Breakaway cable length
Following a protracted discussion on Alko breakaway cable attachment directly to the towbar (current best practice) or to the towball (on older towbars) we learned that a stronger caribina was required for direct towbar connection. During the discussion
we learned that, as a result, orders for the direct fixing cable were increased. We also learned that the direct fixing point should be within 10cm of the tow ball centre. However, Alko's direct fixing cable is the same length as the tow ball loop type, which
means that it'll possibly sag onto the road, making it necessary to shorten it - How should this be achieved? Have the CC advised Alko of this anomaly in their product?
Comments
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Hi Jenny. I think I'm going to have to move this to the Towing section now. This section is just for archived discussions and therefore you won't get an 'official' response now as the 'expert' is no longer on line. Hope this will help.
Best wishes
David
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Hi Kenny, we looped ours under the A frame too, in a wide loop held with insulating tape because we are afraid that if it kinks or knots when operated in an emergency, it might fail to function properly. The current situation seems unsatisfactory to us.
I'd hoped for an expert view from the CC but I've been moved to a mainstream thread - where's the CC when I need them0 -
Hi Kenny, we looped ours under the A frame too, in a wide loop held with insulating tape because we are afraid that if it kinks or knots when operated in an emergency, it might fail to function properly. The current situation seems unsatisfactory to us.
I'd hoped for an expert view from the CC but I've been moved to a mainstream thread - where's the CC when I need themWrite your comments here..www.westerntowing.co.uk/acatalog/Breakaway-Cables.html , hope this helps , I cannot find any information regarding a standard cable length , of all cables available they all appear to be of various sizes.
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Thanks Compass. We don't have a problem sourcing a cable, we've already bought a replacement Alko one which is designed for direct coupling. It seems that using a third party cable might be less than ideal because their carabiner strength is an unknown value,
whereas the Alko one is designed for the job. So regardless of third party length we need Alko to supply one which is fit for the job. Too long isn't fit for purpose.0 -
Too long, which is the current situation risks it hanging down and wearing through on the road. I don't want a cable which is too long or too short, I want one the right length.
Some things in life need to be all things to all men
If ALKO shortened it for you, then someone else would complain that it's too short ....
can please some people all of the time etc etc. Perhaps, cable tie a loop in it
or cable tie it to the 13pin/12N/12S cable0 -
Too long, which is the current situation risks it hanging down and wearing through on the road. I don't want a cable which is too long or too short, I want one the right length.
Some things in life need to be all things to all men
If ALKO shortened it for you, then someone else would complain that it's too short ....
can please some people all of the time etc etc. Perhaps, cable tie a loop in it or cable tie it to the 13pin/12N/12S cableWrite your comments here...
Actually that's not true. Alko make the cable for their chassis and hitch, so that will be the same for everyone, then we learn that the regulation for the attachment point is within 10cm of the ball, which is the same for everyone. So there's no question
of too long for some, too short for another.0 -
On my Lunar (which is an Alko chassis/hitch) there is a hole in the end of the chassis rails (where the hitch head attaches) through which the cable passed.This keeps the cable off the floor.
The cable is fairly rigid and with van attached, both the original and replacement cable appears a little too long for my set-up (Witter fixed towbar with connection hole immediately behind the tow ball)
I have not done anything with this cable but on the previous van I made a small loop in the cable close to the hand-brake attachment and held it in place with a couple of very light weight cable ties. Engineer never commented on it when servicing the van.
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Actually that's not true. Alko make the cable for their chassis and hitch, so that will be the same for everyone,
then we learn that the regulation for the attachment point is within 10cm of the ball, which is the same for everyone. So there's no question of too long for some, too short for another.It might be that not everyone has a regulation attachment point .....
. it could even be a new(ish) caravan on the back of a pre
97 car with a none type approved towbar
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On my Lunar (which is an Alko chassis/hitch) there is a hole in the end of the chassis rails (where the hitch head attaches) through which the cable passed.This keeps the cable off the floor.
The cable is fairly rigid and with van attached, both the original and replacement cable appears a little too long for my set-up (Witter fixed towbar with connection hole immediately behind the tow ball)
I have not done anything with this cable but on the previous van I made a small loop in the cable close to the hand-brake attachment and held it in place with a couple of very light weight cable ties. Engineer never commented on it when servicing the van.
Write your comments here...
Weve looped ours near the handbrake attachment too. Except we used tape not cable ties to hold it. It seems like a bit of a bodge to me when Alko should be making the cable shorter.
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Actually that's not true. Alko make the cable for their chassis and hitch, so that will be the same for everyone,
then we learn that the regulation for the attachment point is within 10cm of the ball, which is the same for everyone. So there's no question of too long for some, too short for another.It might be that not everyone has a regulation attachment point .....
. it could even be a new(ish) caravan on the back of a pre
97 car with a none type approved towbarWrite your comments here...
People with older tow bars need to use the alternative cable with a weaker clip, and loop it around the towball. It's the later tow bar spec with direct connection that I'm posting about.
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Sounds like I should be looking at the stronger clip for my tow bar (it has a hole for a clip) but I am struggling to work up any great enthusiasm to replace the existing one
Write your comments here...
