Christmas time is also a time to do something good for others. We make a contribution to society every year, make others happy and get involved locally. This year we are supporting the Haus St. Josef in Eschweiler with a donation.

Haus St. Josef, founded in 1889, is a facility for children and young people which is particularly close to our hearts. As a children’s home, it offers various options for children and young people: A total of 100 children are currently living in inpatient residential groups, five of the eleven residential groups are housed in the residential buildings on site. Between six and nine children are living together in a residential group. Mr. Robert Wagner, managing director of Haus St. Josef, says: “We enable the children to have as normal an everyday life as possible; they experience community and at the same time have a place to retreat. Nowadays, almost all rooms avaiable for the kids are only single rooms; when the children’s home was founded, rooms for 6 children were still normal. Today we no longer only use our main house, but we also have outsourced properties, such as a farm.”

Diverse opportunities for children, young people and families thanks to Haus St. Josef

Not only has the layout and size of Haus St. Josef changed since it was founded by the nuns over 130 years ago, but so have the offerings. Apart from the children’s homes, there are also day-care and outpatient options, where children can be cared for. In the day-time part, the children spend their afternoon after school in Haus St. Hosef, in so-called day groups. “We pick up the children for the day groups at lunchtime after school and then they stay with us until the evening. This offers them a regular daily routine. Children who have problems in the family and need a break from everyday family life usually come to our day groups,” explains Robert Wagner.

The aim of the child, youth and family welfare is of course primarily to ensure that children do not have to leave their families. The outpatient offer is primarily aimed at families, children and parents who have problems at home and would like to get them under control together with professional help of the Haus St. Josef staff in their own homes. Around 100 families are currently looked after by Haus St. Josef throughout the city region. In addition, Haus St. Josef is also involved in organizing open all-day schooling at 10 schools in the Aachen city region. “We look after around 1,400 students at schools in Herzogenrath, Würselen, Eschweiler and Aachen,” explains Managing Director Wagner.

Support for special projects

The approximately 320 employees of Haus St. Josef do very important and very valuable, and unfortunately often very difficult, work, which we are happy to support with our donation. Mr. Wagner says: “We use donations like those from MVG to implement projects with and for children which are not included in normal care. Memberships in sports clubs, a new climbing frame or a soccer goal, equestrian therapy or excursions are examples of this.”

We would like to thank Mr. Wagner and the Haus St. Josef for the exciting and interesting insights on site and look forward to being able to continue following the development of the children’s home in the future.

Would you like to find out more? Then take a look at the Haus St. Josef website!

Many electric or hybrid vehicles are also suitable as a towing vehicle, provided the appropriate trailer hitch has been provided for it and the vehicle itself has been approved for this by the manufacturer. For example, a registered towing capacity is required. For detailed information on electric and hybrid vehicles and their use as towing vehicles, it is best to seek advice from the vehicle manufacturer or the car dealership you trust, get the necessary information before buying them.

Retrofitting a trailer hitch is usually not a problem, as with combustion vehicles. In our range you will find an increasing number of items that are also suitable for hybrid vehicles or electric variants, some towbars that have even been specially developed for these vehicles variants. Following we present the trailer hitches for the current models of the manufacturer Renault.

Our hitch for the Renault Austral E-Tech

For the Renault Austral E-Tech from 2022 onwards we offer a detachable trailer hitch in our shop. Thanks to the MVG automatic system 2040, you can easily remove the ball rod at any time – in case you don’t need the hitch. The trailer hitch does not require any visible intervention in the vehicle’s appearance.

The values ​​of the towbar at a glance:

Towing capacity 1936 kg

Trailer load 100 kg

D value 10 kN

The Renault Arkana E-Tech as a towing vehicle

With our trailer hitch you can easily turn the Renault Arkana E-Tech into a towing vehicle: Our removable trailer coupling is operated using a rotary wheel, in just a few simple steps. You can easily remove it when not in use. The towbar also has a fold-away socket holder. If the towbar is not in use, you won’t see any hints towards the towbar on the chic Renault SUV.

The values ​​of the towbar at a glance:

Towing capacity 1653 kg

Trailer load 100 kg

D value 8.8 kN

Renault Kangoo III E-Tech from BJ 05/2021

The Renault Kangoo III simply becomes a powerful transport partner with the towbar from our range: The towbar with MVG automatic system 2040 does not require any visible intervention in the vehicle optics, all towbars with an automatic system lock automatically during assembly.

The values ​​of the towbar at a glance:

Towing capacity 1675 kg

Trailer load 90 kg

D value 9.4 kN

The detachable trailer hitch for the Renault Mégane E-Tech

The Renault Mégane E-Tech can be retrofitted with our trailer hitch: Ours Trailer hitch is detachable, the ball rod can be removed by operating a rotary wheel. Only a few hand movements are required for this.

