Seat Leon X-Periance - Towbar

johnty247

Active Member
Feb 1, 2017
12
0
Hi,

I am a new member please be nice :)

I have just purchased a Seat Leon X-Periance and am thinking about installing a towbar but I have a couple of question,

1, Has anyone fitted a towbar to an X-Periance?

2, Bumper cut, I know I bumper cut will be needed, does anyone know if I will be able to see it as on previous I could not.

3, Parking sensors, this car has parking sensors and have seen that towbars can mess these up and a detachable is recommended, this is fine but all my other bars have been fixed and therefore cover the cut.

if anyone can help that would be great.

Thank you

John
 

dw911

Active Member
Mar 30, 2013
1,036
6
I did a lot of research on which one to fit and
there are a few good towbar threads on here, have a look through those,
I wanted one that didn't show when detached, plus I want one at a later date for my cupra so was a useful test run if you like - I know it's not type approved for the cupra etc etc, but only want it for a single bike Carrier, not for towing and it's a shame having to leave the cupra at home when I want to take the bike :D -

There are three main makes of detachable towbar discussed in the various threads on here, one is the same as the one seat will sell you -westfalia i think- but needs a biggish bumper cover panel, the other is the same and that too needs a biggish cover panel, the third, the one I used - the whitter- only requires a small cut out on the underside of the bumper and with the towbar removed and the electrical plug pushed up it doesn't even notice you have a tow bar.
It doesn't effect the parking sensors when in place.
Wiring, I bought an aftermarket cambus wiring loom kit for the whatever your towing electrics , was a complete waste of time, confused the car electrics no end, so I binned it and hard wired using soldered joints straight into the cars lighting loom, as you would have done on a pre cam bus car, worked fine and no more issues.
So unless you get the proper seat towbar loom, I wouldn't personally bother with the aftermarket cambus wiring kit.

The towbar was easy to fit, few bolts into existing holes and remove the big metal bar behind the bumper and it bolts to those threaded holes left behind.
Most time is taken up removing and fitting bumper and the same with the trim inside to get at the wiring and working out what does what in the looms as the only vague wiring diagram I could find, didn't match the colours on the car

Anyway hope that helps
 

johnty247

Active Member
Feb 1, 2017
12
0
Hi, thank you for that it perfect. I am like you I would like one that you can't see the bumper cut when removed. The only reason I was thinking removable is because of the parking sensors. The sensors are quite high so they should not be a problem. But it is good to know.

If the towbar doesn't get in the way I may just get a fixed swan neck.

John


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dw911

Active Member
Mar 30, 2013
1,036
6
Hi, thank you for that it perfect. I am like you I would like one that you can't see the bumper cut when removed. The only reason I was thinking removable is because of the parking sensors. The sensors are quite high so they should not be a problem. But it is good to know.

If the towbar doesn't get in the way I may just get a fixed swan neck.

John


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Hi, that's no problem. I looked at the fixed ones at first, when I initially thought all the removable ones needed a biggish bumper cover.

if I remember correctly only one towbar manufacturer had a swan neck tight enough not to need a cut out, it was obviously cheaper, but I don't think it had the same towing capacity of all the other fixed ones and tbh I prefer being able to remove the towbar, so when I realised I could have a removable one without needing bumper cover, I didn't look much deeper in to fixed towbar ones so there may be better swan neck fixed ones out there
 

johnty247

Active Member
Feb 1, 2017
12
0
That is a good point I will have to check that out. I only pull a camping trailer at present but I suppose you never know.

I am getting older now may want to upgrade to a caravan .

TBH if I can get a removable with not much of a cut I will get that. Nicer finish.

John


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MyLeon

Active Member
Jun 3, 2015
349
2
Like the others I too went for the Witter. Perfect for what I wanted, and 99% of the time it is removed with no visible signs. Just check that it is the same for the X-Perience as the rear bumper may be different to the FR ST


2015 Leon ST FR 184 DSG
 

johnty247

Active Member
Feb 1, 2017
12
0
When the bar is attached does it mess about with your parking sensors?


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Conal

Active Member
Sep 10, 2014
154
8
No, parking sensors just work as normal. When the van is attached they are muted so that they don't detect that it is behind you.
Conal
 

Dallan

Active Member
Nov 15, 2016
20
1
Ireland
My xper came with a detachable one that was fitted after manufacture, i will put up a few pics later, in my research i found if its factory fitted they use a different bumper insert (silver bit) which makes it harder to see the cut

But with the standard bumper insert you can see it, so much so i just leave mine in.

Dallan


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Dallan

Active Member
Nov 15, 2016
20
1
Ireland
680c0e5f143276004e8c1cce26460382.jpg



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Dallan

Active Member
Nov 15, 2016
20
1
Ireland
So the hole for it is on the top face and not visible as the bar slots up vertically


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Last edited:

alancw

Active Member
Aug 22, 2017
5
0
Hi All, has anyone used a aftermarket cambus wiring loom kit successfully? I am looking to install one in my leon. I dont have any parking sensors, I only want to use the brake lights,indicators and Tail lights. Does anyone know if I need to get my system coded for the universal electrics box? Or is the coding just to turn off the parking sensors and the fog light?

thanks
Alan
 

johnty247

Active Member
Feb 1, 2017
12
0
Hi, I used the universal wiring kit on my car and all works as expected. The only thing you loose is the ability for it to automatically disable parking sensors I believe.

I have a 7pin connection for a trailer and all good.

John


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alancw

Active Member
Aug 22, 2017
5
0
Nice one thanks for the reply johnty247! Ill be installing a 7pin connection on the weekend using the wiring diagram i got with the kit. So that should be interesting to see if it works out!....
Alan
 

alancw

Active Member
Aug 22, 2017
5
0
Hi John, so turns out the diagram I got is pretty much useless. Sorry to annoy you but would you happen to have a picture of how you connected your universal box cables to the car cables? Or might you know which car cables I should be connecting onto?
Thanks
Alan.
 

johnty247

Active Member
Feb 1, 2017
12
0
Hey,

Sorry just seen your message .

I actually paid an installer for this job so not sure how he wired it.

How did you get on ?

John


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alancw

Active Member
Aug 22, 2017
5
0
Hey John.
Yeah to be honest I thought it would've been worse. I just clipped into the cables that i needed. Saved a fortune fitting the towbar myself. Big thanks to this site for all the info!
Alan
 

weasley

Active Member
May 19, 2017
137
4
South Oxfordshire
I don't know for sure on the Leon, but on my Yeti (using VAG systems so potentially a similar situation) if you have a proper towing module fitted and coded (rather than the universal relay type), you get:

- parking sensors deactivated when attached
- rear fog light deactivated when attached (to prevent it glaring on the front of whatever you are towing)
- trailer stability programme activated
- light bulb failure extended to the towing vehicle/light board
- car theft alarm sounds if the trailer is unplugged when the car is locked and armed.

On the Yeti I fitted the module and wiring myself and had it coded at my dealer for a few quid.
 
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