Fitting tow bar and wiring to a Yeti with tow prep.

[joel0407]

Nice write up, i was slack and ordered the tow bar with the new Yeti,

Did you get the fully detachable bar?

How much did it cost?

Happy days.

[BJ75]

Nice write up, i was slack and ordered the tow bar with the new Yeti,

Me too. If I had access to a Doc Brown modified Delorean and a stretch of road to get up to 88mph I'd go back and tell myself NOT to order the factory towbar (made by Best Bars NZ I beleive) and just wait for HR to come out with one instead.

The Best Bars vertical hitch unit is - in summary - a total clusterf**k.

[joel0407]

Me too. If I had access to a Doc Brown modified Delorean and a stretch of road to get up to 88mph I'd go back and tell myself NOT to order the factory towbar (made by Best Bars NZ I beleive) and just wait for HR to come out with one instead.

The Best Bars vertical hitch unit is - in summary - a total clusterf**k.

I thought the word was HR made one now but it's a horizontal fit the same as there other bars?

I have no complaint at all about the Witter bar which I believe is identical to the Westfalia bar. It clips in solid as a rock and doesn't move about like a HR bar with the pin does.

Happy Days

[BJ75]

I thought the word was HR made one now but it's a horizontal fit the same as there other bars?

Indeed - this was not available when I purchased my Yeti early 2012. Hence the reference to the time-travelling Delorean (I grew up in the 80's .... "Back to the Future" pop-culture references are among my most commonly used).

Given the wiring's all done, I'm seriously considering ditching the actual bar on mine and just getting the HR bar, and trying to adapt the wiring into an Aussie rectangle plug. I could probably do this myself if they were able to be purchased separately.

[joel0407]

Given the wiring's all done, I'm seriously considering ditching the actual bar on mine and just getting the HR bar, and trying to adapt the wiring into an Aussie rectangle plug. I could probably do this myself if they were able to be purchased separately.

You can just make up an adapter. I thought I posted up a wiring diagram somewhere. You just need to consider there are left and right tail lights in the 13 pin plug. The plugs are cheap to buy online. As the 13 pin euro plug is far superior to the Aussie flat 7 pin, I considered changing my trailers over to the same and making a reverse adapter from 7 pin vehicle to 13 pin trailer. Then I thought it just too hard as my brother and old man both have the 7 pin flat as does the majority of the rest of Australia. I just carry the 13 pin vehicle to 7 pin flat trailer in the wheel well of the Yeti.

Happy Days.

[BJ75]

I just carry the 13 pin vehicle to 7 pin flat trailer in the wheel well of the Yeti.

I have one of those little adapter cords (about 20cm long with a 'squiggle' in the middle) - it came as part of the towbar prep.

I'm sure the 13 pin is superior, but as you point out - most of the rest of the country uses the 7pin, including the place I get my soil from and their free trailers to hire, Bunnings and their trailers, my cousin & my best mate - both of whom have trailers, and most of the camper trailers I've been looking at buying.

I think it just irked me that they charge so much for a towbar that's got a plug you can't use necessitating an adapter, and a hitch that's only really useful for the towball they supply.

Sure, I got a 90 degree hitch adapter that I use, but it looks stupid, and sits lower than a HR unit would I'm sure.

I think the Westfaila (sp?) and other units that completely fold away are far superior, but even then I'd prefer a square hitch since that what most bike racks use (including mine, and the one I'm planning to upgrade to soon, and probably the one I'll upgrade to after that as well).

Sorry ... bit of a rant.

[ploz58]

I had a VW towbar with my Tiguan, and it came with an adapter to go from the Euro plug to a 7 pin aussie plug.
Ill let you know when i pick the car up. Bar is supposed to be hidden when detached behind the tow bar plate?

One the subject of towing, has any developed a reasonably priced Black Box to allow trailers with LED lights to be used, without sending up fault codes, My tiggy did this and im assuming the Yeti will do the same, I hope im wrong.

[joel0407]

I have one of those little adapter cords (about 20cm long with a 'squiggle' in the middle) - it came as part of the towbar prep.

I'm sure the 13 pin is superior, but as you point out - most of the rest of the country uses the 7pin, including the place I get my soil from and their free trailers to hire, Bunnings and their trailers, my cousin & my best mate - both of whom have trailers, and most of the camper trailers I've been looking at buying.

I think it just irked me that they charge so much for a towbar that's got a plug you can't use necessitating an adapter, and a hitch that's only really useful for the towball they supply.

Sure, I got a 90 degree hitch adapter that I use, but it looks stupid, and sits lower than a HR unit would I'm sure.

I think the Westfaila (sp?) and other units that completely fold away are far superior, but even then I'd prefer a square hitch since that what most bike racks use (including mine, and the one I'm planning to upgrade to soon, and probably the one I'll upgrade to after that as well).

Sorry ... bit of a rant.

For a bike carrier you could have looked at the Witter Flange bar like I have. You can fit various balls and bike carriers. It's the norm in EU.

As for the plug. I wish the Aussie flat 7 pin rubbish thing would go away. I, along with just about every one I know has problems with them. Partly because they are on old box trailers and the like that only get use once or twice a year but mainly because, none of them are water proof and the pins eventually get squashed and don't make connection. I just hate them but continue to use them because that's what everyone else has and I'd create more of a problem for myself trying to change.

Happy Days.

[ploz58]

Got my Yeti, the tow bar goose neck when not fitted, fits in the under boot storage,
The goose neck has a large foam collar to stop rattle when the goose neck is on.
A 30 pin euro plug is fitted, i recieved a 30 pin lead with a 7 pin flat plug for my trailers, Looking on Ebay there are heaps of quite cheaply priced $12.00AUD adapters from 30 pin and with a 7 pin round socket on the other side.

[BJ75]

For a bike carrier you could have looked at the Witter Flange bar like I have. You can fit various balls and bike carriers. It's the norm in EU.

Yeah I liked the look of the Witter unit for that flange option. But I still would've had to get a square hitch adapter welded up to bolt onto that flange. I'm not a fan of the types of racks that bolt onto that flange, nor the ball mounted ones that are similar. The style of racks I prefer (including the one I ended up buying) all slide into a horizontal square hitch.