Hi Folks
We have just changed to a 2010 CR-V. We now need to sort out a towbar.
My hubby would prefer a standard one (not swan neck or detachable) so that he can use his Witter bike carrier; this has a plate which fits behind the towball.
Has anyone got a standard one, and if so does it interfere with the parking sensors? I realise I can leave them off but that seems such a shame.
Sue
My rear parking sensors are automatically disabled when we hook up to van .
We did however have to purchase an additional piece of wiring loom from Honda .
The CRV has a 100kg noseweight limit however if your intending carrying bikes attached to the towbar as well as towing your van you may well exceed the limit with the combined weight of the cycle , cycle carrier and the caravan when hitched up
Yeh! Great thread... We've also just bought a 10 plate CR-V and are looking at getting a tow bar fitted...
Is there any benefit to a swan neck towbar, rather than a fixed towbar, (which I would prefer similarly to the OP's husband?).
Just for info, I've had three quotes to do the job so far, £655 (dealer), £525 (Witter), £363 - local company who Witter would use to fit towbar, even if I paid them £525. Bro-in-law who is a mechanic also offered to fit one for me, but cheapest price I've found so far - for a Witter HN62B with vehicle specific wiring loom is £260 - I'd have to drop him some money for fitting it for me - (takes a few hours). I'll probably just use the local fitters, as it'll come with a warranty, and if there are any problems, then I can myther them rather than the bro-in-law. So long as they use Honda parts, it shouldn't effect the extended warranty that we've got with the car.
Quote: Originally posted by Alphonso De Lard on 10/9/2013
Yeh! Great thread... We've also just bought a 10 plate CR-V and are looking at getting a tow bar fitted... Is there any benefit to a swan neck towbar, rather than a fixed towbar, (which I would prefer similarly to the OP's husband?).
Just for info, I've had three quotes to do the job so far, £655 (dealer), £525 (Witter), £363 - local company who Witter would use to fit towbar, even if I paid them £525. Bro-in-law who is a mechanic also offered to fit one for me, but cheapest price I've found so far - for a Witter HN62B with vehicle specific wiring loom is £260 - I'd have to drop him some money for fitting it for me - (takes a few hours). I'll probably just use the local fitters, as it'll come with a warranty, and if there are any problems, then I can myther them rather than the bro-in-law. So long as they use Honda parts, it shouldn't effect the extended warranty that we've got with the car.
Must be the season for buying a CR-V :-)
Can't wait to collect!
I paid £685 for a detachable towbar fitted to a 2010 CR V this includes car specific loom, fitted by a Honda dealer ,, decided to have a dealer fit it as car was still under warranty (fitted Aug 2012). Towbar is made by Bosal. Time for fitting quoted by Honda is 4 hrs
It would be good to know the official line on whether the warranty still stands if you have an independent fit a tow bar. Time for some Google-ing I think...
Im watching this thread closely, as we are also planning to upgrade to a Honda CRV diesel SE in the new year, which will be one of the new shape 2012 onwards models, so im unsure if it will have the same issues regards the reversing sensors being blocked by any part of the tow hitch or 13pin electrical socket.
Has anyone had a tow bar fitted to this model of CRV? Did you have any of the above problems with yours?
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
We decided on a dealer fitted Bosal removeable towbar on our 2012 new shape CRV
It seemed the best and safest option given all the fancy electronics on the car. I didn't want any trouble over the warranty.
The reversing sensors don't pick up the towbar when there is no cover on it yet they do when it has one of those small dimpled rubber alko covers on, but you can take the bar off easily enough or just switch off the sensors (or leave the cover off!).
The 13pin socket tucks up under the bumper out of the way.
There are a couple of threads on the owners forum that make interesting reading.
http://accordownersclub.co.uk/honda-cr-v/
Having this type of Bosal means that we are back to carrying our bikes in the van when we travel.The bar has a 100kg noseweight limit and I think a rack,two bikes and a van on it would take it too close or beyond that.
