Caravan Tow Bars – A Buyer’s Guide

Caravan holidays have massively grown in popularity over the past few years, especially with COVID-19 affecting many people’s holiday plans, leading many to turn to holiday’s at home instead.

If you’re new to the world of caravanning and towing, there are a few things to consider – such as which tow bar will be best for you. To give you a helping hand, we have created this buyer’s guide which gives you the best advice for deciding which tow bar is right for you.

Research

 

When it comes to towing a vehicle, especially a trailer – it’s important to know the safety precautions. Your car, which will be the towing car, will have its own towing capacity. You mustn't exceed this limit as it will cause you to be unsafe on the roads. If you want some advice on checking your car’s towing weight, you can read our other article here.

 

Once you know what your towing cars towing capacity is, you will then need to know the weight of your caravan or trailer – you should also factor the contents such as any camping gear that can make a difference to the weight.

 

Different tow bars will recommend a towing weight, so you must keep this figure in mind when browsing your tow bars.

 

1. Understanding the different types of tow bars

You may likely have heard of some of the types of tow bars or their manufacturers but if you haven’t, then you can learn more about the different types of tow bars below.

 

Flange Tow Bars

 

A flange tow bar is probably the most common tow bar type in the UK. With a flange tow bar, the tow ball is bolted to the tow bar with two 24mm bolts (some variations may have four bolts instead of two).

 

The reason why so many people choose a flange tow bar is that it has the most versatile tow bar design, it can be used with any tow ball mounted accessories which include things like cycle carriers and stabilisers. You can get either a fixed or detachable flange tow bar, which simply means you can pick a detachable tow bar and remove it when not in use, or have it fixed to your vehicle at all times.

 

Advantages of a Flange tow bar for caravanners

• You can use other accessories with it such as cycle carriers 
• Can fit a tow bar and pin system required to pull plant trailers and generators
• Can use height-adjustable couplings, drop plates and spacers to get different towing heights and clearances

 

Disadvantages of a Flange tow bar for caravanners

• The tow bar and electrics can be seen when looking at the vehicle

 

Swan Neck Tow Bars

 

Whilst the Flange Tow Bar type is most popular in the UK, you will find that in the E.U a Swan Neck tow bar is the most popular. A swan neck tow bar is where the tow ball and the neck are all one piece of the tow bar. This looks a lot neater and has a narrower bar – people typically prefer this if they have parking sensors as it will be less likely to trigger them.

 

Where the Flange Tow Bar is more versatile, the Swan Neck is less versatile – you can still tow your vehicle or attach a cycle carrier, but you cannot do both at the same time. You can also use a swan neck tow bar with an AL-KO stabiliser without needing modification. Similarly, to the Flange Tow bar, you can get a fixed or detachable version.

 

Advantages of a Swan Neck tow bar for caravanners

• More aesthetically pleasing than a flange tow bar
• Compatible with AL-KO and other friction style stabilisers
• Capable of carrying all types of ball mount cycle carriers

 

Disadvantages of a Swan neck tow bar for caravanners

• You cannot tow and use a cycle carrier at the same time – you have to choose one or the other
• Some necks are not as adjustable as the flange style so can’t fit height adjusters, etc.

 

Detachable tow bars

 

We have mentioned with both Flange and Swan Neck tow bar types that you can get detachable variants. If you aren’t someone who will be on the road often with your caravan or whatever you’re choosing to tow, a detachable may be a better alternative for you.

 

Tow bars and their electrics are not the most aesthetically pleasing thing to look at, but with a detachable tow bar, you can easily fit and remove in seconds. Plus, detachable tow bars are still compatible with AL-KO stabilisers.

 

The disadvantages of a detachable tow bar are…

• They can’t be used with a cycle carrier when towing
• They aren’t compatible with all bike racks

 

At PF Jones, we are the UK’s largest tow bar supplier – so we are well equipped to help you find the best tow bar for your needs. Now that you know what you need to research and know the available different types, it’s time to shop.

 

We stock tow bars from the leading manufacturers including Witter, Oris and Brink. As the UK’s leading stockist, we decided to make the buying process even easier for you! If you’re ready to look for a tow bar, all you have to do is click here and enter your car model and make and we will instantly filter the best results for you. It’s so easy!

 

Plus, if you aren’t too confident in fitting your tow bar – we even have that covered for you. We offer a fitting service in all of our branches which are dotted across the UK. You can get an instant quote in minutes with our Quote Builder which you can find here.

 

Of course, if there’s anything you aren’t sure on when looking for your perfect tow bar – we are here to help. You can contact us by clicking here and choosing your preferred contact method.