Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Bigron on 29 April 2018, 16:14:25
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I seem to be increasingly usung my saloon car as a van, especially as I'm transporting materials for paving/concreting my lawn to park my Omega on (driveway full of tin tent), therefore I'm thinking about adding a towbar and cheapo trailer.
Can anyone help, please?
Sorry if this is in the wrong section, but I couldn't find the wanted/for sale section - stupid, I know! :-[
Ron.
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Towbar must be "type approved" to be legal .. so you need one designed for the Omega, not difficult to fit yourself, just "awkward" without a ramp as you need to get a fair way under the car.
If just using a trailer you only need the road lights option used to be called 12N .. very simple to do as all the wiring already exists in the boot, all you need is a couple of relays to get it all working.
Other option is to get some quotes from the fitting companies ... they can do the whole job in a couple of hours.
Trailers now have to be "plated" IIRC, with the max weight ... mine is so old and so home made it has no plate .. but is extremely solid .. :)
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This reminds me. I really must attach the removable towbar to my car and check all is as it should be.
I haven't done it since I bought the car, and knowing my luck the time I will find out that something is wrong with it will be the first time I need to use it. ::)
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Got a towbar in my shed if you can reach kings lynn free for members only ? never fitted to my car but it came off a omega.
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Got a towbar in my shed if you can reach kings lynn free for members only ? never fitted to my car but it came off a omega.
Saloon and estate tow bars are very different... Wiring identical though :y
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Its is for a saloon,i think its got electrics too,will check tomorrow 👍
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Funny enough I was under the back of mine yesterday confirming the rumours that a towbar salvaged from a pfl estate is no good for a facelift estate.
With type approval required I doubt they would look to kindly if I modified it, especially with my welding, so if anyone needs one its going spare.
Steve
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Got a towbar in my shed if you can reach kings lynn free for members only ? never fitted to my car but it came off a omega.
That's a brilliant offer, but distance is the problem - 100 miles each way, and my Omega has a drink problem!
Actually, the last time I towed was with my beloved Carlton estate, pulling my Sprite caravan, I fitted a "Trapezium" tow hitch, (wonderful device) - which makes a "virtual" pivot point around the centre of the axle instead of at the tow ball, resulting in a very stable outfit free of snaking.
Ron.
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Had mine supplied and fitted at home by a mobile tow bar fitter.Reasonable price.
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No worries Ron 👍
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Yes, it's a xhame; but I do appreciate the offer. Many thanks. :)
Ron.
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There used to be a tow bar fitting company in Witham Ron, on Freebournes
Keith ABS
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I am certain I have seen a plug connector branching off the wiring loom hidden away in the rear panel which is a simple 'plug and play' for the towbar wiring. Whether it is for the original Vauxhall towbar electrics kit or whether the aftermarket do a suitable kit, I'm not certain, but worth checking. Would make the wiring a lot simpler if your car has the plug and you can get the correct tow bar loom to connect to it.
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I am certain I have seen a plug connector branching off the wiring loom hidden away in the rear panel which is a simple 'plug and play' for the towbar wiring. Whether it is for the original Vauxhall towbar electrics kit or whether the aftermarket do a suitable kit, I'm not certain, but worth checking. Would make the wiring a lot simpler if your car has the plug and you can get the correct tow bar loom to connect to it.
Plug exists but socket is virtually un-gettable. Cut off the plug and connect wires to 12N socket wires, as appropriate, by soldering/shrink wrapping. IIRC the only additional thing needed is a different flasher relay .. and all that does is make the repeater on the dash work !!
You can buy an expensive "trailer pack" set up from Vx which gives additional bulb failure warnings. I have that as I tow a "tin tent" a lot, and for quite high miles, for just an occasional use trailer I wouldn't have bothered.
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I am certain I have seen a plug connector branching off the wiring loom hidden away in the rear panel which is a simple 'plug and play' for the towbar wiring. Whether it is for the original Vauxhall towbar electrics kit or whether the aftermarket do a suitable kit, I'm not certain, but worth checking. Would make the wiring a lot simpler if your car has the plug and you can get the correct tow bar loom to connect to it.
Plug exists but socket is virtually un-gettable. Cut off the plug and connect wires to 12N socket wires, as appropriate, by soldering/shrink wrapping. IIRC the only additional thing needed is a different flasher relay .. and all that does is make the repeater on the dash work !!
You can buy an expensive "trailer pack" set up from Vx which gives additional bulb failure warnings. I have that as I tow a "tin tent" a lot, and for quite high miles, for just an occasional use trailer I wouldn't have bothered.
Bear in mind that if you use the dedicated plug/socket in the boot, the brake light feed to it is via the trailer check 'relay' base up front. So you you either bridge that connector block or take the brake light feed directly from the car's brake lights.
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Could I add, check your license to make sure you don't need an additional trailer entitlement. I presume most on here would have grandfather rights.
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When the mobile fitter did mine he cut the connector off in the rear panel and joined wires.
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When the mobile fitter did mine he cut the connector off in the rear panel and joined wires.
Properly, or with Scotchloks ;D
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Does anyone know if the pre face lift saloon towbar will fit facelift ?
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Just checked the towbar, its abit rusty just needs a wire brush and a paint its got a single socket and wires to connect up straight into the loom .if anyones intrested
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Does anyone know if the pre face lift saloon towbar will fit facelift ?
If it is an original OE then the answer is no due to the deeper bumper on a facelift car. I'd imagine most towbars around these days will be aftermarket & they'll generally fit either.
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Does anyone know if the pre face lift saloon towbar will fit facelift ?
If it is an original OE then the answer is no due to the deeper bumper on a facelift car. I'd imagine most towbars around these days will be aftermarket & they'll generally fit either.
Thanks for the info :y
glad i asked now :)
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Does anyone know if the pre face lift saloon towbar will fit facelift ?
Physically yes, it should as the shells are fundamentally the same.
Howevever, you might find that the tow ball sits a touch nearer the bumper, although I think the extra length of the face lift cars is all in the front bumper...
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Yes I believe he did use scotchloks which I wondered about at the time but it is some years ago and I havnt had any problems.
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Does anyone know if the pre face lift saloon towbar will fit facelift ?
Physically yes, it should as the shells are fundamentally the same.
Howevever, you might find that the tow ball sits a touch nearer the bumper, although I think the extra length of the face lift cars is all in the front bumper...
The rear bumper is definitely deeper too. I know there have been various examples of specific preface lift tow bars being fitted to later cars & the ball sitting too close to the face lift bumper.
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OK thanks, dodged a bullet there as i was looking at a PFL one cheap on ebay,
but i don't want to hack chunks out my bumper ;D
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OK thanks, dodged a bullet there as i was looking at a PFL one cheap on ebay,
but i don't want to hack chunks out my bumper ;D
Owners manual has all the mounting dimensions and plan/profile views... The dimensions from a pfl manual would confirm exact differences :y
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Just checked the towbar, its abit rusty just needs a wire brush and a paint its got a single socket and wires to connect up straight into the loom .if anyones intrested
Could you please weight the towbar for me so that I can make enquiries about getting a courier to transport it for me?
Thanks,
Ron.
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Does anyone know if the pre face lift saloon towbar will fit facelift ?
Physically yes, it should as the shells are fundamentally the same.
Howevever, you might find that the tow ball sits a touch nearer the bumper, although I think the extra length of the face lift cars is all in the front bumper...
I understand the facelift bumper is bigger than the prefacelift i.e. it protrudes further to the rear (if that make sense?). That is why facelift exhaust tailpipes have longer exit pipes than prefacelift.