Is installing a towbar a modification to the design of the car?

A towbar (or towing device) is a special element of a car designed to secure a trailer. In simple terms, a towbar is a hook on which a trailer is attached. That is, if there is no towbar, then the trailer cannot be used.

In recent years, legislation has undergone many changes, including those related to the use of additional equipment, and readers of pddmaster.ru are increasingly sending questions about how legal it is to use a tow bar.

Let me remind you that for unauthorized changes to the design in 2022 you can get not only a fine, but also cancellation of registration.

Is it necessary to register a towbar with the traffic police in 2022?

In this case, everything depends on the tow bar itself and the documents available for it:

• If there are documents for the towbar , then the driver does not need to contact the traffic police to make changes to the registration certificate. You can simply install the towbar and safely operate the car with a trailer.
• If there are no documents or they cannot be restored, then installing a tow bar is a design change that should be registered with the traffic police.

Note. The necessary documents for the towbar will be discussed below.

For example, if the original towbar is installed on the car at the factory, then no additional actions need to be taken when contacting the traffic police to register the car. If the traffic police has any questions about the vehicle in the future, you can at any time request documents from the automaker and defend your own case.

On the other hand, if the towbar is made independently and simply welded to the car body, then this is a design change. To register it, you need to contact the traffic police. Moreover, it is far from certain that permission for the installation will ultimately be obtained.

Let me remind you that the algorithm for making changes to the design of a vehicle is discussed in a separate article:

Making changes to the design

It implies that the car owner must contact various organizations 7 times, i.e. quite labor intensive.

In this regard, in practice this option is also possible. If the towbar is already installed on the car, but there are no documents for it and it is impossible to restore them, then it may be easier, faster and cheaper to buy a new towbar with documents than to try to register a change in the design of the car with the traffic police.

How to design an installed tow bar?

If the vehicle requires registration with the traffic police, then the following procedure should be followed:

1. Submit an application to the State Traffic Inspectorate department for a preliminary examination of the vehicle design, attaching the following documents:

• PTS for a passenger car;
• vehicle registration certificate;
• documents for the towbar received upon purchase or copies thereof sent to you upon request from the manufacturer.

1. After preliminary consideration of the application, a technical examination is required with the presentation of documents on conducting a safety check of changes to the design of the car. To pass it you will need to submit:

• an application from the car owner requesting registration of changes made to the design;
• towbar purchase agreement (if available);
• quality certificate for trailer hitch;
• declaration from the workshop where the towbar was installed;
• expert opinion and diagnostic card for the car, issued by the service center.

In cases where the towbar was received along with a car purchased on the secondary market, if the device is homemade or it is not possible to obtain copies of documents, you should refuse to travel before registering the vehicle. If the traffic police refuses to register the installed device, it is better to dismantle it.

After registering the towbar, all that remains is to register the trailer. Read the detailed instructions.

Documents for a car tow bar

In 2022, the technical regulation of the customs union TR CU 018/2011 On the safety of wheeled vehicles will be in force in Russia. It is this document that vehicles and the equipment installed on them must comply with.

Let's consider paragraph 77 of section 4 of chapter V of the technical regulations:

77. Vehicles are not subject to inspection in the following cases:

1) when installing components on a vehicle:

• intended for this vehicle and have undergone conformity assessment as part of this vehicle, which is confirmed by the documentation of the component manufacturer;
• provided by the vehicle manufacturer in the operational documentation;

2) when serial changes are made to the design on the basis of design documentation developed and approved in the prescribed manner, if on its basis an assessment of the conformity of the changes made was carried out.

So, there are 2 cases in which the towbar does not need to be registered with the traffic police:

• When making serial changes to designs. In this case, we are talking about installing a trailer hitch at the factory.
• When installing a towbar as additional equipment, if 2 conditions are simultaneously met: The manufacturer has provided for the installation of the towbar in the operational documentation. In this case we are talking about the instruction manual , which is issued when purchasing any car. Open this document and look for the section on using a trailer. If there is such a section, then everything is in order.
• The towbar must have manufacturer documentation confirming that it is intended for use on your vehicle model and has passed a conformity assessment.

Thus, the list of necessary documents for using a tow bar:

• Vehicle Operation Manual.
• Documents for the towbar confirming that it is suitable for the vehicle of the required model.
• A certificate for the tow bar confirming that it complies with the requirements of the Technical Regulations.

Please note that are not required to carry these documents with you and present them to traffic police officers . They can also be stored at home. Just if a traffic police officer has questions about the towbar, immediately tell him that you have all the necessary documents and the towbar was installed legally. Usually this is enough. If the policeman nevertheless decides to issue a report, you will be able to challenge it based on the available documents.

