Tow bar brake cable
Has any one had this problem.
My break a way cable keeps getting squashed when rapping it around the tow bar.
Comments
-
If you are wrapping it round rather than simply looping it over, it may not operate correctly if needed. The cable is designed for the hook to be the weakest link and this will either break or bend to release the cable once the caravan brake has been applied
in the event of the caravan disconnecting from the tow vehicle.0 -
Actually I think you will find that it is the connection ring at the caravan end that is designed to fail under load.
For the OP, if you have a bolted ball then I would suggest you get a pigtail which fastens behind one of the bolts - this giving you a proper 'connection.' If the ball is removable have a good look around the fitting and at the actual towbar and you may
find a loop onto which you hook the cable.In some European countries - notably the Netherlands - looping a break-away cable around the towball is not acceptable - it must have a fixed attachment. There are stories of the Dutch police sitting outside Europort and pulling UK outfits for an on-the-spot
fine.0 -
Actually I think you will find that it is the connection ring at the caravan end that is designed to fail under load.
For the OP, if you have a bolted ball then I would suggest you get a pigtail which fastens behind one of the bolts - this giving you a proper 'connection.' If the ball is removable have a good look around the fitting and at the actual towbar and you may
find a loop onto which you hook the cable.In some European countries - notably the Netherlands - looping a break-away cable around the towball is not acceptable - it must have a fixed attachment. There are stories of the Dutch police sitting outside Europort and pulling UK outfits for an on-the-spot
fine.The cable pulls on the brake and then breaks. I can confirm that as it has happened to me.
0 -
Yes, it is the connection ring caravan side that is the deliberate weak link. Assuming the OP has a swan neck tow ball, looping round once only should not give any problem. It a bolt on tow hook, there should be a place (just a hole) on the tow bar plate to fasten the cable to; that is what I have.
PS the CC Handbook page 636 shows all this!
0 -
Yes, it is the connection ring caravan side that is the deliberate weak link. Assuming the OP has a swan neck tow ball, looping round once only should not give any problem. It a bolt on tow hook, there should be a place (just a hole) on the tow bar plate to fasten the cable to; that is what I have.
PS the CC Handbook page 636 shows all this!
if you are using the hole provided in the tow bar frame to hook onto you MUST change the clip for a carabiner type clip as the standard clip is not strong enough and will straighten out before pulling on the brakes in the event of a detach of the van. I have bolted a 1.5 tonne breaking strain shackle to my tow bar that will allow me to pass the clip through and hook it back on its self.
0 -
Actually I think you will find that it is the connection ring at the caravan end that is designed to fail under load.
For the OP, if you have a bolted ball then I would suggest you get a pigtail which fastens behind one of the bolts - this giving you a proper 'connection.' If the ball is removable have a good look around the fitting and at the actual towbar and you may
find a loop onto which you hook the cable.In some European countries - notably the Netherlands - looping a break-away cable around the towball is not acceptable - it must have a fixed attachment. There are stories of the Dutch police sitting outside Europort and pulling UK outfits for an on-the-spot
fine.I stand corrected
. The point is still the same though. Incidentally from experience of forgetting to remove the cable when
unhitching, it was the hook that broke away.0 -
Actually I think you will find that it is the connection ring at the caravan end that is designed to fail under load.
For the OP, if you have a bolted ball then I would suggest you get a pigtail which fastens behind one of the bolts - this giving you a proper 'connection.' If the ball is removable have a good look around the fitting and at the actual towbar and you may
find a loop onto which you hook the cable.In some European countries - notably the Netherlands - looping a break-away cable around the towball is not acceptable - it must have a fixed attachment. There are stories of the Dutch police sitting outside Europort and pulling UK outfits
for an on-the-spot fine.Write your comments here... I think you will find that this requirement only applies to residents in the Netherlands and not visitors. However it may be difficult explaining that to a Dutch Police Officer who is trying to extract a €130 fine from you.
