Not necessarily! Many think that it is essential to have your towing equipment level to chassis and go great lengths to try to achieve this. There is a wide range for both the towball and towing couplings making this near on impossible to achieve. The specifications promote a tendency towards a slightly nose down of the trailer with the range of the trailer being up to 35mm higher than the range of the height of the towball. However your towing equipment should be somewhat level taking in to consideration the statement above to improve your driving stability, braking performance, ground clearance and to prevent any unwanted movement.

The EC directive states that this should be 385mm to 455mm with the trailer in the 'laden' condition. What does Laden mean? Laden condition is when the trailer is loaded to it maximum specified mass.

We know that taking time out of your busy schedule to visit a garage can be inconvenient. Trying to work out the logistics can be enough to out you off. That is why we offer a mobile towbar fitting service that brings our technicians straight to your door. ​ As long as you can provide a safe place for our towbar technicians to carry out the work we can fit your towbar almost anywhere. We simply pull up to your chosen address and complete the towbar installation. Sit back enjoy your day! Once your towbar installation is complete the technician will run tests and demonstrate your new towbar to you. It really is as hassle free as that!

The main things you're probably thinking about when buying a towbar is 'how much will my towbar cost? Towbars can be expensive, and the price can vary depending on your car, towbar and location, but you can't put a price on safety. So, it's vital that your towbar is vehicle specific, brand new, professionally fitted and has an vehicle specific electrics kit. Of course, each of these different elements comes at a price so we've broken it down to give you a clear understanding of what you can expect to pay for a towbar. This includes: Towbar Price Electrical Kits Price Towbar Fitting Price The price can vary greatly depending on your car, the towbar you choose and where your towbar is fitted. If you plan on towing anything, buying the right towbar and having it professionally fitted is a worthwhile investment. Towbar Price The price of a towbar changes depending on your vehicle's make, model and age and the type of towbar you are having fitted. It also depends on the towbar manufacturer as some products are more expensive. This is because some towbars have a slicker design or they may be higher quality than others. This does sometimes vary and can also differ by brand as some towbar brands are more expensive than others. To decide which towbar would be best for your needs, check out our towbar guide here. Electrical Kits Electrical kits are a crucial part of towbar installation. An electrical kit is essential as it synchronises the electrics in your car with those on your trailer, caravan or bike rack which is required by law. This includes signal lights like brakes and indicators and can also power the electrics inside your caravan to keep the fridge cold when you're on the move. Just like towbars, the cost of an electrical kit can vary greatly depending on the kit you choose and the make, model and age of your car. We would always recommend a vehicle specific electrics kit where possible. They can sync up with all of your vehicle's enhanced towing features such as ABS and anti-sway features. Please call our sales team who will gladly offer you the very best advice for your vehicle and your towing needs. To help you decide, check out our Electrics guide here To ensure you have everything you need to safely tow, Southern Towbars offer an all-inclusive price for the towbar, fitting, vehicle electrics and software upgrade. You can expect to pay anywhere from around £300 to £1000 including VAT for your towbar, electrics and fitting by a professional. If you need help working out what is best for your towing needs and your vehicle, Please give our sales team a call who can advise you on the best option to go for.

We don't require much space just enough for the technician to be able to freely get in and out of your vehicle.

A towbar installation can take anywhere from one hour to four hours depending on your vehicle. Every single make and model of a vehicle is different. We always say to our customers to be prepared to not use your vehicle for up to four hours to avoid disappointment. Some vehices ca be tricker then others, occassionly taking even longer than four hours.

When deciding on which towbar to purchase for your vehicle there are a few things to consider. To ensure that your towing experience is not only simple and practical but ultimately safe. Use our towbar guide to help you identify which one to go for

All of our technicians will show you how to use your new towar and ensure that you feel confident in doing so before they leave.

Whilst this process will invalidate your existing warranty with Southern Towbars, re-fitment to your new vehicle is fine provided you are 100% happy with the condition the towbar is in and you are 100% aware of the towing history of the towbar. We do recommend that all fixings should be replaced with new ones to ensure safe practice.