Thresholds on Niva: do-it-yourself installation options, photos, drawings

In some regions, car owners have already begun to be seriously fined for illegal towbars. The fine is under Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code, Part 1, in the amount of 500 rubles. If you are being punished for the first time for driving a vehicle (it may be something that you did not know), then this same article provides for the issuance of a warning. Be polite to the inspector and tell him you will fix it. In this case, you may have to avoid punishment. But don’t delay legalization if you really need a towbar. If you don’t need it, then just take it off and don’t look for adventures in one place)))

What to do if there are no documents for the trailer hitch?

If you do not have the above documents for the tow bar, please contact the manufacturer of this equipment to obtain copies. Self-respecting organizations provide copies of documents without any problems.

You can contact:

• in electronic form - through the organization’s website;
• in person - through an official representative in your city;
• by mail - by registered mail.

If it is not possible to restore the documents, then the only option left is to purchase a new coupling device, or to officially make changes to the design through the traffic police.

Note. Some organizations offer to buy a package of documents for a towbar . I recommend ignoring such offers, because... Only the manufacturer himself has the manufacturer's documents. If such documents are issued by another organization, they will be fake.

In what cases can it not be installed?

According to traffic regulations, installation of a towbar is not allowed in the following cases:

• The part is secured to the body independently by welding or homemade bolts. It is dangerous to use a towbar without special expertise.
• The product goes far beyond the car bumper. Cars driving behind such a vehicle risk colliding with a metal tow bar.
• The car belongs to the category of trucks. It is not recommended to use trailers on them; this creates a danger for all road users.
• There are no documents for the tow bar. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the product complies with government regulations.

More on the topic: Classification of vehicles according to technical regulations

Driving with homemade, non-certified pitons is illegal. If the driver is stopped by a traffic police officer and it turns out that the towbar is installed incorrectly or does not comply with the regulations, the car owner faces administrative punishment.

Conclusion

There is no need to register a towbar with the traffic police if:

The towbar can be installed not only by an authorized dealer. This can be done by any other organization that has a certificate of compliance of the services provided for installing a tow bar with technical regulations and GOST, while the car will remain under warranty from the official dealer.

About tow bar for LADA

: installation of a tow bar is provided by the factory for all modern LADA models (Vesta, XRAY, Granta, Largus, Niva). Before purchasing a towbar, check whether it has a certificate. We recommend installing an original tow bar.

Where can I buy

: original and non-original towbars are presented in our online store (Towbars category).

Key words: universal article

Source

The current state of affairs on the road

Despite the fact that we nevertheless came to the conclusion that a fine for a tow bar is not only possible, but also quite legal, everything is not so bad. Indeed, in practice, motorists are not often issued such a fine. Let's say more, no one really pays attention to the presence of a towbar, and does not think about what the motorist is violating. Therefore, actual objectivity is not so gloomy, and until some high-profile incident occurs in our country or the idea of ​​a “fix” arises, there is no need to be particularly afraid of a fine for a tow bar. The likelihood of such administrative punishment is not high.

Connecting the towbar socket to the electrical wiring of the VAZ 2107

The basic set of towbars does not include an electrical package. It must be purchased separately.

The socket body is mounted in a special bracket on the towbar. It must be sealed. The socket contacts are tightly recessed into the sockets. Be sure to check the condition of all threaded connections on this kit.

It is recommended to connect the towbar wiring harness in the rear light unit, through the trunk. Upon completion of work, it is necessary to test for the absence of connection errors.

For the VAZ 2107, seven-pin (7 pin) connectors of the European type (RF) are most often used.

1. Place the towbar wiring in a corrugated tube;
2. Disconnect the car battery contacts;
3. Remove the carpet from the luggage compartment floor;
4. Punch a hole in the rubber plug of the trunk floor and pass the trailer hitch wires through it;
5. Connect the wires from the connectors of the towbar to the wires of the standard wiring of the VAZ 2107;
6. The contacts are connected by soldering or using crimp clips;
7. Fix the harness on the body with insulating tape or plastic ties;
8. To eliminate errors in the operation of the electrical wiring of the vehicle, it is recommended to include a Smart Connect matching device in the circuit;
9. Test the operation of new connections. Return the cover to the trunk floor.

If the trailer plug and the towbar socket have a different number of contacts, there are 7/13 or 13/7 adapters.

Pay attention to the quality of the existing fuses, since connecting a trailer will increase the load on the vehicle's electrical wiring. The trailer has its own optical devices:

• Parking lights.
• Stop lights.
• Turn signals.
• Registration number lamps.
• Fog lights.
• Reversing light.

