Removable quick release Towbar?

[steve202]

Looking forward to the pics. Make it quick so I can nick your design ideas..

Its easy peasy, a copy of a Sapphire towbar and chopped off end. Box fitted inside and pinned through all to secure

 

[hoodedclaw]

Yeah, I'm going to check out the mounting points while it's up on the ramp for the mot, then cobble something together with whatever's kicking around.. As you do..

 

[irondarren]

some cars are easy to make towbars for, some arent. May years ago i can remember making a tow bar for a mazda van. mazada wanted something like £300, which was day light robbery. So the guy i was working for said we would do it for £200. Guy left the van with us for the day, when we crawled around under neath there was a bracket welded to the chasis with 3 holes and nuts welded as well one on the left one on the right, reasonably close to the spring hangers, the bracket was part of the chasis when made by the factory. there was also 1 bracket in the middle of the van close to the rear with nuts welded to it. Basically the whole set up for a tow bar was there brackets provided with nuts spotted onto the brackets. All we had to do was make a framework that connected to the brackets, easy £200

 

[Bigjoe]

Evening chaps,
Im watching this thread with interest as i was going to build my own towbar,but...........ive just found out that the regulations are that any vehicle registered on or after the 1st August 1998 can only be fitted with a type approved towbar

Bugger!!

Bigjoe

 

[hoodedclaw]

Gonna have to work round the exhaust, but that's no problem. Had a word at work today, and there's a selection of trailers I can borrow free and gratis.

I need to get this done sharpish. My chap in Kent is doing me a deal on an 8'x4' 6mm sheet he's had scudding around for a while, with some other bits to build a decent workbench. If I don't pick it up soon he'll 'forget'.

Upon this bench I will be supplementing my income by making gates and railings and stuff. I got a heads up from one of the IT guys about the music dept wanting some stands made. Should be an earner there too.

Big Joe, who'd know? Once it was fitted

 

[irondarren]

After 1998 it has to be an apporved towbar?. Bugger ill have to buy some approved stickers now then for when i sort mine out. Think the problem is to many DIY ers making towbars that break, which i guess can be very dangerous.

 

[malcolm]

I'd be surprised if it's DIY people that prompted the regs. DIY folk tend to over-engineer so things definately won't break (quite rightly so. We don't have the time or equipment to test stuff so make it 10 times as strong as it needs to be).

More likely someone worried about under-engineered stuff on the market that's kept lightweight to save on postage. Or even more likely it made it up the list of things that aren't regulated yet.

 

[Lippyp]

Also I guess the dodgy chinese fleabay specials will have helped prompt that move. My wife reckons everything I build out of wood or metal is engineered to stand a nuclear blast.

 

[irondarren]

True enough, cheap imports would not be up to standards. Much of the welded chinese stuff would fail an NDT, but i guess if the quality of there welding machines they make are anything to go by its not suprising

 

[shenion]

It is the DIY stuff that is behind the regs. Too often people just bolt a plate to their bumper and put a ball on it. Bumpers no longer are bolted directly to the frame and can not support any weight.

 

[steve202]

I wonder how long before "they" clamp down even further and take the date all the way back?

Looks grim for those with 'posh' 98+ motors at the moment!