Bars N Racks in Brookvale on Sydney's Northern Beaches is an accredited Hayman Reese Stockist and tow bar installer. Tow bars let car owners increase the usefulness of their vehicles. From towing a caravan around Australia, a box trailer to Kimbriki Tip or using a hitch mounted mountain bike to tackle the trails around Manly Dam, we can help you get your gear safely to your destination.

However, towing changes the handling and performance of your car. It's important to have the towing vehicle’s tow bar selected and installed correctly.

Bars N Racks have been selling and installing towbars for over 30 years. At Bars N Racks we choose Hayman Reese as they are the market leader in tow bars who manufacture approximately 96% of all genuine tow bars installed for vehicles in Australia.

Hayman Reese Quality Towbars. 

Hayman Reese has over 70 years’ experience manufacturing tow bars, and their products are designed and engineered in Australia. When you buy a Hayman Reese Towbar from Bars N Racks it’s warranted against manufacturing faults for as long as you own it. That’s the Hayman Reese lifetime warranty.

Hayman Reese towbars adhere fully to Australian Design Rules (ADR) and surpass AS 4177 specifications. Engineered for their intended purpose, these high-quality products prioritise safety for you and your passengers. With Bars N Racks, you can expect not only exceptional after-sales service but also a commitment to keeping safety at the forefront of every product. 

If you're interested in learning more about tow bars, this page provides fundamental information. For those unfamiliar with towbars, we also offer a beginner's guide on selecting the appropriate towbar beginners guide on how to choose the right towbar.

However, it’s best to talk through your requirements and vehicle details with the expert technicians at Bars N Racks. Send us a message or call us during business hours on 02 99052422.

Do you need a heavy or light duty towbar?

What are you planning to use your towbar for? Do you just need a cycle carrier or are you towing a trailer to go on a trip around Australia? How heavy is the trailer and does your car, van, SUV or 4x4 have enough towing capacity to tow it? We can find the right towbar for your vehicle.

The Hayman Reese towbar range caters for different vehicle towing applications. This includes light duty, heavy duty, off road and mine rated tow bars.

We have towbars in stock for popular makes and models. If you require a towbar for an unusual vehicle, we can normally obtain one within a couple of days.

Heavy Duty Towbars - Class 4 rated to a vehicle’s maximum towing capacity.

Made from 50 x 50mm steel, the square hitch receiver is the industry benchmark for heavy duty ball mount tow bars. A 50mm towbar is a must for towing caravans, boats, horse floats or heavily laden tradesman's trailers.

Being the current standard, a 50mm square hitch is compatible with accessories like hitch mounted bike racks and 50mm recovery hitch and shackle combinations.

Medium Duty Towbars - Class 3 rated up to 1600kg.

These feature a smaller 40 x 40 mm square hitch receiver with a removable trailer ball mount. This style of towbar has been superseded by the larger 50 x 50mm class 4 towbars which are the contemporary standard. As a result, fewer accessories will fit the 40 x 40m hitch.

Light Duty Towbars - Class 2 rated up to 1200kg.

Class 2 towbars are found on older cars. Class 2 is a superseded standard and these light duty tow bars are rarely made. The contemporary standard is class 4 tow bars. 

4x4 Off-Road Towbars.

For 4x4s that do serious off-road driving there's another type of tow bar. The X-Bar by Hayman Reese sits higher on a vehicle for more ground clearance. It provides improved departure angles. It also features Australian Design Rule compliant recovery points rated to 8,000 kgs which are a must for snatch-strap recoveries.

Swan Neck Tow Bars 

These tow bars have a single, curved neck that extends horizontally from the vehicle's bumper, resembling the shape of a swan's neck, hence the name. They are known for their sleek and compact design, which makes them visually appealing and often integrates well with the vehicle's rear. They are almost always removable. Its important to understand that these wont fit with a square hitch receiving bike rack or another accessory. 

Swan neck tow bars are versatile and suitable for various towing applications. They are particularly popular in Europe. The design typically allows for easy coupling and uncoupling of the trailer or caravan, and they can accommodate standard tow balls or other towing accessories.

Where do I find my vehicle's towing capacity?

Your vehicle's towing capacity is a specification you can find in the owner’s manual. Or you on the manufacturer’s website. Make sure you know the exact model and year it was manufactured.

The "Unbraked Towing Capacity" is the maximum weight allowed for a trailer without brakes. These are typically small box trailers. "Braked Towing Capacity" is for heavy trailers, usually over 740kgs, that have their own brakes.. 

The main types of trailer braking systems are “hydraulic surge bakes” found on boat trailers and rented car trailers. These are activated when the car slows and the trailer pushes into the hitch. Electric brakes are controlled by a wire signal from the tow vehicle. It can be precisely controlled by the driver if the tow bar electrics are well set up with a brake controller.

The other towing capacity figure to note is the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). This is the maximum weight of your vehicle with a trailer attached, as determined by the vehicle manufacturer. This includes passengers and luggage loads.

It's worth taking your fully loaded car and trailer to a weigh bridge to check the combined weight. This will ensure you're towing legally and safely. If it's over the allowable weight, consider getting a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) upgrade for your vehicle.

Towbar Ball Weight.

Another constraint is the tow bar ball weight. This is the weight pushing down on the tow ball. It can be the weight of a trailer or the weight of a bike rack.

A Mazda CX5, for example, has a maximum ball weight of 75 kilos. Some tow bar bike carriers can weigh up to 20 kilos and some eBikes can weigh 20 kilos. With 3 or 4 bikes you could easily exceed the maximum ball weight.

Also, a caravan pushes about 10% of it’s weight down on the towbar for towing stability. Vehicles like Ford Rangers can tow up to 3,200 kilos. That’s 320 kilos pushing down on the rear suspension before anything is loaded in the tray.

Tow bar accessories.

Towing Weight Distribution Hitches and Systems.

If your trailer is pushing down on the rear suspension and lifting the front suspension towing is unsafe. This can cause trailer sway, poor braking and less traction. Bars N Racks can rectify this with a Hayman Reese Weight Distribution System to evenly distribute the weight across all axles.

Towing Brake Controllers.

If you're planning to tow a trailer with electric brakes ask Bars N Racks about an electric brake controller. If you're having a new towbar fitted, it makes sense to wire up a brake controller into the towbar wiring harness.

It can be scary towing a trailer that's heavier than your car. Redarc brake controllers provide smooth and controlled trailer braking that's adjustable from the driver’s seat. They also provide independent trailer braking which can be quickly activated to stop trailer sway.

Towbar Hardware & Accessories.

• Rated D Shackles. These are used on the safety chains between the tow vehicle and trailer. It's illegal to have an incorrectly rated D Shackle. They have a rating stamp on the body of the D shackle. A 0.75t stamp is suitable for trailers up to 3 tons. A 1t stamp is suitable for trailers and caravans up to 3.5 tons.
• Hayman Reese Smart Pin. Reduces rattles, vibration and shunting from trailer ball mounts. This makes towing more comfortable.
• Wiring adaptors and sockets. Bars N Racks can wire up the right connector for your trailer or provide an adaptor. This includes plug types such as 7 pin flat or 7 pin round connectors as well as 12 pin flat connectors.
• Tow balls and covers. When you're not towing Bars N Racks has attractive hitch covers so you can remove your towbar without it looking like somethings missing from the rear of your vehicle. Or simply fit a new chrome 50mm tow ball or a ball cap so you don't get tow ball grease on your clothes.

Being able to tow caravans and toys to far away destinations can lead to a lot of fun. Make sure you have your towing set-up done correctly by Bars N Racks so you arrive at your destination safely and without any hassles to spoil the fun.