Towbar for Discovery Sport 2018

2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 11:28
Last edited 29/04/2025 - 14:06 by 1 other user

Just bought a 2nd hand Land Rover Discovery Sport as a 2nd car. I want to add a Towbar for a bike rack and occasionally a small 6 x 4 box trailer. No intention of towing boats and caravans. Looking around for a towbar and the obvious towbar shops want around $1500-$2000 installed which is out of the question as I don't want/need one that much. I've contacted wreckers and they'll sell a 2nd hand towbar off a wreck for around $500 - $800 and I'll have to get it put on myself. I've asked a wrecker if they would do the swapover for me and they won't. There are some international sites that look cheaper and I'll email them but my expectation is that freight/shipping would kill any deal.

Any ideas/advice for a way to get a cheaper towbar? At the moment I'm thinking wreckers and maybe airtasker mechanic to install.

Automotive Land Rover Towbar

Comments

  • spackbace on 29/04/2025 - 11:41
    +3

    Just what the next owner wants, a badly installed towbar which may ruin their boat/caravan

    There's a reason they cost a decent amount, and it's because they don't just make one to tow 500kg, so they need to know it's up to standard

    • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 11:57
      -3

      'The Next Owner' accounts for exactly 0% of my budget, happy to warn them and they can pay to have a better towbar installed for their boat/caravan.

      • JIMB0 on 29/04/2025 - 15:04

        At least they might believe you when you tell them it was only used to tow a box trailer

    • lgacb08 on 30/04/2025 - 12:54
      +1

      Being a land rover I doubt there is next owner. Cheapest option for OP right now is to get rid of the rover and buy something with a towbar installed instead.

  • MS Paint on 29/04/2025 - 11:53
    +16

    Just bought a 2nd hand Land Rover Discovery Sport

    We all make mistakes. Condolences.

    • azonki on 30/04/2025 - 08:46

      At first read, my thoughts were the OP was wanting to put a tow hook on it so that his Discovery could be a Recovery when it broke down.
      Then I realised they wanted to carry bikes. That is boy scout material! Be Prepared!

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 30/04/2025 - 12:31
        +1

        I thought they were looking for a swap - Towbar for Discovery Sport 2018. It sounded about right.

  • geekcohen on 29/04/2025 - 11:59
    +4

    It's all well and good to get the towbar installed….. but what about lights? Is there already a plug there? Or is wiring required?

    The $1,500 to $2,000 fully installed will most likely include any electrical/lighting works/etc.

    Also, what happens when it all goes to crap and your insurance starts asking questions about the towbar installation etc?

    In all honesty, if you can get it done somewhere for $1,500, do it and make it all their problem. If you are already spending $800 on a towbar itself and still need to stuff around for installation, its probably easier to pay the extra $700.

    Also think about the future. When I got my ute, I wasn't expecting to tow a Caravan, now I am. So whilst you think you only need it for a 6x4 trailer and a bike rack, consider the future and try avoid paying twice.

    • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 12:06
      -2

      I've watched the youtube videos on installing a hayman reese towbar kit with the wiring loom, looks like the car's loom is already wired, you remove a grommet and attach the trailer cable kit. if I had a car lift I'd have a go myself as it looks pretty easy, not sure how I'd go sliding around on my back under the car in my driveway. The wrecker tells me their towbar comes with the wiring.

      I'm not sure $1500 is worth it for maybe once or twice a year. I had a Commodore years ago, paid extra for a towbar, even bought my own trailer, lived in the backyard for years, used it maybe twice. Towbar on the commodore was used for bike racks a half dozen times and thats when the kids were little, these days its my bikes for the once a year trip witht he other MAMILs to the country for a riding weekend.

    • Euphemistic on 29/04/2025 - 16:55
      +2

      will most likely include any electrical/lighting works/etc

      Most towpack installs are plug and play these days. Unplug the harness to the rear lights, plug in a patch lead between and youre done. Its a 15min job tops.

  • pegaxs on 29/04/2025 - 11:59
    +2

    Just bought a 2nd hand Land Rover Discovery Sport

    No, you bought a "Freelander" with badge engineering.

    Looking around for a towbar and the obvious towbar shops want around $1500-$2000 installed which is out of the question

    Soooo… you bought one of the most expensive shitboxes to own and maintain on the market for the "badge envy", but now you want to skimp on accessories? The irony of this is never lost on me, buy a "prestige brand" and then want to put Temu parts on it.