We do not recommend the re-fitment of second hand towbars for the simple reason that you do not know the history of the towbar you are purchasing. It may seem a cheap means of acquiring a towbar but we cannot stress the importance of such a safety critical item. It is not always possible to remove all of the components. Towbars frequently require additional parts inserted into the vehicle which subsequently cannot be removed. These components then become detached when the towbar is removed. A huge number of parts make up a towbar from bolts to washers, each and every part is just as important as the next. These MUST be retained if some of these crucial parts are missing it can be deemed unsafe and your vehicles towing ability can be significantly compromised. It isn't worth saving a few pounds for your safety.

The height of towbar is predetermined from the E.C. directive 94/20 which states that the towball has to finish between the heights of 350mm and 420mm when the vehicle is laden, unless the vehicle manufacturer states otherwise. How to measure towball height? The towball height is measured from the distance between the ground and the centre of the towball.

No! To do this will significantly increase the leverage on the vehicle/towbar interface. This will result in damage or failure of the vehicle frame and toeing system components. It would almost certainly invalidate the EC approval and quite possibly invalidate your vehicles insurance. Therefore it should be considered that any liabilities found as a result of an unauthorised modification of the towing system would rest with the installer and/or user.

If you are planning on getting a towbar to your vehicle you need to inform your insurance company to avoid your insurance invalidated. If you make any modifications to your vehicle you insurance company will need to now as it can affect your policy. It is unlikely to change your pricing plan but some companies may decide to raise your policy premium as a result of you having a towbar installed.

It is often the case that one customer's height requirement is different to another depending on what make of trailer or caravan is being towed. In many instances once a customer doesn't achieve the height they require, it is immediately assumed that it is the towbar that is the problem. It is possible however that there are reasons for a low towing height that are not a towbar related issue. Possible reasons include worn suspension that has lowered with time and modified sports suspension that sits lower than standard. Tyre pressure can play a big part. You can check your towbar height via loading your vehicle to its laden position, however if you are still unsure please give us a call.

With the number of electric vehicles now on our roads more and more electric vehicles are being designed with towing in mind. Some may have lower towing capacities whilst others have none. Before purchasing call our sales team who can advise you on all electric vehicles

If you are planning on towing it is extremely important to know what your vehicle is capable of, whether it is homologated for towing and that your towing equipment is within those allowances set out for safety, legal and insurance purposes. How do I find out my vehicles towing capacity? To identify your vehicles towing capacity you will need to locate your vehicles VIN (vehicle identification plate), This is usually found in the door frames, under your bonnet. This will display 3 or 4 sets of weight. It is these weights. The top figure is the gross vehicle weight, the maximum allowable mass (MAM) of the vehicle including occupants, fuel and payload. The second figure is the gross train weight, the combined maximum allowable mass f the vehicle and trailer. The third and fourth figures are maximum axle loads front and rear. The manufacturers maximum towing capacity for your vehicle is the gross vehicle weight subtracted by the gross train weight. The VIN plate in the above image has a capacity of 1838kg. 3360kg-1960kg =1838kg Not all vehicles are designed for towing. There are various types of vehicles which wont be able to tow anything such as certain performance cars, some hybrids, sports cars and city car models are not deemed suitable for towing. If your vehicle isn't approved for towing the value line for gross weight train will either be zero or removed completely. As you can see in the image, the second set of numbers is set to 0kg this means that this vehicle is not designed for towing.

With a lot of new cars being now fitted with parking sensors as standard. There is a good chance that the towball can activate the parking sensors. in some vehicles, the vehicle is able to automatically deactivate the sensors when a trailer is attached to the vehicle. In some vehicle you have to option to turn these off altogether. A detachable towbar is the most popular solution to using a towbar on a vehicle that has rear parking sensors because you are able to remove the neck whilst you are not towing. Vehicle specific wiring can too overcome this problem on some vehicles by deactivating the the sensors whilst the towing equipment is attached.