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[Shackeng]

Any recommendations for make of tow bar to fit my '99 mfl Estate?

TIA

[Welung666]

Witter are about the best there is. Have a look on eGay, normally a good deal to be had buying 2nd hand

[Andy B]

Witter are about the best there is.  ....

so ..... where do OE Bosal fit in then 

[Welung666]

Witter are about the best there is.  ....

so ..... where do OE Bosal fit in then 

Don't Bosal make exhausts?

[Andy B]

Witter are about the best there is.  ....

so ..... where do OE Bosal fit in then 

Don't Bosal make exhausts?

They do ..... among other things.  http://www.bosal.com/default.aspx
I gave away the poxy box section Witter towbar that was on my car when I bought it due to looking like a section of the Forth Bridge.    

[Shackeng]

Witter are about the best there is.  ....

so ..... where do OE Bosal fit in then 

So Bosal supplied the VX original towbars? :-/

[Andy B]

.....

So Bosal supplied the VX original towbars? :-/

Pretty sure they did.  :-/

you'll have to have a look around at other cars & see what you like the look of .... or not if it's a detachable    .... You have 2 bolt flange or swan necks, swan necks always look neater to me. If you go detachable, where are your electrics fitted? Towbars often just have 1 plate to fasten a single socket to, partly because they're often made by European companies where they tend to use a variation of 13 pin plugs & sockets. If you go the 12N & 12S route, you then need somewhere for the 2nd socket to fasten to.

[Shackeng]

.....

So Bosal supplied the VX original towbars? :-/

Pretty sure they did.  :-/

you'll have to have a look around at other cars & see what you like the look of .... or not if it's a detachable    .... You have 2 bolt flange or swan necks, swan necks always look neater to me. If you go detachable, where are your electrics fitted? Towbars often just have 1 plate to fasten a single socket to, partly because they're often made by European companies where they tend to use a variation of 13 pin plugs & sockets. If you go the 12N & 12S route, you then need somewhere for the 2nd socket to fasten to.

[Andy B]

.....

So Bosal supplied the VX original towbars? :-/

Pretty sure they did.  :-/

you'll have to have a look around at other cars & see what you like the look of .... or not if it's a detachable    .... You have 2 bolt flange or swan necks, swan necks always look neater to me. If you go detachable, where are your electrics fitted? Towbars often just have 1 plate to fasten a single socket to, partly because they're often made by European companies where they tend to use a variation of 13 pin plugs & sockets. If you go the 12N & 12S route, you then need somewhere for the 2nd socket to fasten to.

12N is the black lighting socket
12S is the grey socket for caravan battery charging, fridge & reverse lights (& caravan 'ABS' if new enough)

[Shackeng]

.....

So Bosal supplied the VX original towbars? :-/

Pretty sure they did.  :-/

you'll have to have a look around at other cars & see what you like the look of .... or not if it's a detachable    .... You have 2 bolt flange or swan necks, swan necks always look neater to me. If you go detachable, where are your electrics fitted? Towbars often just have 1 plate to fasten a single socket to, partly because they're often made by European companies where they tend to use a variation of 13 pin plugs & sockets. If you go the 12N & 12S route, you then need somewhere for the 2nd socket to fasten to.

12N is the black lighting socket
12S is the grey socket for caravan battery charging, fridge & reverse lights (& caravan 'ABS' if new enough)

Thanks

[Andy B]

.....

So Bosal supplied the VX original towbars? :-/

Pretty sure they did.  :-/

you'll have to have a look around at other cars & see what you like the look of .... or not if it's a detachable    .... You have 2 bolt flange or swan necks, swan necks always look neater to me. If you go detachable, where are your electrics fitted? Towbars often just have 1 plate to fasten a single socket to, partly because they're often made by European companies where they tend to use a variation of 13 pin plugs & sockets. If you go the 12N & 12S route, you then need somewhere for the 2nd socket to fasten to.

12N is the black lighting socket
12S is the grey socket for caravan battery charging, fridge & reverse lights (& caravan 'ABS' if new enough)

Thanks

The 3rd way is a 13 pin plug/socket  As said Europe has been using this for a while now and all new caravans now have this fitted, as well as merging the 2 old into one, it also has the advantage that there is a better electrical connection between plug & socket. It's possible to burn the centre earth pin connection out in the 12S due to the high-ish current load of more moderen fridges, but the 13 pin helps overcome this. 

http://www.towbarexpress.co.uk/electrics.html#

[Entwood]

Whatever tow-bar you get ensure it is "type approved" for your car and not some weird thing ... type approval has been mandatory for some while now, and will shortly be part of the MOT, if a towbar is fitted.

Personal opinion .... on electrics go 13 pin if you have the choice .... even if it means adaptor/rewire the trailer .. it is without doubt a far better system than the 12N/12S system we used to use.

[Andy B]

.... and will shortly be part of the MOT, if a towbar is fitted.

It is already, has been for my last 2 MOTs   

Personal opinion .... on electrics go 13 pin if you have the choice .... even if it means adaptor/rewire the trailer .. it is without doubt a far better system than the 12N/12S system we used to use.

I discovered that there is another version of the 13 pin. I knew there was a version that had the 12N surrounded by other round pins for the 12S part. But this year in France, there was a Dutch bloke sorting out his plug on the caravan & it was a 12N layout with flat pins around the outside of them.  :-/ Never seen or heard of that type.

[Entwood]

.... and will shortly be part of the MOT, if a towbar is fitted.

It is already, has been for my last 2 MOTs   

Personal opinion .... on electrics go 13 pin if you have the choice .... even if it means adaptor/rewire the trailer .. it is without doubt a far better system than the 12N/12S system we used to use.

I discovered that there is another version of the 13 pin. I knew there was a version that had the 12N surrounded by other round pins for the 12S part. But this year in France, there was a Dutch bloke sorting out his plug on the caravan & it was a 12N layout with flat pins around the outside of them.  :-/ Never seen or heard of that type.

AFAIK there are 2 main types of 13-pin .. but UK have opted for a single ISO standard - 11446

http://www.rightconnections.co.uk/viewpage.php?page_id=5

This is often called the "Euro" plug .. but is correctly called the "Jaeger" system. The other one was "Feder/West Multicon" if memory serves.

Edit :  Found my notes and the link ..  sounds like the one you describe was Feder..

http://www.csmaclub.co.uk/pdf/Electrics_new.pdf

[Andy B]

....
Edit :  Found my notes and the link ..  sounds like the one you describe was Feder..

http://www.csmaclub.co.uk/pdf/Electrics_new.pdf

that was the one!