Tow Bar - Do I have to fit the electrics?

Yep, and dont forget to tell them you have modified the vehicle, some insurers wont bat an eyelid others will.
I think it was a daft question.

IIRC inclusion of a « light » trailer (ie one not requiring it’s own registration) is automatically included in French car insurance policies by default. @fabien will no doubt confirm that to be the case.

Are you allowed to fit a towbar yourself in France or must it be fitted by a certified towbarist?

Perhaps a towbarista is also qualified to make coffee :wink:

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I don’t think it has to be “certified” :wink: … certainly it wasn’t necessary 4 years ago.
OH had intended to fit the towbar to his car…
It came with full instructions. Only ill-health at that time stopped him doing so. He spoke with our local garagist who agreed to fit it for him…

Thanks for the suggestion Stella. I am sure they could do it but the cost would be prohibitive.
Its only a small trailer which I take infrequently to the dechetterie a few Kms away and the car I use to tow is only worth about a thousand euros.
I will do it myself when I find the time. Now off to put a new window in the cottage.

Damian… How do you know it would be prohibitive… ???

Our Peugeot Garage chatted, looked at the Instructions… came up with a price which was OK… and that was that…

Well I don’t actually ‘know’ Stella but based on past experience when I’ve had no option but to use them it has been pretty scary.
It’s not urgent…it can wait.

It is indeed covered at no extra cost but it needs to be declared that is not done automatically on most insurance policies :wink:

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Are there any other garages in your area… ??

so long as you don’t use the trailer… you’ll be ok to wait… whatever …

Its only about 7 wires connected via scotchblocks normally, not difficult unless there is a canbus system which requires an addition box of tricks. Also the sounder for when the trailer is connected.
On my car I get a dashboard light showing the trailer attached without the canbus box so Nissan built some kind of additional load sensor which picks up on the additional lights from the trailer.

Not only the lighting but the reg plate needs to match that of the car being used.
I was fined 65€ about 15 years ago because the plates didn’t match.

except where the trailer has (or is required to have) it’s own matriculation, of course :wink:

Yes, of course Graham. It used to depend on the PTAC of the trailer. It used to be 500 kg which then meant the trailer had it’s own carte grise. Maybe it’s changed nowadays ?

The amount of a Fine could end up being more than paying to get the job done… and if there were an accident/incident and the trailer was not up to the mark… ooops… could prove very, very expensive… :thinking:

That’s the problem Stella. At the time I was caught 65€ was a shock to our monthly budget, now I suppose it would be more like 90€+.
I had no idea of the need for identical plates so I suppose we learn by our mistakes…

Absolutely… what you don’t know is not your fault… but you get the fine none the less (unless you can sweet talk the gendarme) :kissing:

What I find daft, is when someone knows, full well, what should be done and yet decides to “manage without”… and that happens in all sorts of situations, not just trailers :zipper_mouth_face: :wink: :wink:

Seriously?

Didn’t even cross my mind

Amazing to me, not knowing your background, but surely you dont believe I buy matching number plates for vanity sake? :face_with_hand_over_mouth: