Installing a trailer hook

A standard towbar can be installed on a car for only PLN 400-500. But equipping a modern car with a tow bar can cost even 6-7 thousand zlotys.

According to Polish law, a light trailer (gross weight up to 750 kg) can be towed without additional permission. A driver with a category B driver's license can also tow a heavy trailer (GMT over 750 kg). However, there are two conditions. - First, the trailer should not be heavier than the car. Secondly, the resulting combination of vehicles cannot exceed the LMP of 3,5 tons (the sum of the LMP of the car and the trailer). Otherwise, a B+E driver's license is required, the subcommittee explains. Grzegorz Kebala from the traffic department of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Rzeszow.

With removable tip

Adapting a car for towing a trailer should begin with the selection of the appropriate towbar. Ball couplings are the most popular on the Polish market.

- They can be divided into two types. Cheaper are hooks with a removable key tip. Their cost usually ranges from 300 to 700 zł. In heavier vehicles, it happens that the cost of a towbar is about PLN 900, says Jerzy Wozniacki, the owner of a factory that installs a towbar in Rzeszow.

New duties - you pay even for a caravan

The second type of ball hooks is a slightly more comfortable proposition. Instead of unscrewing the tip with a wrench, we remove the tip faster and easier with special tools. There are about 20 types of them on the market, practically each manufacturer uses a different, invented solution. For such a hook you have to pay a minimum of PLN 700, and it happens that the price reaches even PLN 2. zloty.

- The highest class are hooks with a tip hidden under the bumper. Because of the high price, reaching even 6 thousand. PLN, but we install them less often, mainly on expensive, new cars. But they also come across, - assures J. Wozniacki.

Problem electronics

In the case of old and cheap cars, a good solution is to find a hook, for example, on Internet auctions. Here you can buy a hook even for 100-150 PLN. You can buy a used hitch even cheaper. However, it should be remembered that a person with a poor understanding of mechanics may have problems with self-assembly. If in old cars, in addition to screwing the towbar to the chassis, there is only a slight alteration of the electrical system, then in new cars the situation is much more complicated.

“Mostly because of the need to modify the electrical system. In older vehicles, attaching the trailer lights to the car's rear lights is usually sufficient. But in the case of newer cars, it often happens that the on-board computer, which examines the load on the circuit, interprets interference as a short circuit and, for example, signals an error, and sometimes even turns off all the lighting, explains Yu. Voznyatsky.

Regiomoto test – Skoda Superb with trailer

Therefore, separate electronics are increasingly being used to control trailer lights. It can be either a specialized module for a specific model, or a universal one, provided that it is well mounted. Another problem can be the modification of the bumper, in which additional holes often have to be cut. Therefore, before buying, you should think about whether it is better to overpay in the store, and not worry about professional installation.

Before pulling the trailer

However, the assembly of the hook does not end there. To tow a trailer, the driver must subject the vehicle to an additional technical inspection. During the inspection, the diagnostician checks the correct assembly of the hitch. It is also checked whether the electrical installation works properly after the modifications. This test costs PLN 35. If the car passes inspection, the diagnostician issues a certificate with which you must go to the post office. Here we fill out an application for making an annotation about the towbar in the vehicle registration certificate. You must take your ID card, vehicle registration certificate and vehicle card to the office. In some cases, officials also require a third party liability insurance policy, so it's a good idea to have it with you. Completion of formalities in the communications department is free of charge.

Towing trailers according to Polish rules

Installing a towbar pays off even if you don't have a trailer. At the moment, in most cities, as a rule, gas stations have various types of trailer and tow truck rentals. Renting a small cargo trailer costs around PLN 20-50 per night. If we often transport goods or go on vacation, it is worth considering buying our own trailer. A light new cargo trailer with a carrying capacity of about 600 kg can be purchased for about 1,5 thousand. zloty. They are often offered by building hypermarkets. A well-groomed, used caravan of domestic production can be purchased for only 3,5-4 thousand. zloty.

Governorate Bartosz

photo by Bartosz Guberna