Corris Grey D4 Commercial SE 2016
Zermatt Sliver 2007 D3 SE manual (gone)
Indus Silver D4 HSE 2015 (gone)
Bonatti Grey D3 HSE 2006 (gone)
White D3 S (LHD) 2007 (gone)
Firenze Red D4 HSE 2014 (gone)
Black RRS 3.6TDV8 2008 (gone)
Rusty Green Defender 110 1997 (gone)
Black FL2 HSE 2013 (gone)
5th Jan 2023 5:07 pm
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 13881
Not good. She was very lucky. I've never trusted them so have always had a fixed tow bar.New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
5th Jan 2023 5:14 pm
WOODY179
Member Since: 01 Jun 2005
Location: Chesterfield
Posts: 3634
Nothing wrong with detachable tow bars, they are detachable and should be removed from the vehicle when not in use, not just left on - doing this causes this type of problem.1996 Discovery 1 300TDI ES Biarritz Blue, sold
1999 Discovery 2 TD5 ES Rioja Red, sold
2002 Discovery 2 TD5 ES Buckingham Blue, sold
2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Adriatic Blue, sold
2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Zambezi Silver, sold
2011 Discovery 4 SDV6 HSE Nara Bronze, sold
2016 Volvo XC60 D5 AWD Lux Nav Twilight Bronze, sold
2020 Range Rover Evoque P250 First Edition, Nolita grey, sold
2023 Range Rover Evoque P300e Autobiography, Carpathian grey
Problems can be caused by leaving the tow hook attached all the time &/or towing trailers with excess nose weight.
The detachable tow bar should, of course, be cleaned when removed, and stored safely - not loose in the car where it might become a killing missile in a collision.
NJSS
5th Jan 2023 5:38 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23337
Not to mention that a towbar makes the rear crumplezone less efficient and can create more damage to both the vehicle to which it is fitted and the one colliding with it. 2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography
Though a bit brown, the tow ball bit seems to all be there, but no photo/info on the locking pin that should have held it in place. Was it actually fitted properly to begin with?A vaccine does not stop you catching a virus, or passing it on, or getting ill from it, really ill. It does reduce the likelyhood of you dying when really, really ill. Stay Alive - KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE.
5th Jan 2023 5:44 pm
Tufty
Member Since: 13 Jul 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 480
Some removed mine for me in a carpark in Milton Keynes...
I now have a fixed one.
But they were lucky there.....2005 D3 SE Manual - Gone but not forgotten.
2009 D3 HSE Auto - and so it all begins again...
5th Jan 2023 5:49 pm
gstuart
Member Since: 21 Oct 2016
Location: kent
Posts: 13612
Indeed a serious bicycle clip moment , good to hear driver and horse were ok
Is it the d4 that has the Trailer stability control plse and if so I wonder if that helped with this situation
5th Jan 2023 5:51 pm
waterbuoy
Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: Argyll
Posts: 2862
I don't think any stabilisation system is going to help if the towbar isn't attached to the towing vehicle Currently 2009 Disco 3 SE, 2013 MY D4 HSE and 2016 D4 SE
Previously:
TD5 Defender 110 CSW (230k miles)
300TDi Disco 1 (289k)
4 RR Classics (300-350k each, 2 manual, 2 auto)
110 V8 CSW (220k)
S3 109 hi cap pickup (ex RN)
S2A 88 Safari SW with lpg conversion (bloody lethal)
5th Jan 2023 7:06 pm
Brian Considine
Member Since: 05 Dec 2022
Location: Nr Margate
Posts: 281
Moo wrote:
Not good. She was very lucky. I've never trusted them so have always had a fixed tow bar.
I would agree - I too would never, ever trust one.
5th Jan 2023 7:44 pm
Brian Considine
Member Since: 05 Dec 2022
Location: Nr Margate
Posts: 281
LT wrote:
Not to mention that a towbar makes the rear crumplezone less efficient and can create more damage to both the vehicle to which it is fitted and the one colliding with it.
& so would having a bootfull of substantial luggage/tools/whatever.
Fixed towbar is pretty useful protection from those who park other vehicles by touch !
