[jon99]

Hi All,

Looking for some advice in regards to installing a towbar onto my 2008 GV.

Looking at some of the options out there they seem to hang quite low and I am a little worried about decreasing clearance.

I do have a 40mm iron man kit but some towbars seem to hang very low.

Has anyone seen some options which don't stick so far down?

Here is an example of what I am seeing: http://www.shop1auto.com.au/New%20towbar%20pages/Towbars_Suzuki_Vitara.html or https://www.fastfitbullbars.com.au/products/suzuki-grand-vitara-5-door-suv-wagon-09-2009-on

Note: I won't be towing while out 4wd, so taking the hitch out isn't too much of a problem, though any which double as a recovery point via a towbar recovery hitch would be useful.

cheers

[ZUZUKI]

Not that I've seen one, but a version with a flat bolt on tongue would give slightly better clearance than the square hitch receiver style.
I think there is some issue these days, with the bolt on tongue arrangement not being suitable when the tow rating of the car gets up to where the 3.2L V6 & Diesels are - 2,000kg & 150kg download.
Issue is where the number plate is.

Seriously Suzi / Piranha off road make a version (I work there, but I'm not trying to flog you one - seriously) which forms the mounting of a replacement rear bar with swing away gerry can & spare wheel holder.
The 'package' is seriously expensive, quite weighty, but.....
We have just fitted a tow bar, without the bar / swing away bit. It is a square hitch receiver style & required relocating the no. plate (on the complete 'package' the no. plate ends up on the gerry can holder). In this case, we screwed the plate to the bumper on the R/H side & fitted a LED no. plate light alongside it - a bit hack & only just (?) clear of the bottom of the spare wheel (which remained on the tailgate) so the spare didn't obstruct the viewing angle, much......
This is because the top of the hitch comes out level with where the top of the No. plate is. So. gains about 100mm on other tow bars. A slot / hole got chopped out of the bumper, but the rest of the tow bar tucked in behind it, with only a slight raised out bit either side, where a plate extends out.
The tow bar bolts to 4 captive nuts in the body either side - as do all the bars I've seen, but as we then hang a steel bumper off it, then a swing away, then the spare wheel, then a gerry can & holder, the tow rating on the bar drops to 1,000kg / 100kg.
In this instance, it was used as a recovery point, spreading load across both sides of the body (no chassis on these things) & without the rest of the stuff hanging off it. In theory, it should / could be rated the 2,000kg / 150kg but we haven't gone through the compliancing of the tow bar just by it's self.
Cost was $400 for the bar, $240 for fitting - including the new no. plate light, but not a trailer socket / harness.
Only fitted at Boronia, but we don't want to sell just the bar like that again.

Ths, Michael

[Gwagensteve]

Ive seen photos of that setup on FB and it looked quite neat. It's exactly where the towbar should be on the NGV in my opinion.

[zooks4life]

If you look up my posts, I had one made up. Just ensure they use all the mounting points available...

[Gwagensteve]

Yes well...

Quote:

A cracked chassis from a $2000 ‘engineered’ towbar will do that lol. At Gregory downs near my isa. So I had it fixed iup and sold it on

which is exactly the cautionary tale about designing/modifiying towbars, especially on monocoque vehicles.

It's also worth considering that even though the standard towbar hangs low, it does protect the rear muffler and rear bar, which are both very vulnerable.

[jon99]

ZUZUKI wrote:

Not that I've seen one, but a version with a flat bolt on tongue would give slightly better clearance than the square hitch receiver style.
I think there is some issue these days, with the bolt on tongue arrangement not being suitable when the tow rating of the car gets up to where the 3.2L V6 & Diesels are - 2,000kg & 150kg download.
Issue is where the number plate is.

Seriously Suzi / Piranha off road make a version (I work there, but I'm not trying to flog you one - seriously) which forms the mounting of a replacement rear bar with swing away gerry can & spare wheel holder.
The 'package' is seriously expensive, quite weighty, but.....
We have just fitted a tow bar, without the bar / swing away bit. It is a square hitch receiver style & required relocating the no. plate (on the complete 'package' the no. plate ends up on the gerry can holder). In this case, we screwed the plate to the bumper on the R/H side & fitted a LED no. plate light alongside it - a bit hack & only just (?) clear of the bottom of the spare wheel (which remained on the tailgate) so the spare didn't obstruct the viewing angle, much......
This is because the top of the hitch comes out level with where the top of the No. plate is. So. gains about 100mm on other tow bars. A slot / hole got chopped out of the bumper, but the rest of the tow bar tucked in behind it, with only a slight raised out bit either side, where a plate extends out.
The tow bar bolts to 4 captive nuts in the body either side - as do all the bars I've seen, but as we then hang a steel bumper off it, then a swing away, then the spare wheel, then a gerry can & holder, the tow rating on the bar drops to 1,000kg / 100kg.
In this instance, it was used as a recovery point, spreading load across both sides of the body (no chassis on these things) & without the rest of the stuff hanging off it. In theory, it should / could be rated the 2,000kg / 150kg but we haven't gone through the compliancing of the tow bar just by it's self.
Cost was $400 for the bar, $240 for fitting - including the new no. plate light, but not a trailer socket / harness.
Only fitted at Boronia, but we don't want to sell just the bar like that again.

Ths, Michael

Thanks Michael that does sound interesting, though perhaps a tad over my head. I understand you don't want to do the exact same arrangement again, but what would you guys be happy to do? I would want a trailer socket with a harness as well if you guys do them too.

