the job - especially 'cause I wanted to shave it down gradually to get a real neat finish.
+Put the bumper back on
+If you're comfortable with the tapping into the electrics to connect up the trailer socket then take off the rear, passenger side panel (one allen bolt and six screws)
If not then rope in a mate who can!

Easily a one man job. I sat on a picnic blanket and did it in a few hours (with a steady load of cuppas). The large towbar/crash bar weighs about the same as a heavy bag of groceries.

I got mine from Towbar Warehouse
http://www.towbarwarehouse.co.uk/towbars/price_list.html
£125 for the towbar, all the fittings, electrical socket and instructions. free 24/48hr delivery.
The fitting instructions are available on the site in .pdf format for you to have a look.

I'll see if I can get a pic on of the finished job.

Alex
Spirito di Doblo (20% ABV)
 
Alex,

Thanks for your help - it's odd, but I found the Trailer Warehouse - same firm, last year when I needed parts for my elderly trailer - but follwoed habit and went to GT Towing to check this price. Otherwise I could have answered my own question!!
 
Hi everybody, great site. Just bought myself a 'preloved' doblo - 06 plate.
Have to say I'm quite chuffed with it so far.
Just been looking around to buy a towbar & couldn't locate anyone local to fit but having seen this thread & looked at DiY kits, I have to say it's going to be a doddle.
Looking at kits though, some suppliers say that there are wiring kits that simply plug into a socket pre-installed by the manufacturer rather than using the scotchlok connectors - anyone know if the doblo has these sockets?
 
No socket on mine...
I have a 2005 Doblo (the MkI with the 'refresh'?) I had to figure out which coloured wire powered what, in the rear light clusters.
The easiest way to do this is to take off the rear light clusters and trace it back to the multi-plug, this will give you the colours of the cables. As far as I can remember I had to take a lead from the off-side rear light cluster for the rear, off-side indicator as it was routed differently in the loom from everything else. If you have a 2006 MkII then I believe they have a different loom (the name escapes me right now! Multi-plex wiring???).
As I mentioned originally the fitting of the actually tow-bar was ridiculously simple (y)

Alex
Spirito di Doblo (20% ABV)
 
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