buying 2nd hand car - tow bar fitted- alarm bells?

I consider having a tow bar an asset. Unless the owner is a keen caravanner, the chances are that the car has done comparitively few towing miles, and even those could have been with something like a camping or box trailer, so I don't think 'increased wear' is a factor worth considering. An unsympathetic driver can cause far more wear on a car, than a careful driver with a trailer. If it's an older, or high mileage car, forget the towbar, and make your choice from it's overall condition. They're usually easy enough to take off. Just disconnect the socket wiring at the cars harness, and unbolt. You might have to plug some holes with blanking grommets if the boot floor has been drilled, but that's about it. As far as checking one that's fitted, just look at the mounting points. Most towbars are proprietary items made to suit a particular model of car. If all the fixing points are attached, the chances are that it's OK. Mike.

I have a tow bar fitted to my car because I tow a caravan but rarely do more than a few hundred miles of towing each year. When towing a caravan you also tend to work out the route that involves as much motorway/A class road travel as possible. Once you are up to cruising speed, the fact that you have a caravan on the back has very little bearing on car component wear. Also bear in mind that many people put on a tow bar just to tow a rubbish trailer which is so light the average car doesn't even know it's there. Look for the electrical sockets. If there's only one black one then it's very unlikely that the car will have been used for caravan towing. If there's a black socket and a grey socket then a caravan will probably have been towed at some time. Personally I wouldn't let it bother you at all.

Kev

The message from Alan contains these words:

NO! They're amazingly useful and just 'cos it's got a towbar doesn't mean it's been abused. It may just be that someone doesn't like to fill their car up with garden rubbish, or overload the suspension by taking half a ton of paving slabs home from the DIY shop.

Indeed. And put it this way: it would be worse if the thing had been removed in an _attempt_ to cover up!

I tow a caravan with my car - occasionally - and a trailer too, and would be quite happy to buy a car off me (if that makes sense!)

But when looking at S/H cars, unless I know the owner and how he has used it (and am happy with the way he has used it) - I see a towbar, I walk away.

This is because while I am ultra careful about loading and abuse, I see - and can recognise - so many outfits that are badly laden/towing vans that are too big etc. that I find it really off-putting.

AND - again, even having a bracket fitted by the car makers franchise e.g. a GM bar fitted to a Vauxhall by a Vauxhall dealer - I have to dismantle it and rustproof the holes ...

Lift the carpet in the car you are loooking at - you should see evidence of a bar having been fitted and then removed (Mounting holes, sound deadening scraped off to accomodate the spreader plate etc.) If you don't know what to look for, find a car of the type you want that has got a bar fitted, and see for yourself.

If you want a bar fitted - get it fitted yourself.

Alan,

Towbars are an asset. I fitted a 'Witter' bar to my Mk.II Mondeo years ago, just for towing a boat, although I've also towed large and small box trailers in it.

But it gets used every day - with its smart black rubber 'boot' still in place. Here are some clues:

- When I'm at the back of a queue of traffic

- When I'm in a multi-storey car park, reversing into a space and I can't see the wall in the pitch dark

- When I'm parked up at on the roadside, and I see a blonde girl parking her Citroen Saxo behind me ( ! )

So basically, you have my gist: the protective qualities of towbars are as useful as their towing qualities. Simple rule when selecting a used car: DOUBLE ELECTRICS mean CARAVANS. Avoid the 'grey sockets' and you should be OK. Cars with only a single black (12N) socket will never have been used to pull caravans. And even those with could be OK: Above all, talk to the owner!

I'd never dream of buying a car and then stripping the towbar, unless it was a cheap one, or not installed properly. But I'd definitely replace it with another one!

Above all, safe drivin'!

Regards

(another) Alan

Everything being equal, a tow bar is a minus point. The car may be OK, but if there's another one without tow bar...

A lady once reversed into my car and hooked the front bumper with her tow bar. Nothing serious, but lady said: "Sorry, it always happens..."

I agree with the comment about the grey socket and was about to add the same comment myself, until I realised that these can be removed in about 5 seconds!

Kev