Attention! The accuracy of the information and the results of the ranking is subjective and is not an advertisement.
Top 5 tow bar manufacturers
Drove and not lose
Author: Stepan Kagner
Many motorists have to deal with the need to transport oversized cargo (of course, the concept of oversize for a city hatchback and an overgrown pickup will be different), someone needs to be transported on an off-road cross-country motorcycle, someone on a water boat. In any case, the thought of buying a trailer immediately comes to mind, but it will still need to be hooked somewhere ...
Practically by any car points on a frame or longerons are provided where it is possible to fix a turnbuckle. It remains the case for small - choose the appropriate model. However, they do not have any standardization - each manufacturer for a particular car will have its own design of the tow bar, sometimes successful, sometimes not so much.
Today we will try to compile a list of the best manufacturers of towbars, which are definitely worth looking through the catalog, at the same time choosing a new trailer.
| Category | A place | Name | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The best foreign manufacturers of towbars | 1 | Bosal | 9.9 / 10 | 7 890 |
| 2 | Thule (Brink) | 9.6 / 10 | 9 500 | |
| 3 | Auto-Hak | 9.3 / 10 | 9 200 | |
| The best domestic manufacturers of towbars | 1 | Baltex | 9.8 / 10 | 15 400 |
| 2 | AvtoS | 9.4 / 10 | 6 190 |
The best foreign manufacturers of towbars
|
Bosal
7 890 (Bosal 6748-A (Kia Rio III Sedan, 2011+))
Calling the leader of our rating - originally the Netherlands-Belgian, and now the world company Bosal - a purely foreign manufacturer is not entirely true: the company produces products for domestic cars and a number of budget cars, at the Novoorsk plant. But if we talk about the entire model range of towbars of the company, then you can find products from Germany, Belgium, and even from South Africa. Considering that in its history Bosal has already become one of the major OEM suppliers of exhaust system components for road conveyors, it can be assumed that strict quality standards also apply to the production of towbars. This is true - when buying a Bosal product, you will not have to doubt whether it will fall into place without fitting, whether there is enough fastener from the kit, whether the wires will reach. The company’s catalog also has a lot to choose from - there are simple beamed towbars for the budget segment, and retractable systems (by the way, it was Bosal engineers who first developed the hitch of this type). For cars, where the on-board electronics control the currents in the rear light circuits, and direct connection of the sockets to them is impossible, special matching units are produced. It is worth noting, however, that the engineers of Bosal reacted somewhat coolly to the design of models for domestic cars (although this undoubtedly made it possible to keep affordable prices) - if it were not for the brand cap on the ball of the TSU with the name of the brand, they could be confused and outwardly with domestic. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.9 / 10
Rating
Reviews
Put on the Renault Duster. Slightly more complicated than the “native” (the wiring is going to be a sidebar, not a “plug into the connector”), but the difference in price pays for it. |
|
Thule (Brink)
9 500 (Thule TU 546100 (Ford Focus III 2011+))
The Thule brand in the majority of people is firmly associated with the premium segment of luggage systems, bindings for bicycles and skis. Obviously, this is why, after absorbing in 2006 one of the leading European manufacturers of traction coupling devices, Brink International, Thule managers retained their brand: the same hitch in the catalogs can be designated both as Thule and Brink. The range of the company is worthy of respect, besides the classic coupling systems there are more advanced ones - with automatic and manual hiding under the bumper.In the towbars of the BrinkMatic Classic series, you can remove the hook with two hand movements, and the quick release mechanism does not affect the reliability of the trailer towing. Retaining the same ease of removal and installation, the hooks of the BrinkMatic Advance series are equipped with lock hooks that prevent theft. In any case, Thule / Brink towbars are among the best. They are well made, have a convenient installation kit. But, alas, first of all they are designed for foreign cars, and not the budget segment itself - for example, only two models of the tow bar (removable and non-removable) are offered for domestic cars, which are installed only on Lada Kalina. At the same time, their price is far from budget, so the points in the rating of the best towbars will have to be reduced. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.6 / 10
Rating
Reviews
The main criterion for me was the easy lifting of the hook - I hate it when it sticks out idle, and even got into it in traffic jams a couple of times earlier. |
|
Auto-Hak
9 200 (Auto-Hak A25V (Audi Q7 Quattro, 2006-2015))
