Is anyone looking to sell a westfalia or bosal tow hitch?
07-15-2014, 11:21 AM
#1
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Is anyone looking to sell a westfalia or bosal tow hitch?
Trying to figure out the path of least resistance in acquiring one of those; need to get hooked up to tow an 18ft open bow boat. Let me know 
07-15-2014, 12:46 PM
#2
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Where are you located?
Not that I have one, but they are almost unheard of in the USA. I first custom installed one, and then i recall another guy later posting on it. Much easier and less costly to source if you are in the UK or some place like that. Search for the other guy's posts (to which I also contributed). He eventually got it, but also struggled with the wiring along the way, doing it with the non OES loom as I recall. The Westfalia wiring set up is really pricy too.
07-16-2014, 03:35 AM
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AutoHak also make a vertical mount, quick release hitch for the D3.
You may find it less expensive than Bosal or Westfalia bar.
There will be a US distributer, check their website.
Westfalia should also have a US distributer.
You may find it less expensive than Bosal or Westfalia bar.
There will be a US distributer, check their website.
Westfalia should also have a US distributer.
07-16-2014, 07:57 AM
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Not that I have one, but they are almost unheard of in the USA. I first custom installed one, and then i recall another guy later posting on it. Much easier and less costly to source if you are in the UK or some place like that. Search for the other guy's posts (to which I also contributed). He eventually got it, but also struggled with the wiring along the way, doing it with the non OES loom as I recall. The Westfalia wiring set up is really pricy too.
MP4.2+6.0 I saw your thread about the wiring, my car already has the camera module, which I understand is the same thing that the westfalia kit includes (have the towing menu in mmi), do I actually need the wiring kit then?
Last edited by halik; 07-16-2014 at 08:12 AM.
07-16-2014, 08:38 AM
#5
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Some incremental info...
I went w/ the OES/Westfalia approach, so can't answer directly a lot of the "what happens if I want to do something else" questions. Again, just trying to help from memory, look for a prior thread from another poster who sourced the physical (metal) hitch somehow but then had a long road getting the wiring going.
Again, confirming as I have before, OES does not support LED's. In practice many of the trailer lights can be LED, but at least something in each primary lighting circuit (running, stop/turn) has to stay non-LED. On my trailer now, basically all the side running lights are LED, and the rear main ones (brake/turn/tail) are back to your standard generic incandescent rectangular ones. I tow a 16' fiberglass runabout with a 115 four stroke outboard on a galvanized trailer that weighs in at something like 3000 pounds trailered with a light fuel and gear load; it is easily w/in the hitch's and vehicle capacity.
The trailer module itself is the same as the module that switches on and off the rear video in a W12 (which is located under the car battery itself), but that is different than the rear video module AFAIK which I think is over by the video player stuff on the other side of the trunk. That is, no video signal passes through the module I am talking about. Those modules are available used since they have the dual use, but you would still have to make up the loom. It connected to a variety of places in back (kind of a pain), though the OES solution ends up with the total Euro 14 pin connector overkill that you then just use or make up an adapter to get down to lowest common denominator US 4 pin flat connector type stuff. You had to remove the fuse panel above the battery and insert several new fuses with the wiring. Also, there was literally zero documentation about how it overlaid with the rear seat video (power), and it gets into unknowns as soon as you realize both controllers are bolted in the same physical place, both have the same connectors, yet they do different things. I had to decipher they could both exist separately, but one had to be unplugged (from a different set of identical connectors) when the other was plugged in to avoid a rapid battery drain. The other post I'm thinking of I think eventually got to things like wiring diagrams and the like. The Westfalia instructions are more just go through like 20 precise steps mechanically, but it isn't really big picture oriented to what exactly is being done or changed.
The full wiring does integrate correctly with MMI for things like defeating the rear parking sensors and disabling dynamic/sport suspension setting, plus it tells the stability control system there is a trailer back there (plugged in). That can help reduce things like fishtailing in emergency situations.
If you are in US (still don't know that...), cheapest way I would first explore is to scrub thoroughly eBay UK and try to find listings (or references to vendors web sites) for the OES or similar style units and wiring. eBay web sites may clue you in to business names to search on their web sites directly, or perhaps over to Ireland which may be a bit cheaper parts or shipping wise. Use "tow bar" as the key search term for UK stuff, rather than necessarily "hitch." You still have to find someone who will ship it, and the hitch and hardware stuff of course is heavy (50 pounds or so).
