Hi all,

I’m about to view a couple of 5.0’s….after agreeing a sale on my D4.

I’m wondering how the roof bars fit to the L332… do they require rails and t tracks or is there a flap which pops up and allows fitting? I’m looking at genuine LR rails but see no way of fitting them to the car and I’m hoping to avoid full length rails.

Also if I get one without a towbar, (I’m ok with fitting one myself) - can anyone recommend best one to get? I really want a detachable one with electrics that can ideally plug and play (if the electrics exist in that way? I hate splicing into wiring looms).

The one top of my list doesn’t have a towbar, so anyone with any experience of this please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks in advance

Do a search for 'tow bar'. Lots of info.
Personally, if it's obvious a Tow bar hasn't recently been removed, I'd go for a car without one because who knows what it has been dragging around with all the increased wear and tear.

Sorry Kevin but a really do disagree with your "sweeping" statement regarding towbars.

True, someone could have been dragging heavy trailers around 90% of the time - on the other had it could have been used a couple of times a year dragging a tin tend around for a couple of weeks a year - not enough for a 5lt to even break sweat.

Some owners fit towbars simply to protect their car from other drivers anyway & to me a RR looks "naked" without one.

As for the OP - PF Jones are good with towbars &/or advice - personally, I would not have/use a detachable one ever, I just don't trust them (although there are plenty who do).

I didn't make a 'sweeping' statement. What you say is true, it may have towed very little but at the worst scenario it could have been dragging 3 tons of horses and trailers around. I was only saying by choice I'd prefer one without a tow bar already fitted!

The roof bars are fitted under little flaps in the roof, no need for rails. I got the Yakima Aero Flush bars and am very happy with them, easy setup and look similar to the OEM bars.

S60R wrote:

Hi all,

I’m about to view a couple of 5.0’s….after agreeing a sale on my D4.

I’m wondering how the roof bars fit to the L332… do they require rails and t tracks or is there a flap which pops up and allows fitting? I’m looking at genuine LR rails but see no way of fitting them to the car and I’m hoping to avoid full length rails.

Also if I get one without a towbar, (I’m ok with fitting one myself) - can anyone recommend best one to get? I really want a detachable one with electrics that can ideally plug and play (if the electrics exist in that way? I hate splicing into wiring looms).

The one top of my list doesn’t have a towbar, so anyone with any experience of this please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks in advance

So 'know it all Gary' strikes again. If a car has towed during it's life you're saying it has no effect at all on things like suspension bushes, shock absorbers propshafts etc. My point that a car that has never towed has more chance mile for mile of being in a less worn out state than one that has.
Stuff you. I'm out of here.

Please refrain from personal insults.

We're all here to help fellow RR owners (and prospective owners).  2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

Well thank you gents…

I didn’t mean to start a heated discusssion!

Great news that the RR bars just plug into the flaps when needed… I don’t really want to fit rails permanently as it’s only for very occasional roof tent use.

I have fitted a couple of tow bars to past cars so I’m happy to have a go…. I will check,out your recommends….thanks all!

Any more info needed, just ask. Aside from the towball and neck, there's little difference between the fixed flange and detachable in terms of how to fit them.

Aside from the usual garage tools for fitting, the 'special' tools I also needed were an angle grinder (the exhaust brackets have a welded nut with a bolt through and one of mine was seized so, had to undo the exhaust bungees, angle grind the nut and bolt off and refit a 316 A4 grade bolt and Nyloc nut in place), silicone lubricant (for the exhaust bungees) and box spanners (for the nuts on the elongated threads either side below the boot floor - if you remove the cubby hole on the right hand side of the boot and look in towards the rear of the car, you'll see the nuts you'll need to access). Otherwise the rest of the job really was just the time in undoing and doing up lots of bolts. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

Perfect….thank you Gary… very happy to tackle fitment myself… are the electrics purely plug and play? No splicing required or cutting into looms?

Yes.

Later cars (of which the 5.0 is) have the tow ECU tucked just down the side of the spare wheel near the bumper and the multiplug on the tow electrics just plugs into that and then the loom pokes through a rubber grommet in the bodywork adjacent to it.

Not essential but it's also good to get an IID or a garage with full LR diagnostics to programme the car's CCF to tell it you have a tow bar fitted and that you've got 7P or 13P electrics. What that will do is turn off the parking sensors in reverse if trailer electrics are connected, ensure the 13 poles are monitored if you have 13P connected, and the vehicle traction control and ESP adjust themselves. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

Thanks Gary! Great knowledge sharing… thank you.


Yes I have the IID tool from my disco I’ll buy a new license once I have decided on the car….. at least I can look at the ones lacking the tow bars now

If you ask GAP nicely, they'll switch you over to your new VIN for free. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8