The Westfalia Detachable Towbar Neck Handling Guide

The detachable towbar has benefited from the trend towards more elegant visual lines in cars. Once the towbar neck is removed, only a small part of the towbar remains visible.

The product is available in two automated variants: vertically and horizontally detachable (find out more about the detachable towbar variants). These detachable towbars are the ideal solution for those who only need a towbar occasionally, e.g. to transport a bike carrier or tow a caravan.

Below you will find important information on assembly/disassembly as well as care and maintenance of the detachable towbar. Please pay attention to these carefully, as a towbar is a safety part.

Things to Remember Before You Start

• You should be able to attach and detach your towbar neck with normal hand strength.

• Never use any tools as they could damage the mechanism of the towball neck.

• Never dismantle the towbar neck yourself. This will invalidate any product warranties immediately. For potential repairs contact customer service team.

• Do not make any alterations on any part of your towbar.

• Note down the key number for possible future reorders. Find out how you can re-order a key here.

• It is important to regularly maintain your towball neck. Find out about towbar maintenance.

Attaching the Towball Neck

Step 1: Pull the sealing plug out of the receiving tube.

Step 2: Insert the towball neck from below into the receiver tube and push it up. The locking mechanism will engage automatically. Ensure that your hand is not in the area of the handwheel, but under the towball neck. After it clicks into place, lock it and be sure to remove the key (see Fig. 1). This secures the towball neck in the receiver tube. Then press the cover cap onto the lock.

Note: Normally, when the towball neck is taken out of the boot, it is in the "pre-tensioned position." This can be identified by a gap of about 5 mm between the handwheel and the towball neck, with the red mark on the handwheel aligned with the green area on the towball neck. Only in this state can the towball neck be properly inserted (see Fig. 2). If the towball neck is not pre-tensioned, proceed as follows: With the key inserted and the lock open, pull the handwheel out to the side and turn it in the direction of the arrow until it stops.

Safety Check

Ensure that the neck is locked in properly by checking that:

1. The marking on the handwheel (green) corresponds to the marking on the towball (green)

2. The handwheel rests on the towball.

3. The handwheel cannot be pulled out.

4. Shake the towball -> The towball does not fall out

Note: If the test of all four characteristics is not satisfactory, the installation must be repeated. If one of the characteristics is still not met, the tow bar must not be used. Please contact a workshop.

Detaching the Towball Neck

Step 1: Remove the cover on the lock and attach it to the handle of the key so it doesn't get lost

Step 2: Unlock the lock with the key. The key will remain in the lock and cannot be removed if the lock is unlocked.

Step 3: Grab the towball with one hand and pull out the handwheel sideways and turn it away from you until you meet some resistance (Fig. below). Be careful that the neck does not fall out.

Step 4: Remove the neck from the receiver tube.

Step 5: You can now let go of the handwheel and it will lock itself in the 'loaded' position.

Step 6: Insert the weather cover / plug into the receiver tube. If you slightly grease the plug it will be easier to insert and will also attach more securely.

Please keep in mind that when the tow bar is not in use, the ball bar must be removed if it covers the vehicle's license plate or parts of the license plate.

Note: Never detach the towball when a trailer or bike carrier is attached.

Detachable Towbar Maintenance

• To ensure proper operation, the tow bar, receiver tube, and especially the wedge surfaces must be clean.

• Regularly lubricate or oil the bearing points, sliding surfaces, and balls with resin-free grease or oil. Treat the lock only with graphite.

• If the detachable tow bar is not used for an extended period, the locking mechanism should always be relaxed (locked position) to relieve the spring elements.

• When cleaning the vehicle with a steam cleaner, the tow bar must be removed and the plug inserted. The tow bar must not be cleaned with a steam cleaner.