Kodiak towbar without prep

[Stonekeeper]

Sounds like a way to get an extra £200 off people ordering from the factory.

[Yogi-Bear]

10 hours ago, Avocet said:

That would certainly put me off buying one!  It's pretty ludicrous that a manufacturer of large SUVs wouldn't envisage people being able to tow with one.  I'd just go for another manufacturer's product that CAN tow.

 

Personally, I don’t get why people who want to tow don’t just order one with the tow bar fitted, rather than look to get an aftermarket one.

 

Zero question about who is responsible for any warranty. Zero worry about all this crap and towing weights on VIN plates etc. Zero need to tell your insurance company anything about modifications. And in my experience, it’s no more expensive than aftermarket ones anyway (or, if it is a couple of hundred quid extra, I’ll take that on a £40k+ car for peace of mind).

 

I get that it can be a problem if buying used… but surely then ‘tow bar’ is just another must have on the filter of appropriate cars.

 

To be clear - I’m not against aftermarket stuff like this, and it would be better if it was less of a mess to get sorted. But I just don’t get the point if you can avoid it, especially when buying new.

[skomaz]

44 minutes ago, Yogi-Bear said:

 

Personally, I don’t get why people who want to tow don’t just order one with the tow bar fitted, rather than look to get an aftermarket one.

 

Zero question about who is responsible for any warranty. Zero worry about all this crap and towing weights on VIN plates etc. Zero need to tell your insurance company anything about modifications. And in my experience, it’s no more expensive than aftermarket ones anyway (or, if it is a couple of hundred quid extra, I’ll take that on a £40k+ car for peace of mind).

 

I get that it can be a problem if buying used… but surely then ‘tow bar’ is just another must have on the filter of appropriate cars.

 

To be clear - I’m not against aftermarket stuff like this, and it would be better if it was less of a mess to get sorted. But I just don’t get the point if you can avoid it, especially when buying new.

 

I get what you are saying but when we were looking second hand there was very little to choose from in that was suitable, regardless, and even less with a towbar fitted (I recall maybe 2 or 3 vehicles on auto trader full stop) so for us going aftermarket was the only choice.

[Ootohere]

Skoda Dealerships do not eve tick the 'Towbar preparation' on all cars they Order in, Stock, Demonstrators, cars that are going to be Pre reg. Ex Demonstrator or Ex Management.

Especially with the vehicles with Haldex. 

Skoda / VW UK as well with what they bring in for going to where ever they end up. 

[Stonekeeper]

2 hours ago, skomaz said:

 

I get what you are saying but when we were looking second hand there was very little to choose from in that was suitable, regardless, and even less with a towbar fitted (I recall maybe 2 or 3 vehicles on auto trader full stop) so for us going aftermarket was the only choice.

 

Some second hand dealers remove them believing it puts non-towers off

[skomaz]

2 hours ago, Ootohere said:

Skoda Dealerships do not eve tick the 'Towbar preparation' on all cars they Order in, Stock, Demonstrators, cars that are going to be Pre reg. Ex Demonstrator or Ex Management.

Especially with the vehicles with Haldex. 

Skoda / VW UK as well with what they bring in for going to where ever they end up. 

 

That certainly seems to be the case these days.  Our old Octavia 4x4 bought at a few months old was different though and had quite a few options as well as a towbar.

[skomaz]

35 minutes ago, Stonekeeper said:

 

Some second hand dealers remove them believing it puts non-towers off

 

That seems crazy but then I guess they might be quids in refitting one if a new buyer wants one.

[GreenlineIIEstate]

21 hours ago, Avocet said:

That would certainly put me off buying one!  It's pretty ludicrous that a manufacturer of large SUVs wouldn't envisage people being able to tow with one.  I'd just go for another manufacturer's product that CAN tow.

I've just bought one of the last mk 1 Kodiaq a 200bhp SE L Exec and it is rated to tow 2000kg braked 750kg unbraked same as ever.

