Member Since: 25 Dec 2020
Location: Europe
Posts: 326
Retrofit detachable towbar
Good evening,
D4, MY2016 came with no towbar from factory. Is it possible to retrofit? Abviously wiring ir required for socket, but what about actual slot where hook slides in - is it there?
23rd Mar 2021 7:10 pm
kirkyworld
Member Since: 01 Mar 2016
Location: Northampton
Posts: 566
The removable tow bar as pictured is available from LR and simply fits in the hole that all D4s have in the rear crossmember. Personally I wouldn't tow without an additional securing plate too.
23rd Mar 2021 7:22 pm
Yargo
Member Since: 25 Dec 2020
Location: Europe
Posts: 326
What is "additional securing plate"? Would you have a picture of it? Thanks.
23rd Mar 2021 7:35 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 10 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6757
Member Since: 25 Dec 2020
Location: Europe
Posts: 326
Thanks. Why would there be need for one? Do hook fall out/detach?
23rd Mar 2021 7:58 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 10 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6757
In the UK, at least, several cases of where the swan neck has dropped out they had a recall or “customer satisfaction program” to fix it but it wasn’t a thing here. Evidently swan necks don’t drop out in Finland......even though it’s the same part or LR doesn’t care about our satisfaction - pick one
I think there are several threads of it happening, do a forum search
23rd Mar 2021 8:05 pm
Yargo
Member Since: 25 Dec 2020
Location: Europe
Posts: 326
Oh crap, sounds scary. Is it a fault with actual hook or slot in frame where it slides in ?
23rd Mar 2021 8:13 pm
Duc750
Member Since: 07 Aug 2017
Location: northampton
Posts: 314
some and some - I'm not sure anyone has truly bothered to find out - both could wear or just one and not the other - the outcome would be the same
Oddly though I don't think there's any evidence that the receiver hitches for US and Oz do the same. They are however a different design to the 50mm ball. I do keep meaning to put my receiver and 50mm ball next to each other and make a proper note of the differences05 D3 V8 HSE, LR Passion tree bars, wildbear compressor guard, LRP switch panel, ARB rear locker + compressor, Trigger 6 shooter electrical system
12 RRS SDV6 HSE (Hers) - Gone and replaced with an I Pace - I can tell you now EV is not the future yet
Metalian Camper trailer
23rd Mar 2021 8:25 pm
Pedros
Member Since: 25 Jun 2011
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 454
The hole is there to put it in (as the actress said...) and the plugs for the wiring should be behind the plastic plate there. Which should hopefully be all in working order. The detachable bit is a small fortune from a dealer so it might be worthwhile looking for a second hand one. They go from around £100 upwards on the likes of Ebay. There have been the odd failure of them, but it isn't too common. If you intend to tow anything heavy, like a two-up horse box or something similar I'd recommend fitting a fixed tow bar. But for most trailers and small caravans, the detachable one will do just fine. Another thing, when you aren't using it, take it off. Leave it attached too long and it'll be the devil to get off and you'll end up rattling it with a hammer to loosen it. When it's off, you can check it for wear. A bit of surface rust (that causes the sticky-ness) is normal though. Ideally, you should enable towing too, if for no other reason than reversing is a pain because the car will think it's about to knock into something close and beep like a Roy Chubby Brown show on at prime time.
24th Mar 2021 2:02 am
nigel207
Member Since: 26 Mar 2009
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 1359
The detachable tow bar is absolutely fine so long as its looked after properly! Ive been using them since 2009 to tow a variety of trailers and caravans (and us them for a Thule bike rack). The clue is in the name - detachable, which means that when it’s not in use, remove it. When you use it, make sure that both the receiver on the car and the wedge on the tow bar are clean and lightly lubricated. When there was a bit of a panic on, I contacted LR directly, who told me that they suggest that the detachable tow bar is more than adequate for occasional use (which they classed my 2-3 times per month as), but if it was to be used several times a week, they’d recommend a fixed type. Both are rated at 3.5 tonnes.
I saw pictures of a couple that had come adrift, and it was perfectly clear that there had been no maintenance whatsoever carried out on them, and I strongly suspect that they’d simply been put into the receiver on day one and left.
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they had a recall or “customer satisfaction program” to fix it but it wasn’t a thing here. Evidently swan necks don’t drop out in Finland......even though it’s the same part or LR doesn’t care about our satisfaction - pick one 