Again, confirming as I have before, OES does not support LED's. In practice many of the trailer lights can be LED, but at least something in each primary lighting circuit (running, stop/turn) has to stay non-LED. On my trailer now, basically all the side running lights are LED, and the rear main ones (brake/turn/tail) are back to your standard generic incandescent rectangular ones. I tow a 16' fiberglass runabout with a 115 four stroke outboard on a galvanized trailer that weighs in at something like 3000 pounds trailered with a light fuel and gear load; it is easily w/in the hitch's and vehicle capacity.
The trailer module itself is the same as the module that switches on and off the rear video in a W12 (which is located under the car battery itself), but that is different than the rear video module AFAIK which I think is over by the video player stuff on the other side of the trunk. That is, no video signal passes through the module I am talking about. Those modules are available used since they have the dual use, but you would still have to make up the loom. It connected to a variety of places in back (kind of a pain), though the OES solution ends up with the total Euro 14 pin connector overkill that you then just use or make up an adapter to get down to lowest common denominator US 4 pin flat connector type stuff. You had to remove the fuse panel above the battery and insert several new fuses with the wiring. Also, there was literally zero documentation about how it overlaid with the rear seat video (power), and it gets into unknowns as soon as you realize both controllers are bolted in the same physical place, both have the same connectors, yet they do different things. I had to decipher they could both exist separately, but one had to be unplugged (from a different set of identical connectors) when the other was plugged in to avoid a rapid battery drain. The other post I'm thinking of I think eventually got to things like wiring diagrams and the like. The Westfalia instructions are more just go through like 20 precise steps mechanically, but it isn't really big picture oriented to what exactly is being done or changed.
The full wiring does integrate correctly with MMI for things like defeating the rear parking sensors and disabling dynamic/sport suspension setting, plus it tells the stability control system there is a trailer back there (plugged in). That can help reduce things like fishtailing in emergency situations.
If you are in US (still don't know that...), cheapest way I would first explore is to scrub thoroughly eBay UK and try to find listings (or references to vendors web sites) for the OES or similar style units and wiring. eBay web sites may clue you in to business names to search on their web sites directly, or perhaps over to Ireland which may be a bit cheaper parts or shipping wise. Use "tow bar" as the key search term for UK stuff, rather than necessarily "hitch." You still have to find someone who will ship it, and the hitch and hardware stuff of course is heavy (50 pounds or so).
Last edited by MP4.2+6.0; 07-16-2014 at 09:55 AM.
07-16-2014, 04:05 PM
#6
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No love lost for U.S. Westfalia distributor FWIW--mediocrity
FWIW, having bought it from them, the U.S. Westfalia distributor is perhaps part of the problem here--no promotion, no real support, kinda' nothing as far as I'm concerned. Really no more than another mouth in the distribution chain to get fed buyer's dollars in my opinion.
Of course a big part of the problem is there is almost no U.S. market or demand for hitches on Euro sedans or most anything other than SUV's. Even on SUV's now, a lot of the time it is just used for a glorified bike carrier. Hidden hitches don't generally work with carriers and similar attachments (with a few available exceptions), so it works further against this design in the US market. As many of us know who have been to Europe, they are commonplace there, both with love of camping and outdoors, and much lower SUV penetration (so far).
More specifically, they had no separate support from Westfalia (whose own support was basically a third or fourth generation copy of a manual); couldn't even be bothered to answer e mails for literally weeks, if they did; and, took an extended period of time (months) to get me the product, presumably because they don't stock it.
Net, if there were any other choice (including direct from Europe), I would use it. The product is pretty cool being 100% hidden when not in use as well as quite solid, but the distributor added absolutely no value beyond sluggish order taker and slow boat shipping agent.
Of course a big part of the problem is there is almost no U.S. market or demand for hitches on Euro sedans or most anything other than SUV's. Even on SUV's now, a lot of the time it is just used for a glorified bike carrier. Hidden hitches don't generally work with carriers and similar attachments (with a few available exceptions), so it works further against this design in the US market. As many of us know who have been to Europe, they are commonplace there, both with love of camping and outdoors, and much lower SUV penetration (so far).