The values ​​of the towbar  at a glance:

Towing capacity 900 kg

Trailer load 80 kg

D value 6.6 kN

Renault Mégane Grandtour E-Tech from 2020

Exclusively for the hybrid, we offer you the right trailer hitch in the shop for an uncomplicated trailer ride. The detachable trailer hitch from our range does not affect the look of the Renault Mégane Grandtour E-Tech and is easy to use. Thanks to the uncomplicated assembly of the hitch, the hybrid becomes a towing vehicle in just a few steps.

The values ​​of the towbar at a glance:

Towing capacity 2120 kg

Trailer load 90 kg

D value 9 kN

Renault Captur II Hybrid from 10/2020 with trailer hitch

With our trailer hitch you can simply retrofit the Renault Captur II Hybrid: Our detachable trailer coupling is equipped with the MVG automatic system 2040 and can be easily operated by using the rotary wheel. The ball rod can be removed flexibly , but can also be locked at the same time.

The values ​​of the towbar at a glance:

Towing capacity 1718 kg

Trailer load 95 kg

D value 8.8 kN

Of course, rear bike carriers are particularly suitable for transporting your bikes. What you should consider when driving with a rear bike carrier in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, can already be read in our blog post. Today we are putting together a checklist for you to assemble and set up your rear bike rack.

This is how you mount your rear bike carrier

The rear bike carriers from our shop are all mounted on the ball rod. You use a practical lever system for this: If the lever for attaching the rear bicycle carrier is moved upwards, the carrier’s mouth opens. So you can easily put the carrier on the ball bar. By lowering the lever on the rear bike carrier, you close the lock, which then grips the ball bar and secures the carrier to it.

Many rear bike carriers have additional security in the form of a lock so that the lever system can no longer be opened when locked. You can tell whether the carrier is securely mounted by the fact that the rear bicycle carrier cannot be moved to the left and right.

Important: Make sure you have a third number plate ready for the rear bike carrier.

The best way to load the rear bike carrier

Loading the rear bike rack can be cumbersome, especially e-bikes are often very heavy and unwieldy. You can make loading easier with loading ramps, these allow you not to have to lift the bike, but to be able to slide it onto the rack. You should then first attach the bike frame to the middle attachment point of the rear bike carrier. This attachment point provides the most stability and allows you to have your hands free to attach the tires. With all attachment points, make sure that the contact surface of the attachments is as large as possible and that the bike is as straight as possible.

If you always transport the same bikes, you can of course leave the settings of the attachments as they are after the first ride and save yourself the effort for the next few times.

Safety first

It will of course be easier if there are two people to load the bikes. Then one person can hold the bike on the carrier, the second person can align and fasten everything. In any case, make sure that you tighten all fasteners well and align any pre-installed protection against scratching the wheel. With many rear bike carriers, the attachments are also lockable, so you can make sure that nothing can come loose while driving.

Voor het rijden met een aanhanger is een speciaal rijbewijs nodig. Maar is dit altijd het geval? In de regel moet je een speciaal aanhangerrijbewijs halen en daarnaast naar een rijschool gaan en rijexamen doen. Er is echter een uitzondering waarbij je geen aanhangerrijbewijs nodig hebt en toch een aanhanger mag trekken. Meer informatie over de gebruikelijke rijbewijzen voor het rijden met een aanhanger in Duitsland vind je in onze blog over dit thema.

Met een aanhanger rijden zonder rijbewijs: In dit geval toegestaan

Rijden zonder speciaal aanhangerrijbewijs is in Duitsland alleen toegestaan als je aan een paar criteria voldoet. Je aanhanger mag bijvoorbeeld niet zwaarder wegen dan 750 kg. Bovendien mag de aanhanger niet zwaarder zijn dan het voertuig waarmee je de aanhanger trekt. De aanhanger moet dus altijd lichter zijn dan het trekkende voertuig.

Als je aanhanger zwaarder is dan 750 kg, moet het gewicht van je voertuigcombinatie, d.w.z. trekkend voertuig en aanhanger samen, altijd onder de 3500 kg blijven. Voordat je zonder aanhangerrijbewijs met een aanhanger gaat rijden, moet je daarom eerst de kentekenbewijzen van het trekkende voertuig en de aanhanger goed controleren en de daar vermelde waarden voor het respectievelijke gewicht bij elkaar optellen. In principe kun je dan zonder rijbewijs voor de aanhanger, maar je moet wel altijd een rijbewijs B hebben en bij je dragen.

