Towbars

[Tim M]

A friend of my father has just informed us that you can no longer legally install a towbar on your car. He says all towbars have to be fitted professionally and you have to obtain a certificate for one. This is the first I've heard of it....I think he might have got his wires crossed somewhere. But, has anyone else come across this; any truth in it?

[Downhilldai]

Towbars fitted to CARS manufactured after 1998 must have TYPE APPROVAL, as do the towballs used. The essence of this law is that no 'home-brew' towbars can be legally fitted after 1998, but I hadn't heard that they needed to be fitted by approved installers. This definitely wasn't the case 18 months ago, when I fitted the towbar to my present car.

[Rich L]

Unless this happened very very recently (which I very much doubt), he has his wires crossed ( ) .Anyone can fit a towbar legally in the UK although the bar etc must be type approved for cars post '98.

[Polwart]

towsure's website says anyone can fit it:

http://www.towsure.com/bespoke.asp?pg=tow_faq.htm