Vehicle hitch. Is the installation of a towbar a change in the design of the car

Good afternoon, dear reader.

(or towing device) - a special element of the car, designed to secure the trailer. In simple terms, the towbar is the hook on which the trailer is put on. That is, if there is no towbar, then the trailer cannot be used.

In recent years, the legislation has undergone many changes, including those related to the use of additional equipment, and readers of the site are increasingly sending questions about how legal it is to use a towbar.

Let me remind you that for an unauthorized change in design in 2020, you can get not only, but also.

Do I need to register a towbar with the traffic police in 2020?

In this case, it all depends on the towbar itself and on the documents available for it:

• If there are documents for the towbar, then the driver does not need to contact the traffic police to make changes to the registration certificate. You can simply install the towbar and safely operate the car with a trailer.
• If no documents or they cannot be restored, then the installation of the towbar is a design change that should be registered with the traffic police.

Note. The required documents for the towbar will be discussed below.

For example, if the original towbar is installed on the car at the factory, then no additional actions need to be taken when contacting the traffic police to register the car. If the traffic police have any questions about the TSU in the future, it will be possible at any time to request documents from the automaker and defend your own innocence.

On the other hand, if the towbar is made independently and simply welded to the car body, then this is a design change. To register it, you need to contact the traffic police. Moreover, it is far from a fact that permission for the installation will eventually be obtained.

Let me remind you that the algorithm for making changes to the design of the vehicle is considered in a separate article:

It implies that the car owner must contact various organizations 7 times, i.e. quite laborious.

In this regard, in practice, such an option is also possible. If the towing device is already installed on the machine, but there are no documents for it and it is impossible to restore them, then it may turn out to be easier, faster and cheaper buy a new towbar with documents than trying to issue a change in the design of the car in the traffic police.

Documents for the towbar of a car

In 2020, it is valid in Russia. It is this document that vehicles and equipment installed on them must comply with.

Consider paragraph 77 of section 4 of chapter V of the technical regulation:

77. Vehicles are not subject to inspection in the following cases:

1) when installing components on a vehicle:

• designed for this vehicle and passed the conformity assessment as part of this vehicle, which is confirmed by the documentation of the component manufacturer;
• provided by the vehicle manufacturer in the operational documentation;

2) when making serial changes to the design on the basis of the design documentation developed and agreed in the prescribed manner, if on its basis an assessment of the conformity of the changes made was carried out.

So, there are 2 cases in which the towbar can not be registered with the traffic police:

• When serial changes are made to the design. In this case, we are talking about the installation of the TSU at the factory.
• When installing a tow bar as an accessory, if 2 conditions are met at the same time:
  • The manufacturer has provided for the installation of a towbar in the operational documentation. In this case, it is about instruction manual, which is issued with the purchase of any car. Open this document and find the section on using a trailer. If there is such a section, then everything is in order.
  • The towbar must have the manufacturer's documentation confirming that it is intended for use on your car model and has passed the conformity assessment.

Thus, list of required documents to use the towbar:

• Vehicle operation manual.
• Documents for the towbar, confirming that it is suitable for the car of the desired model.
• Certificate for the towbar, confirming that it complies with the requirements of the Technical Regulations.

Note, carry these documents with you and present them to the traffic police officers not required. They can also be stored at home. Just if the traffic police officer has questions about the towbar, immediately tell him that you have all the necessary documents and the towing device is installed legally. Usually this is enough. If the policeman nevertheless decides to issue, then you can challenge it on the basis of the available documents.

What to do if there are no documents for TSU?

If you do not have the documents listed above for the towbar, then contact the manufacturer of this equipment in order to obtain copies. Self-respecting organizations provide copies of documents without any problems.

You can contact:

• in electronic form - through the website of the organization;
• personally - through an official representative in your city;
• by mail - by registered mail.

If it is not possible to restore the documents, then either the option remains with the purchase of a new coupling device, or the official introduction of changes to the design through the traffic police.

Note. Some organizations offer buy a package of documents for a towbar. I recommend ignoring such proposals, because. Manufacturer's documents are available only from the manufacturer. If such documents are issued by another organization, they will be fake.

What to do if you plan to buy a towbar?

If you are just planning to install a trailer hitch on your machine, then you have come to this article just in time.

What to do if the towbar is already installed?

If at least one of the documents is missing, you should contact the towbar manufacturer and request them. As practice shows, manufacturers send missing documents without any problems.

Please note that if you buy a used car with a towbar, then the documents must be taken from the previous owner. Otherwise, the traffic police may require you to dismantle the equipment before registering the car.

