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FAQs
No, all of our vans have the latest Snap-On® 18 volt battery powered tools. This gives us the flexibility to fit your towbar just about anywhere, at your home or work it’s up to you.
Yes you can, all of our vans have mobile Eftpos machines allowing you to pay via cheque, savings or credit. We accept all major credit cards – Visa, Master Card, Amex and Diners Club cards.
Most likely no, towbars are made for a particular vehicle depending on its year, make and model.
Fitting an aftermarket towbar will not cause you to void your vehicle warranty contrary to what you may hear from vehicle sales representatives or vehicle companies. Just remember that you have to stay within the vehicles recommended towing capacity. If there is a problem that arises as a result of the towbar being faulty and you have stayed within the recommended towing capacity you will be fully covered by The Towbar Shop's Lifetime Warranty for as long as you own the vehicle.
The towbar must have a capacity that exceeds the loaded weight of the trailer you are intending to tow. Therefore you must check the rating of the towbar and the vehicles rated towing capacity which is included in the towing section of the vehicle’s handbook.
If your vehicle has a tow rating this can be found in the handbook under the towing section. The vehicle tow rating will include a trailer weight capacity and a trailer ball weight capacity. All The Towbar Shop towbars have a compliance plate which states the maximum tow rating and the towbar ball weight capacity. You should check the handbook to check the details for your particular vehicle model.
Ball weight refers to the weight on the front end of the trailer not carried over the axles. As a rule you should aim to have 10 percent of the total trailer weight as ball weight. This can be measured at a weigh bridge by resting the jockey wheel only on the scale.
All trailers with an aggregate trailer mass (including the load) over 750kg must be fitted with brakes to comply with national road regulations. Any trailer with electric brakes needs a brake controller to activate the operation of the brakes. The brake controller sets the timing and level of power output to the trailer brakes when activated by pressing the brake pedal in the vehicle.
The trailer ball mount can be left in the hitch receiver as long as it does not obscure the licence plate. To prevent theft, The Towbar Shop towbars have a Hitch Pin Lock available which replaces the standard pin and clip. Alternatively you can remove the trailer ball mount and store it in a secure place and use a hitch box cover to provide a neat finish on the towbar and at the same time stop dirt and water readily getting into the hitch receiver.
If your trailer’s ball weight is causing the back end of the vehicle to sag, a weight distributing hitch can be used to return the vehicle to its normal height and ensure you have full traction for braking and steering control. The weight distributing hitch is designed to ensure a return to even distribution of weight across all wheels of the tow vehicle and trailer. This even distribution ensures that positive steering and braking control is maintained.
Yes, we sell most accessories for our towbar ranges, including for other branded towbars.
The hook up process is lifting and transferring the ball weight. As this can in many cases be a large weight we recommend that you use the jockey wheel to assist in lifting the weight. Therefore always wind down the jockey wheel so that the coupling of the trailer is lifted up before you put the springbars in place and connect the chains. You may also have to hook up a progressively higher chain link to get to the desired link rather than doing it in one step.
Generally correct weight distribution will contribute to controlling sway because all wheels have full traction on the road. However, sway can still occur from passing trucks, cross winds etc. If a weight distributing hitch has been fitted and you want to ensure sway is minimised, a Hayman Reese sway control unit is highly recommended. A Friction Sway control can be used for ball weights from 0kg upwards. A Dual Cam Sway control can be used for ball weights from 160kg upwards. Just ask us to help determine the appropriate unit to suit your needs.
A trailer has ball weight on the coupling which when connected to the vehicle is held by the suspension over the back axle. This load is redistributed to all wheels of the vehicle and trailer using a weight distributing hitch to return the vehicle to its normal height. If a load is being permanently carried in the back of the vehicle (e.g. if gas has been fitted) then it may be appropriate to replace the standard springs with higher rated (carrying capacity) springs. These will not transfer any load away from the axle but will provide better support for the higher load being carried. It is preferable to transfer the ball weight when towing to ensure that the vehicle’s rear axle is not overloaded and to ensure maximum traction of all wheels on the road for optimum braking and steering control.