Mogelijke sancties

Rijden zonder geschikt rijbewijs is niet alleen een administratieve overtreding in Duitsland. Je moet je er dus van bewust zijn dat als je een aanhanger bestuurt zonder geldig aanhangerrijbewijs, d.w.z. als je geen aanhangerrijbewijs hebt en niet aan de bovenstaande criteria voldoet, je strafrechtelijk vervolgd kunt worden. Zorg ervoor dat je aan de genoemde criteria voldoet als je geen rijbewijs BE hebt. Als je alleen je rijbewijs vergeten bent, maar het is wel geldig, dan kun je een waarschuwing verwachten als je door de politie wordt aangehouden.

De verwijderbare trekhaak is een praktische en handige oplossing: Als je voor korte duur met de aanhanger wilt rijden, maar niet altijd met een trekhaak op de auto wilt rondrijden, kun je de trekhaak op elk moment verwijderen. Een harde kogelstang biedt dit niet en kan soms in de weg zitten bijvoorbeeld bij het laden van de auto. Vaak willen autobezitters niet graag met een niet gebruikte trekhaak rondrijden die permanent zichtbaar is op het voertuig, omdat dit afhankelijk van het model als storend voor het uiterlijk van het voertuig wordt ervaren.

De verwijderbare trekhaak is een goed alternatief, omdat deze op elk gewenst moment in enkele eenvoudige stappen kan worden verwijderd en dan noch feitelijk noch visueel een obstakel vormt. Maar in sommige situaties moet de trekhaak altijd worden verwijderd. Hoewel hier geen regels voor zijn, moet je toch met een paar dingen rekening houden.

Daarom moet je in deze gevallen de afneembare trekhaak verwijderen

Afhankelijk van de trekhaak en het voertuig kan het zijn dat het verwijderen van de kogelstang is opgenomen in de voertuigdocumenten en dus verplicht is gesteld voor het rijden zonder aanhanger. Dit kan bijvoorbeeld het geval zijn als de kogelstang de kentekenplaat zou afdekken. Dit is niet toegestaan en moet worden vermeden als je zonder aanhanger reist, dus moet je de kogelstang verwijderen.

In principe is het altijd verstandig om de kogelstang te verwijderen als je geen aanhanger trekt. Dit is vooral om verzekeringstechnische redenen. Als je bijvoorbeeld bij het parkeren achteruit tegen een ander voertuig botst, is het risico op schade aan het andere voertuig groter wanneer je trekhaak er nog op zit. Dit geldt ook voor kop-staartbotsingen, hoewel je in dit geval slechts gedeeltelijk schuldig bent omdat je de kogelstang niet verwijderd hebt. Veel verzekeringsmaatschappijen adviseren je om de kogelstang altijd te verwijderen wanneer je hem niet gebruikt. Op die manier beperk je de kans op schade voor jezelf of anderen en weet je zeker dat de eventuele schadeclaim bij de verzekeringsmaatschappij niet lager uitvalt.

In het geval van een kop-staartbotsing met een gemonteerde kogelstang, d.w.z. als iemand je van achteren aanrijdt en je hebt de kogelstang niet verwijderd, vervalt de garantie voor de gehele trekhaak en moet deze worden vervangen. De reden hiervoor is dat zelfs kleine scheurtjes in de trekhaak niet kunnen worden uitgesloten. Maar zelfs als je de kogelstang verwijderd hebt en iemand achterop je voertuig rijdt, moet je op zijn minst contact opnemen met de fabrikant van de trekhaak en met hen overleggen of de dwarsstang misschien vervangen moet worden.

The Suzuki Swace is ideal as a towing vehicle as long as it is equipped with the appropriate trailer hitch. Regardless of whether you want to use a rear-mounted bike rack or transport with a trailer, a towbar can be easily retrofitted.

We have a removable trailer coupling in our assortment; the towbar is equipped with the MVG automatic system 2040. The ball rod is operated via a rotary wheel, so that it can be removed in just a few steps when not in use. The trailer hitch does not require a cutout in the visible area.

The benefits of the detachable towbar for Suzuki Swace 11/2020 model

• vertically detachable towbar, MVG towbar 2040 
• No visible cut-out required 
• automatic system removal by twist grip
• automatic locking device when fitting

Technical data for detachable towbar

• D-value: 8,6 kN
• Towing capacity: 1589 kg
• Trailer load: 90 kg

The detachable towbar for your Suzuki Swace 11/2020 model can be found in our MVG-shop. The item number is 3670 A.

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Check out the towbar on the vehicle in our video as well as the operation of the removable towbar:

Find out more about our products in our other shops:

www.mvg-ahk.at
www.mvg-ahk.ch
www.mvg-ahk.lu
www.mvg-ahk.be
www.mvg-ahk.nl

After we introduced you to the green number plate for your trailer a few weeks ago, of course we don’t want to withhold the red license plate from you either. What can it be used for, which characteristics can be distinguished and which advantages or disadvantages are relevant?

