| Author |
Message |
Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 1:23 am: | |
__. My bus is getting a trailer hitch (receiver type) this week. I'll need the towbar part to attach to my VW Jetta (2002 model). Anybody got a recommendation of where to find one?
Thanks, Bruce Henderson, Wallace NC USA |
TWODOGS (Twodogs)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 4:55 am: | |
blue ox ??? |
DMDave
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 5:25 am: | |
search towbars and you should get the sites,also u cantry www.towbarfinder.com, www.roadmaster.com, hitchfinder.com but it seems blue ox had the best selection and prices www.blueox.com |
Jim-Bob (Pd41044039)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 7:39 am: | |
Hi Bruce,
You can search http://www.hitchtrader.com/ looking for a tow bar for your Jetta. I have the Blue Ox Adventa II which is a great towbar. It's on or off on seconds and folds up & stays on the bus. Hard part is finding a bargain on the baseplate that installs on the car. I had to buy that retail.
By the way, we tow an '04 Jetta TDI stick. It tows flat nicely & does not rack up miles while towing. Dealer said we'd have to disconnect the battery but that is not so. We use one of the "valet keys" in the ignition & just turn it one click to unlock the steering but not turn the ignition on. If there is a key in the ignition, you can't lock the door with the "clicker" but must use another "real" key.
I wired tow lights to the rear by running standard 4 wire trailer light wire through/under the car to the rear light assemblies. There is a section of the taillight that is red but there is no bulb installed (something maybe used in Europe but not here). I installed regular 2 element sockets in that portion (1157 bulbs). I have brake, tail & turn lights without compromising the VW electrics & without wires draped on the outside of the car which scratches the paint no matter what we do.
Jim-Bob |
LABryan
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 08, 2005 - 6:03 pm: | |
Jim-Bob:
I have '00 VW Passat (gas) w/ 5speed stick. Very similar running gear to Jetta. VW says this car cannot be towed 4 down and no VW is listed in FMCA toad guide. I was thinking I am stuck with using a dolly with my car, but am encouraged by your account. Is there something about the diesel which makes it more "towable" than my gas powered Passat? Do you have to make any accomodations, such as restricting speed, starting engine every so often, etc? Any advice would be appreciated. Great idea for the lights!
LABryan |
Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 08, 2005 - 7:43 pm: | |
__. Thanks for the info, JB! I'm glad that you've had good results with your TDI. And I like your idea of the extra socket in the spare taillight cavity (it's meant to be used as a "hi-density fog lamp [i.e. a brighter taillamp] in Europe). That's a super idea and it will solve another problem that I have.
__. In another thread, there's talk of a tow dolly. I figure that there's not much difference between a flat-tow and a tow dolly (I've towed a car on a tow dolly about 1500 behind another car -- kind of a painful experience but I don't think that flat tow would be much different). The only differences IMO would be stowage issues (the dolly would be much harder to stow when not in use), there is a big price diff, and I figure that if you lift a car, you stand the chance of damage if it falls.
__. BTW, it's www.blueox.us for the website.
PS Wish that my bus gets 56 MPG like my Jetta.
Bruce Henderson, Wallace, NC USA |
Jim Bob
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 09, 2005 - 9:51 am: | |
LA Bryan,
When we bought the Jetta several guys in the Dealership told us that the TDI would need the battery disconnected to prevent adding miles. They said that the TDI could be disconnected with no ill effects to the computer, but the gas engine computer would forget everything & need to be reprogrammed.
So I thought I would try & tow it with battery connected a couple of miles (the TDI) and Voila!, it worked fine. (So much for the expertise of the VW folks.) Had it NOT worked, I was going to run the circuit from the speedometer drive through an isolated ground (oil) pressure switch. That way, the computer wouldn't get a signal unless the engine was running!
I recommend you try it & see what happens. You can always follow their recommendations if it adds miles.
We may have to start our own database on this stuff!
Jim-Bob |
Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 12:22 pm: | |
__ Hey, Jim-Bob, please check your AOL email for a message from me! Thanks, Bruce NC USA |
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