More specifically, they had no separate support from Westfalia (whose own support was basically a third or fourth generation copy of a manual); couldn't even be bothered to answer e mails for literally weeks, if they did; and, took an extended period of time (months) to get me the product, presumably because they don't stock it.
Net, if there were any other choice (including direct from Europe), I would use it. The product is pretty cool being 100% hidden when not in use as well as quite solid, but the distributor added absolutely no value beyond sluggish order taker and slow boat shipping agent.
Last edited by MP4.2+6.0; 07-16-2014 at 04:15 PM.
07-17-2014, 05:12 AM
#7
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So autohak doesn't sell to the US, they just got back to me.
Any thoughts on Bosal vs Westfalia? The former is about 150 bucks cheaper.
Do you have a link for the westfalia us distribution? Can't seem to find it on their site. And yes, I'm in the US (chicago).
On the wiring front, the OES kit seems like a huuge overkill, considering I only want the 4pin trailer hookup. A wiring diagram would be super handy, I wouldn't mind just hacking it up a kit myself with a used rear camera turnoff module (don't have the rear seat video entertainment package in my s8).
Any thoughts on Bosal vs Westfalia? The former is about 150 bucks cheaper.
Do you have a link for the westfalia us distribution? Can't seem to find it on their site. And yes, I'm in the US (chicago).
On the wiring front, the OES kit seems like a huuge overkill, considering I only want the 4pin trailer hookup. A wiring diagram would be super handy, I wouldn't mind just hacking it up a kit myself with a used rear camera turnoff module (don't have the rear seat video entertainment package in my s8).
Last edited by halik; 07-17-2014 at 05:33 AM.
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07-17-2014, 10:22 PM
#9
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If you don't have a need or want for the trailer stability program in the ESP, don't need the dashboard warning light to tell you you have a trailer attached (in case you weren't aware), don't need bulb warning for blown trailer lights (I do a quick check each time I plug mine in...) and have a manual button or other means to disable the rear parking sensors, then you can simply use a standard aftermarket lights bypass relay module. A bypass module will ensure the trailer wiring does not interfere with the cars electrical circuit for the bulb warning feature, and generally reduces any loads on the cars stock light wiring loom.
I looked (briefly) for a OEM/OES module for my D2. Westfalia and Audi have discontinued anything to do with tow hitches for the D2, so I simply turned to a bypass relay module (5 or 7 pin for standard Australian plugs - we earth through the plug, not the hitch) and found it extremely easy to wire as the rear lights have handy spade connectors on them, and the battery is right there for power.
I was going to try and source an ignition live for the module, but it gives no power drain when not functioning (it only powers when one of the lighting circuits is active), so for now it gets power directly from the battery. Only had to run a single wire across the back of the car for the left hand indicator.
Check with Westfalia to find out if their bar is aluminium. It was for the D2 (the main mounting bar was anyway). The Bosal bar is almost certainly steel.
It would be reasonably safe, but in the long term steel may cause corrosion issues in the vicinity of the mounts.
I keep an occasional eye on mine, as the AutoHak bar I have is steel too, but Australia has nowhere near the corrosion issues of countries with snow.
I looked (briefly) for a OEM/OES module for my D2. Westfalia and Audi have discontinued anything to do with tow hitches for the D2, so I simply turned to a bypass relay module (5 or 7 pin for standard Australian plugs - we earth through the plug, not the hitch) and found it extremely easy to wire as the rear lights have handy spade connectors on them, and the battery is right there for power.
I was going to try and source an ignition live for the module, but it gives no power drain when not functioning (it only powers when one of the lighting circuits is active), so for now it gets power directly from the battery. Only had to run a single wire across the back of the car for the left hand indicator.
Check with Westfalia to find out if their bar is aluminium. It was for the D2 (the main mounting bar was anyway). The Bosal bar is almost certainly steel.
It would be reasonably safe, but in the long term steel may cause corrosion issues in the vicinity of the mounts.
I keep an occasional eye on mine, as the AutoHak bar I have is steel too, but Australia has nowhere near the corrosion issues of countries with snow.
07-18-2014, 04:11 AM
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Can you post a couple pics of what this install looks like? I don't like the idea of "trimming" the bumper cover but don't know what the end result is supposed to look like since I have not seen any instructions or pics of how much needs to be trimmed. All I want the hitch for is to use a hitch mounted bicycle rack...I have no need to do the electrical part.