Trailer and tow bar basics - help please!

[PosiePerkinPootleFlump]

Looking for some advice.
We have a 2010 volvo xc90. As the kids get bigger the holiday stuff still seems to expand and considering a trailer. But we don't have a tow bar.
Can anyone offer any insight what kind of tow bar we need (I have done a bit of googling but don't feel any the wiser). What is the deal with electrics for brake lights? How easy it it to hook in and off? Any trailer recommendations? We would hopefully buy 2nd hand

Tow bar - go to or phone up a tow bar fitting service and talk through your options. If it is for occasional use (family holidays, tip run etc) rather than regular use (horse shows every weekend) then I would go for a removable tow bar so you can take it off most of the time. To put it back on, it just clicks into a bracket underneath the bumper.

Electrics are also easy. The trailer will have an electrics cable that runs from the lights to a plug at the front of the hitch. Your tow bar, whether removable or not, will have an electrics socket next to the actual bar. Plug one into the other!

You need to know how many pins the socket has connecting the electrics. There's different types.

Thank you both very much :)

I wouldn’t worry too much about the electric sockets. You can get adapters to make one fit the other.

My advice is the same as above. Go to a towbar-fitter mechanic. They'll talk though the options.
The bars themselves are different for each car, and the garage will fit the appropriate one. But the ball part you connect to is the same. Though their are different shaped ones and ones you can remove when not using.

There are two types (I believe) of electric sockets and you need one to match the plug on your trailer, but there are adapters, so it's not a problem.

Attaching and removing a trailer from your tow-ball is dead easy. You won't have a problem with that. And towing a trailer is easy, it just bobs along behind. Just remember that you are a long vehicle and so need more time to pull out into traffic. And it's virtually impossible to reverse with a small camping trailer. Though possible with a large trailer like a caravan.

Our trailer has saved a fortune moving stuff tip runs etc.
If you buy used check the tyres as they are often perished on older trailers
Check your licence allows you to tow one!
They are great for camping as when you get home you can leave the gear in the trailer ready for next time