Front tow bar suggestion. https://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/front_towbars.html

[graham2burton65@gmail.com]

I remember reading somewhere on this forum a suggestion that we could use a front towbar.
I knew of them but had never seen them advertised.

https://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/front_towbars.html

I have no affiliation etc, just came across them recommended on another site.

May be useful to someone,
Cheers
Graham B

[Graham W]

Given the extra traction over the front wheels on a front wheel drive car, plus better visibility out of the front, this is a great idea.  Unfortunately my 2011 VW Golf is too modern to be included on the list of vehicles covered!

[graham2burton65@gmail.com]

I remember someone here suggesting that you can mount a ball hitch on to a front removable towing eye.  Just for slipway work.  However, I cannot see how to stop it rotating.
Anyone any thought on this?

[Paul Beardsell]

My Mercedes van similarly. Newer than 2014 so not supported, and I have an e-mail from them saying so. Also interested in the towing-eye question.

(oops, that's not true, Watling Engineering will do a bespoke job. See my posting 8-Mar-2021 below)

[R and J]

High Graham,

I was very interested in the tow ball which fastens into the front detachable towing hook eye. I have since discovered our Ford Custom campervan hasn’t got its front towing eye and have put the question to our supplier/converter so I haven’t got any further yet. Once I have got one I will give it a go.
I expect that it will tighten when screwed far enough in. If that doesn’t present the eye horizontally so the ball doesn’t present vertically then I will look to use washers to achieve a good orientation.
I have a concern that it is too high up on the front of the van which would drop the transom of the boat when attached. A further concern is the position is very much to one side and not central. This could limit manoeuvrability in tight spaces. My narrow drive at home a case in point.

I will be approaching this using trial and error and hope my observations and comments help.

Has anyone succeeded? Are they willing to share their experience? Any contribution could shorten the learning curve.

Rufus

[Charles Scott]

How about this? https://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/111261-front-towball-in-the-towing-eye/

[Rob Johnstone]

How about the old fashioned standby of a locking nut? It would need to be left hand thread I think, as I vaguely rember that the towing eye is left hand threaded.

[Sea Simon]

We've covered some of this ground before on here. Some of it a little off the then current topic!

I got as far as....

Re: Buying a used Swallow boat - Front tow or push bar
https://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,2111.msg14100.html#msg14100

Haven't got around to trying my golf set up on my tiguan yet either!

In my experience, there are several permutations of the "recovery eye" hardware, even with the VAG range (wife currently has a Skoda).
Toyota different again....

I don't think suitable left hand thread locknuts will be easily found off the shelf?

Added
Perhaps i should have put "buyer beware", "at your own risk", "on your own head be it!" And all similar caveats To my posts about any home made towing kit?
The modern way?
I'm "only" 60, but still remember when people made their own towbars (often from salvage/scrap steel), never mind being discouraged from fitting their own factory made bars.

I recall one of my daughter's friends (full-on millenial) being mortified when she arrived at our house to find me fitting suspension modifications and a  big brake kit to my performance car....by myself. She actually asked if I had a "licence" to take my car to pieces.

Modern times....

[Graham W]

The last post in the Caravantalk link that Charles provided gives several good reasons why relying too much on the front screw-in towing eye is not a good idea.  This includes that it shouldn’t be subject to any angular forces.

Being able to manoeuvre a trailer whilst facing forwards is a very attractive idea but if our cars are too modern for a proper front towbar, then I for one will have to go without.  The issue of pulling a fully laden trailer up a slippery slope with a front wheel drive car can however still be addressed by using the front screw-in tow ring, a length of stout string and by keeping the jockey wheel down until on the flat.  Having a trailer handbrake helps while you turn the car around to get into position but chocks behind the trailer wheels would also do (and might serve as a failsafe with the handbrake) as long as they don’t float away.

[Paul Beardsell]

BESPOKE FRONT TOWBAR

My Mercedes van similarly. Newer than 2014 so not supported, and I have an e-mail from them saying so. Also interested in the towing-eye question.

Correction! That e-mail I reference above was from someone else, not Watling Engineering. I was still keen and had another google. Ben Babcock of Watling Engineering wrote me as follows, so I'm booked in to have a front towbar fitted.

Dear Mr. Beardsell,

Thank you for your enquiry regarding a front towbar for your Mercedes Vito.

Unfortunately we have not yet designed a front towbar for that vehicle, but if you can find your way to us here in St. Albans, we would be able to design and fit a bespoke front towbar for you.

The price is £400 plus VAT and is an inclusive price with no hidden extras.  For further information or to make a booking, please call on 01727 873661.

Kind Regards,

Ben Babcock
Watling Engineers Ltd.

[Tim Leary]

I had one of these Watling front towbars fitted to my 2011 Ford Transit van last year.
The Watling front towbar does the job very well - My drive goes through a narrow gate at the side of my house and has a wall along its length which prevents the front of my van from being manoeuvrable left/right if reversing up the drive, so it is pretty much impossible to get the BR20 into my back garden in this fashion. With the towbar on the front it is easy every time, as it only takes very small adjustments of steering to push the boat backwards up the drive in an accurate fashion, and there is no problem with vision. My towbar has the option of ball in middle or offset to one side, but I have only needed it in the middle, as the van has to fit through the same narrow gate....
Well recommended, but I did pay a local garage to fit it, so that bit was painless!
I did look at battery operated push/pullers but they are expensive and the gradient of my drive steeper than they recommend. Also good for launching with good view. May use it at Seafair Haven 2022 in Pembroke Dock, which we will be attending.

[Graham W]

A front towbar on my VW Golf would be very useful, not least to improve traction over the front wheels on slipways. Unfortunately, the Watling one is only suitable for even older models that the 2011 VW that I drive.

[Sea Simon]

Unfortunately, the Watling one is only suitable for even older models that the 2011 VW that I drive.

What "mark" is your Golf GW? Is 2011 a 6? You're probably aware, a mk6 is more or less a mk5 (from about 2005?). I believe rear tow bars are compatible? I know a mk 3/4 rear bar won't fit a 5...see below.

We currently have a 2012 1.4 TFSi petrol cabriolet GT, "sort of" a Mk 6 (wife's, not for towing) and the front underside seems very similar to my long-term 2007 mk5 gti (excepting bumpers, "aero" etc). Although the cabrio does have a very large, heavy gauge aluminium undertray, that is plastic on the gti. The rear chassis seems to be significantly different, probably due to cabrio mods?

Could you sacrifice style/aero?

Or, see post above re bespoke front bars?

Or, buy an old Golf as a tug that said, even bangers seem to be commanding silly money atm. I have need of a "shed" for my current projects, and there's little hereabouts under £2k with a newish mot... personally, I'm still coming to terms with the £1k banger!
Older Range Rovers seem abundant, unloved, and perhaps "good value". You can have a 2007 RRover for diesel Golf money, almost like-for-like!
.....but I'm not that brave/stupid and have no need of an additional hobby!

Ps, I have both roof racks and tow bars for Golf mks 1, 3 and 5 here somewhere...none of which, of course, fits our current cabrio!

[Graham W]

Thanks Simon.  I think my current VW is a Mk6 and having covered 130,000 miles, probably already qualifies as an old banger.  It has a rear tow bar and when towing the boat, the 1.4l petrol engine copes reasonably well but fuel consumption suffers.  I’ll run it into the ground before replacing it - hopefully it’s got another couple of years left in it.

The Range Rover idea is tempting until you look at maintenance costs!

[MarkDarley]

Thanks Graham for posting this.  I plan on getting a quote from my local garage to fit one to my Landrover Freelander 2.  Will let the group know how it goes.
Mark