Towbar, Electrics & Stability Control for XC90

[daern]

Originally Posted by Clan

The "cheap" towbars for S40/V50 don't use all the manufacturers mounting points for one thing .. they hang off the rear beam and have no stays to the chassis further forward as do the volvo ones . These stays I believe are part of the crashworthiness ...

Nah, I believe it's been over 20 years since it was permitted to sell towbars that *don't* use all of the car's fitting points. Even aftermarket ones, which is after all about 90% of the towbar market.

Out of interest, are Volvo bars actually /made/ by Volvo? I bet you'll find that they aren't...

[daern]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

I am looking at a new XC90 and asked the dealer about a towbar for caravan towing.

1. He was very insistent about fitting a factory towbar because they would change the stability programme of the car to suit. Is this a big deal or is it 2 minutes on the computer wherever the towbar was fitted?

2. Is there an easy way to route a heavy amp cable (fridge etc) to the 13 pin socket from wherever it needs to come from at the front of the vehicle? I have seen cars all but dismantled to hide this cable.

3. Do tow bars come with accurate suggestions of where the cutout needs to be in my nice shiny new rear bumper?

Thank you for any help

1. My dealer said the same and offered to do this for £20 if I popped in once I had fitted the bar. I'll try and find out exactly what it does...

2. No need. The battery and fusebox are at the back :-)

3. Mine (Bosal removable) only needed the standard factory cutout to be extended by about 10mm at either side to make it fit. The instructions were absolutely excellent but, judging by the massive amount of paperwork I've received with the socket loom and trailer module, I've no reason to believe that whatever towbar Volvo OEM will have less comprehensive instructions ;-)

Thinking about it, I asked Harratts in Leeds, and they said that they thought that "Volvo" bars are actually Brink, which are a decent make. I just like Bosal because they are very well built, excellent instructions and look as good as the day they were fitted after 10 years. Try saying that about a Witter bar ;-)

Daern

[cumbrianmale]

Originally Posted by daern

Nah, I believe it's been over 20 years since it was permitted to sell towbars that *don't* use all of the car's fitting points. Even aftermarket ones, which is after all about 90% of the towbar market.

Out of interest, are Volvo bars actually /made/ by Volvo? I bet you'll find that they aren't...

All tow bars had to be type approved since Aug'98 or S reg. Therefore they all must fit all of the manufacturers mounting points.

My factory bar is a brink detachable.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by daern

Nah, I believe it's been over 20 years since it was permitted to sell towbars that *don't* use all of the car's fitting points. Even aftermarket ones, which is after all about 90% of the towbar market.

Out of interest, are Volvo bars actually /made/ by Volvo? I bet you'll find that they aren't...

I have seen a few non genuine towbars WITHOUT the braces going to the chassis rails on the S40 / V50 which come with the volvo towbar .. they do have some 6 mm plate bolted along the chassis however , but doing nothing other than stiffening the chassis member where the Volvo braces bolt .so make of that what you will ...

The volvo towbar of course is made by a company which makes towbars but Volvo do the design drawings and the tow bar company makes them to volvo specification ... And one point which ONLY the Volvo towbar has .. It's crash tested by Volvo ...

[daern]

Originally Posted by Clan

I have seen a few non genuine towbars WITHOUT the braces going to the chassis rails on the S40 / V50 which come with the volvo towbar .. they do have some 6 mm plate bolted along the chassis however , but doing nothing other than stiffening the chassis member where the Volvo braces bolt .so make of that what you will ...

Hmmm, I've just had a look at the towbar for a 2002 S40 on Bosal and Brink's website and I can't see any difference at all in the chassis mounts. Both look virtually identical, barring minor design differences.

[Clan]

the Old model S40 is a completly different car to the S40/V50 though