5th Jan 2023 7:47 pm
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13079
She says that she didn't even know it was a detachable tow bar. That's not surprising if it was fitted when she bought it - although when hooking up to it surely she wondered what the turny-handley-thing on the side was for...
She also makes a good point about the breakaway cable and where to attach it - I too have seen them looped over the tow bar rather than hooked to the car's chassis. I always clip ours to the recovery loop next to the electrical socket. Just about the strongest bit in that part of the vehicle. Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
6th Jan 2023 10:53 am
James W
Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
Location: Wirral, UK
Posts: 3067
Re: Detachable tow bars - why you remove them
nigethecat wrote:
Just seen this article - exactly the reason why you should remove the tow bar after you've finished using it and store it away properly...
I'm a stuck record on this matter, you'd have to be pretty vacant to leave one of these in permanently and assume there wouldn't be a problem with it. However, just looking at this photo it makes me wonder if it should be an MOT improvement. IIRC the MOT test when a vehicle is presented with a tow bar is simply to ensure it's securely attached to the vehicle. My tester used to bounce my Disco by standing on the fixed TowTrust bar.
Maybe the MOT should be updated to state that if the tow bar is removable, it should be removed during MOT test and inspected for corrosion/play/effective re-engagement. I'd have to raise an advisory if presented with this rusted thing, surely
I'd also be asking what the hell the "£2,000 safety check" covered?!D4 XS, gone, much loved, never forgotten
2018 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography - Gone to someone with less sense and more time to enjoy it
2016 Toyota Hilux Invincible - Liberating experience
6th Jan 2023 12:45 pm
nigethecat
Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4142
I agree, but I think the bigger issue here is the woman says she'd recently bought the car and therefore the onus should be on the dealer (if there was one) to include the towbar as part of the pre sale checks. How many adverts have we all seen with a detachable tow bar still on the car ? Inany event it comes back to the individual to ensure their vehicle is fit for, and suitable for towing...
If anyone has any contacts at the AA or RAC maybe that is something they need to add to their requirement for "Approved Vehicles"?I want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!
Corris Grey D4 Commercial SE 2016
Zermatt Sliver 2007 D3 SE manual (gone)
Indus Silver D4 HSE 2015 (gone)
Bonatti Grey D3 HSE 2006 (gone)
White D3 S (LHD) 2007 (gone)
Firenze Red D4 HSE 2014 (gone)
Black RRS 3.6TDV8 2008 (gone)
Rusty Green Defender 110 1997 (gone)
Black FL2 HSE 2013 (gone)
6th Jan 2023 1:07 pm
VVS210
Member Since: 05 Aug 2015
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 506
To me that looks more like it's an issue of the rear cross member being corroded and not being able to support the tow bar than a failure of the tow bar itself.
Now that then raises other questions about whether the same could happen to a 'fixed' tow bar?
I have a fixed tow bar on mine, it is a kit of parts that includes a main 'drop plate' that fits into the rear cross member in exactly the same way as the removable one does and has never been removed since it was fitted over 6 years ago. I made sure that this was very well greased when it was fitted.
What it has that the removable one doesn't is a pair of bars which brace it to the chassis legs to help with transferring the longitudinal loads when pulling away and stopping, and lateral loads from cornering, hence preventing any 'twisting moment' within the rear cross member. These bars do not help with any of the downward loading on the tow bar.
So, should I be removing my fixed tow bar after every use?
Answers on a postcard please...D4 - Stornoway Grey
D2 V8 - Zambesi Silver (rust free JDM import 😎)
FL2 - Sd4 HSE
110 Td5 DCPU - Bonatti Grey - sold
FL2 Td4 - Zambesi Silver - sold
D2 Td5 - Epsom Green - sold
F1 Td4 - Giverney Green - sold
90 300 Tdi - White – sold BIG mistake should have kept it!
F1 Td4 - written off by a taxi!
D1 300 Tdi - written off by a Fiesta...
D1 200 Tdi - sold
90 Turbo Diesel - sold
Ser 2a SWB - sold and glad I 'got rid'
Ser 2 SWB - sold but wish I still had it!
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