Towbar Advise please

[parkero]

Hi,
I need to fit a towbar to the van so I can use my Cycle Carrier. On removing the rear bumper the van has this fitted. It looks like a similar style to a westfalia towbar with the swan neck removed or possibly a home made unit?

It is V solid though and has a thick mounting plate welded to the bottom.

I'm considering taking it to my dads engineering workshop and asking one of their welders if they can weld a swan neck onto the plate. (They are professional industrial welders) or is this lunacy and I should just remove the thing and fit a Witter unit of eBay?

Cheers

Ollie

[itchyfeet]

yep westy with the swan neck chopped off, great for saving your engine if somebody hits you from the rear.

Personally I'd buy a westy one they come up on here from time to time or try wanted section.

Probably nothing wrong with a welded job if done well but imagine your bikes coming off on the motorway because the weld failed, It would nag me.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-T25-Tow-ba ... SwImRYMJOD" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[what2do]

I wouldn't recommend welding if you were to consider towing with it in the future, however, if you are only going to use it for the bikes, crack-on.

[bigherb]

It would be easier to weld on a bracket for a flanged towball using thickwall box section and angle which gives you more options for mounting accessories using the towball bolts.
Not a problem for a professional welder, that is how they are made in the first place.

[parkero]

Useful photo that big herb. I'll keep for reference thanks.
There's always plenty of angle and box section at the workshop so would just need the ball then and there fairly cheap.

[craigy345]

Useful photo that big herb. I'll keep for reference thanks.
There's always plenty of angle and box section at the workshop so would just need the ball then and there fairly cheap.

Fitting a new rear bumper today (all nice and powder coated/reverse sensors etc...)

Whilst the old number is off I can get some photo's of the genuine Westy fit if it helps?

[Mr Bean]

yep westy with the swan neck chopped off, great for saving your engine if somebody hits you from the rear.

Personally I'd buy a westy one they come up on here from time to time or try wanted section.

Probably nothing wrong with a welded job if done well but imagine your bikes coming off on the motorway because the weld failed, It would nag me.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-T25-Tow-ba ... SwImRYMJOD" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes I agree. I rather fancy that the swan neck (one piece) tow bars are forged and that welding even by an expert welder could risk compromising the strength for use in the heavier towing tasks. Which a new owner (surely never!) may not realize.
Some useful images here: https://www.pfjones.co.uk/tow-bar-types-explained.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Also if the carrier is used in pure cantilever i.e. with no other support than the towbar then severe torsional forces can be generated.
Insurers can be very intrusive if a claim was involved. Best play safe iven if only carrying bicycles.

Incidentally some years ago I got involved in one of those sudden braking by a load of vehicles going just too fast on slimy road surface. I managed to come to a halt inches from the vehicle in front. Sadly my rear view mirror displayed to me a saloon car bearing down on me displaying the wide staring eyes and white knuckles of a doomed man. When the crunch occurred the front of his car simply crumpled leaving the wings askance, the bonnet concertina'd and oil/water spreading out on the floor. After twanging my CF camper out of his engine compartment my only damage was a slightly dented lower rear panel.
Not wishing to get involved in knock for knock insurance claims/fiddles/arguments I helped push his now wrecked car to the side of the road, shook hands and went on my merry way.
Tough things these tow bar setups
CS