Welcome to Redcap Garage Towbar and Trailer Experts


Frequently Asked Questions
How can I find out my car’s towing capacity? Every vehicle manufacturer has to give a maximum towing limit. This can be found in the vehicle handbook and also on the chassis plate, usually found under the bonnet. The information can be presented in a variety of ways. The clearest is when the plate gives the towing limits for both braked and unbraked trailers. Sometimes the car’s Gross Train Weight (GTW) is given. This is the combination of the car’s Maximum Permitted weight (MPW) sometimes called Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and the trailers Gross Trailer Weight (GTW). To get the towing limit simply deduct the MPW from the GTW. It is an offence to exceed the car’s towing limit. Does my car’s kerb weight include the driver’s weight? The usual definition of kerb weight is a vehicle in its ready to use condition with all tools, spare wheel etc. and a full tank of fuel. Many vehicle manufacturers are, however, now following European Directive 95/48/EC which specifies the kerb weight as a car in ready to drive condition with the fuel tank 90% full, a driver on board weighing 68 kg and luggage of 7 kg. Any extras or accessories fitted after purchase will increase the weight and reduce both payload capacity and hence the towing limit. When looking at a car’s specification in a brochure please check the method of determining the kerb weight. If it is to the EC Directive you must allow for the weight of any other passengers and luggage and deduct that weight from the towing limit accordingly. This could easily reduce the towing limit by 250-300 kg. If in doubt please check with the car makers technical department directly. Do not rely on a car dealer’s salesman, as they are often uncertain on towing information. How long does it take to fit a towbar? This depends on the type of vehicle, but on average approx 4 hours. We need to check and double check all safety aspects of the tow bar when fitted. Safety is our main concern and should not be compromised. What unbraked trailer can I tow? You can tow a maximum of 750 Kg with an unbraked trailer but you cannot exceed half the kerb weight of the towing vehicle. You can tow a trailer with a Gross Weight higher than your car’s towing limit as long as you only load it up to that limit. It is illegal to exceed the car’s towing limit. Can you fit a towbar to the Ford - KA? No, when EC Type Approving the vehicle, the manufacturer did not declare it suitable for towing, therefore it has no specified towing capacity and no specified mounting points. Fitting a towbar to any such vehicle registered on or after the 1st August 1998 would make you liable to prosecution. I have been told that my warranty will be invalid unless I fit the manufacturers towbar, is this correct? This information is incorrect; Directive 94/20/EC was designed to create free trade. If you fit a Type Approved towbar it will not invalidate the vehicle warranty. Under EC Block Exemption Rules a motor vehicle manufacturer cannot prevent a franchised outlet from supplying or fitting components deemed to be of equal quality to that supplied by the vehicle manufacture - such as a Type Approved towbar. Often the towbars we fit are made by the riginal equipment manufacturer for the vehicle as Thule Brink and Westfalia control over 80% of the roiginal supply market in Europe.
What security do I need to get comprehensive insurance for my trailer? Two security devices need to be fitted when the trailer is left unattended - a hitchlock and a wheel clamp tested to TUV, RDW or Sold Secure standards. What is Directive 94/20/EC? Directive 94/20/EC was introduced as part of European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EWVTA) to provide a common standard throughout the European Community, thus creating an open market. Irrespective of where a towbar has been Type Approved, a customer will know that it has been manufactured to a known technical and quality standard. What happens if I don't fit a Type Approved towbar? If your car is first registered on or after the 1st August 1998, you could be prosecuted for an infringement of Construction and Use Regulations or your Insurers may decline to pay out in the event of an accident claim.
Does 94/20/EC mean that I can only have a swan neck towbar fitted as supplied by the vehicle manufacturer? No. A towbar with the popular two hole faceplate and towball made by an independent towbar manufacturer can be EC Type Approved. Can I fit a Type Approved towbar myself or do I have to go to an authorised dealer? A tow bar can be fitted by yourself, but please bear in mind it must be fitted in accordance with the instructions provided. We can fit the tow bar for you if you prefer and carry out all the relevant safety checks and installation of the sometimes problematic towing electrics.
How can I tell if a towbar is EC Type Approved? It will have a label, data plate or staming showing an "E" No e.g. E11000100. This figure denotes that it is EC Approved in the UK (E11), has an approval number (0001), of EC Document revision 0. I am towing a small trailer, what type of electrics will I need? Single electrics will be required in order to power the normal tail / side lights, indicator, brake and fog lights. When would double electrics be required? Double electrics are needed when towing a caravan to supply power to the fridge and battery as well as taking a 12v feed into the caravan for interior lights etc. A split charge relay can also be added to double electrics to prevent your car battery being drained by your caravan. What is TSP? 2003 saw an increase in vehicles being built with new on board communications protocol namely CAN (Controller Area Network) this is fundamentally an engineering standard for how computers and modules talk to one another via the serial data bus in a vehicle's wiring system. It's a high speed standard designed for powertrain control modules, antilock brakes and stability control systems. The CAN protocol was created in 1984 by Robert Bosch in anticipation of future advances in onboard electronics. The first production application was in 1992 on several Mercedes-Benz models but CAN is now being widely used on more & more new vehicles. Activated driver assistance systems inform the driver about all relevant data being transferred around the vehicle - the corresponding display is then activated either in the instrument or central panel display. ESP (Electronic Stability Program) or ESC (Electronic Stability Control) is an additional enhancement of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and traction control system (TCS). It constantly monitors the driver's control inputs and the actual response of the vehicle. As soon as differences are detected the system intervenes in just fractions of a second on the powertrain management and by applying braking pressures on the appropriate wheels to correct the course of the vehicle. One or several wheels are braked individually so that the vehicle remains steerable and controllable - within the framework of the limits of physics. This automatic action is engineered to improve the vehicle's stability by avoiding excessive over-steering or under-steering so that the risk of accidents is reduced. This is highly relevant for towing drivers especially on slippery road surfaces, during stern cornering, emergency braking and hectic manoeuvres to avoid obstacles.