Detachable towbar - which one is best
 

I am expecting my first xc90 next week - very excited - and I want to put a towbar bike rack on it (the thule one) but am unsure which towbar to go for: the volvo detachable or the westfalia detachable.

I have never had a car with a towbar before and am unsure what I should be looking for nor the implications on the driveability of a car with a bike rack on a towbar (always put them on the roof until now).

The volvo one needs the bumper to be cut and you can clearly see it when not in use, whilst the westfalia seems to be hidden. However, the volvo bike rack etc seems to be thule so I assume the towbar is as well and hence may be more compatible? Does one of them stick out more than the other making it more (or less) suitable for a bike rack? Are there any warranty issues going for the westfalia etc etc etc


If you have a detachable towbar on your XC90, which one do you have? Is there any reason why you choose that one?

Thanks
Rachel

when i had my XC90 54 plate i had a volvo one fitted, yes they did cut the bumper but it was also detachable and came with a cover looked very neat and tidy, i hate it when u see these 4x4s and they have a gteat big swan neck towbar on it looks all wrong in my opinion

My vote is for the Westfalia.

It's better looking on and off and a good deal cheaper too.
Westfalia are OEM for Audi / VW and BMW so it's a reliable make and you will have no issue with the bike rack (I have Thule 905 4 bike carrier).

The Volvo towbar is made by Brink I think anyway (not Thule).

interesting mine was made by witter, maybe they had me over and farmed it out to be done lol

I can't comment on the tow bar as mines not detachable but as forfeiting with the bike rack on. You will forget it's there with the xc90 as it doesn't effect the handling of the car (at least mine doesn't). Also you will need to switch the rear parking sensors off but that's easily done. I can't see mine in the wing
mirrors which is a little discerning when you have the boot full and can't see out the rear window. Other thatn that it is just a case of trying to remember about it when manovering.

Out of interest Brink is a Thule company and has been since 2003 (although they didnt start advertising it until 2008.)

Personally I have a Westfalia and it does require a slight bumper cut, but unless your under the car looking up then it is to the untrained eye an invisible one.

Hope it helps. :natur008:

The Volvo wiring (7 pin or 13 pin) turns off the parking sensors when a lighting board is connected so there is no need to remember to de-activate them. No need for a SW download to activate this.

As per original post on fitting the Westfalia towbar - buy the towbar from PF Jones and get the Volvo wiring from Simon at FRF Volvo in Swansea.

My car is currently in having the Volvo detachable tow bar done and side steps fitted. I was assured by the supplying dealer (not my local one that is fitting the tow bar) that the tow bar did not involve cutting the bumper but they also told me it switched on "tow assist" which the xc90 does not have ( the xc60 and disco have it) so I am resigned to the fact they were talking rubbish. The loom for the later xc90s is expensive ?£200plus so whatever you do the tow bar is not cheap. The Thule 3 bike carrier is £335 from amazon plus another £80 or so for the additional bike- however Thule made Volvo accessories are competitively priced eg the proride roof bike carriers are slightly cheaper
Has anyone got a decent picture of the Volvo lifting bike carriers for the roof?

I went for a Volvo tow bar simply because there will be no comeback if there is a problem

There does seem to be a fair amount of misinformation from the dealers on towbars - maybe this because they subcontract the work out so actually have little idea of what's involved but to be fair it is different from one model to the next, so it's not surprising that having looked into it you end up knowing more than the dealer in many cases.

For a start - the Volvo loom is not £200. For later 2004/2005 cars the 7 pin is around £50 and the 13 pin around £100 (both including the trailer module).
This is one of the cases where Volvo original is cheaper than aftermarket kits.

The Thule 4 bike rack prices do seem to have jumped up recently - best price seems to be PF Jones but via their sister site detachabletowbars.com. Looks to be £356 delivered - so still a lot of money, so if you don't need 4 bikes get the cheaper Thule ride on 9503 models for 3 bikes - used to be around £120 but have also maybe gone up in price recently.

I fitted the Westfalia as it is almost invisible when not in use. Note that the more "upmarket" Thule racks need 13-pin socket, or a converter plug from 13 to 7 pin if you fit a 7 pin socket.
I used the 9503 previously and have now changed to the G5 909 & 9081 (4th bike adapter). Quite a quality difference between the 2 imho
I paid £360 for 909, 9081 and 13-7 pin adapter (inc P&P) from Towequipe