Thinking of getting a tow-bar but need some advice.

The tow-bar will only be towing a small trailer, never anything tall or heavy like a caravan etc.only garden stuff and oven back trailer not a box or anything.

i have been told that if it's a low trailer, and you can see the car lights 100% you don't need electrics fitted (saves a lot of money)

Also can you fit these yourself as long as you put some good bolts in as it only bumper off.

Thanks.

 

Could this help ?
https://ate-uk.com/trailer-lighting-regulations/

I've fitted towbars myself in the past but always ensure you have quality nuts & bolts and not some inferior nut & bolts from a DIY shop, usually if you buy the towbar it'll come with everything, including where to drill, be weary buying a secondhand towbar, I know I wouldn't as you don't know it's past history.

48 minutes ago, Ian Lanc said:

I know I wouldn't as you don't know it's past history.

That's a little like the argument that 'I wouldn't buy used tyres because you don't know their past'.

The problem with that is if you buy for example a 10 year old car, do you immediately replace the towbar (if fitted) and all the tyres because you don't know the past history ?

At what point do you draw the line, do you have to for example replace all the brakes immediately on a used car ? Personally I think common sense has to play large part, and a good inspection of the condition of the parts or equipment needs to undertaken, but just a blanket ban 'I'm not going to fit used parts' seems to me a little extreme.

 

22 hours ago, unofix said:

That's a little like the argument that 'I wouldn't buy used tyres because you don't know their past'.

The problem with that is if you buy for example a 10 year old car, do you immediately replace the towbar (if fitted) and all the tyres because you don't know the past history ?

At what point do you draw the line, do you have to for example replace all the brakes immediately on a used car ? Personally I think common sense has to play large part, and a good inspection of the condition of the parts or equipment needs to undertaken, but just a blanket ban 'I'm not going to fit used parts' seems to me a little extreme.

 

Your reply seems argumentative! Is it ?

As someone who once did buy used part-worn tyres in the 90's [lost my job so money saving was on our minds] I can firmly say I'd never buy part-worn tyres ever again, two tyres fitted to the front, a couple of months on whilst out in the car, the car started to vibrate like hell, had to stop straight away, on looking at one tyre there was a massive tear in the rubber tread, not even dealing with that garage I got them from, I decided to get two new tyres fitted, the tyre that had failed had been involved in a crash, the actual inside had massive fracture points and on the inside outer sidewall had chunks of rubber missing, I couldn't see that 😞 

I'd never buy a car with a towbar fitted in the first place, chassis's can be really stressed by what ever they pulled, that was my late mam's motto as well and she was a HGV driver at that, she'd always say ''stay well clear of cars with a bar fitted''

1 hour ago, Ian Lanc said:

I'd never buy a car with a towbar fitted in the first place...

So, using that argument, does that mean you never intend to sell the car ever, as it will now have a history of being fitted with a towbar? 

4 hours ago, Ian Lanc said:

Your reply seems argumentative! Is it ?

Not in the least.

Simply pointing out that saying all used parts must be considered suspect because you don't have the full history of them seems a little extreme.

It annoys me immensely when "so called" professional organisations like the AA and RAC condemn out of hand the purchase of part worn tyres because there history is unknown. Following their logic then every used vehicle should only ever be sold with a brand new set of tyres. How many times do we see people on the forum advertising for sale very expensive and very good quality wheels and tyres because they are upgrading ?

Everyone is entitled to an opinion something that the current cancel culture seem to have forgotten. You may not agree with my views and vice versa but that's life. We can discuss and agree to disagree 😉