Need to know - fitting a tow bar and electrics!!

If you have an older caravan, then it probably has two plugs on it ie 12N (road lighting) and a 12S (supplimentary - for fridge & leisure battery charging). As to tow bar, it depends on your wallet & what steel work you're prepared to have on show. 2 bolt flange are usually the cheapest but IMHO are the ugliest of the lot but have the option of bolting cycle carriers etc to them, swan neck are a little better looking and detachable the best of the lot .... ie you can't see them when not in use, but are usually the most expensive. As for cut outs, that purely depends on the car & towbar, some bars require a cut out of the lower part of he bumper, others don't, or it's that small you can't easily see it. there's a cut on my bumper, but unless you kneel/lie down to look, you can't see it.

Thank you for replying- and so fast!! 

Yes- it has 2 plugs, What is an IMHO?

Heather

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Yes- it has 2 plugs, What is an IMHO? ...

So you need 2 sockets on your car to match the caravan. 13 pin plug/socket is better, but I'd keep what's already on the caravan.

IMHO = In My Humble Opinion  ie 2 bolt flange are not my favourite 

I think I'd still go for for 13 pin, and either use an adaptor or get the caravan converted if I planned to keep it for a good while.  13 pin is far better than 12N & 12S.  My experience of 12N on trailers has been that wiggling, cleaning or pin spreading has been necessary to get all the lights working nearly every time out.  

13 pin has also been standard in the UK for 8 years, so why put anything else on a new car?

It takes an expert a few minutes to change the caravan to modern 13 pin - I faffed around with adaptors and it was a waste of time and money.  The person who fits your towball would probably fit the caravan electrics for you too.  (the reason I tried adaptors was because of a trailer and a cycle board with the old electrics but they are now swapped too!)  There is one downside - if anyone asks you to tow a trailer for them that has 7 pin lights there is a problem - I had to rescue a friend with a broken down car towing a horse trailer.  Hand signal sufficed for the short journey!  The AA rescued her car but she wasn't on the right plan for the trailer! 

If its a new car are you intending to get the dealer to fit? They may sub the work out but use Mazda parts so its possible that the choice of towbar might be Hobson's Choice depending on what choice Mazda offer. One thing I would seiously think about is getting them to fit an eye for the breakaway cable if its not included.

David

.....There is one downside - if anyone asks you to tow a trailer for them that has 7 pin lights there is a problem  ....

that's easily sorted with one of these You can getthem the other way round too ie 13 pin plug on the caravan to plug into a 12N socket on the car ..... they just power the lights

As MollysMummys post describes, I have both adaptors. I have a trailer with a 12N plug and use the first type for that.I also have the reverse adaptor 12N female to 13 pin male adaptor that the dealer gave me when they (against my instructions of course) fitted a 12N and 12S to my new car in 2011!  Fortunately I had handwritten "must be 13 pin as agreed" on the order form before signing it. I keep it in the caravan in case it is ever necessary to tow it with a car that has a 12N.  

The 13pin with its twist action and sealing O ring is incomparably better than the 12N/S, not to mention being half as many cables, plugs and sockets.

Just check that a Mazda 6 car is really suitable for a towbar to be fitted.  Many cars are produced with holes already in place on suitable structural parts to have a bar added, but there are some about where the fitter has to drill holes, and I do wonder how much consideration was given by the designers of the vehicle to the loads and stresses of towing. Weigth and engine size are not all that is involved in a good match.

I don't know how many places there will be that fit tow bars in the Highlands but it may be worth your while phoning around and getting prices - it does vary by quite a lot.

Also - with my Ford I was asked for the electrics if I wanted Ford dedicated wiring kit or a generic kit - go for the dedicated wiring if it's available - does cost a few pounds more but worth it in the long run. Happy caravanning.