Towbar Maintenance Guide
Maintenance of a towbar
"Ideally, a towbar will last a lifetime, but although it is a sturdy piece of steel, the reality is often different." explains Rüdiger Niemann, Head of Customer Service at Westfalia-Automotive.
Despite its resilience, mechanical and environmental influences leave their mark on the towbar. Dirt and advanced corrosion can impair function and driving safety over time. In order to avoid this from happening, regular maintenance is essential.
There are a few tips that you should keep in mind to ensure that your towbar or that of your customers is in the best possible condition.
General Information
Towbars are available as fixed, removable, and retractable models. Regardless of the type, the ball diameter is standardized at 50 mm and should not deviate from this dimension by more than 1 mm, otherwise the towbar could detach from the vehicle. Therefore, regular checks are essential in order to avoid possible serious accidents.
Inspection
Signs of damage or severe corrosion may mean that the towbar is no longer roadworthy. Regular inspections are particularly important if the vehicle comes into contact with salt. This can happen in wintertime due to road salt on the roads or close to the sea area, especially if the towbar and ball head are immersed in salt water, for example when launching a boat. Salt is very aggressive and without regular maintenance it will eventually attack even the best quality steel and seriously weaken the parts, which can eventually lead to failure. Rüdiger Niemann advises regular inspections, with removable versions requiring the ball rod to be removed and checked for wear or corrosion. If damage, significant wear or corrosion is found, it may pose a safety risk to continue using the towbar.
Maintenance
Maintaining a fixed or flange-mounted towbar is relatively simple and quick. In most cases, it's just a matter of greasing it and checking the tow ball diameter. Detachable towbars, however, require more complex maintenance. Both the towball and the neck should always be kept clean, and regular maintenance of the mechanism is crucial. The lock should only be treated with graphite. It's also helpful to regularly grease or oil the bearings, sliding surfaces and towball with resin-free grease or oil. The grease or oil will also serve as additional corrosion protection. When cleaning the vehicle with a steam jet, the towball must be removed and the cover plug inserted. To ensure that the plug sits correctly and doesn't get lost quickly, you can smear grease into the receiving tube and then insert the sealing plug so that it "sucks in" properly.
Note: The towball should never be steam blasted, regardless of the type of towbar you have.
Very important: The towball should be greased before using it with a trailer. However, if a bicycle rack or a trailer with a track stabilization coupling is placed on the trailer coupling, the grease or oil must be removed from the towball beforehand! If the trailer hitch is not being used, a protection cap should be put on.
And don't forget: Check the electrical kit socket for dirt and remove any residues.
Repair and Replacement
Repairs and disassembly of the removable towbar should only be performed by the manufacturer of the towbar.
Westfalia-Automotive offers replacement parts such as keys, plugs, or cover caps for all towing devices through the spare parts program. If the tow bar is extremely worn or corroded, we recommend replacing it!
Find Accessories and Replacement Parts for Your Towing System
Used Towbars
Westfalia-Automotive generally advises against purchasing a used towbar because you can never be sure about its history and condition. Used towbars are often sold with worn-out elements and do not include the appropriate fasteners or assembly instructions. In the worst-case scenario, the towbar has already been damaged in an accident; hairline cracks or fractures often cannot be seen with the naked eye. Therefore, we recommend that no specialist workshop installs used towbars.
Customer Service
If you have any technical questions about Westfalia Automotive products and their installation, our technical customer service will be happy to help you during the following times:
Monday – Friday from 08:30-12:00 and 14:00-16:00
Phone: +49 (0)5242 907 500
You also have the opportunity to get answers to many questions on our website. Perhaps your question is there and you can find a solution to your problem quickly and easily.
