Registration of a towbar for a passenger car in 2021

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In 2021, any change to the design of the car must be registered, including the installation of additional LED headlights, a tow bar, and others not provided by the manufacturer.

Is it necessary to register the installation of a towbar, what documents are required and what to do if you bought a vehicle with a towbar, but the owner did not hand over the documents for it, we will tell you in the article.

Do I need to register a tow bar in 2021?

If a hook for attaching a trailer is installed at the factory and is provided for by the design, additional registration will not be required;
in the case where the installation of a trailer hitch is provided for by the design and the manufacturer has indicated this in the technical documentation, it is necessary to purchase the original device with documents and registration will not be required;
when the manufacturer has indicated the possibility of installing a part, but the owner does not have documents (non-original product, lost, not transferred upon sale), you will have to go through the procedure for approving changes made to the design of the car or buy a new one - a factory one with documents and replace it;
if the manufacturer has not indicated the possibility of installing a tow bar on the car, it will have to be registered with the traffic police, but it is not a fact that it will be possible to agree on it.

What is a modification to a car?

When it is necessary to register changes, and when this is not necessary, you can understand if you refer to the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union TR CU 018/2011 “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” II. Definitions.

Making changes to the design of a vehicle is the exclusion of components and equipment not provided for by the design of a particular vehicle, or the installation of components and equipment made after the vehicle is put into circulation and affecting road safety.

TR CU 018/2011 “On the safety of wheeled vehicles.”

Each car is a complex interconnection of components and mechanisms that are developed by the manufacturer and intended for installation. Therefore, if you remove any required part from the design of your car, or install a spare part that is not authorized by the factory documentation, this must be officially documented.

Consequently, registration of the installation of a towbar with the traffic police in 2021 will be mandatory if this towbar is not provided for in the technical documentation of the vehicle.

How to register a tow bar?

You can check whether a trailer hitch is provided in the technical passport of the vehicle. Manufacturers and sellers of such parts claim that they can be installed on almost any car, the main thing is that they are original with the necessary documentation. But in practice, not all domestic cars and small foreign cars are suitable for installing a towbar; in 2020, the towbar must be registered with the traffic police.

If the technical documentation does not indicate the possibility of installing a trailer hook, you must go through a regulated registration procedure.

Before installing the part, you need to coordinate the planned actions with the testing laboratory. There they will conduct a preliminary technical examination and, if installation of such equipment is possible, they will issue a conclusion on the possibility of making changes.
With this permission, you need to contact the traffic police and obtain permission to make changes from the inspectorate.
Next, you need to buy a factory towing hook with a full package of documents and install it at a certified service station.
After installation, you need to return to the testing laboratory and obtain a protocol for checking the safety of the vehicle design.
Pass a technical inspection and receive a diagnostic card.
Then visit the inspection again and receive a certificate of compliance of the changes made with safety requirements.
Pick up the PTS and vehicle registration certificate with changed data.

The procedure is not quick and expensive, but as a result the driver receives reliable, correctly installed equipment, peace of mind and safety on the road, an argument in a conversation with the inspector.

What is a towbar and its types

A towbar is a towing device that is necessary for attaching and towing trailers.
It can be of various designs, as it is intended for completely different vehicles. The design of the towbar is simple and includes the following elements:

crossbar;
ball joint.

The cross member is attached to the body or frame of the car in a strictly designated place. The ball joint is placed and secured on the beam.

Most often, towbars are used for towing:

residential trailer modules;
cargo trailers;
car trailers;
trailers for water equipment;
trailers for transporting snowmobiles and ATVs.

Types of towbars by type of fastening:

fixed (not removable);
removable (differ from the former in the ability to quickly disassemble and dismantle, as well as installation);
flanged (mounted on a special platform, secured with 2-4 bolts. Necessary when towing trailers with large and heavy loads. Can only be installed on vehicles with a frame structure).

There are several types of towbars. Among these are:

trailer bracket;
trailer ball;
with towing hook.

Towbars also differ in the type of ball. The following types of balls are distinguished:

Type "A". They are quick-release. Withstands a load of 150 kg on the ball itself and can tow trailers weighing up to 1.5 tons.
Type "N". Less reliable version of type “A” Has the same weight restrictions as Type “A”.
Category "F" and "G". Similar devices, the difference being the type of adjustment. Type “F” is fixed in two positions relative to the base, so it is possible to change the level of the coupling device. Type “G” can be adjusted only if the fastening design consists of at least 6 holes for fixation. They are used for trailers whose total weight does not reach 3.5 tons.
Category "V". Cannot be adjusted in height as the required holes are missing. Load capacity is 2500 kg. Mainly used on SUVs and crossovers.

How to properly install a tow bar?

For proper installation, it is necessary to prepare the tool, as well as the place where the installation work will be carried out.

Installation of the coupling device includes the following steps:

preparatory (includes inspection of the device and vehicle, preparation of tools, etc.);
prepare the car;
place the coupling device at the place of its fastening (if holes for fastening are present);
mark and drill holes in the place of future fastening (if there are no holes for fastening);
make two additional holes on the inside of the luggage compartment in the lower part of the spar;
secure the device with bolts;
wiring installation.

