Omega Owners Forum - Towbar recommendations

geoffr70

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Towbar recommendations
27. Apr 2011 at 23:07

Greetings! Can anyone recommend a good towbar for my facelift saloon please? I've got a factory fit detachable one on the MV6 but need one for the elite. Ideally a flange type one, ideally with twin electrics for my caravan. Also, what's a bypass relay, what does that do? Thanks

P.S. I've seen witter ones and heard they're meant to be quite good? How much should i be paying for one? I'll fit it myself, I know they're meant to be type approved and all that.

Thanks peeps

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henryd

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Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #1 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:16

the bypass relay eliminates any extra load on the vehicle lighting circuit,basically a fancy switching relay which you wire in with its own live to power the trailer lights,if its just a trailer board being used its not important to use one but modern caravans have lots of lights so quite a good idea to fit one.I wired the t/bar on my mig using one and it has the indicator audible warning built in Thumbs Up!

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« Last Edit: 27. Apr 2011 at 23:18 by henryd »

other drives Fiat ulysses 2.0 16v
peugeot 406 hdi 110
Fiesta 1.3 encore yuk
swift utopia to slow the mig down a bit !!

v6 lock kit available locally

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geoffr70 Omega Knight Offline Join the 3 litre club! Then the 10.5 l club woo! Posts: 1881 Sunderland Gender: Drives: 2000 f/l 3.0 Elite Saloon auto, 2000 f/l 3.0 MV6 Saloon manual, Dennis RS133 (occasionally!)	Re: Towbar recommendations Reply #2 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:21 My caravan is a fifty million year old shed on wheels, it's only got the normal lights at the back, could i just get a normal twin electrics towbar, one for the lights and the other to power the fridge to keep my bombardier cold on the way to the campsite? Thanks
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henryd

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Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #3 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:28

geoffr70 wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:21:

My caravan is a fifty million year old shed on wheels, it's only got the normal lights at the back, could i just get a normal twin electrics towbar, one for the lights and the other to power the fridge to keep my bombardier cold on the way to the campsite? Thanks Thumbs Up!

The main reason I fitted one to my elite was because of the brake light check circuit,I thought that it might feck that up with the van attached

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other drives Fiat ulysses 2.0 16v
peugeot 406 hdi 110
Fiesta 1.3 encore yuk
swift utopia to slow the mig down a bit !!

v6 lock kit available locally

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geoffr70

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Drives: 2000 f/l 3.0 Elite Saloon auto, 2000 f/l 3.0 MV6 Saloon manual, Dennis RS133 (occasionally!)

Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #4 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:32

henryd wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:28:

geoffr70 wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:21:

My caravan is a fifty million year old shed on wheels, it's only got the normal lights at the back, could i just get a normal twin electrics towbar, one for the lights and the other to power the fridge to keep my bombardier cold on the way to the campsite? Thanks Thumbs Up!

The main reason I fitted one to my elite was because of the brake light check circuit,I thought that it might feck that up with the van attached

oh yeah, didn't think of that! Thanks

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Andy B

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Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #5 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:33

henryd wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:28:

geoffr70 wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:21:

My caravan is a fifty million year old shed on wheels, it's only got the normal lights at the back, could i just get a normal twin electrics towbar, one for the lights and the other to power the fridge to keep my bombardier cold on the way to the campsite? Thanks Thumbs Up!

The main reason I fitted one to my elite was because of the brake light check circuit,I thought that it might feck that up with the van attached

An Omega has pretty basic electrics for the trailer lighting so you don't need a by-pass relay. If you get a proper 'trailer check control' relay from Vauxhall (mine was c£16) then you get brake light check on your trailer/caravan too. Thumbs Up!

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geoffr70

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Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #6 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:37

Andy B wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:33:

henryd wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:28:

geoffr70 wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:21:

My caravan is a fifty million year old shed on wheels, it's only got the normal lights at the back, could i just get a normal twin electrics towbar, one for the lights and the other to power the fridge to keep my bombardier cold on the way to the campsite? Thanks Thumbs Up!

The main reason I fitted one to my elite was because of the brake light check circuit,I thought that it might feck that up with the van attached

An Omega has pretty basic electrics for the trailer lighting so you don't need a by-pass relay. If you get a proper 'trailer check control' relay from Vauxhall (mine was c£16) then you get brake light check on your trailer/caravan too. Thumbs Up!

Thanks AndyB

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geoffr70 Omega Knight Offline Join the 3 litre club! Then the 10.5 l club woo! Posts: 1881 Sunderland Gender: Drives: 2000 f/l 3.0 Elite Saloon auto, 2000 f/l 3.0 MV6 Saloon manual, Dennis RS133 (occasionally!)	Re: Towbar recommendations Reply #7 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:38 I've seen so many different shapes of towbar when I search for them on egay, does anyone know which one is best? Thanks
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henryd

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Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #8 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:46

geoffr70 wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:38:

I've seen so many different shapes of towbar when I search for them on egay, does anyone know which one is best? Thanks

depends if you want swan neck or flange type,I went for brink detachable as I used to get fed up bashing my shins on the fixed flange type that I had on my previous jeep when loading gear into the boot

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other drives Fiat ulysses 2.0 16v
peugeot 406 hdi 110
Fiesta 1.3 encore yuk
swift utopia to slow the mig down a bit !!

v6 lock kit available locally

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geoffr70

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Join the 3 litre club!
Then the 10.5 l club
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Posts: 1881
Sunderland
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Drives: 2000 f/l 3.0 Elite Saloon auto, 2000 f/l 3.0 MV6 Saloon manual, Dennis RS133 (occasionally!)

Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #9 - 27. Apr 2011 at 23:50

henryd wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:46:

geoffr70 wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:38:

I've seen so many different shapes of towbar when I search for them on egay, does anyone know which one is best? Thanks

depends if you want swan neck or flange type,I went for brink detachable as I used to get fed up bashing my shins on the fixed flange type that I had on my previous jeep when loading gear into the boot

can the swan neck be quickly and easily removed (just the back bit) as if to make on there is no towbar? And can it also be installed without bumper cut and removal? Thanks

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henryd

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Drives: Merc E220 estate,previous ride 2.5 elite estate

Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #10 - 28. Apr 2011 at 00:05

geoffr70 wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:50:

henryd wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:46:

geoffr70 wrote on 27. Apr 2011 at 23:38:

I've seen so many different shapes of towbar when I search for them on egay, does anyone know which one is best? Thanks

depends if you want swan neck or flange type,I went for brink detachable as I used to get fed up bashing my shins on the fixed flange type that I had on my previous jeep when loading gear into the boot

can the swan neck be quickly and easily removed (just the back bit) as if to make on there is no towbar? And can it also be installed without bumper cut and removal? Thanks

the brink that I used does need a bumper cut but its not visible from behind,its very neat and tidy and there is a knob which you push in and turn to remove the bar(which is lockable with a key)

this is the saloon version of the bar that I have http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brink-Detach-Towbar-Vauxhall-Omega-Saloon-94-03-/230598437...

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other drives Fiat ulysses 2.0 16v
peugeot 406 hdi 110
Fiesta 1.3 encore yuk
swift utopia to slow the mig down a bit !!

v6 lock kit available locally

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geoffr70 Omega Knight Offline Join the 3 litre club! Then the 10.5 l club woo! Posts: 1881 Sunderland Gender: Drives: 2000 f/l 3.0 Elite Saloon auto, 2000 f/l 3.0 MV6 Saloon manual, Dennis RS133 (occasionally!)	Re: Towbar recommendations Reply #11 - 28. Apr 2011 at 00:10 Thanks Henry, if I've done my abs ecu and exhaust manifold could I fit that? Is the electrics easy enough? Don't know much about electrics me. Thanks
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henryd

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west cornwall
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Drives: Merc E220 estate,previous ride 2.5 elite estate

Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #12 - 28. Apr 2011 at 00:32

geoffr70 wrote on 28. Apr 2011 at 00:10:

Thanks Henry, if I've done my abs ecu and exhaust manifold could I fit that? Is the electrics easy enough? Don't know much about electrics me. Thanks

Don't know about the saloon but the estate was easy to fit,the underside of chassis is pre-drilled and the boot floor is dimpled where you need to drill and open the holes for the spacers to fit,i believe that the fitting instructions are in that link that I posted Thumbs Up!

As for the electrics you have your other mig for a pattern

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« Last Edit: 28. Apr 2011 at 00:34 by henryd »

other drives Fiat ulysses 2.0 16v
peugeot 406 hdi 110
Fiesta 1.3 encore yuk
swift utopia to slow the mig down a bit !!

v6 lock kit available locally

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Martin Imber Over Active Poster Offline LPG Omega V6 - Keyfobs Rebuilt Posts: 20110 Worcester Gender: Drives: 2001 Omega 2.6CD LPG & 3.0 cams	Re: Towbar recommendations Reply #13 - 28. Apr 2011 at 11:21 I got a Towtrust one off Ebay (I think) about 5 1/2 years ago. Seems fine. I did convert the caravan and car to 13pin last year - consider it seriously - seems better sealed and better connected.
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GrahamK

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Shropshire
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Drives: 2002 Omega 2.6 CDX

Re: Towbar recommendations
Reply #14 - 28. Apr 2011 at 11:28

Hi,

I was in the same position until last week. Got a quote from a good company local to me for £209 fitted for a twin electrics G67A witter towbar. (too expensive for me)
Last one was around half that but as it was for an older car, it didn't need to be type approved, my new 2002 mig of course does. I looked on ebay and the same towbar was on B-I-N for £50. £9.50 postage using payperparcel from Scotland- not bad. They are out there.
I will be fitting a auto switching split charge relay to use with our caravan, so power is only delivered to the leisure battery and caravan fridge when the alternator is charging.

Some thing like this :-

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1311&_nkw=split+charge+rel...

Hadn't thought about the bypass relay, but perhaps one with the winker buzzer integrated might be a good idea.

Regards,

Graham.

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