The use of the red license plate

Red number plates can only be used for a limited or recurring operational use, they are so-called transfer number plates. So if you only want to use a vehicle or trailer for a short, limited period of time (to allow it, for example), the red license plate is an option for you. However, you can only get the license plate from the local registration authority if you are a car manufacturer, car parts manufacturer, a car dealer or a workshop. Then the license plate is not tied to a vehicle or a trailer.

Different license plates

This license plate is characterized by the fact that red lettering is used on a white background. It consists of a distinguishing character followed by an identification number. This consists exclusively of numbers and begins with the “06” in Germany.

There are also license plates with a white background, red lettering, distinguishing signs and an identification number that begins with “07”. This is intended for vintage cars. In the case of classic cars, for example, a red license plate is relevant for participation in events. A big difference to the aforementioned license plate: The license plate for classic cars can also be issued to private individuals.

The pros and cons of the red license plate

A major advantage of the license plate is that it is not tied to a specific vehicle. It can be very practical, especially for car dealerships and workshops, to have such a license plate “at hand” when, for example, test drives or transfers have to be made.

The disadvantage is that the license plate does not meet the requirements of the 1968 International Convention on Road Traffic. Therefore it may only be used nationally and not internationally.

In the case of vintage cars, you must also ensure that the vehicle meets the general conditions for a vintage car. Otherwise, the specific license plate cannot be awarded either.

We are pleased to present our new shops for the neighboring German countries of Belgium and the Netherlands to you: The two shops have now been available for a few weeks and offer our customers from the two countries an individual service. The shops are aimed exclusively at customers in the respective countries. Thanks to the language adaptations of the shops, we guarantee customers from Belgium and the Netherlands an individual shopping experience for our products designed and made in Germany.

Like all our shops, the MVG shops for Belgium and the Netherlands also offer towbars and electrical kits for a wide variety of vehicles from Alfa Romeo to VW in the usual MVG quality. Our range includes towbars for passenger cars, off-road and commercial vehicles. In addition, we also offer rear bike carriers in the shops, as well as accessories and spare parts for trailer hitches, electrical kits and rear bike carriers.

Personal customer service and individual approach in the MVG shops in Belgium and the Netherlands

“We are pleased to be able to offer good and above all personal customer service for these countries with the new shops and to be able to establish even more direct contact with our customers,” says Michael Pütz, Managing Director of MVG. We offer the shop for our customers in Belgium in Dutch and German in order to be able to address the German-speaking community in Belgium directly. For our Dutch customers, the MVG shop is available in Dutch and English.

The Renault Austral is the latest model from the French manufacturer. the SUV offers a lot of space and convinces as a modern vehicle. By retrofitting a trailer hitch, the Renault Austral can also be used as a towing vehicle.

With us you will find a practical detachable trailer hitch for retrofitting the Renault Austral. Our hitch uses the MVG automatic system 2040 and is operated via a rotary wheel. The appearance of the new Renault is not affected by the hitch.

The benefits of the detachable towbar for Renault Austral 2022 model

• vertically detachable towbar, MVG towbar 2040 
• No visible cut-out required 
• automatic system removal by twist grip
• automatic locking device when fitting

Technical data for detachable towbar

• D-value: 10 kN
• Towing capacity: 1936 kg
• Trailer load: 100 kg

The detachable towbar for your Renault Austral 2022 model can be found in our MVG-shop. The item number is 0987 A.

.

Check out the towbar on the vehicle in our video as well as the operation of the removable towbar:

Find out more about our products in our other shops:

www.mvg-ahk.at
www.mvg-ahk.ch
www.mvg-ahk.lu
www.mvg-ahk.be
www.mvg-ahk.nl

With the Renault Mégane E-Tech, Renault is launching a new model that is attracting attention as a versatile SUV. An advantage of the versatility of the new Renault: the SUV is also well suited as a towing vehicle. With the right trailer hitch for retrofitting, you can use your Mégane E-Tech to tow a trailer.

We have a detachable trailer hitch in our range, which has the MVG automatic system 2040 and is operated via a rotary wheel. The trailer hitch does not affect the look of the Renault, it does not require a cutout in the visible area. Our detachable hitch fits models from BJ 05/2021 and E-Tech models.

The benefits of the detachable towbar for Renault Mégane E-Tech 11/2021 model

• vertically detachable towbar, MVG towbar 2040 
• No visible cut-out required 
• automatic system removal by twist grip
• automatic locking device when fitting

Technical data for detachable towbar

• D-value: 6,6 kN
• Towing capacity: 977 kg
• Trailer load: 80 kg

The detachable towbar for your Renault Mégane E-Tech 11/2021 model can be found in our MVG-shop. The item number is 0986 A.

.

Check out the towbar on the vehicle in our video as well as the operation of the removable towbar: