Fitting tow bar with LPG system in boot.

[perfectgent]

Just picked up my 4.6 IS yesterday.  It's a frickin' beauty although I'm sure it's well known on this forum....

I've bought it to tow my boat (should be powerful enough hey?) and need to get a tow bar fitted.  I read a great thread about getting a Westfalia tow hitch fitted yet it says to remove the spare and get under etc etc.

My spare doesn't exist any more as there's an LPG tank there.  Nightmare or simple remedy?  Just asking you guys as the mechanic mate that I like to go to is so OCD when it comes to stuff like this, he often gets really wound up about things and takes stuff off that he doesn't necessarily need to.  To give you an idea, years ago when I had a Xantia, to change the alternator he wanted to remove the battery platform to get to the radiator so he could remove the radiator and then loads of hoses and then the alternator.  I said "Can't you just reach down there and undo it?", He was adamant that it wasn't possible, so I did it myself later. 

Anywho.  Any help much appreciated.  If it's not too taxing (I'm a numpty when it comes to mech really) I may have a pop at it myself.

Thanks in anticipation,

Perfectgent.

[X5Sport]

Hello &  to the Forum.  You should find lots of helpful tips and advice her.  Congrats on your new purchase, which unless your boat is on the er 'large' size, you should have no trouble towing.

You need to be able to get to the battery and electronic modules which are under the spare wheel (LPG Tank in your case) hence the need to remove it.  You should also have an air compressor under a dome in the middle of the doughnut tank (unless it too has been relocated) and that has to come out to get at the battery bay.

The trailer electrics control module - which tells the car that a trailer is hitched on - is plugged in just beside the battery.  I think you can probably physically fit the tow bar metalwork, but without access into the battery bay, the electrics will be very difficult if not impossible to install.

Richard

[perfectgent]

Aha!  Ok then.  Well, I'll just rip it out and yehaa the tow bar onto the car. 

Ok, I'll be a bit more careful than that. I just didn't know if I should expect to find a thread saying something like 'LPG donut tanks and tow bars are a no-go'

Thanks for reply, and welcome to forum. 

[shadrack]

you can fit the actual towbar without removing the tank but as x5sport says the wiring, however that's only if you buy the dedicated x5 electrics, if you wire it using a universal 7 pin bypass relay from pf jones you can wire that with the tank in position.

[perfectgent]

Cheers dude.  I'll take a look at the tank and see if that dictates my direction; undoubtedly it'll have to.