Is registration of a towbar with the traffic police necessary or not: changes for 2022

Hello, dear car enthusiasts! Yes, there has indeed been a lot of buzz on this issue lately. Let's figure out whether registration of a towbar with the traffic police is really necessary?

We were first asked this question after June 1, 2016. To be honest, at that time we ourselves did not know the answer and therefore turned to the regional traffic police department for clarification.

Question to the inspector

To our question, Deputy The head of the department replied that indeed many people are interested in this law. According to the new rules, changes to the design of the car must be registered. But there is a certain list of changes in the design that do not require approval from the traffic police. And it is precisely the TSU that is on this list. But again, there is one “but”.

The design of the passenger car must allow for the future installation of this device. In other words, the car manufacturer has structurally calculated that a towbar can be installed on this car. According to statistics, it is possible to install a trailer hitch on almost 99% of cars.

If you wish, you can document the changes to the traffic police. After that, an entry is made in special marks in the technical ticket and PTS.

Helpful information

Options for checking the possibility of installing a trailer hitch on a specific machine

The easiest way to do this is to read the Owner's Manual for your vehicle. It must indicate whether the use of a trailer hitch is intended or not.

In some cases, this is not indicated in the manual. Then you can check another way: by VIN number.

The code consists of four lines. The first one shows the car manufacturer, the second one shows the VIN number itself. On the third is the permissible maximum weight and the last line is about the maximum possible weight of the car with a trailer. If this figure is indicated, the use of a trailer hitch on the vehicle is possible.

When is the use of a trailer device completely prohibited?

You cannot install a tow bar on a car if it is technically prohibited to use a trailer on it. In this case, any vehicle will not be registered with the traffic police, and such a vehicle will not pass the examination.

What you need to have

You can do without the traffic police. There is a list of technical changes made to the design that do not require approval from the state traffic inspectorate. In order not to be fined or, God forbid, to stop registering your vehicle, you must add to the usual set of documents:

• Certificate of conformity (copy) and passport for the towbar, which comes complete with the towbar. The passport must contain the stamp of the auto center that installed the trailer hitch.
• Documents provided by an auto center that is certified to perform this type of activity. You will be given a copy of the certificate with an auto stamp and a certificate of completion of work.

That is, in fact, the tow bar must be manufactured and tested at the factory for a specific car model. He must receive a certificate of conformity, a copy of which is provided upon sale. And also the tow bar must be installed in accordance with all regulations by a legal entity that has the appropriate permission to carry out this work.

Watch the educational video below on making design changes. It tells you in which case it is necessary to make changes to the design in the traffic police.

Is it possible to drive a car with a tow bar without a trailer?

If the trailer hitch is installed on a passenger car, the design of which provides for this possibility and all procedures are carried out in the manner prescribed by law, then you can drive with a towbar either with or without a trailer.

A ban on operation and application of penalties will follow if:

• the coupling device is non-standard or in a faulty condition;
• The trailer hitch is installed in a place not intended by the manufacturer;
• the device obscures the license plate or lighting fixtures.

If violations are detected, the traffic police officer is obliged to document these circumstances and hand a copy of the protocol to the driver.

If an offense actually occurs and a fine is issued, then it is better to pay it before the expiration of 20 days. Then the payment amount will be halved and will be not 500, but 250 rubles.

Trunk volume on Kia Sportage crossovers of different generations

Most vehicles are approved for installation of a trailer hitch by the manufacturer. But there are models for which the factory has not given recommendations for use as a tractor for a trailer. You can find out for yourself whether it is possible to install a towbar on your iron horse by looking at the plate with the VIN code on your car. They are usually located on the middle right door pillar or under the hood. Let's look at the example of a Renault Sandero sign.

Pay attention to the numbers with kilograms at the end. In this case there are 4 of them.

• 4. Indicates the total weight of the car. That is, the mass of the equipped vehicle plus the permissible weight of cargo or passengers;
• 5. Indicates the permissible weight with the trailer. Here I think there is no need to explain;
• 6. and 7. These are the masses of the maximum load on the front and rear axles.