Let's summarize this article:

1. Most of the towbars are accompanied by the necessary documents, i.e. they can be installed without registering with the traffic police.
2. If there are no documents for the coupling device, then they should be requested from the manufacturer.
3. If it is impossible to obtain documents, then it remains either to dismantle the towbar, or to issue it as a change in the design of the vehicle.

Good luck on the roads!

Alexander-208

Good afternoon. And how will the traffic police inspector react to a towbar with a removable hook? There is no hook, the socket sticks out, and everything else is a bumper amplifier.

Alexander, Hello.

In this case, a part of the towbar (socket) must be considered in the same way as the whole towbar. That is, if there are documents (for the entire set, or only for the outlet), then there will be no problems with the traffic police. If there are no documents, then the socket is an unauthorized design change and may raise questions from the traffic police.

Good luck on the roads!

Dmitry-473

Another way to steal money from people. All my life everyone drove with towbars and no one cared, but then they figured it out. Everyone who lives in the regions has towbars on cars and trailers - it is necessary to take out the garbage from the yard and bring building materials. This is in big cities trailers are not needed. So the inhabitants of the hinterland "the richest" will fall under the blow of our authorities. We just figured out the "thorns" sign, and how much money they ripped off from people and everything is covered, now they took up the towbars !!!

I bought a Chevrolet Niva 2123-55 at a car dealership in 2014 with additional options, including a forkop (w / Niva) Stupino. They just issued an order for an installation order. In 2015, the car dealership was closed. And they won’t find documents there. They say they destroyed it after 3 years. How to be? There is a copy of OTTS (I copied it)..

Eugene-272

All my life everyone drove with towbars and no one cared, but then they figured it out.

"All my life" towbars have been produced by a "couple" of manufacturers, and now probably only the lazy one does not manufacture or install them (everything is figurative). This is necessary, first of all, in order to exclude unscrupulous manufacturers and installers. That's why they carry out this "registration" of towbars, while checking the relevant documents. You don’t want one trailer to drive into the oncoming lane, do you?

Anwar What problem do you want to solve at the moment?

If you want to get documents for the towbar, then contact the manufacturer of this towbar.

The best offer is towbars for a car, visitors to our online store can choose and buy a towbar from the presented assortment or order the manufacture of the required towing hitch.

Recently, products such as towbars are in great demand among almost all car owners. This is especially true for owners of SUVs, who practically cannot imagine driving without this device, since jeeps are considered excellent traction horses due to the special design of the transmission. There are many life situations in which the presence of a towbar on a car is simply necessary: ​​from effectively protecting a car from a rear impact to solving such a problem as pulling a car out of a ditch or transporting any cargo.

Types of proposed towbars

Towbars for a car inexpensively in Moscow.

Currently, towbar manufacturers offer consumers several types of towing devices:

The towbar is conditionally removable - the hook is fastened with two bolts and is the most common, it has a ball type A;

Towbar quick-detachable - has a removable hook that is easy to install and remove, has a ball type C;

Flanged towbar - has a forged hook and is mounted on two or four bolts, has a ball type F or G;

Towbar welded - has a hook with a rigid fixed mount, rarely found, has a ball type H.

The most popular and in demand is the first type of DHW due to the simplicity of design and affordable cost. Its constant presence is an effective protection of the rear bumper and the possibility for trouble-free transport of goods.

When choosing a towbar, one should take into account the fact that towbars from European manufacturers differ from domestic counterparts. This implies the design features of the socket and the diameter of an element such as a ball. The right choice of coupler for connection will provide not only a stable matching unit, but also a reliable electrical connection.

All towbars presented in our online store, which you can buy at the most attractive price, have certificates and documents, which confirms their originality and quality. In addition to selling the hitch, our company offers a service - installation of a towbar with a guarantee.

Although towbars are not a scarce product, nevertheless, there are cars for which it is quite difficult to find a suitable device. To solve this problem, the car owner can order a service from us - the manufacture of towbars. Finished products manufactured by our specialists fully comply with all quality and safety requirements. To order the towing device you need right now, call the numbers indicated on the website!

Let's figure it out, what is a towbar and why is it needed?

Or as it is also called according to GOST, a towing device (TSU) is designed for towing small caravans and light trailers. The maximum weight of towed structures that the towbar can withstand is 3500 kg. Towbars at the manufacturer's factories undergo full tests and mandatory certification. All towing devices are attached to the rear, lower part of the car body. The delivery set of all goods is supplied with assembly and fasteners. Many manufacturers also complete the sale of the towbar with a wiring kit. The traction coupling device (TSU) consists of a "Body" and a hook. " Body"Usually attached to the side members of the car. Great importance is also paid to the quality of painting the towbar for foreign cars, because due to weather conditions and road reagents, over time, poor-quality painting will provoke rust and damage to the appearance of the towing hitch. Poorly painted towing devices have to be tinted about once or twice a season, which creates additional inconvenience, so it’s better to buy a high-quality towbar for a foreign car from the very beginning. Hooks on traction coupling devices are welded and removable. The price, your safety, the safety of loved ones and the safety of others depend on the quality of the manufacture of the towbar.

Buy a towbar in the Mnogofarkopov online store

Here you can order or buy and install a towbar in Moscow at an affordable price original and non-original for all cars in the world. Mnogofarkopov sells towbars for foreign cars for all popular and unpopular car models. Here you can compare your favorite models and understand what their differences are. The main difference between towbars from different manufacturers for the same model is:

• price;
• hook type;
• trailer gross weight.

When choosing a towing device, special attention should be paid to these characteristics. Since overpaying for a removable hook, and the cost of a towbar with a removable hook differs upwards from the cost of a tow hitch (Hitch) with a welded one, it does not make sense if you plan to use it all year round. If the use and installation of the towbar is temporary or several times a year, then it makes sense to look at the option with a removable hook. You should also decide on the approximate weight that you want to transport in order to secure transportation and simply not pull out the installed towbar due to overload. All products presented at Mnogofarkopov have manufacturer's certificates and meet all the requirements for safe operation. We provide the best prices for ordering towbars throughout Russia - try it and see for yourself. Didn't find the towbar model you need? Call our specialists or write us an e-mail. We will pick up any model of towbar for you! Our sale of towbars will be needed by many sooner or later, so we recommend that you be puzzled by the purchase and installation in advance. Also, if you are looking for crankcase protection, then our specialists are happy to help you.

A personal car is a convenient, comfortable, reliable and fast means of transportation. Often, the operational properties of the car, laid down in the regulations, are not enough for the car owner, if the use of the car is provided as a unit for moving goods or auxiliary transport structures.

Such an expansion of the functionality of the machine is feasible by installing a special device on it that allows you to operate vehicles to move goods and structures. If the car is not equipped with a trailer mechanism from the factory, the car owner needs to understand the legal nuances that determine the possibility of installing it on the car and operating it for its intended purpose. Let us consider in the article what a towing device for a car is from a structural position, the types of mechanisms authorized for installation, the features of legalizing traction couplings and the punishment provided for their incorrect installation.

History of origin and decoding of the concept

The appearance of the first trailers for vehicles was historically recorded during the World War, when there was a technical need for the rapid movement of heavy loads for defensive purposes, and there were not enough human capabilities for this. A lot of time has passed since those times, now trailers are actively used to solve technical and everyday problems.

There are three configurations of trailer elements on sale:

Accordingly, it is worth giving an advantage when purchasing fastening mechanisms to towbars of the first or second type, taking into account the modification of the trailer and its fastening mating element. Hook towbars are less reliable, experts say that such modifications will very soon be completely withdrawn from market sales. When choosing a mechanism, it is worth considering its compliance with the type of body and model of the vehicle.

Legislative points for installing a towbar: register or not

Each car owner, before purchasing and installing a towbar, is faced with a dilemma, is it legal or not to install a device, can the tow hitch be installed on a car and operated as intended with impunity? The answer to this question should be sought in the legislative code for the conversion of a car and the regulations of the vehicle itself. Legal standards for the re-equipment of vehicles are registered in the technical regulation "On the safety of wheeled vehicles", and traffic police officers substantiate the legitimacy of article 12.5, prescribed in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

According to the technical regulations, the tow bar is not included in the units that are subject to mandatory registration in cases where the installation is regulated by the machine manufacturer. Most automakers authorize the admissibility of mounting a tow hitch for transporting a trailer on a passenger car by predetermining the places for its attachment from the factory. Information on the admissibility of installing additional equipment in the form of a towbar must be written in the technical documentation for the machine and in the load plate located on the driver's desk of the car or in the engine compartment.

The installation of a towbar is not subject to registration under the following conditions:

1. Installation and operation of trailer equipment is authorized by the manufacturer.
2. A factory design is installed on the machine, which has evidence of the conformity of the device model to a specific vehicle.
3. When installing the towbar, no structural changes are made, the installation is carried out in accordance with the regulations of the instructions for the equipment.