I sympathise. There was a very active thread, culminating with "ask an expert" on the whole subject recently. The conclusion was that direct fixing required a stronger clip. As the correct cable only cost us about £6, my OH bought and fitted the "best practice"
one. It took less than 10 mins to fit, the biggest part of the job being to close the hook at one end into a loop. As caravan breakaways are rare, but perhaps life threatening when they do occur, we decided to lash out the £6 for a replacement. In reality
I think that you'd be very unlucky to have a breakaway and a cable failure and a fatality. But how would you feel if such a tragedy occurred and you might have done more to prevent it?0 -
..... It's the later tow bar spec with direct connection that I'm posting about.
I know what you're talking about, but there's nothing to stop you clipping your newer caravan to your older towcar using one of these http://www.towsure.com/towbar-breakaway-cable-bracket I
made my own & rightly or wrongly clipped directly to my car ..... I never liked the idea of looping the cable over the towball - just seems half baked to me.Ask ALKO to make you a special short(er) one ..... they might catch on
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..... It's the later tow bar spec with direct connection that I'm posting about.
I know what you're talking about, but there's nothing to stop you clipping your newer caravan to your older towcar using one of these http://www.towsure.com/towbar-breakaway-cable-bracket I made my own & rightly or wrongly clipped directly to my car ..... I never liked the idea of looping the cable over the towball - just seems half baked to me.
Ask ALKO to make you a special short(er) one ..... they might catch on
Write your comments here...
That was an interesting link to Towsure who, clearly and I believe incorrectly, print that it is now "illegal" to loop around the tow ball. However if you fitted their bracket you, like us, would need a shorter cable. I think I'll write to Alko because I think that everyone with a purpose built attachment point on a current tow bar needs a shorter cable.
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Sounds like I should be looking at the stronger clip for my tow bar (it has a hole for a clip) but I am struggling to work up any great enthusiasm to replace the existing one
Write your comments here...
I sympathise. There was a very active thread, culminating with "ask an expert" on the whole subject recently. The conclusion was that direct fixing required a stronger clip. As the correct cable only cost us about £6, my OH bought and fitted the "best practice"
one. It took less than 10 mins to fit, the biggest part of the job being to close the hook at one end into a loop. As caravan breakaways are rare, but perhaps life threatening when they do occur, we decided to lash out the £6 for a replacement. In reality
I think that you'd be very unlucky to have a breakaway and a cable failure and a fatality. But how would you feel if such a tragedy occurred and you might have done more to prevent it?Do you have to bend the clip jenny? I wonder if that weakens it defeating the object. Certainly the mountain type carabineer has to pass various stress tests and if bent has to be thrown away.
Seems alko have made about as good a job with all this as they have with their spare wheel carrier
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Do you have to bend the clip jenny? I wonder if that weakens it defeating the object. Certainly the mountain type carabineer has to pass various stress tests and if bent has to be thrown away.
Seems alko have made about as good a job with all this as they have with their spare wheel carrier
Write your comments here...
Its not the caribina which needs bending, it's the other end where it attaches to the bottom of the handbrake. It's sold with a hook shaped end made from hard steel. If it isn't closed it is likely to fall off the large, heavy duty, key ring style of coupling
with the handbrake, which was part of the van when supplied new.0 -
Do you have to bend the clip jenny? I wonder if that weakens it defeating the object. Certainly the mountain type carabineer has to pass various stress tests and if bent has to be thrown away.
Seems alko have made about as good a job with all this as they have with their spare wheel carrier
Write your comments here...
Its not the caribina which needs bending, it's the other end where it attaches to the bottom of the handbrake. It's sold with a hook shaped end made from hard steel. If it isn't closed it is likely to fall off the large, heavy duty, key ring style of coupling
with the handbrake, which was part of the van when supplied new.How old is your caravan jenny? My 'new' 2013 Coachman has a caribina type clip at the car end, but the caravan has a proper looking caribina with a screw locking collar
As I posted the link from Towsure I spotted their comment re looping over the towball ..... I knew it would be picked up on
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I've written to Alko explaining the issue. I'll post their reply.
Thanks Jenny.
You are my new chassis guru by the way.
You told me how to get a steady against a fence down . I have been doing this caravanning lark for decades but I had not thought of that one.
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....You told me how to get a steady against a fence down . I have been doing this caravanning lark for decades but I had not thought of that one.
Drill a hole in the fence ..........
I just steady my caravan with 3 steadies (and a jockey wheel) due to a fence.
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Easier than trying to line up with a hole in a fence. Worse than an Alko lock.
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A stainless steel shackle from boat chandlers is a good coupling to the handbreak link,,or anywhere else !!0
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Easier than trying to line up with a hole in a fence. Worse than an Alko lock.
I made the school boy error the other day of lining up a wheel and fitting the lock before I realised the caravan wasn't far enough down my
drive & hadn't cleared the gate at the front! Doh!0 -
Do you have to bend the clip jenny? I wonder if that weakens it defeating the object. Certainly the mountain type carabineer has to pass various stress tests and if bent has to be thrown away.
Seems alko have made about as good a job with all this as they have with their spare wheel carrier
Write your comments here...
Its not the caribina which needs bending, it's the other end where it attaches to the bottom of the handbrake. It's sold with a hook shaped end made from hard steel. If it isn't closed it is likely to fall off the large, heavy duty, key ring style of coupling
with the handbrake, which was part of the van when supplied new.How old is your caravan jenny? My 'new' 2013 Coachman has a caribina type clip at the car end, but the caravan has a proper looking caribina with a screw locking collar
As I posted the link from Towsure I spotted their comment re looping over the towball ..... I knew it would be picked up on
Write your comments here...
Its a 2013 Swift challenger SE No locking collar etc from new.
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