Hi
I am fitting a Tow Trust detachable flange type towbar (yes they do exist - model TF1031D). One nice thing is that with a second Detachable Extension (the bit the ball is attached to!) I can have one dedicated to a greaseless Alko hitch and fitted with a Maxxraxx bike rack when towing the caravan and another for the greased hitch on my box trailer. Just a single twist of a knob to change over! Am having a break from fitting as I thought I may as well make the towbar 'invisible' when an extension is not attached by colour coordinating it with the body. Seemed a good idea at the time until I tried to get the paint! It is a solid colour, Blue Jump Code 476/B, but Halfords et al don't stock it nor do Fiat dealers. In the end I had a 400ml base coat aerosol made for £12.50 + VAT. Had to ring around as the prices vary a lot. Blue Jump is a solid colour but the paint is a 2 pack one which EEC says can only be used by people with an approved booth. The base coat will have to have a clear lacquer final coat. Tow Trust give their tow bars a protective layer of iron phosphate and then powder coat them in Ford Chassis Black. I just sprayed the bar in grey primer and don't expect any rejection problems as there won't be any solvent residue to spoil the finish which might have happened if they were brush painted with chassis black.

I can say that fitting your own towbar even with both 12N and 12S cable connections is no great problem now that I have done it! For anyone without a multimeter the cable connections in the rear light clusters are as follows. The number is Fiat's terminal numbering.
Left
green/black indicator 5
black earth 4
red/yellow stop 3
yellow/black side 2
white reversing 1

Right
light green indiactor 1
black earth 2
red/black stop 3
yellow/red side 4
mauve fog 5

There are negative earth posts on each of the rear pillars (the one on the right was unused. I have fitted a Ryder UltraSmart 7 Bypass Relay with fog-light cutoff (TF2218P-FC) to get over the problems of Fiat's thin wiring harness, and a 30 amp TF1170-3 Smart self-switching combination caravan relay.
Now just have to watch the paint dry!

Hi SillyBilly,

I'm about to fit a Bosal swan neck in a couple of weeks on a 2001, was the mounting holes on the multipla straight forward or was there any drilling required.

I had a towbar company fit a Witter towbar to mine a few years back -- lots of drilling, and they're big holes too.

As to wiring, there is a dedicated plug in the original wiring loom that brings all the connections into one place.... or, maybe that's on my Panda. Can't actually remember now!

Pete

Hi Grapelli
You will have to drill the multipla. It is very easy to do using a bimetal hole cutter for the 1" 25mm holes and the other holes are straightforward. If you are fitting a new bar it will come with instructions. If not the Fiat Handbook (I have one for sale together with an Audio Handbook for £10 + £2p&p) has details of what is required. It will be the same for all makes of bar.
The plates which go on the top are easily placed as there are dimples in the floor which you centre in the holes in the plates. You will have some sturdy steel sleeves which go in the holes (2 are put in through holes in the rear bulkhead) and act as braces between the inner and outer steel sheet. The washers are sized as needed.
The pre-facelift bug doesn't come with a cable socket but I think the facelift model does. I ran cables from the front using the cable 'runs' beneath the plastic trim on the lhs.
Quite a simple job for a competent DIYer. Apart from the hole saw (about £7) and a tungsten tipped drill-bit the cost is negligible.
Good luck if you decide to do it yourself.

Cheers for the info guys,

Will give it a go, just need to order the multiplex relay and socket.

Hi,

Old thread, but my topic would be called the same (well, 2003 instead of 2004) so I'll just use this thread.

I'm about to fit a tow bar to my Multi. What do I do with parking sensors? I would like to be able to reverse without the constant beeping. Is there a "simple" way around this possible problem?

Hi
Not sure what you mean as my UglyBug didn't have them. I don't think fitting the bar is affected. You would only get the beeping if there is a central sensor but presumably you detach that connection?

Yes, a towbar may well affect reversing sensors. Unfortunately the only way you can find out is fitting the bar and see what happens. I had to disconnect my sensors, but my bar has a flange fitting, so is always in place.

Incidentally, a single continental 13 pin electrics socket is a much tidier wiring solution than the two UK sockets, and can be got from most caravan/trailer shops.

I wasn't clear with my question. The tow bar itself won't be a problem, i hope. What I'm thinking about is when I'm in reverse with a trailer on. I found a wiring kit that I hope disables the parking sensor, I'll find it out in a week or so.