If the installation is not provided by the factory

Even in this situation, there is a way out. The installation will need to be legalized. For this purpose, an examination is carried out:

1. Obtain the necessary documents to confirm the possibility of installing a tow bar on your vehicle.
2. Pass the examination (through the traffic police). You need documents issued by the auto center and for transport.
3. After completing the procedure, adjustments are made to the technical certificate and PTS (the modification is confirmed and legalized).

The traffic police will provide forms and redirect you to undergo a vehicle examination.

What to look for when buying a towbar?

The main thing that needs to be carefully monitored is the availability of documents. The towbar must be certified. A technical passport and a certificate of conformity are attached to it. Additionally, you should consider:

• Is the towbar suitable for the make of the car?
• How it will need to be secured to the body;
• Dimensions, weight of the product;
• Compliance of characteristics with state requirements;
• Is the hook suitable for connecting to a trailer?

On some brands, installation of fasteners is prohibited. In addition, you cannot use tow bars of the wrong size or specifications. The fasteners should not interfere with the movement of the vehicle or block license plates.

Installation of a certified trailer hitch on a VAZ 2107

Installation can be done by the car owner himself. But this can lead to deformation of body elements during operation. By seeking the help of licensed professionals with the necessary tools and skills, negative consequences can be avoided.

For installation work you will need:

• drill;
• a set of drills of various diameters;
• set of wrenches;
• pliers.

Installing a tow bar on a VAZ 2107 involves performing the following steps step by step:

• Drive the vehicle into the inspection hole;
• Place the towbar from below to the bottom of the car;
• Secure the ends of the cross beam using bolts and washers in the bumper mounting brackets or in the towing eyes;
• Mark with chalk the locations for drilling holes for attaching the longitudinal beam brackets;
• Drill technological holes and treat them with an anti-corrosion compound;
• Fix the longitudinal beam brackets using bolts with washers and nuts, reinforcing plates;
• Check the tightness of all bolts;
• Check whether the design of the trailer hitch interferes with the operation of the vehicle's systems and mechanisms.

Lada 2107 Crossover › Logbook › Installing a tow bar

Hello, I already wrote that the car was primarily purchased for household chores, and anyway to drive through forests and fields, and first of all it was necessary to install a tow bar, but either I don’t have the money, or I’m too lazy to buy and install it, in the end I I finally decided to buy it, but I couldn’t find it anywhere, I had to order it at the store. I picked it up two weeks later, I didn’t have it lying around for long, and I don’t like buying something for the car and leaving it to lie around later. Basically a tow bar not really needed, but still, from time to time I need to bring something, I took the trailer and drove off. Previously, my father had a tag, it had a tow bar, then he sold it, in the end there is a trailer and it stands idle) so the 7k had to take the rap. and a towbar. Installation turned out to be much simpler than I thought, the towbar is attached to the towing hooks in the front, four holes are made in the back under the car and secured, drilled, primed, painted and coated with mavilya, bolts

Helpful information

Options for checking the possibility of installing a trailer hitch on a specific machine

The easiest way to do this is to read the Owner's Manual for your vehicle. It must indicate whether the use of a trailer hitch is intended or not.

In some cases, this is not indicated in the manual. Then you can check another way: by VIN number.

The code consists of four lines. The first one shows the car manufacturer, the second one shows the VIN number itself. On the third is the permissible maximum weight and the last line is about the maximum possible weight of the car with a trailer. If this figure is indicated, the use of a trailer hitch on the vehicle is possible.

When is the use of a trailer device completely prohibited?

You cannot install a tow bar on a car if it is technically prohibited to use a trailer on it. In this case, any vehicle will not be registered with the traffic police, and such a vehicle will not pass the examination.

Types of trailer hitch

A towbar on a car has several types:

• Welded.

Attaches firmly to the vehicle. It is most dangerous for road users; its use in passenger cars is prohibited.

• Folding.

This device has hinges in its design, thanks to which the device can be easily folded and stored under the car bumper. Some companies produce folding trailer hitches with an electric drive, which can be controlled directly from the vehicle interior.

• Removable.

The trailer hitch is installed by snapping a special lock. A removable tow bar is the safest towing device for use. The part is easy to install and also easy to remove, which is why this type of trailer hitch is popular among motorists.

When choosing a trailer hitch, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the part. Otherwise, the vehicle may not be allowed to operate.

Fines

When installing a trailer hitch yourself, you need to know what punishment awaits the driver for using a towing device without registration. Violation is punishable by a warning or a fine.

Installing an additional towing device on the machine allows you to use the vehicle as a tractor for trailers and trailers. However, installation must be carried out according to all rules. Only in this case will it be possible to avoid constant fines and harm to the life and health of other road users.