Lexus Fitted Towbar

[TonyL]

Hi All,

I have just had a detachable towbar fitted today to my Black 2007 RX400h. Hmm! A bit disappointed.

It was the electrical side that is bugging me. I was expecting, having read & being told, that with the detachable set-up everything is hidden until needed. e.g. the 'ball' is detachable & the electrics are on a spring-loaded hinge that fold back up out of sight. Not what I got!

I have the two(2) sockets to the nearside (left) of the 'ball' but they are stuck there in plain sight. Not hinged. To make matters worse one of the sockets has a white cap so that sticks out like a sore thumb. If it was hinged it would not bother me at all, but ......... . I did ask about this & was told that is how they come.

So I am given this triangular bag that contains the detachable towbar ball, two (2) keys, a pair of cotton gloves and a page torn from a manual (page 35 & 36) showing how to attach & detach the thing. Unbelievable, they charged me £1,160.03 & give me a scrap of paper. Unprofessional is the word that comes to my mind.

Anyway, is all the above correct, or have I been fobbed off. I would dearly like your feed back before I go back & speak to them.

TonyL

[vadre]

I have a detachable towbar fitted to my 2006 400h and it sounds like the same model as yours.

My electrical socket is the new 13 pin type and it does fold up behind the bumper.

I cannot see why a twin setup should not do the same.

I too had it fitted by a Lexus dealer for around £1k. Didn't get the scrap of paper though, should I go back for it!!!!!!

[vadre]

Further to my post, while the electrics socket folds up fine with just the one 13 pin socket fitted to the plate, a twin socket setup would foul a bracket attached to the bumper.

Hope this helps.

[steve haley]

Think they fitted the wrong kit ie not lexus. Think they should have fitted the 13 pin kit and given you a 13 to two 12 adapter. See lexus-tech.eu for all the fitting instructions.

Still amazed that anyone uses a lexus dealer to do this. The oem bar that lexus use is the westfalia @ £280 normally and the guanine lexus STD electrics kit is 110 with the extension to 13pin at another 75. So you paid them 600 for 2-3 hrs work and I bet they didn't take the power lead back to the fuse box.

it really is a DIY job of you are brave enough.

One tip is to expose the fuses through the passenger side access panel in the boot normally they are inaccessible.

[steve haley]

Hmm reading the books it looks like they simply extend out the swivelling connector and put the two on that. Did you request that style of electrics?

[mcleish]

I am having a Witter Towbar fitted this Thursday on my RX300 for £360 by www.towbarman.co.uk (don't let the name put you off), they come highly recommended. Going to the main dealer for such a item is way beyond me !!! They discussed all my requirements ie what I intended using it for, the various types to chose from and they even sent photos and install guides with photos, so that I could see what I was getting. Ok, I have not had it fitted yet, but I am sure it will be fine.