Euro Tow Bar Fitment

[Suntzu]

I called the hayman reece agent and yeah it was a lot cheaper than OEM. And basically the same product. I dotn want extra weight though. Maybe I can fab one in aluminium...!

[luxobarge]

I got my tow bar from http://www.miamitowbars.com.au/

Cant remember the exact cost but it was about $300 fitted and they came to me at no extra charge. Because your in Brissy you may have to drive down to have it installed though.

Its a Hayman Reece towbar... no cutting of the rear bar and IMO it doesnt impact the look of the car at all. I used to tow my 14" runabout on a weekly basis with no problems what so ever. A couple weeks ago i even towed a car on a trailer.

Ill try get a pic posted up later but dont hold your breath, im pretty busy atm.

[ticklenow1]

I don't know what the story is with having to cut away some of the bar. Mine was fitted by the dealer (genuine kit) and it doesn't look like any of the bar was cut away.

They installed the flat wiring connector and with the honda plastic cover over the towbar you can hardly even notice it.

If you are getting an aftermarket bar then make sure that it does not stick out to far, as then it looks terrible.

Hayman Reece is a good brand though, and it would be hard to believe that they would make an ill fitting bar.

[Merlin086]

Hi All,

Sorry to bring up an old thread....but I need a tow bar. I'm only going to be using it on rare occasions (for light loads in the trailer), so when i'm not using it, i'm hoping to be able to remove the tongue, leaving as less visual impact as possible. I also don't want to have to cut into my rear bar.

I just phoned Honda, and they want $550 for the towbar + $190 to fit, and according to the guy I spoke to, they would have to cut the bar...

Those of you that have a towbar fitted, is your rear bar cut? If not, what towbar do you have fitted?

Also, i've read where you can have the trailer lights connector either near the hitch or in the boot. How does it work if it's in the boot, where do you run the cable? When I asked the guy at Honda, he said he'd never heard of it being in the boot...

If any of you have photos of your setup, post em!

TIA!

-Steve

He probably means cut the skirt to clear the tongue, whick looks pretty dodgy.
Looks better if you just let the skirt ride up over the tongue, and you don't even notice.

As for the plug, I just leave mine in the spare wheel well with about 1.2m of cable, so when you want to plug in the trailer you just let the cable hang out past tha boot and close the lid, as the rubber seal will allow clearance for the cable.

I paid $225 supplied and fitted at Miami for the Haymen Reese.

[EuroSteve]

Thanks for the posts guys.

What would be a huge help is some photos. If any of you get a chance, could you post a couple photos (one from behind and one from underneath, i'm curious to see how the kits mount)?

It would be great to see the difference between the OEM and Hayman Reece.

Thanks guys,
Steve

[Merlin086]

Only have one good pic atm, if you want anymore shots you'll have to wait....

This should give you a good idea, you can see the shirt riding over the top of the tongue mounting plate.

[luxobarge]

excuse the dodgy phone pics through a window but it should give you a good idea (BTW its the same towbar as Merlin086)

[Suntzu]

So which one is this above? Hayman reece or oem?

[EuroSteve]

Thanks for the photos guys, that's exactly what I was looking for.

It looks like a pretty simple install, just wondering how hard it would be to install myself (i've got all the necessary tools, etc). When I look under my car, where you guys have the tow bar, I have two (iirc) tow rings/hooks. Is it a matter of removing the rear under cover and unbolting those rings and bolting back on the tow bar plate, or do you have to cut those rings off and weld the towbar plate on?

I realise you guys had yours installed, but thought you (or someone else?) might know anyway.

I just phoned another Honda dealer for a price comparison, for those that are interested:
08H10SEAL10 Tow Bar $510
08H60SEAL00 Wiring loom $54 (installs without having to splice wires apparently)

Thanks,
Steve

[EuroSteve]

Actually, i'll revise that above question. Looking closer at the above under car photo (and photos of tow bars not installed), I see there is a bar which runs horizontally along the back of the car (probably thus why they are called tow bars ;-P).

My question is this, do the tow bars (either Hayman Reece or OEM) bolt on, or does the installation involve cutting/welding, etc?

[Suntzu]

I would like to order the hayman reece bar and the oem wiring loom and also install it myself. Im guessing it a bolt on direct.

[EuroSteve]

I would like to order the hayman reece bar and the oem wiring loom and also install it myself. Im guessing it a bolt on direct.

Yeah, i'm thinking I might do the same. I suspect it just bolts on, I might give HR a call now.

Comparing the HR and OEM bars with the tongue off, I think the OEM one (even with the nice Honda cover) protrudes out more than the HR.