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Home > Maintenance & Mods (L322) > Westfalia towbar install

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fanders

Member Since: 10 Jul 2013
Location: Hants, UK
Posts: 317

2009 Range Rover Autobiography 4.2 SC V8 Buckingham Blue

Westfalia towbar install

I managed to find time this week to swap the Westfalia towbar over from my dead TDV8 to my new 4.2SC Rangie. Here it is installed on my old TDV8:

I removed it (reverse of installation) without much difficulty, but it was a bit rusty on the surface so rubbed the paint down a bit and gave it a few coats of Hammerite Satin Black direct to metal paint:

Installation involves removing the rear bumper, crash bar and most of the boot interior:

The standard Westfalia towing (non towbar) brackets, left and right side, had to come off:

Whilst I was in there I painted the exhaust backbox with VHT Black paint, came out a bit matt for my liking so will probably top coat with normal satin black when I get a chance:

Offering up the heavy towbar assembly was a bit of a faff but a supporting it on a couple of axle stands helped:

Having read about water ingress into the boot due to leakage via the rear crashbar bolt holes, I sealed all mating faces with gutter seal, which remains flexible and doesn't bond too strongly in case the towbar needs to come off again:

Once the four big towbar vertical bolts and the eight crashbar nuts were torqued up, and the exhaust hangars rebolted, it was just a case of swapping the towbar wiring loom over from the old TDV8. My 4.2SC was built with towing preparation (T/TOW HTH-PREP/ROW) which I think means the wiring loom had the connector for the towbar electrical harness, which looks like this:

And installed:

Job done:

Looking forward to plenty of towing now.

15th Sep 2019 8:33pm

philip1972

Member Since: 16 Jun 2017
Location: Marval 87440
Posts: 526

2006 Range Rover Autobiography 4.2 SC V8 Java Black

Very good!

I have the same bar, but I do wonder how the ball stays attached! You just push it up and to my untrained eye, not a lot holding it in place! Still, I am sure it will be OK.

16th Sep 2019 6:49am

fanders

Member Since: 10 Jul 2013
Location: Hants, UK
Posts: 317

Thanks!

The removable tow hitch/ball is retained in the vertical fixed tube with a locking knob, which you pull out to allow the hitch/ball to fully engage and then twist the locking knob which then allows it to move inwards about 1/4", locking the hitch/ball in place. You can then remove the key from the locking knob. These hitches seems very reliable (see info on this forum about failure of the earlier JLR own-brand version) but you do need to be certain that the removable part of the hitch is properly locked in place, before towing. Hope that helps!

fanders

16th Sep 2019 8:14am

RichM63

Member Since: 10 Jul 2019
Location: Brittany
Posts: 249

2006 Range Rover Vogue TDV8 Stornoway Grey

Nice job, looks smart.

What's the fate of the TDV8?

Rich

16th Sep 2019 9:03am

fanders

Member Since: 10 Jul 2013
Location: Hants, UK
Posts: 317

TDV8 is being broken slowly on my driveway - I've promised my wife it will be gone by Christmas. I'll be keeping a lot of parts in store for long-term use on the 4.2SC (it's often very useful to have a known serviceable spare for use in fault finding), with other bits I don't want being sold along the way. Then - off to the scrappy on a trailer for Christmas. A sad fate for a great car but I had plenty of use out of it.

Salute, fanders

16th Sep 2019 9:43am

RichM63

Member Since: 10 Jul 2019
Location: Brittany
Posts: 249

Might be interested in the side bars from the TDV8, maybe also a 20" alloy.
Have friends in Petersfield who can deliver.
Rich

17th Sep 2019 6:27pm

fanders

Member Since: 10 Jul 2013
Location: Hants, UK
Posts: 317

Hi, thanks PM sent

17th Sep 2019 8:40pm

RichM63

Member Since: 10 Jul 2019
Location: Brittany
Posts: 249

PM replied to, (I hope?)

18th Sep 2019 6:32am

Gsxr1250dave

Member Since: 20 Oct 2018
Location: London
Posts: 900

Just what iv been looking for, a how to step by step guide as I intend to fit a Witter tow bar not so much for towing but to mount a rear tow bar mount to for my spare as iv lpg I leave the spare ar home.

13th Oct 2019 9:11pm

NVB

Member Since: 14 May 2017
Location: Essex
Posts: 103

GSXR1250dave

I've installed a Witter tow bar to an L322 and written it up for a mag. If you want a step by step guide, just pm me your email address and I'll send you over a PDF. RR History
1988 2.4td Classic 1999 to 2020
1992 3.9efi Westminster Classic 2004-2005
2005MY L322 3.0TD6 Vogue 2016 to current

18th Oct 2019 3:02pm

Gsxr1250dave

Member Since: 20 Oct 2018
Location: London
Posts: 900

Thanks that would be handy iv not picked up the tow bar or rear spare wheel mount yet but iv fitted my roof rails and dropped the top box on

20th Oct 2019 6:07pm

NVB

Member Since: 14 May 2017
Location: Essex
Posts: 103

Drop me your email address by pm and I'll get the PDF over to you. RR History
1988 2.4td Classic 1999 to 2020
1992 3.9efi Westminster Classic 2004-2005
2005MY L322 3.0TD6 Vogue 2016 to current

23rd Oct 2019 2:01pm

Danwilderspin

Member Since: 15 Jun 2016
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 2215

2007 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.2 SC V8 Zermatt Silver

Good job I fitted the same to my 4.4 a couple of years ago but I find it ugly as sin! Why does it need to be so big and stick out - I took the bolt and pin out and made it more detachable!

My new 4.2 has a gdw system far more discreet and seem a lot less to go wrong touch wood Current stable:
2006 BMW M6
2007 4.2 V8 S/C FF
Gone:
2002 4.4 V8 FF

27th Oct 2019 10:00pm

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