towbar

[cadetchris]

considering of getting a tow bar for primrose, but how does one fit it?

[bmcecosse]

Good ones bolt on to the bumper supports - but also have sturdy angle iron runners going forwards and bolting to the rear 'chassis' rails. Anything that just uses the bumper bolts is only suitable for the very lightest of loads - perhaps a cycle carrier, something like that. I wouldn't rely on it to TOW anything - not even a tiny camping trailer.

[LouiseM]

I've just had a professionally made towbar fitted. It fits to the bumper supports and the bottom of the boot floor and is certainly strong enough to tow a camping trailer - just make sure that your boot is solid!

[MColes]

I will try and take some photos of the one that was already fitted to my car when I bought it. Have to wait until I get home though

[cadetchris]

i have had a look at the ones on ESM, they look like they use the bumper irons and also bolt onto the boot floor either side of the boot lock lump.

as long as its strong enough for a small trailer and an Austin seven, then i should be quite happy

[bmcecosse]

I wouldn't trust the boot floor! Far better to get one that goes right forward and connects to the chassis rails. That section of floor near the lock etc has no great strength at all!

[cadetchris]

ahh, could be an interesting project.

it does mean bolting things onto my chassis rails and then somehow bringing back the steel to the rear and getting it to meet in the middle, whilst avoiding the axle, exhaust and the cross member.

might have to rethink this abit.

i have seen on an austin, a towbar that uses the back of the spring hangers as a point of strength,

[alex_holden]

They pretty much all bolt to the boot floor behind the petrol tank, sometimes just once in the centre and sometimes twice, around 1-2 feet apart. I looked at dozens of them at the National Rally last year because I was (still am) planning to fit tow bars to my cars. I bought one from the autojumble which the trader claimed would fit either a saloon or a traveller. It was only later when I started looking at the cars on the field that I realised that wasn't true - the traveller and saloon (and LCV for that matter) all need different designs of towbar.

[bmcecosse]

I think the rear number plate on the Trav is usually repositioned onto one of the doors.

[jonathon]

I believe it is now illegal to fit an un kite marked tow bar nowadays, ie you cannot build your own.If bolting through the boot floor I'd advise a pretty substantial spreader plate to be fitted inside.

[alex_holden]

I believe it is now illegal to fit an un kite marked tow bar nowadays, ie you cannot build your own.

I thought that only applied to vehicles built after 1998?

If bolting through the boot floor I'd advise a pretty substantial spreader plate to be fitted inside.

I agree. Also making sure the boot floor isn't rotten. It's a common rust spot due to water leaking in through the boot lid and collecting there.

[alex_holden]

I think the rear number plate on the Trav is usually repositioned onto one of the doors.

Sometimes, though the simpler option is to move it to below the bar. I suppose it's more likely to catch on high kerbs and things (like the front plate does) but it saves the hassle of getting a two-line plate made up and moving the light to the back door.

Here's one of the photos I took at the National showing a traveller tow bar with the repositioned number plate (I've erased the digits on the number plate):[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

I wish I had kept my original Dixon Bate bar - that was on my old Rally Minor. It had the runners going forwards to the chassis legs, and not to the flimsy boot floor. It towed my racing Mini all over Scotland without any problems!

[MColes]

Well these are the photos of mine.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

I never intend on towing anything it was on the car when I bought it so will stay on there.

It's the towing hitch on the front of my car that gets people asking questions

[RobMoore]

It's the towing hitch on the front of my car that gets people asking questions

Now I would like to see that as you have got me curious

[bmcecosse]

For moving trailer etc into it's parking place. Very common on Landys - can't say I have seen one on a Minor!

[cadetchris]

that towbar looks awfully like the one primrose had on her when i got her. whilst restoring her, i didnt think i would need it. hindsight is a wonderful invention.

would that type of towbar be any good?

[MColes]

For moving trailer etc into it's parking place. Very common on Landys - can't say I have seen one on a Minor!

I'm told by the previous owner that my car lived 26 years in Spain.

The guy who owned it used to tow the car behind his mobile home around spain. He'd get to where he was going, setup camp and the use the Morris to drive around the local towns and villages. I'll take some photos of it when I can (it's also got some interesting extra linkage that allows the rear brakes on the car to be operated from the vehicle that is towing it).

[bmcecosse]

Ooooooh right! The brake linkage sounds 'interesting' .

[MColes]

Some photos:

[frame][/frame]

The red circle shows where the connection between the motorhome and the car would have gone to operate the brakes, lever pulls forward - brakes come on, simples (I even took the registration plate off so it was easy to see, see how much I care ).

[frame][/frame]

A rod then runs the length of the car to this linkage mounted on the rear axle casing. There are two rods that then go off to the left and right and attach to the arm on the back of the wheel cylinder like the handbrake cables do.

I think thats a clear enough explanation