[jon99]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Yes well...

Quote:

A cracked chassis from a $2000 ‘engineered’ towbar will do that lol. At Gregory downs near my isa. So I had it fixed iup and sold it on

which is exactly the cautionary tale about designing/modifiying towbars, especially on monocoque vehicles.

It's also worth considering that even though the standard towbar hangs low, it does protect the rear muffler and rear bar, which are both very vulnerable.

Hmm interesting, well that does complicate matters, hopefully, I don't end up hitting them, though when I did take a look underneath I was dismayed how unprotected everything is, especially the exhaust which looks to be the first thing in line to get hit.

[ZUZUKI]

Yes, the exhaust is an issue that is not easily overcome.

Juliette's car is also a 3.2litre Prestige......I still want one.
She uses her car beyond what Suzuki ever intended, I'm sure.
Ironman had made up some prototype rear recovery points, which they rated to 3,500kg, based on previous designs.
These picked up on the towbar mounting locations, but were not linked - ie a separate recovery point either side.
They are apparently not going to go ahead with them into production.
Unfortunately, she was recovered from an angle using one point only & it bent the body around the captive nuts. I had to bash the L/H side to be flat again in this area, before out towbar would mount up.

We only agreed to the work on Juliett's car, because she is a longer term customer, who is prepared to accept some compromises in function over form & I trust her to be sensible in approach.

Unfortunately, with legalities the way they are, what we are prepared to do as a business in this recovery point / towbar area is limited. The risk is not justified, compared to the cost of proving compliance, compared to the volume of sales.
We would be happy to fit a towbar of someone else's manufacture & rating, but it is going to be low - coming out below the no. plate. I don't see a way around this.

The car was originally fitted with a towbar (which we took off, as it was too low - like they all are) & we had previously tucked the original Suzuki branded flat 7 pin socket up behind the bumper. It was reinstated in a usable location once we fitted our bar, not sure of the wiring harness cost from Suzuki, but it would be still available as an accessory.
There are no trailer brakes fitted, so limited to 750kg trailer weight, which we were happy with.

From what I have seen, the structure of the body in this area is not all that robust. The previous generation SQ GV was rated to 1,850kg for towing & has a full chassis, The JB / JT GV wagon is up to 2,000kg depending on engine, but IMO that is asking too much of the car - depending on where you were towing with it, maybe ok if you stuck to smooth roads rarely at highway speed, but that is not practicable for 4wd touring.
I'm not that surprised that an 'Engineered' custom towbar ended up with cracks in the body structure - there is really not enough of it under there to mount securely to.

Rgs, Michael

[jon99]

ZUZUKI wrote:

Yes, the exhaust is an issue that is not easily overcome.

Juliette's car is also a 3.2litre Prestige......I still want one.
She uses her car beyond what Suzuki ever intended, I'm sure.
Ironman had made up some prototype rear recovery points, which they rated to 3,500kg, based on previous designs.
These picked up on the towbar mounting locations, but were not linked - ie a separate recovery point either side.
They are apparently not going to go ahead with them into production.
Unfortunately, she was recovered from an angle using one point only & it bent the body around the captive nuts. I had to bash the L/H side to be flat again in this area, before out towbar would mount up.

We only agreed to the work on Juliett's car, because she is a longer term customer, who is prepared to accept some compromises in function over form & I trust her to be sensible in approach.

Unfortunately, with legalities the way they are, what we are prepared to do as a business in this recovery point / towbar area is limited. The risk is not justified, compared to the cost of proving compliance, compared to the volume of sales.
We would be happy to fit a towbar of someone else's manufacture & rating, but it is going to be low - coming out below the no. plate. I don't see a way around this.

The car was originally fitted with a towbar (which we took off, as it was too low - like they all are) & we had previously tucked the original Suzuki branded flat 7 pin socket up behind the bumper. It was reinstated in a usable location once we fitted our bar, not sure of the wiring harness cost from Suzuki, but it would be still available as an accessory.
There are no trailer brakes fitted, so limited to 750kg trailer weight, which we were happy with.

From what I have seen, the structure of the body in this area is not all that robust. The previous generation SQ GV was rated to 1,850kg for towing & has a full chassis, The JB / JT GV wagon is up to 2,000kg depending on engine, but IMO that is asking too much of the car - depending on where you were towing with it, maybe ok if you stuck to smooth roads rarely at highway speed, but that is not practicable for 4wd touring.
I'm not that surprised that an 'Engineered' custom towbar ended up with cracks in the body structure - there is really not enough of it under there to mount securely to.

Rgs, Michael

Fair enough, thanks for explaining it out, I'll have to keep my eyes open to see if there is something similar out there for me at a similar price point. I did find someone willing to do an "invisible" type install which is fairly tucked away, unfortunately, the going price is around the $1500 mark which is out of my league.

[Gwagensteve]

$1500 would be about right for a one off.

[jon99]

Gwagensteve wrote:

$1500 would be about right for a one off.

Appreciate the confirmation, I'll have to have a long think about it.

[ZUZUKI]

Agree with $1500 cost for something like that as custom.
When pumping batches out, laser cutting, CNC folding & working to an established design etc brings the price right down.
When doing everything by hand as a once off, measuring twice, cutting once etc. sucks up time, & these days, time is around $100p/h + materials + risk factor, that is not unreasonable.
Rgs, Michael