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Supreme / superior knowledge needed please Do you have to get a tow bar specially for the model car you want to put it on?

That would probably depend on the car I would think Dot, some cars have specific requirements for fitting a tow bar, whilst others are pretty standard. A tow bar seller or manufacturer would tell you, I'd shop around.

I think today with the lighter construction of vehicles it would be safer to buy the proper designed and fitted tow bar to any vehicle that has an engineering label on the towbar as required these days. As native pepper said best to go to a tow bar seller and get the latest info and a call to your insurance company to get their thoughts on towbars.Fitting a substandard or ill fitting towbar may work for most but if something goes wrong your on your own with more than likely no insurance.............Peter

Dot,

Bars are made for the specific vehicle. The mounting points, and cross bar shape are designed to fit into the vehicle design.

If you're talking about trucks and buses, there are generic bars and the brackets are welded on to the cross bar at time of fitting to get the right chassis size/width.

Thanks everyone, shall get Gman onto the suggestions ie insurance tow bar people etc. Tow bar is for a 2015 Suzuki Swift.

A classic case is the BMW SUV thing from a few yrs back. People bought them thinking they could tow their boat or caravan because there was a towing package available. The problem was the weight limit was not much more than an empty box trailer because the body design, nothing with any strength in the rear of the vehicle. You might be able to find a towbar you could copy and make your own, but just hope it doesn't fall apart like one of the well known vehicle brands that decided to have them manufactured in China. It looked like one of the Hayman Reece towbars, but the receiver was cast onto the square section ..... a few fractured the casting and dropped the gooseneck and chain anchor points off and onto the road .... quite dramatic because the break away never triggered because the anchor point was still attached to the gooseneck ...... A rather expensive insurance payout and recall followed or so I'm told, they tend to keep that sort of thing quiet if they can

T1 Terry