Towbar Fitting
Here at Tamar Trailer Towbar Centre we are passionate about Towbars and more importantly installing them. We offer a number of choices; fixed, detachable and retractable and we advise our customers on the best system to suit their needs.
Our workshop staff are fully qualified, trained and NTTA (National Trailer and Towing Association) approved, with over 20 years experience in the Trailer, Towbar and Motor Trade. Every care is taken when fitting your vehicle with a Towbar, any holes drilled into the body or chassis are fully protected with wax oil or under seal. You can rest assured that your car is looked after from start to finish.
We are a premium Towbar dealer, fitting and supplying OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) towbars. We only fit the best, leading manufacturers bars, simply because of strength, safety and build quality.
We are 5 star Dealers for Thule Towing Systems Brink, and can also supply and fit Witter, Westfalia and Watling Towbars.
Many vehicle manufacturers use Brink, Witter & Westfalia towbars as their approved equipment.
We also specialize in Vehicle Specific Wiring – which is the future of towing electrics. The modern car and commercial vehicle is becoming more and more advanced electrically as the Manufacturers strive to gain an advantage over their competitors and to give the end user more equipment as standard. A good example of this is Vauxhall who introduced, as standard, the TSP (Trailer Stability Program).
While your car is being fitted with its Towbar, you can relax with a cup of tea or coffee in our waiting room, or we have a courtesy car at your disposal.
Towbar Electrics
Choosing the right towing electrics for your vehicle is very important. Many new cars will need a VSK (Vehicle Specific Kit) or at least a Bypass Relay, older cars may not need either!
Will you be towing a caravan or just a small camping trailer?
Has your car got ESP? ……. TSP?
Does your vehicle have parking sensors?
Whatever is required you can be confident that your vehicle is fitted with the best.
Single, Double or 13 Pin Electrics?
Single Electrics – “12N”
Every Towbar is fitted with “12N” electrics. It is identifiable by the black socket on your bar. The 12N provides the power for the individual trailer lights, i.e. sidelights, brake lights, fog light and indicators.
Twin Electrics – “12S”
Double Electrics come as an optional extra and is used for interior caravan services i.e. Auxiliary battery charging and running the fridge.
If you are not going to be towing a caravan you do not need 12S electrics.
13 Pin Electrics
13 Pin sockets combine the functions of the 12N and 12S type in one socket. With effect from September 2008, caravan manufacturers have decided to replace the 12N and 12S plugs with the 13 pin plug. There are many advantages in only using a single plug and socket connection and although it will take some time for the consumer to adopt the 13 pin, it is likely to be broadly accepted.
Adaptor connectors and leads are readily available to convert 13 pin to 12N & 12S and vice-versa.
Bypass or Vehicle Specific
Bypass
A Bypass relay system is a very efficient and affordable option, and can be installed on vehicles that have a “bulb failure” warning system.
A bulb failure warning will appear on the instrument panel when a drop in voltage occurs in the lighting system; i.e. a blown bulb.
When extra lighting is added to the car, like a trailer or caravan, it draws more voltage from the car. The vehicle detects a drop in voltage and the bulb failure warning will be displayed on the dashboard.
A bypass relay is fitted with the towing electrics to alleviate this problem. It replaces the drop in voltage so that the cars warning system will not detect it.
In simple terms, it “hides” it.
A bypass relay, however, WILL NOT activate any safety features, such as ESP or TSP.
What is a multiplexed CAN Bussed system?
CAN stands for Controlled Area Network.
Originally developed in the early 1980’s by the Robert Bosch corporation, for automotive applications.
The use of Can bussed systems allows the manufacturers of automotive vehicles to seriously reduce the cost of construction by incorporating CAN technology. In place of yards of wiring harnesses, a single pair of wires became sufficient as the transmission medium and because CAN’s are now used in such huge volumes, all the components are extremely affordable. Its high transfer rate and high transmitter reliability, as well as the ability to recognise data error, makes it ideal in electrical noisy environments, where earthing/grounding can be a problem.
Vehicle Specific Kit
A Vehicle Specific Kit (VSK) is an extension of the vehicles wiring loom, it literally plugs in to the system, and becomes part of the vehicles wiring. It is more reliable than a bypass relay as it doesn’t splice into, or break any cables, it just plugs in!
The VSK can be fitted to most cars, from the most technically advanced to the simplest.
Cars are becoming more advanced and many modern cars have software such as ESP and TSP lying dormant. The VSK is fitted and the car is coded (or programmed) to activate the Towing software. It “communicates” with the vehicle when a trailer or caravan is plugged into the socket, and makes necessary adjustments to the brakes, steering and suspension. It can also (if applicable) switch off parking sensors when hooked up to a trailer.
Note: The VSK is a relatively new development in towing electrics but in the near future all vehicles will have to be fitted with a VSK.
Standard
Older vehicles or cars with simpler electrical systems don’t need a bypass or a VSK, the towing electrics can be spliced straight into the wiring harness with no modifications. We call this “Standard”.
WHAT IS ESP and TSP?
With such huge advances in vehicle technology, manufacturers have sought to develop systems which give them an edge over their competitors.
This is none more apparent than in vehicle safety systems. The 1980’s saw ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) become a selling feature for one or two manufacturers, this is now commonplace on 99% of vehicles on our roads. Over the last years we have seen other features such as brake force distribution, side impact bars, rear passenger airbags, curtain airbags and so on. The latest safety feature which is fast becoming a primary safety feature on nearly all vehicles is the Electronic Stability Program (ESP).
ESP is a further enhancement to the ABS and Traction Control System (TCS). It is designed to detect a difference between the drivers control inputs and the actual response of the vehicle. When a difference is detected the system intervenes by providing braking forces the appropriate wheels to correct the path of the vehicle. This automatic reaction is engineered for improved vehicle stability, particularly during severe cornering and on low friction road surfaces, by helping to reduce over-steering and under-steering.
TSP (Trailer Stability Program) lies dormant in the vehicle’s ESP software until brought into operation when the vehicle detects a trailer or caravan being connected.
When a trailer starts to sway dangerously, it is usually a result of the way of driving, speed, crosswinds, road condition and/or a badly laden trailer or caravan. Caravans and Horse trailers present a special risk. When snaking occurs, many drivers show the wrong reaction, and under stress try to keep the tow vehicle and trailer on track by counter steering. This only amplifies the swaying effect and finally leads to an accident.
The Trailer Stability Program recognizes the swaying and applies braking forces to the appropriate wheels while simultaneously reducing the engine speed and thus ending the swaying movement.
Tamar Trailer & Towbar Centre are proud to be working with:
