When does the towbar need to be removed and why?
The detachable trailer hitch is a practical and convenient solution: If you want to drive the trailer for a short time, but do not necessarily always want to have a trailer hitch mounted on the vehicle, you can remove it at any time. A rigid ball bar does not offer this and can sometimes be a nuisance, for example when loading the car. Often, vehicle owners do not want to permanently drive around with an unused trailer coupling on the vehicle, as this is seen as an interference with the vehicle’s optics, depending on the model.
The detachable towbar is a good alternative, after all, it can be removed at any time in only a few simple steps and is then neither actually nor visually in the way. However, the detachable towbar should be removed in some situations. Although there are no regulations, you should keep a few points in mind.
That is why you should remove the detachable towbar in these cases
Depending on the trailer coupling and vehicle, it may be that the removal of the ball rod is noted in the vehicle documents and thus made a requirement for driving without a trailer. This case can apply, for example, if the towbar would cover the license plate. This is not allowed and must be avoided when driving without a trailer, so you should remove the towball.
Basically, it makes sense to remove the towball whenever you are not pulling a trailer. This is mainly due to insurance reasons. For example, if you back up to another vehicle while parking, the risk of damage to the opposing vehicle with your trailer hitch still installed is higher. This also comes into play in rear-end collisions, although in that case you are only partly to blame if you did not remove the ball bar. Many insurance companies advise you to always remove the ball rod when it is not in use. By doing that, you can minimize personal or third-party damage and you can be sure that the claims that may be made to the insurance company are not reduced.
Should there ever be a rear-end collision with the tow bar installed, i.e. if someone crashes your car from behind and you have not taken off the towbar, the warranty for the entire trailer hitch expires and it must be replaced. The reason for this is that the smallest cracks in the trailer coupling cannot be ruled out. But even if you have removed the towball and someone hits you on your rear, you should at least contact the manufacturer of the trailer coupling and reassure yourself there with regard to a possibly necessary replacement for the cross member.