The current state of affairs on the road

Despite the fact that we nevertheless came to the conclusion that a fine for a tow bar is not only possible, but also quite legal, everything is not so bad. Indeed, in practice, motorists are not often issued such a fine. Let's say more, no one really pays attention to the presence of a towbar, and does not think about what the motorist is violating. Therefore, actual objectivity is not so gloomy, and until some high-profile incident occurs in our country or the idea of ​​a “fix” arises, there is no need to be particularly afraid of a fine for a tow bar. The likelihood of such administrative punishment is not high.

What to do if the installation is not provided by the factory?

The question is the question... And in this case there is a way out. If we are not talking about changing the car, then it can be legalized with the help of an examination. Now, in order.

• Firstly, you will still have to do everything you read about above. Either install or obtain documents from a legalized installation center.
• You need to undergo an examination by the traffic police. There you will need documents issued by the auto center and documents for the car.
• Notes about changes to the design will be added to the PTS and technical certificate.

*The traffic police itself does not conduct any examination, but issues document forms and sends them to the address.

Legislative justification

Registration of a towbar with the traffic police is a mandatory condition in 2022 - 2020. The law stipulates that any re-equipment or change in the design of the car must be approved by the regulatory authority. The corresponding requirement is confirmed by Government Decree No. 413, dated 04/06/2019.

If the towbar is not provided for by the factory design of the car, then its unauthorized installation will become a violation. To avoid penalties for illegally re-equipping a car, you must obtain the appropriate permission, and then register the device after installation.

Attention!

The procedure for registering a towbar with the traffic police is paid, in 2019-2020. its cost is 800 rubles.

Replacement of a driver's license: procedure, timing and cost

In some regions, car owners have already begun to be seriously fined for illegal towbars. The fine is under Article 12.5 of the Administrative Code, Part 1, in the amount of 500 rubles. If you are being punished for the first time for driving a vehicle (it may be something that you did not know), then this same article provides for the issuance of a warning. Be polite to the inspector and tell him you will fix it. In this case, you may have to avoid punishment. But don’t delay legalization if you really need a towbar. If you don’t need it, then just take it off and don’t look for adventures in one place)))

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.

Description of the technical process

1. Remove the rear bumper of the car. Under the bumper mount there are two holes that open cavities inside the side members.
2. Measure the distance between the outer edges of the holes inside the side members. Cut a piece from the pipe with a length equal to this distance.
3. Mark the middle of the resulting segment.
4. At the edges of strips 20 cm long, cut holes 5 × 5 cm. Place the strips with holes in the middle of the pipe and weld to it at a distance that allows you to insert a hook with a ball between them. If the hook has mounting holes, drill the same ones in the plates, corresponding to them, and secure the hook between them using bolts and nuts 10.

Attaching the towbar to the side members

After completing point No. 11, you have practically made a towbar with your own hands. All you have to do is install it and connect the socket to the car wiring.

Useful tips

• Due to the fact that a breakdown of the structure while driving can cause a lot of trouble. Avoid butt welding metal. Therefore, it is preferable to attach steel strips to the edges of the beam by cutting holes in them to the size of the pipe section, putting them on its ends, and then welding them.
• Do not use an angle grinder without protective glasses, and do not cook without a mask: take care of your eyes.
• If you want to paint a new towbar with your own hands, then first, thoroughly prepare its surface for painting. To do this, pickle it with any product that contains phosphoric acid to convert rust. Then sand the surface with waterproof sandpaper, pouring water on it to wash away the waste. Dry the assembly, degrease it with solvent for nitro paints or acetone, and cover it with adhesive primer from a spray can. Dry the soil according to the instructions. Sand with 400 grit sandpaper and water until the surface is evenly matte after the water dries. The surface is ready - dry, degrease with alcohol or B-70 gasoline (the solvent will smear the fresh soil). Then you can paint. After this preparation, your paint will last a very long time.

Whatever the type of car, each of them can be equipped with a tow bar, which is needed to attach a trailer or trolley to it for transporting a boat or boat.