 

[Avocet]

Interesting thoughts, guys.  Our experience was much the same as that of Skomaz.  We live in a rural area.  Very few used Kodiaqs available when we were shopping for one.  Even fewer with towbars.

And yes, I might be put off by a car that had a towbar fitted - partly because we wanted a DSG 4x4, and anything with a towbar might have given both those components a hard time, towing a big caravan, and partly because it might have been a poorly-fitted aftermarket one.  It was a bit of a Catch 22 for us - try to find one with a towbar and risk it having been badly fitted and / or done loads of hard miles with a heavy trailer, or buy one without, and put up with the cost of retrofitting.  We opted for the latter, but the whole "towbar prep" thing just adds unnecessary complication.  If towbar prep is a £200 factory option, I bet there was never a single new Kodiaq sale that fell through, for the sake of £200.  Just do it across the range and make an SUV that's fit for purpose!

[brettikivi]

it certainly used to be standard to have the prep on many models across the range elsewhere in Europe. IIRC all Superbs, Octavias, Kodiaqs and Karoqs have prep here as standard.

 

Other gems from the Skoda Trailer Operation PDF (on erWin):
"The hitch is a safety part. Therefore, only a design-approved device developed for the car in question may be used. It is recommended to use trailer hitches from the Škoda range of accessories as they are the same as the factory-fitted devices. For these devices, the supplied installation instructions are also agreed with Škoda"

 

and

 

"The following information applies exclusively to SCALA vehicles:
♦Retrofitting of the hitch is only possible on vehicles that have a factory-fitted preparation for the installation of the hitch. PR number “1D7”. With regard to vehicles with preparation for the installation of the hitch, a different rear axle is installed at the factory.
♦ Retrofitting of the hitch is not possible on vehicles that do not have a factory-fitted preparation for the installation of the hitch. PR number “1D0”

 

and then the expected part about the cooling system:

 

"Since trailer operation makes higher demands on the engine cooling system, as far as technically necessary, the cooling system must be reinforced when a hitch is installed at the factory. This occurs e.g. by installing a stronger or second radiator fan and / or a larger radiator. The cooling system should be strengthened, even with a retro‐fitted hitch, if it has not already been carried out at the factory. Otherwise, under extreme engine load (mountains, high outside temperatures, high trailer load), overheating of the cooling system can not be ruled out. When converting, the parts listed in the Electronic Catalogue of Parts (ETKA) must be used for engine cooling when towing a trailer. In addition, the work instructions of the corresponding repair manuals must be observed.

The cooling system gain can be omitted if it is ensured that the engine is not under extreme stress, e.g.:
♦ permissible trailer weight not reached by a considerable margin
♦ no high outside temperatures
♦ no long, steep climbs
♦ no trips at high altitude
In any case, the coolant temperature gauge must be carefully observed. If the needle of the display moves very far into the hot area, reduce speed immediately. Even a cooling break must be inserted if required. The engine must run at idling speed for about 2 minutes to prevent heat accumulation"

 

Then other bits:

 - axle weight limits have an effect on towing weights

 - specifically cars like mine with 4x4 DSG 110 or 140, 147, 176kW are only permitted 2500kg tow weights on factory fitted bars, otherwise it's 2300kg.

And yes, the diesel manual 4x4 7 seater has "-" entered across the board. The highest a 7 seater is allowed is 2000kg. So I'm assuming the 7 seater bits took out some strengthening in the boot area.

 

[Avocet]

On 26/06/2024 at 20:02, brettikivi said:

i

 

Then other bits:

 - axle weight limits have an effect on towing weights

 - specifically cars like mine with 4x4 DSG 110 or 140, 147, 176kW are only permitted 2500kg tow weights on factory fitted bars, otherwise it's 2300kg.

And yes, the diesel manual 4x4 7 seater has "-" entered across the board. The highest a 7 seater is allowed is 2000kg. So I'm assuming the 7 seater bits took out some strengthening in the boot area.

 

I think it's more likely to be for braking or cooling reasons than because the structure is inherently weaker.