    Any ideas/advice for a way to get a cheaper towbar? At the moment I'm thinking wreckers and maybe airtasker mechanic to install.

    Ho Lee Fuch. Yeah, my advice is "you get what you paid for". Cant wait to see your next post "Airtasker mechanic installed a used tow bar to my shitbox and now the lights dont work, I am getting errors on the dash and the tow bar isnt level… how do I get a refund??"

    • topherboi on 30/04/2025 - 07:43
      -1

      You wouldn't talk like this to someone in real life, why act a fool online?

      • doctordv8 on 30/04/2025 - 09:30
        -1

        You beat me to it.
        Some folk are just below standard.

        But we all get negged when we call out the fools with a mouth of poor language.

        Where are the mods?

  • barge-in hunter on 29/04/2025 - 12:06
    +12

    Just get a proper towbar installed - I know you say you won't tow a caravan, but trust me when I say you'll want somewhere comfortable to stay while waiting on the tow truck.

    • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 12:08
      +1

      LOL, very funny.

  • Russell Dupsumtucka on 29/04/2025 - 12:10
    +1

    If you don't plan on having an accident, maybe you can sell the airbags or swap with the wreckers for the towbar?

    It's free money

    • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 12:14
      -1

      Who plans on having an accident?

      • Drakesy on 29/04/2025 - 12:36
        +2

        Land Rover / Range Rover Drivers after they realise their mistake of buying one.

      • Russell Dupsumtucka on 29/04/2025 - 12:38
        +1

        And who says you won't buy a 2000kg caravan in 2 years because you want to transport your excrement to all corners of our "great brown land"?

        Towbars are made to a standard for the maximum load rating + a margin for morons. They don't have weight classes like boxing.

        Add to that you bought a rare vehicle (by market share) so any accessories will be hard to come by/limited stock.

        • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 12:43

          If I buy a caravan (and I've absolutely no plans of doing so), I'll also buy whatever type of car is best suited for towing a caravan at the same time.

        • coxjon on 29/04/2025 - 18:10
          +1

          Towbars are made to a standard for the maximum load rating + a margin for morons. They don't have weight classes like boxing.

          I bought a towbar for the Carnival and opted for the lower weight class as mine was for bikes only (didn’t install any wiring) but there were definitely multiple classes.

  • brad1-8tsi on 29/04/2025 - 12:25
    +6

    If you can't afford $1500 for a towbar then you probably can't afford to keep a Discovery Sport Freelander on the road.

    • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 12:29
      -8

      I can afford to buy a brand-new Discovery with a gold-plated towbar with cash if I wanted to its just a waste of money. If I knew this was going to be some kind of judgment session about Land Rover stereotypes I wouldn't have bothered asking.

      • brad1-8tsi on 29/04/2025 - 12:34
        +1

        Apologies. You give the impression you have deep pockets but short arms.

        Why do you need a hoist to attach a towbar? I just throw cardboard on the concrete and slide under my 4WD.

        I think the wreckers are having a lend of you with the 2nd hand price

        • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 12:39

          my wife tells me about deep pockets and small arms all the time LOL. You're right, I probably need to take a spoonful of concrete and HTFU, I have axle stands I should probably just do it myself.

        • Nugs on 29/04/2025 - 15:06
          +2

          "I just throw cardboard on the concrete and slide under my 4WD"
          I've got a 600x900mm piece of melamine that gets used when the creeper is not needed. We also take it to the self serve wreckers because it's all gravel mixed with glass and odds and sods. Works a treat. In fact I used it to fit a tow bar to the Metro recently (which was $100 from self serve wreckers), no jack or stands required.
          .

  • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 12:33
    -2

    Genuinely had no idea about the level of hate and the stereotypes for the car. I just wanted a runaround because my other car (BMW M440i) is not practical for some things and I didnt want to spend more than $20K on a 2nd car that i don't plan to drive much.

    • Drakesy on 29/04/2025 - 12:39
      +1

      I see you're a masochist.

      But the level of hate and stereotyping isn't for nothing.
      There's the better part of 3 decades of history here all pointing to the same outcome - Landrover, hell most european engineering and build quality is le shite.
      Being frugal and driving one don't go hand in hand.