Depending on what kind of cargo we will transport, it is necessary to take into account the type of towbar, its technical characteristics and the load that it can withstand.

Based on the fact that it is now very difficult to find high-quality and inexpensive things, having certain skills in handling a welding machine, you can make any towbar for any car with your own hands

.

There are the following types of towbars, which are divided into the type of towbar ball:

1. Tow bar with A-type ball. This type is very convenient and is secured with two bolts. It can be removed very quickly, the load capacity is up to 1500 kg of trailer weight and the load on the ball is up to 150 kg;
2. Tow bar with an “H” ball. This type is not so common, but it is also often found in mounts on domestic cars and has the same load capacity as the previous mount;
3. Towbars of type “F” and “G” are very similar in design. The F-type ball has two mounting positions. The “G” type ball already has six holes for fastening. Both of these types of towbars can be adjusted in height, they are mainly used on SUVs, both have a load capacity of up to 3500 kg;
4. The next type of tow bar has a load capacity of 2500 kg and is of the “V” type. It is not height adjustable, as it has only two mounting holes;
5. Also a very common type is a quick-release tow bar with a vertical mount, which can be quickly removed and then remains invisible.
6. Towbar type "VMA". A quick-release type of tow bar is convenient for those who often travel abroad and people who own expensive foreign cars;
7. Well, the most expensive type is the towbar, which is retracted under the base of the bumper; this is for those people who are not used to denying themselves anything.

So we’ve figured out the main types of towbars that can be installed on any type of car, calculating the load capacity that will be needed when transporting certain cargoes.

Lada 2107 Crossover › Logbook › Installing a tow bar

Hello, I already wrote that the car was primarily purchased for household chores, and anyway to drive through forests and fields, and first of all it was necessary to install a tow bar, but either I don’t have the money, or I’m too lazy to buy and install it, in the end I I finally decided to buy it, but I couldn’t find it anywhere, I had to order it at the store. I picked it up two weeks later, I didn’t have it lying around for long, and I don’t like buying something for the car and leaving it to lie around later. Basically a tow bar not really needed, but still, from time to time I need to bring something, I took the trailer and drove off. Previously, my father had a tag, it had a tow bar, then he sold it, in the end there is a trailer and it stands idle) so the 7k had to take the rap. and a towbar. Installation turned out to be much simpler than I thought, the towbar is attached to the towing hooks in the front, four holes are made in the back under the car and secured, drilled, primed, painted and coated with mavilya, bolts

Features of material selection

You can find a wide range of protective films online and in regular car dealerships. They may have different characteristics and vary in cost. In fact, all this is a wrapping material designed to protect body elements from defects and premature wear.

Popular solutions include 3M, SunTec, Llumar and Hexis films. The products are universal, that is, they are used on various cars:

• Skoda Octavia;
• Daewoo Lanos;
• Chevrolet Niva;
• Nissan Qashqai;
• Toyota Corolla;
• Ford Focus;
• Lada Largus;
• VAZ 2110;
• Chevrolet Captiva;
• Skoda Rapid;
• Nissan Sentra, etc.

Experts and simply experienced motorists advise paying attention to several basic parameters when selecting

A wise choice will initially allow you to obtain a material of good quality and with decent performance characteristics. Therefore, the protection will last longer and more reliably. You won’t have to remove the film soon and think about gluing a new coating.

I strongly do not recommend using low-quality film. Even if you glue it well, the effectiveness will be too low. Your time and energy will be wasted.

A good film for protecting car thresholds from wear is selected according to the following parameters.

• Material of manufacture. It is optimal to take polyurethane products. They serve for a long time, protect well from aggressive influences and mechanical wear;
• Layering. High-quality products have 3 layers, no less. The more there are, the thicker the film will end up;
• Color. The bulk are colorless or transparent. This allows you not to change the appearance of the car. But there are also decorative options. The choice is yours.

When choosing coatings, keep in mind that the manufacturer offers material in different lengths and widths. Choose so that you don’t have to glue one threshold together from several pieces of film.

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.