Towbar fitting and bike rack

I'm wanting to fit a bike rack to my 1993 Super Custom, but the doors a little rusty and I'm not convinced it's strong enough. I read posts suggesting fitting a towbar bike rack which I'm now wanting to do. The trouble is, everywhere I've contacted to fit a towbar says they can't do my model. The last posts relating to towbar fitting look like they date back to 2012. Has anyone had any recent experience with this, and can you offer any suggestions?
I'm based in Hampshire near Southampton.

Many thanks!

I experienced the same problem. It seems that the well known manufacturers see no profit in supporting older vehicles. After much searching I found an independant workshop that was prepared to fabricate one himself. As it turned out he found that he already had one. He asked several times what sort of load I would be towing, (only light) presumably because it wouldn't be tested as safe for a large caravan or boat.
Being in Brisbane, Australia, this doesn't help you at all, but for light weight use such as your bike rack I would suggest asking around smaller workshops rather than the larger component suppliers.

I experienced the same problem. It seems that the well known manufacturers see no profit in supporting older vehicles. After much searching I found an independant workshop that was prepared to fabricate one himself. As it turned out he found that he already had one. He asked several times what sort of load I would be towing, (only light) presumably because it wouldn't be tested as safe for a large caravan or boat.
Being in Brisbane, Australia, this doesn't help you at all, but for light weight use such as your bike rack I would suggest asking around smaller workshops rather than the larger component suppliers.

I experienced the same problem. It seems that the well known manufacturers see no profit in supporting older vehicles. After much searching I found an independant workshop that was prepared to fabricate one himself. As it turned out he found that he already had one. He asked several times what sort of load I would be towing, (only light) presumably because it wouldn't be tested as safe for a large caravan or boat.
Being in Brisbane, Australia, this doesn't help you at all, but for light weight use such as your bike rack I would suggest asking around smaller workshops rather than the larger component suppliers.

I ended up buying one that was a near fit and buying some box section to act as a spacer to take up the gap.

Hi Solaesthetic do you still have details of the one you bought? Was this an expensive option? And what abut the electrics?

Just going to join in here to say I would also be interested in knowing what you went with Solaesthetic.

Looking to get a hitch for a bike rack on my 91 Cruising Cabin.

Also, sick colors on your Cruising Cabin Andonic!

Cheers
B

Bought a towbar yesterday from Watling Engineering just north of London. They manufature them for the Hiace although apparently won't work with models that have a step built into the rear bumper. I'm so happy to have found this. Will update you once my garage has fitted it next weekend. This will make it so much easier to carry bikes.

Andonic wrote:

Bought a towbar yesterday from Watling Engineering just north of London.  They manufature them for the Hiace although apparently won't work with models that have a step built into the rear bumper.  I'm so happy to have found this.  Will update you once my garage has fitted it next weekend.  This will make it so much easier to carry bikes.

I was just going to get a towbar from Watling but they've just closed the business. So can anyone help with suggestions of who in the UK may sell them? A 2001 Super Custom RZH101G - not a camper with the step.

Thanks

Oh no! I wonder whether they had any in stock, and if so whether you could somehow buy one from whoever is winding up the company. It was the only solution I found.

The site does say to contact them to see if they have any old stock, but no reply yet.

Hello g00se

I spoke to Watling Engineering back at the end of September, which happened to be the week before they closed.

At the time they had four Hiace towbars in stock, all with the vertical bolt arrangement for the LH side, so are ‘KZ-model variants’ in my book and I really ought to fit a ‘LH-model variant’. Watling’s made no distinction between the nominally ‘LH-model variant’ (parallel sides only and all mounting bolts fit horizontal) and the ‘KZ-model variant’ (RH has simple mount and LH has the over chassis rail mount) saying that their model would fit everything, but I didn’t want to end up with possibly the wrong product and would have to submit an order within ~18h and no comeback if it didn’t fit, though their shipping cost was good. They also had no electrical mounting brackets nor wiring-looms so I’d have had to make something up for the bracket, though this didn’t worry me and get a wiring kit from elsewhere and retrofit this, too. It was the chance of it not fitting that worried me most.

They were able to confirm their type by sending over their fitting instructions, which was good of them.

Just before speaking to Waltings I’d being looking at the very excellent posts on here on towbars (previously provided in other posts, I think, or see below; pictures tell a better story). I’d also seen the newly-started section of the Vanlife Northwest on towbars (now much more detailed) and both the posts and website indicate there are two types. Do see the videos on the VLNW site.

Hopefully someone will get back to you as Andonic suggests, but as they ceased trading at the end of September they might have disposed of their old stock by now? They were going to re-purpose their workshops for other businesses so you might be able to find a contact via their enquiries office.

This might leave you (and possibly me) with few options.

@Andonic, as your van is almost the same as mine, would you mind casting your mind back to see if you have any photos of the towbar that was fitted to your van? I’m also keen to know if I could fit a KZ-variant as Vanlife Northwest calls it or whether I should only look for a parallel or LH-variant or make something up? As my van is <1 Aug 98 I don’t need a type-approved towbar (so can make one myself) and there’s enough info on here for me to make something:
https://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/t3686-tow-bar-for-1994-super-custom#24871

To be proper, if your van is >1 Aug 98 your towbar ought to be type-approved (https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/trailer-and-towing-equipment) and old-stock Walting might be your only option unless you can find an alternative. One option might be this:
https://www.towbars-uk.co.uk/product-category/toyota-hi-ace-towbar/

Might be worth a call as my assumption is this might be a ‘KZ-variant’ given the dates? Though their fitting instructions show it having parallel sides, so who knows? It also seems a decent price and a lot cheaper than buying something from west-USA. It should also be type-approved. I could make one for less than this but not a lot and it would take me quite a bit of time to do so.

