Frequently Asked Questions

The weight ratings relate to how much your car manufacturer has rated your vehicle to tow. The unbraked weight is for a trailer without brakes, and the braked rating is for a trailer fitted with brakes. The tongue weight is the downward weight your vehicle can handle on the tongue of the towbar.

Our towbars come standard with a 17/8 towball which is the most common towball size used in New Zealand, however we can fit a 50mm ball instead for no extra charge if requested at the time of booking. There is an additional charge of $20 if advised onsite that a 50mm towball is required.  If we are required to travel back there is an additional charge of $115. We also sell interchangeable towballs ($140) if you have two or more trailers with different couplings, hi rise towball ($140) for European caravans and ISO compliant towballs ($25) for bike racks.

The towball must match the coupling of the trailer/bike rack being carried.  A 50mm coupling is highly likely to slip off the smaller 1 7/8 inch towball.

Some cars require a wiring interface to prevent damage to the cars computer systems, some heavy duty towbars cost more as they have more mounting points and therefore take longer to build and fit. Towbars for some vehicles are only available as a detachable unit, which increases the cost.

If your vehicle has a gross vehicle mass (gvm) under 3500kg or under then yes, we can.  The towbar with accompanying sticker will meet all requirement for a COF

Some cars require a small cut to the bumper which will be neatly done and finished with black rubber pinch weld bumper trim.  If the vehicle has a plastic undertray then this may also require a cut to allow for the towbar to fit.  Please see our Technical Information page for more details and photos or Contact Us to discuss directly.

Yes you can!  We have fitted hundreds of towbars to electric and hybrid vehicles including the popular Tesla Model 3 and Y.  Search using our vehicle finder or contact us for options and pricing.

No, we fit aftermarket ECU wiring which is operates as an isolation unit to protect the vehicle's computer and prevent trouble codes.  

The vehicle manufacturer will state what each model is capable of towing, this information will be contained in the vehicle owners manual.  Each towbar listing also contains information on what your vehicle may be able to tow.  If in doubt, please contact us and we'll do our best to locate this information. Whilst this is not a legal requirement we do advise adhering to these ratings.  In New Zealand, the law requires that every light vehicle and trailer combination must be capable of stopping within a distance of 7 metres from a speed of 30km/h.  In effect, this means the maximum allowable weight of an unbraked trailer is limited by the weight and braking ability of the vehicle being used to tow it. As a guide, NZTA recommends that the laden weight of an unbraked trailer should not exceed three quarters of the laden weight of the towing vehicle - and then only if the towing vehicle’s brakes and tyres are in excellent condition.

Please refer to our Tesla listings.

The removable option has a square section that the tongue slot in to.  The swan neck option is also removable, it is one piece without any visible bolts with an elongated, thinner neck resembling a 'swans' neck.  Differences are explained in our buyers guide.

It depends on what you intend on using the towbar for and personal preference.  The removable option with square section is great for bike racks as both towball mounted and hitch mounted bike racks can be carried.  If you require both a 1 7/8 inch and 50mm towball then two tongues can be purchased allowing these to be swapped out easily if a towball change is required.  The swan neck style tends to be less intrusive but isn't suitable for most bike racks.  As the towball and tongue are one piece, the purchase of a second tongue with different towball size is more expensive.

 Yes, you can!  Please see our BYD listings for options.

 No, your new car warranty can not be void by having an aftermarket towbar and wiring fitted.  New Zealand’s Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) provides protection for consumers against faulty products, including cars.  The CGA requires car manufacturers to honour warranties and guarantees that they provide to consumers and prohibits manufacturers from imposing conditions on a warranty that go beyond what is allowed by the CGA.  This applies to all manufacturers including BYD.