The Polish company can not boast an abundance of factories around the world. But on the other hand, it can offer quite low prices, and the company's engineers keep a close eye on updating the model lines of the world's automakers, promptly producing towbars for new cars. In the model range of the company there are both classic turnbuckles with rigid attachment, and quick-release hooks on the larva. Since 1976 (since the foundation of the company) traction coupling devices were created for more than 800 car models. First of all, the company takes the price - in comparison with the market leaders, their prices are much lower. At the same time, all products have the necessary quality certificates - of course, the Russian buyer is unlikely to be interested in them, but to work in the European market is a prerequisite. Therefore, the safety of products Auto-Hak can be no doubt. Of course, cheaper products are not only achieved by concentrating production in Eastern Europe, where the cost of labor is lower. In installation, the Auto-Hak hitch may be less convenient than the close Bosal (though of course it depends on the model). The main disadvantage is that in the standard package of installation kits there is no outlet or wiring - it comes at a separate price, and the cheapest universal kit (around 900 r) is not particularly pleased with the quality of workmanship, and quick-release connectors are not worth it use at all. The matching unit for cars that do not allow direct connection to the standard wiring will also have to be purchased. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.3 / 10
Rating
Reviews
The best towbars in terms of price and quality. Dokupku outlet, but immediately chose with good seals. |
The best domestic manufacturers of towbars
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Baltex
15 400 (Baltex Y-20aNM-1 (Toyota Land Cruiser 200, 2007-2017))
The Russian company from St. Petersburg has already become a major player in the market of towbars, crankcase protection. In its model range there are both budgetary TSU for domestic cars, and turnbuckles for foreign cars of the premium segment, where the appearance means nothing less than practicality. The range of the company is actively developing, including towbars for Chinese cars (Geely, Zotye, Great Wall), and for American pickups and SUVs. All products have the necessary certificates of conformity, the quality of welding of individual nodes at a high level. For switching with modern cars, the company offers its own matching module. It is quite efficient, although electronics cannot be called a Baltex strength. Nevertheless, in Russia, the brand is most popular with the owners of Chinese cars - other manufacturers, alas, have so far deprived them of the range - the only exception being the Kolomna “AutoS”. True, lovers of “full load” should take into account that most Baltex models have a maximum hook load of 50 kg: rare reviews about the destruction of welds arose due to prolonged overloads, which, in general, cannot be interpreted as a claim to the quality of workmanship. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.8 / 10
Rating
Reviews
Put on the Land Cruiser. In my opinion, the best option for the tow bar is 6 spaced attachment points, and an excellent appearance, and the price is reasonable. Wiring put Bozalovsky, complete was not. |
|
AvtoS
6 190 (AvtoS VW20 (Volkswagen Touareg 2003+))
Kolomna enterprise is pleasantly surprised when browsing the catalog - now try to find a manufacturer of towbars for “Muscovites” and “ZIL”! However, the owners of the VAZ (and AvtoS can even offer a hitch for the Oka) and Chinese cars are actually much more interested - in this regard, the company is a direct competitor to Baltex. This company has one more trump card - more than budget prices, especially in the “domestic” line. However, this led to a number of minuses. First of all, it is noticeably more rough manufacturing, up to cutting individual plates. The solid weight of most models, although it promises a margin of safety, also complicates the installation. There may be problems with the installation itself - for example, an extremely unsuccessful version of the tow bar for the Chevrolet Niva required additional holes to be drilled, which can be considered a gross design error. The Toyota Highlander had to release the pressure in the spare wheel so that it went between the brackets. Therefore, the general impression about the company and its products is mixed - if you want to be cheap and cheerful, and “file refinement” will not frighten, then this is a choice for you, but in any other case you should look to other manufacturers. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.4 / 10
Rating
Reviews
I simply did not find any other options on the Hover. Weight, of course, inspires, not terribly heavy trailer to drag - like the margin of safety is. |
How to choose a good hitch?
When choosing a tow bar first, you need to decide on two key points - trailer weight limit and maximum vertical load on the TSU. Having bought a tow bar that does not correspond to the mass of the trailer and the load, you can get problems - from tearing off the ball of the towing hitch during the movement to damaging the side members of the car (the tow bar designed for a large load can use more attachment points, distributing the load on the body evenly). Typically, towbars for passenger cars are designed for a vertical load of 50 or 75 kg, SUVs are not surprised with towbars for loads above 100 kg.
Making a list of models that are suitable for the load, it is worth scrolling through the profile forums on your car in search of the experience of other owners - some will be more convenient to be mounted, some will not. The lack of a wiring kit is not always a disadvantage - it is better to buy a high-quality wiring kit than to put on a cheap one, which can be seen for sale with some towbars of little-known brands.
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Updated: 27.05.2017
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