Documents for trailer hitch

To use the towbar you need:

a note indicating permission to use the device in the vehicle operating manual;
official papers confirming compatibility with the model and make of the car;
certificate of compliance of the part with the requirements of the Technical Regulations.

You don’t have to carry the papers with you, but store them at home. In case of a stop, inform the employee that they are there and show a photo. If the inspector issues a resolution by presenting these documents, the fine can be challenged.

What is the fine for a tow bar without documents?

For a homemade tow bar. A homemade towbar that is not designed for a specific model is dangerous for the motorist and other road users. If the inspector decides to check the towbar and does not find the necessary documents, he will impose a fine of 500 rubles under Part 1 of Art. 12.5 Code of Administrative Offences.

If you manage to convince the inspector that you will correct the violation in the near future, you can get off with a warning.

For a faulty tow bar. For a non-functioning coupling device, you will be fined under Part 2 of the same article of the Code of Administrative Offences. The fine is the same - 500 rubles. In this case, the inspector has the right to send the car to the impound lot.

If there are no documents

The former owner of the car might not have handed over the papers or they might have been lost. What to do in such a situation, is it necessary to register a towbar for a passenger car ? If the equipment is installed according to the rules, the device itself is original, it can be restored from the factory by contacting the manufacturer for copies. If the equipment is homemade or it was not possible to restore the certificates, it is better to replace it with a new one; if the technical documentation does not provide for installation, the tow bar for a passenger car must be registered. If you bought a car with a tow hook without documents for the device, the traffic police may require you to dismantle it before registering it.

Parts, materials and tools for the manufacture of trailer hitches

To make a towbar with your own hands you will need:

Welding machine.
Angle grinder (grinder). Cutting and cleaning discs.
Protective glasses.
Drill.
Drill.
Steel ball on a hook. Its diameter depends on the trailer manufacturer.

The hitch for a trailer made in Europe must have a ball with a diameter of 50 mm. The ball for the “Americans” comes in two options: with a diameter of 2″, that is, 50.8 mm, or 17/8″, which is equal to 53.975 mm. For a Russian-made trailer, its diameter is exactly 50 mm as for a European one.

You also need to have:

A piece of steel pipe with a cross section of 50 × 50 mm and a length of slightly more than one and a half meters.
Two strips of 5 mm thick sheet steel measuring 300 × 70 mm and another pair of the same thickness measuring 200 × 70 mm, as well as a piece of 2 mm thick steel sheet measuring approximately 120 × 120 mm for the socket bracket.
Bolt M 10 × 1.25, length 80 mm with nut - 2 pcs.
Bolt M 12 × 1.25, length 50 mm with nut - 6 pcs.
Screws with nuts for fastening the socket (M 3 or M4, about 40 mm long).
Socket.
Multi-colored stranded copper insulated wires and PVC electrical tape.

How to choose a new trailer hitch

Only original equipment with a full package of documents can be registered and legally installed. The buyer has the right to request them from the manufacturer before purchase and check for compliance. If the manufacturer refuses to show or there are no documents, you should not buy such equipment, it may threaten road users, and it will not be possible to register it.

Whether the towbar needs to be registered with the traffic police depends on the situation. If the vehicle is used infrequently, the chances that the post will notice its presence and clarify the availability of permits are not so great, but in this case the issue of road safety and accident reduction comes to the fore.

Category of license for a car with a tow bar

The category of rights depends on what kind of trailer the driver plans to attach to the towbar. We wrote about the categories in the article about trailers:

Car	Trailer weight, kg	Total weight, kg	Category
passenger car	up to 750 or vehicle weight	up to 3500	B
from 750	from 3500	BE
cargo	up to 750	—	C, C1
from 750	—	C.E.
from 750	up to 12,000	C1E
bus	up to 750	—	D, D1
from 750	—	DE
from 750	up to 12,000	D1E

How to achieve a strong connection

To make the connection to the towbar even more reliable, it comes with reinforcing plates. For the device itself, we will need holes in the body with a diameter of 12.5 to 13 mm. The tow bar itself is attached through a reinforcing plate and a nut and bolt. It is advisable to place a washer under the metal.

When installing electrical wiring, try to achieve high-quality insulation to prevent moisture from entering with its destructive effect. The video in this article will help you complete all the steps of connecting the tow bar. Any work can be carried out efficiently if you carefully study the instructions before you start using the tool.

On some vehicles, the rear bumper will have to be removed during installation.

It is not enough to confine yourself to screwing the hitch to the bumper of the car. An electrical outlet must also be connected to the device to be able to power the electrical consumers of the trailer itself.
There is no need to run wiring through the entire machine. Near the location of the rear lights of the car there is usually a harness to which power is supplied.
It is easy to carry out such work on your own or turn to third-party specialists with experience and skills.

Another option for a quick-release model

If you cannot immediately connect the trailer to the network of the main vehicle, you may need to purchase a so-called adapter, or matching unit.

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.

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.

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:

Obtain the necessary documents to confirm the possibility of installing a tow bar on your vehicle.
Pass the examination (through the traffic police). You need documents issued by the auto center and for transport.
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.

Lada 2107 Crossover › Logbook › Installing a tow bar

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