We bought an 09 plate Honda CRV EX last June and had the dealer fit a tow bar. We got the detachable one. My husband is very pleased with it. Fab tow car. Took me ages to persuade him to buy me one but he doesn't regret it thank goodness ...... seeing as he does all the towing 😄
Quote: Originally posted by romany girl on 13/9/2013
I have just noticed that you live near to me Alphonso, which dealer did you use? Would you recomend them?
Julia
Hey Romanyy Girl... Collect the CRV tomorrow morning, (sadly, from Leeds rather than the local dealer). Lookers Derby, (local dealer), want £655 for the towbar, whereas Derby Towbar want only £363 and have said they only use genuine Honda parts and connect using the dedicated Honda wiring boom, therefore the car computer should work just as well as Honda fitting it.
I'd love to get the local dealer to fit, but I'm really not sure I can justify nearly £300 extra. I believe Honda fit the towbars themselves, (at the Derby branch), and it's the labour charge that bumps the price up.
Presumably you are based somewhere near to Derby then?
Quote: Originally posted by Alphonso De Lard on 13/9/2013
It would be good to know the official line on whether the warranty still stands if you have an independent fit a tow bar. Time for some Google-ing I think...
I doubt very much if the warranty will stand if a tow bar fitted by an independent fitter causes any problems with the car electronics.
Quote: Originally posted by Bramble Brown on 13/9/2013
We bought an 09 plate Honda CRV EX last June and had the dealer fit a tow bar. We got the detachable one. My husband is very pleased with it. Fab tow car. Took me ages to persuade him to buy me one but he doesn't regret it thank goodness ...... seeing as he does all the towing ��
I have a Honda fitted detachable tow bar (Bosal) on my 2010 CR V, just make sure you detach it regularly and grease the spring loaded pin etc. I have found that it quickly become quite hard to turn the locking wheel to detach the bar If the mechanism seizes (even partially ) it will be very dificult/almost impossible to remove the bar.
I have a fourth gen Honda CR-V and had my tow bar and wiring fitted by my Honda dealer. Unfortunately, the dedicated Honda loom has pin 9 wired via a smart relay that can only take 15 amps, and if you have the Alko ATC fitted, which I have, you need at least a 20 amp fuse. I eventually had it rewired directly from the battery via a 20 amp fuse and all is fine. I have heard that there has been a modification to the Honda tow bar wiring, but I don't know it is a new smart relay.
If you don't have an Alko ATC then it won't make any difference, although it will if you change your 'van for one with it fitted.
I preferred to use a Honda dealer because of the body panels that had to be removed.
Hi Alphonso, im at Belper, so really in the middle of about 4 dealerships, Lookers Derby, the new one at Mansfield, the Chesterfield one, and one at Stockport, just south of Manchester, and probably more if l really looked.
I am starting to wonder if coughing up the extra cash for Honda to fit my towbar would be the better option, as mine would also need some extra wiring done to fit a hoist for my mobility scooter, and im not so sure how this would effect the towing electrics. My last towbar was fitted by Derby branch of Indespention on Ascot Drive, and they did an excellent job, the towbar on my old Jazz was fitted by their Nottingham branch, and indeed they managed to damage some of the body panels and loose a couple of gromets resulting in the rear bumper not sitting entirely level.
At the moment we are thinking of buying the SE diesel model, but does anyone on here tow with the cheaper petrol 4WD version? If so, how do you find it?
Im also going through the big colour debate at the moment, my Dad and my daughter like the white one, but l have mixed feelings about it shoing up every little blemish as the years go by, as im planning to keep this one for several years to come. Both the Cherry red one and the Silver one would go well with the caravan decals, but my last two cars were silver and l rather fancy a change of colour. The one l dont like is the Black one, as they tend to show up every speck of dust and road spray.
So what colours does everyone else have?
The one thing that is certain is that it will be a 4th generation model, 4WD, and a manual gearbox.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
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Topic: Tow Bar for Honda CR-V