Of course, if you are only using the towbar for a bike rack then the type-approval is not relevant, but it makes sense to me to fit something that is capable of being used for towing. A bike rack with bikes is also likely to obscure the number plate so a trailer-board and suitable electrics is also probably necessary.

Do you have an arrival date, yet?

HTH!!

Thanks - I'm waiting on the shipping of a 2001 RZH101G (petrol Super Custom) and I'm planning on towing more than bikes - so type approval looks like something I will need.

I would assume a RZH would be the same as the KZ and not the LH.

I'll check out the vanlife site but as US imports are over 25 years, I'm not sure it'll cover a 2001 final facelift - were the chassis the same?

Thanks,
Steve

Hello

Yes, I think the RZHx is just the petrol variant while the KZHx is the diesel with the 1KZ-x engine and the LHx is the earlier diesel with the L engine family. There’s a table on the Hiacesoutheast site, plus details are on Wikipedia. Hiacesoutheast shows both the 1RZE and the 2RZE engines in the 2001 model year. I’ve just looked on the EPC and that just shows the 2RZE against your model but check the build plate and ensure it also matches the frame stamping.

I’d also reckon the RZH (esp a 2001) would be the same as the KZH chassis and rear suspension-wise with coils on the rear. The pre-’95 LH models are leaf sprung. It’s possibly this difference is responsible for the different towbars, but this is just my slightly educated guessing, not definitive.

The VLNW site is fairly comprehensive but I hope it’s not necessary to buy from them. With shipping and probably VAT on top it’d be a very expensive towbar. I could make a stainless steel one for less than that would cost to bring here.

I just didn’t want to be rushed into buying without certainly from Walting, but the TowBars-uk option (link above) might be suitable. I just don’t fully understand some of their terminology.

Another complete can of worms is the probable lack of GVM (or MAM as used here) stamped on the build plate. Check this on arrival. If missing there’s a recognised and legal method that I’ll take you through if necessary.

Cheers!

I don't think the TowSure TT888 from Tow UK will work. The fitting instructions are here: https://tow-trust.s3.amazonaws.com/instructions/TT888.pdf

and the holes are drilled horizontally rather than diagonally. Also, there are angle brackets that would not seem to meet any part of the chassis - when compared to the images in this thread: https://hiace-super-custom.forumotion.com/t3686-tow-bar-for-1994-super-custom#top

Re type approval, imports are exempt: http://www.towbarsdirect.co.uk/typeapproval.htm

I guess that's how Watlings could make them?

There are a few towbar threads now - but as this seems to be the UK-centric one, I thought I'd post this as an alternative to Watlings:

https://www.towbarcentredorset.co.uk/

I haven't contacted them yet - it's new years eve and so it'll be a few days before they're open again. But they say they work with Japanese imports (they're based in Poole, Dorset).

Problem I came across about towing with my import SC ,the vin plate did not state a max gross train weight , the law in UK says you must have this on your vin plate . Easily overcome by having your van re plated got my new vin plate from a company in Leyland Lancashire they got all the specs from Toyota and sent my new vin through by post , cost under £200 all in , now I can tow fully legal, before anyone says they will risk it think about the consequences of an accident its not just the police fines its about insurance cover being voided.

@LH119V I've searched through my papers but can't find the fitting instructions for the towbar which I think showed pictures. Watling might be able to print them out for you. When I went up there to buy the towbar the guy looked under my van and I think took the towbar under to check it would fit. I had to get my own garage to fit as Watling were booked up months in advance. My receipt says "PTY105 Towbar, Toyota HIAce MPV Special Import". They also supplied the wiring kit and towball but I suspect these are standard things.

Hello both.

Completely on the same page regarding legal towing in the UK. It’s a bit of a pain but thankfully there’s a fix, albeit it’s taken a while to work it out. I’m getting a GVM plate, probably same people doing this; there aren’t many! They supplied some axle weights but as mine is a camper I won’t be getting the plate until I’ve visited a weighbridge and checked the supplied values are realistic. For me, there’s no point in getting a plate made up only for it to make the van itself illegal if the axle values are too low.

As I understand it upping the axle values (if necessary) might limit my towing to <2T (which seems to be roughly the max) but there’s no sense in nominally being overweight when not towing and I’m not really interested in towing anything too huge.

@Andonic. Thanks for the message. Yes Watlings sent me the fitting instructions for the same PTY105 model. This is the asymmetric-type with the RH-side having the horizontal bolts and the LH-side having the vertical ones. Based on the videos and instructions on the VanLife NW site (and the long posts with the pictures referred to above) this arrangement is typically for the KZ variants, but as you have proved it fits the LH. It just needs more work when fitting. Thanks!!

Two issues sorted for me.

1. The towbar: uk-towbars.net will make one up. They said they have fitted Watlings bars before but now construct them themselves.

2. New VIN plate with towing weights. Van Weight Engineering will research and manufacture one and help with the initial V55 registration. Seems a lot faster than the other company.

Just to finish off this thread for me, I got the new UK VIN plate sorted by Van Weight Engineering - very quick and simple.

I got a custom tow-bar made by the guys at uk-towbars.net. They seemed to take a lot of care with the process - cutting access holes in the panel behind the bumper to feed in the nuts inside the chassis rails - rather than drilling down through the floor. I can highly recommend both.

g00se wrote:

Just to finish off this thread for me, I got the new UK VIN plate sorted by Van Weight Engineering - very quick and simple.

I got a custom tow-bar made by the guys at uk-towbars.net. They seemed to take a lot of care with the process - cutting access holes in the panel behind the bumper to feed in the nuts inside the chassis rails - rather than drilling down through the floor. I can highly recommend both.

Nice!!