In situations where there is no car as a means of transport in the regulations for the car, or the installation of the purchased towbar involves welding or drilling, the equipment must be registered at the traffic police department.

Cases when the installation of TSU is prohibited by law

Most passenger cars have a mark in the OTTS about the approval of the installation of the tow hitch. This information can be found in the documentation for the purchased vehicle, or, in the absence of data, it can be requested from the dealer company or directly from the automaker.

A categorical ban on equipping a car of a light category is authorized only in situations where the plant excludes the possibility of using a car as a traction force for transporting goods, including trailers, due to the structural and technical features of the car.

Other situations provide for the unpunished installation of the towbar and its intended operation:

1. Without registration with the traffic police department, if the traction device provides for installation without interfering with the design of the car, and the mechanism has quality certificates and is mounted in accordance with the requirements of the automaker.
2. With obtaining a permit, when it is planned to install a towbar with interference in the design of the transport.

When operating a traction device on passenger vehicles, it should be borne in mind that the weight of the trailer should not exceed the weight of the equipped car, and the total tonnage of the car with the trailer cannot exceed 3.5.

Consider what documentation the driver should have when operating the towbar in each of the situations, how to legalize the traction and power device, if such registration is required by law.

Necessary documentation and nuances of registration

The operation of vehicles with a TSU requires the car owner to have the following documents:

1. Passport of the installed equipment containing data on its installation. The passport must have a mark of the car service where the towbar was installed on the car.
2. Certificate for installed equipment.
3. Certificate of completed installation work.

Such documents will be sufficient for road inspection, in situations where the installed towbar is certified for use on a specific vehicle model.

Otherwise, when the equipment in use is not indicated in the user manual as acceptable for use, has installation features, then the car owner should take care, in order to avoid problems with the law, to register the towing structure.

Let us consider in detail the algorithm, which is the answer to the question of how to arrange a towing device for operation on a passenger car, in compliance with all legislative and procedural norms.

The procedure involves the following activities:

1. A visit to the traffic police department, where it is necessary to submit an application that contains a request for a preliminary examination with subsequent permission to install traction equipment. Together with the application, the car owner must present the STS, PTS and their copies, documentation for the installed unit.
2. After receiving the "verdict" of the traffic police experts, on the basis of a permit, the owner of the vehicle needs to contact the specified center with the authority to carry out installation work and install equipment on a passenger car. Confirmation of specialized installation is an act of work performed from the contractor, a declaration and a certificate of conformity of the installation.
3. The above documents give the right to apply to an organization authorized to inspect the changes and issue a diagnostic card.
4. Submit the car to the traffic police department for a final examination. The car owner must submit to the traffic police a declaration from the service center, a diagnostic sheet certifying the safety of the changes made, documents for the car and the installed part, the original permission to install the TSU from the expert commission.
5. After a technical examination in the traffic police department and verification of the submitted documents, the car owner will be issued a certificate authorizing the operation of the car with the installed towing equipment.

A certificate confirming the safety of the installation is a guarantor of the unpunished operation of a car with an installed towbar. Do not forget that legalization also requires a trailer that will be used to transport goods.

Penalties for improper installation of the towbar

The coupling structure for transporting goods, although not identified in the legislative documentation as an additional equipment of the car, for inappropriate installation or installation in violation of the regulations implies financial punishment for the car owner. The punishment is predetermined by Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, which predetermines a fine in the amount of five hundred to five thousand rubles in such situations:

1. Lack of documents for the towbar or non-compliance of the traction structure with the standards established by the automaker.
2. The TSU is installed in an inappropriate place or with technical defects.
3. Technical failure of the design.

The measure of punishment is predetermined by the criteria of the danger that the car owner bears when operating a car with a tow hitch that does not meet the standards of the sample or if it is installed incorrectly.

Experts recommend that you always have documents with you that confirm the fact that the towbar is safe to operate, otherwise, the owner of the car faces a monetary penalty. If the fine is not recognized, it will have to be challenged in court, which is not always beneficial from a financial position.

Summing up

The hitch, like any other attachment or additional equipment, must be installed reasonably. And the explanation in this situation lies not only in the prospect of meeting with law enforcement agencies, which can punish with a fine, but also in personal safety on the road. Installation of inappropriate equipment and its operation, especially if the structure of the car is violated, reduces the safety of the vehicle by several times, which can lead to precedents that threaten the health and life of the driver, passengers, bystanders or other car owners.

If the TSU is extremely necessary, select designs authorized by the automaker, preferring installation work in specialized centers, which will determine the quality of the procedure, installation in compliance with technology and guarantee the safety of the device during operation.