​​​​Mobile Towbar Fitting & Trailer Servicing / Repairs. ​Towbars in reading fitting​
WIRING
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Towbar wiring is probably the most complicated part of the insitlation.
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10 years ago towing electrics were simply connected to the rear lights of the car, and that was it. Modern cars are now computer controlled, with advanced safety features, and complex wiring systems. Towing electrics are no longer 'simple'.
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Towbar wiring can be installed using either universal aftermarket wiring kit , or using what is known as a dedicated or vehicle specific wiring kit . Vehicle Specific wiring can be a lot more expensive, but has many benefits to justify the cost.
When getting quotes for a towbar installation it is important to understand what you are looking for. The 'cheapest' way to install the wiring is not necessarily the best.
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UNIVERSIAL AFTERMARKET WIRING.
This type of wiring can work fine in all but a very few vehicles, the disadvantage is that because it is of a different standard to that used by the vehicle manufacturer, the warranty on your vehicle could be invalid in the case of any problems. Note that this is not the warranty on the whole car, just the parts that are affected by the towbar wiring.​
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- Lower price.
- Audible warning for trailer indicators.
- Universal fitment.
- Trailer Stability Control not activated.
- Parking aids not disabled while towing.
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DEDICATED VEHICLE SPECIFIC ELECTRICS.
Dedicated wiring looms, sometimes known as 'vehicle specific wiring' or 'plug in kits', are becoming ever more popular for towbar lighting wiring (12N) installation. To put it simply this is the way the job should be done because each kit is designed specifically for the vehicle that it is fitted to, and rather than soldering or using 'Scotch Locks' to connect the towbar wiring these kits interface with the vehicle systems in the same way as the manufacturer intended.
Some manufacturers and insurance companies are now insisting that these wiring looms are always fitted. Ford in particular has become very strict with warranty claims on it's latest generation vehicles.
On some vehicles such as the BMW X5 and Landrover Discovery 3 it is actually unsafe to fit universal wiring due to the way the vehicles stability control works.
Due to the complex nature of dedicated wiring it is inevitable that is more expensive than universal wiring. This cost is anywhere between £25 and £240 more depending on the vehicle.
The extra cost is justified because the wiring is installed as the vehicle manufacturer intended it to be fitted, it means that your warranty won't be affected, which of course could save you alot of money in the long run.

Because the wiring is designed to work with the vehices onboard systems, certain functions on the vehicle are activated that would otherwise not work with universal electrics. Some of these features are vital saftey features such as Trailer Stability Control, and other convenience features such as the cut off of your fog light and parking aids while towing.
Some vehicles need to be 'coded' or programmed to activate the extra functions provided by the wiring loom, especially in the case of T-Esp (Trailer Stability Control) on VW Audi group vehicles.
Vehicle warranty protected.

Trailer Stability Control activated.
Parking aids and vehicle fog light disabled while towing.
Higher cost.
CALL: 07920 486959
Vehicle recoding From £65.00 +VAT