Towbar for 2017 LWB Barn Door Van

[Microphonemania]

Hi guys

I just removed my back end to install a towbar (which came off a 2015 transporter to find that it doesn’t fit my 2017 barn door transporter. The towbar seems to be 710mm wide at its insert point and my barn door vans ports at which you would insert the towbar is 750mm. I had a metal rear step that was attached to the metal plates I’ve held up in the photo. Is it a different system on the barn door vans where a tow bar is attached to these type of plates? I’ve googled barn door vans that do have tow bars fitted but when I google towbar for barn door transporter I get no results. Thanks

 

[Microphonemania]

Here is the rear step that was on the van..does the barn door style tow bar mount to the plates (that I’m holding up in the photo)? Confused

 

[manfrotto]

Are you sure the towbar came off a VW T5/T6 ? It doesn't look correct to me.

 

[Microphonemania]

Yes I removed it from my 2011 Lwb van before I sold it to put onto my new 2017 Lwb barn door van

 

[manfrotto]

Yes I removed it from my 2011 Lwb van before I sold it to put onto my new 2017 Lwb barn door van

I put a towbar on my T6.1 van with barn doors and pretty sure they didn't diffrentiate between barn dorrs and tailgate as being different. I suspect there may be a difference between the T5 and T6, although everyone seems to think they are ethe same !

 

[airhoguk]

Looks like you have an unusual tow bar.usually there are two arms one either side that go up into the chassis rails roughly bolting on where your boot is in the first picture and at the other end. They didn’t get left on the old van did they?

 

[Microphonemania]

Thanks for your reply guys. I don’t think any parts were left behind..it was removed quite a while back so my memory is failing a bit. It was my assumption that the arms of the towbar (circled) slide into the slots/holes into the rear of the van (also circled)..Is this correct or does the towbar just attach underuse another point under the van? Thanks for your time.

 

[Skyliner33]

Thanks for your reply guys. I don’t think any parts were left behind..it was removed quite a while back so my memory is failing a bit. It was my assumption that the arms of the towbar (circled) slide into the slots/holes into the rear of the van (also circled)..Is this correct or does the towbar just attach underuse another point under the van? Thanks for your time.

View attachment 299643

View attachment 299644

That tow bar looks nothing like the ones for a T6.

 

[Microphonemania]

That tow bar looks nothing like the ones for a T6.

Thanks..yes I think you’re right. The strange thing is that when I removed the bumper for this 2017 I was expecting to see the usual crash bar (I have removed rear bumpers from 3 other transporters I have owned and there has been a metal crash bar inside the bumper..this van just had the hard plastic part inside (circled in purple)..so confused at the moment.

 

[manfrotto]

Thanks..yes I think you’re right. The strange thing is that when I removed the bumper for this 2017 I was expecting to see the usual crash bar (I have removed rear bumpers from 3 other transporters I have owned and there has been a metal crash bar inside the bumper..this van just had the hard plastic part inside (circled in purple)..so confused at the moment.

View attachment 299659

At some stage they changed the metal bar to a plastic one (probably when they went from T5 to T6) My van has the plastic one, and it either needs to be replaced with another bumper support piece or in my case I cut some bits off the plastic so it would go back on to support the bumper and still have space for the towbar.