Tow Bar

Post by **mickm** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:04 pm

Whilst we are still looking for a suitable tourer. Can I ask the a question? I want to fit a tow bar to the new car. Only to tow a motorcycle trailer.Probaly just a single bike around 240 Kgs. Is it advisable ? Or will the back of the car not take this? I will be fitting this myself unless anyone knows better!! Thanks in advance. Mick

Post by **PSL184** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:06 pm

No problem - My Traveller tows a caravan with ease. Look out for a suitable towbar on eBay or post a wanted ad on here - I'm sure there are many about not being used.....

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:07 pm

As long as the body structure is ok - it should be fine! I used to tow a sailing dinghy all over west of Scotland with my Minor, and later - the same car towed my racing Mini on a trailer all over Scotland!
Just make sure it's a REAL towbar - that locates onto the rear chassis legs - and not just a length of angle on the bumper mounts!

Post by **mickm** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:16 pm

Thats what I call service!!! Thanks folk. I have fitted tow bars to a few of the Family Tug's, when the kids were small. We pulled a caravan around Europe. Th simplest one was on a MK4 Cortina. A length going forward from the hitch,and two lengths of two inch angle each side of the rear boot pannel. Can't get away with this now days It would pull the back of the car off!!!! Mick

Post by **PSL184** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:20 pm

Mine is a similar arrangement to the above but bolted directly to the chassis. You can't do this on a Tourer but you can use the bumper irons which should be OK for the weight you are talking about.

Post by **WPR678B** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:45 pm

I towed this for thousands of miles, normally fully laden, using a towbar mounted just off the bumper mounting irons.
The back end of the car was very solid though!

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(Taken at the London to Brighton fun run in about 1992 i think!)

linearaudio · Post by **linearaudio** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 8:46 pm

mickm wrote:Whilst we are still looking for a suitable tourer. Can I ask the a question? I want to fit a tow bar to the new car. Only to tow a motorcycle trailer.Probaly just a single bike around 240 Kgs. Is it advisable ? Or will the back of the car not take this? I will be fitting this myself unless anyone knows better!! Thanks in advance. Mick

You buying her a motorbike as well for her retirement! Thats generous

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 9:42 pm

Very risky just using the bumper mounts - seriously - get a proper Dixon Bate (or similar) bar that bolts to the irons - but also has runners going forwards to the rear chassis legs.

Post by **mickm** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:21 pm

I think I'll go with bmcescosse!! on the mountings. and NO the Bikes are mine!!!!!!

Post by **Sidney'61** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:36 pm

mickm wrote: Is it advisable ? Or will the back of the car not take this?

The back end of a minor (in good condition) is probably much stronger than a lot of modern cars.

Post by **mike.perry** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:38 pm

Both my Series MM and Traveller have tow bars mounted to the bumper irons, with an additonal atachment to the floor pan in front of the fuel tank. Th MM towbar was made by Witter, a well known producer of towing equipment

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 10:38 am

You certainly need some bracing to stop it twisting on the bumper mounts - I wouldn't have thought the area around the fuel tank was very strong(!) - but I suppose better than nothing.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 3:09 pm

You certainly need some bracing to stop it twisting on the bumper mounts - I wouldn't have thought the area around the fuel tank was very strong(!) - but I suppose better than nothing.

It doesn't have to be extremely strong - it's like having a 3rd leg on a stool and helps a lot.

If you get a modern motorbike trailer it should be 100kgs ish or less. the one I just bought was about 60kg including the bike gulley, and the hardest thing was to remember that you were towing as it was so quiet and so light i kept forgetting it! With a bike on it, I'm sure you'd notice it though!

Post by **Kevin** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 4:18 pm

If you dont have any luck Mick they are still available new.
http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/docs/pricelist.pdf

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:19 pm

Good find - not cheap!

Post by **RobThomas** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:21 pm

Witter started out in the towbar business by making the towbar for a Minor. Their design is quite neat and the quality of mine was more than adequate for towing a....see below

Post by **mickm** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 11:08 pm

Thanks for that. I have just spotted the Morris Minor Centre (Birmingham) Ltd Adbvertisment on the back cover of Minor Matters. So my Membership is working already!!!

Morris Minor Owners Club

Tow Bar

Tow Bar

Tow Bar

Re: Tow Bar

Re: Tow Bar