    • pegaxs on 29/04/2025 - 12:47
      +3

      Annnnd just like that, it's now a humble brag post…

      • 2ndeffort on 29/04/2025 - 12:49
        -4

        I started asking about buying a 2nd hand part from the wreckers for a 2nd hand car and there's a pile on calling me a tightarse and telling me I cant afford it from people that don't know me so I respond and now I'm bragging?

        • MS Paint on 29/04/2025 - 14:19
          +3

          You need to post this on ozbragin.com.au

          • 2ndeffort on 30/04/2025 - 09:45
            -1

            @MS Paint: I certainly didn't expect to be ridiculed and called a tightarse for looking for a way to avoid full asking price for something on Ozbargain.

        • tz001 on 30/04/2025 - 08:17

          Yeah it's mostly (profanity) on here now. I would get the bar and wiring from a wrecker, then install myself or have a body shop do it. Good luck!

    • does it matter on 30/04/2025 - 10:24
      +1

      Is it a 2 litre ingenium engine? They definitely help keep things cheap. As a LR die hard… you need thick skin and to appreciate what is good about the vehicle you own. Sadly, discovery sport was less reliable than its predecessor the Freelander 2 which actually was a great vehicle. That would have been a better buy IMHO but you have the sport now. Good luck to you.

      I still think the D3/4 was the best designed and most practical vehicle ever made, just wish the D5 wasn't what it was. They moved it up in lux, to make way for new Defender which has less practicality in load space. I wish I never got rid of my D3 but I did to buy a house and it was the best decision I could have made as it stopped me spending all my money on trips away and preventative maintenance. Never let me down though!

  • SYLTB on 29/04/2025 - 13:37

    Congratulation. Good car. Just ignore what some folks say here.
    They are so hostile to and jealous of!

    2nd hand towbar off a wreck for around $500 - $800

    Still too expensive. Follow gumtree for a while, be patient if you have time, it will come up for around 100-200 bucks.

    you can make an offer to this-> https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/326527770959

    • Drakesy on 29/04/2025 - 16:45
      +1

      Congratulation. Good car. Just ignore what some folks say here.

      /s?

      • Euphemistic on 01/05/2025 - 08:14
        +2

        Check out the post history. SYLTB is a euro fan that thinks japanese cars are poor quality.

        • JIMB0 on 02/05/2025 - 10:50
          +1

          SYLTB is just a troll and best ignored.

    • lgacb08 on 30/04/2025 - 13:02
      +1

      Good car, lol. My old colleague bought one to replace the type r he wrote off and next month he got dead alternator. Had to send it off to the Mitsubishi dealer across town for one of mechanic friend to fix it. That was for the 10 year old or so car with $25k price tag on it.

  • JIMB0 on 29/04/2025 - 13:40
    +3

    Towbar for Discovery Sport 2018

    Seems like a fair swap.

  • Protractor on 29/04/2025 - 14:21
    +1

    Check out some of the major auto salvage auctions. (Pockles, Manheims etc) You may score an entire write off with towbar. Spares galore or part it out and keep the useful bits. Or buy, remove towbar, and resell the rest complete.

  • Euphemistic on 29/04/2025 - 16:57
    +1

    Buy used. Install yourself. Profit.

    • noideaa on 02/05/2025 - 18:56

      It took half a day for the towbar and muffler place to do it on mine. It was a heavy duty hayman reese ($1600) so that’s a bad advice if it takes them that long then there’s all the wiring to do.

      • Euphemistic on 03/05/2025 - 06:24
        +1

        Depends on the bar of course, but its normally half a dozen bolts and the wiring is via a plug in patch loom. Ive done 4 towbars myself. One was a rear protection bar so needed helpnto lift it into pkace but otherwise straight forward.

        The wiring was to unolug the tail light loom at the back of the car and plug in the trailer qirong between. If you het a proper kit, there is no joining wires or trying to figure out which is which.

  • Gunnar on 30/04/2025 - 00:00
    +2

    Have you thought about getting a flatbed truck instead?

  • Flutterby on 30/04/2025 - 13:53
    +1

    All these effort for $2k. Seriously.

    Maybe try this https://www.bunnings.com.au/carbon-shinbusta-forged-recovery…

    Bolt it somewhere at the back.

    • Nugs on 03/05/2025 - 09:26

      the irony
      "Easy to fit - suits standard 50x50mm hitch receiver"
      .

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