Steve Minshall 20/05/2017
Fitting a Hayman Reese #2570RW towbar to a VW Tiguan
Fits models: VW Tiguan 08/2008 to 05/2016
Time for experienced fitter: Approx. 3 hours
Fitting difficulty: 5/10
Today we fitted a Hayman Reese towbar to a VW Tiguan. This bar fits all generation 1 models built from 2008 until 05/2016. This is a very popular bar and we see a fair number of the vehicles through the workshop.
The Bar:
For current specs and fitted price please see our VW Tiguan tow bar page.
Rating 2000kg max trailer, 100kg max ball weight.
The Hayman Reese tow bar for this fitting is a Class 4 hitch making it a heavy duty unit with a 50mm square receiver socket for the tow ball mount. The bar replaces the vehicle impact beam and is mostly hidden behind the bumper. This bar is a neat fit with a discreet bumper cut.
The Kit:
Towbar #2570RW, ECU #4827, trailer socket #4817.
The Hayman Reese kit comes with a wiring loom, tow ball mount and ball. Additional parts required are an electronic control module (HR #4827) and a tail piece to complete the electrics with the desired socket style. We would typically install a Hayman Reese #4816 which is a 7-pin flat socket with an appropriate length of cable to complete the hook up.
Fitting:
Physically bolting the bar to the vehicle is very straight forward as the tow bar simply replaces the vehicles impact beam and has arms that slide down the chassis rails. Bolts for the side arms go through pre-existing holes. There is a fair amount of work to remove the the bumper, tail lights and interior trim to access electrics. The electrics also require feeding a power supply wire through to the fuse box at the vehicle dash.
Electrics:
Although the VW Tiguan has modern complex electronics the trailer lighting wiring that comes with the Hayman Reese tow kit is relatively straight forward. The wiring solution uses an ECU module that is able to translate the vehicles lighting signals to correctly switch the trailer lights. Power for the trailer lights is taken from a separately fused feed. This is sourced from the internal fusebox located near the driving position so a wire has to be run through the vehicle to this location.
Bumper cut:
A bumper cut is required for this vehicle. Details are given in the instructions but care does need to be taken because there are a variety of bumper styles for the models covered by this fitment.
Additional:
This job could be done by the DIY mechanic who takes appropriate caution when removing/refitting the bumper and connecting the electrics. Issues to watch for are carefully marking and checking for the bumper cut before actually cutting as there are a variety of bumpers on the Tiguan. Treat the instruction measurements as a guide only and offer the bumper to the vehicle to check before cutting.
Our current fitted price for this bar is available here or we can supply the bar to customers in Australia for you to install yourself:
Current supply only price for kit including: #2570RW towbar, #4827ECU, #4816 tail is $1220 including freight. The kit is usually available for dispatch within 1 to 5 days.