2012 XC70 towbar options / opinions.

[apersson850]

It's not that the trailer module ties into the stability system to control the brakes. The car's stability system already has the capability to fight swaying trailers. The TRM does have to tell the system the trailer is attached, though, and that's what they are referring to.

Here are a few things Volvo's TRM will make happen:

• Provide monitoring of turn indicator light bulbs, with message in front display if there's a problem.
• Provide monitoring of brake lights, with a message if none is working.
• Prevent the car's rear foglight from illuminating the front of the trailer.
• Remove the outlines in the rear parking camera.
• Disable the rear parking sensors.
• Enable the car's trailer stability function.
• Detect the presence of the trailer, so all these functions can start to work.

[Steff79]

I'm pretty sure that non volvo towbar installers have the software to make this work. They certainly did on my previous bmw.

The crash bar issue changes things for me though. I assumed all tow bars replaced the crash bars. Obviously not.

Anyone on here have a facelift 2013 on v70 with a volvo detachable towbar? If so could you take a photo when the towbar is detached and cover on?

It's a huge difference in cost. About 500 for a non volvo detachable with dedicated volvo electrics compared to about 900 for a volvo one.

Any suggestions on how to get a hefty discount....!?!?

[PEGE63]

My v60 had a volvo (Brink) towbar fitted from new. Personally I would not recommend the Volvo detachable as firstly it is expensive, it requires an unsightly cover even when detached and I haven't found it to be a very user friendly set up, often taking a lot of effort to get it to engage properly if I haven't used it for a while.

I agree to the above, its a pain to fit and make secure, in fact I can still get it off when its supposed to be locked. Still only use it a few times per year but not a good design IMO.

[Steff79]

Glad it's not just me.

[Peter86]

Originally Posted by Steffan Eldred

I'm pretty sure that non volvo towbar installers have the software to make this work. They certainly did on my previous bmw.

The crash bar issue changes things for me though. I assumed all tow bars replaced the crash bars. Obviously not.

Anyone on here have a facelift 2013 on v70 with a volvo detachable towbar? If so could you take a photo when the towbar is detached and cover on?

It's a huge difference in cost. About 500 for a non volvo detachable with dedicated volvo electrics compared to about 900 for a volvo one.

Any suggestions on how to get a hefty discount....!?!?

Just tell them tour quote and ask if they can do any discount. Don't ask, don't get.

[Baggiebird8]

Hi,

I'm just about to fit a towbar on my 2015 XC70 so thought I would chip in.
After quite a lot of market research I decided to go for a detachable Brink towbar from P F Jones. The fitting instructions are linked here
https://www.pfjones.co.uk/Thule_Brink/533570.pdf
As far as I can see the buffer beam behind the bumper is removed to allow the towbar to be fitted. In my previous experience with Audis (80 Saloon, estate and A4 saloon this would be typical. I decided on the Brink bar as I think it is the same as the OE Volvo one (albeit over £100 cheaper). I plan to fit it myself, using, as people have wisely said, genuine OE Volvo 13 pin socket electric harness (costs around £96 from a well known Volvo parts source).
I was interested to hear of issues with detaching and attaching the Brink, as I fitted one to a Seat a few years ago and found it very good. Have to say though the Westfalia also looks well designed. I have fitted around seven towbars with electrics over the years, going back to the nineties I had a Rover Montego (2 litre Perkins diesel). With that (and some other cars) 2 wires had to be threaded to the front of the car to provide power for the 12S socket for the caravan 'fridge, but a neat design was a Hella relay replacement that enabled caravan repeater flashers on the dash to be enabled. I always used to fit Witter towbars, and with no problems. Happy towing.

[Steff79]

Hi,

I have found that it can be hard to make the tow bar engage when attaching it.

I don't tow that regularly and I usually find that doing it several times and sometimes spraying WD40 around the mechanism does the trick. It's like the mechanism is stuck and won't 'click in' if that makes sense.

Mine was fitted from new by Volvo by the way.

I had a Westfalia detachable on a Skoda Octavia for 4 years and never had an issue with that.

Still debating whether to go for a fixed swan neck to remove that doubt of the towbar being attached when your pride and joy is on a trailer behind you but it seems a bit daft when I might not tow for months at a time.

[apersson850]

I use my towbar pretty often. I have no issue at all to get it to engage when mounted. I just put it in, stop about 5 mm from the final position and give it a push. "Kloff" and it's locked in.

The cover is partly obscured by a person's leg in this picture, but you can see part of it, anyway.
Here it is from another angle, perhaps more representative for how much you actually notice the cover, if you don't bend over to actually look for it.
I found a third one. Note that due to the slope, I'm standing lower than you normally do when looking at the car, so the cover is a bit more noticeable than when you stand straight, on level ground, behind the car. This picture is actually taken in Great Britain. It took an AWD to be able to use that parking spot...

[Tatsfield]

The Westfalia installation is even less obvious:

[Steff79]

Thanks both for the pics.

Think I'll get a westfalia fitted on mine.