We have calculated an average pricefor mounting a tow bar. The price is an average for all Toyota models, and the displayed average price thus differs from what you will have to pay for the purchase and installation of a tow bar on your particular car.
Average price: £ 500 (June 2020)
Huge price differences for the mounting of a tow bar
A lot of money may be saved on the purchase and mounting of a tow bar for your Toyota. Therefore, looking carefully and maybe requesting a quote in writing from several different garages is a good idea.
It is not uncommon for the cost of mounting a tow bar to vary by hundreds of pounds, so why not save on your garage bill if you can?
Among other things, the price depends on the sort of tow bar you choose. Although a detachable tow bar is what "looks better", most motorists still choose the fixed version.
The reason being that the detachable tow bar is considerably more expensive. And the detachable tow bar’s moving parts may actually rust in place, if you tend to forget to remove it after use.
Tow bar – DIY
It is perfectly legal to mount the tow bar on your Toyota yourself, thus saving even more money. However, you must keep in mind that it needs to be type approved, and therefore meet EU regulations.
When you buy your tow bar, a manual with step-by-step instructions usually tells you how to install the tow bar. However, must have the right tools for the job, and know what you are doing. Generally, this is a task for people who know their way around cars a bit.
Are you even allowed to drive with a trailer?
As an ordinary car owner with a driving license (B), the trailer cannot weigh more than 750 kg – including load. In addition, the combined weight of the car and trailer cannot exceed 3,500 kg.
However, if you are driving a mini or micro car, such a car model will often be allowed to pull no more than 200-500 kg using a trailer without brakes. The maximum weight is usually specified in the handbook of your car. In case no train weight is listed, then you should not use your car for towing.
Before mounting a tow bar on a mini or micro car, it is a good idea to check with both the garage and manufacturer whether they recommend mounting a tow bar.
Some manufacturers require the customer to sign a statement that the tow bar is mounted at the customer’s own risk. The reason for this is that the car is generally not designed to pull heavy loads.
However, many people mainly have a tow bar mounted to be able to drive with bikes on the back of the car, which is no problem. However, it is worth considering whether this makes any sense as there are special bike carriers, which can be attached to the car without the use of a tow bar.
Tow bar – remember your safety
Whenever an accident happens, the reason is often that the trailer is wrong or too heavily loaded.
Speaking of overload, the engines of small mini or micro cars risk being damaged if too much is loaded on the trailer.
What often happens is that the trailer begins to swerve or falls off the car completely. Therefore, it is important to remember to mount the little wire which attaches to the "eye" on the solid portion of the tow bar which is mounted on the car.
If the weight loaded on the trailer exceed 750kg, this is required by law that the trailer has its own braking system, as this will cause the trailer to brake if for some reason it comes off the hook while driving.
Generally, it is a good idea to check whether the license plate lights, turn signals and brake lights work as intended before you drive with the trailer.