0 -
Stopped today (with caravan in tow) by the DVSA at Cherwell Services for a Roadworthiness inspection. Was told that the breakaway cable was incorrectly connected to the towing vehicle... ie looped around the tow ball. This prompted a prohibition notice
to drive the vehicle on public roads and a further inspection of lights, tyres, steering, nose weight and brakes. Fortunately I was one of the good guys and passed the inspection. However the prohibition notice stood until I could demonstrate , and have the
capability of attaching tha cable directly to the car. Fortunately agin I could and I was then issued a prohibition removal notice. The point the DVSA were making is a loop attachment is not legal and voids insurance. There are other issue around fixed/detachable(mine)
toward with regard to suitability of the cable/clip. Perhaps the club could make members aware. Happy to show the PG9 notices0 -
I suspect that you were issued with a PG9 because your towing vehicle was fitted with a designated breakaway attachment point, but you hadn't used it. The latest towbar design regs stipulate that a separate secondary coupling point MUST be built in, but
historically it wasn't a requirement. My detachable tow bar/mount hasn't any means to attach the breakaway cable other than looping around the neck.0 -
I suspect that you were issued with a PG9 because your towing vehicle was fitted with a designated breakaway attachment point, but you hadn't used it. The latest towbar design regs stipulate that a separate secondary coupling point MUST be built in, but
historically it wasn't a requirement. My detachable tow bar/mount hasn't any means to attach the breakaway cable other than looping around the neck.I have to say that GTP's post really has me worried. Mark when you say "latest" regs - when is that effective from? I have a newish VW Touareg (Mar 2015) and the Westfalia swan-neck towbar is an official VW part, was dealer-fitted and doesn't have any
form of attachment point and as far as I can see, there is no means of attaching one. I have been looping the breakaway cable over the towball although when the dealer did the handover, last year, on our van, he did say that arrangement, whilst OK, wasn't
ideal..
0 -
I suspect that you were issued with a PG9 because your towing vehicle was fitted with a designated breakaway attachment point, but you hadn't used it. The latest towbar design regs stipulate that a separate secondary coupling point MUST be built in, but historically it wasn't a requirement. My detachable tow bar/mount hasn't any means to attach the breakaway cable other than looping around the neck.
I have to say that GTP's post really has me worried. Mark when you say "latest" regs - when is that effective from? I have a newish VW Touareg (Mar 2015) and the Westfalia swan-neck towbar is an official VW part, was dealer-fitted and doesn't have any form of attachment point and as far as I can see, there is no means of attaching one. I have been looping the breakaway cable over the towball although when the dealer did the handover, last year, on our van, he did say that arrangement, whilst OK, wasn't ideal.
.
Write your comments here... Richard I didn't think our Q3 westfalia bar had one either but it does. Take a look above the locking knob, probably slightly obscured by the lower valance. Be prepared as I have just done to get on your hands and knees. My husband already has to do this to get to the electrics so it's just one more job whilst he's in that position.
0 -
I go the info from here:
http://www.caravanguard.co.uk/news/essential-guide-caravan-breakaway-cables-7707/
The UN regs it refers to are from 2001, so I guess it's a change in EU agreements to meet them rather than an older EU standard that is 'new'.
As with a lot of these things, I'm guessing the Westfalia bar/mount you have just had fitted (and mine by Brink) passed type approval some time ago and as such are still perfectly legal, just like it is driving an old car with no ABS/airbags etc that are now required to be fitted to new vehicles. If a manufacturer wants to bring a new bar to market, it will have to comply with the 2001 UN regs and have a separate mount point for the breakaway cable/secondary coupling.
I have always thought that looping the breakaway cable around a removable towball was rather daft and had considered fitting an eye of my own to the mounting to fix the cable to/through, but as that wouldn't have been type approved, to use it would in fact be 'illegal'.
The one thing i would say, the above link is very recent, from a popular caravan insurer and clearly endorses that looping the cable IS the correct procedure if no other means exist. Whether your insurance claim for a breakaway incident would be void if you had done so when a separate attachment point existed, I cannot say, but knowing insurance companies I expect they would at least try and place partial liability on you.
0 -
Perhaps if GTP could clarify the situation - was it as suggested by markflip?
0 -
Perhaps if GTP could clarify the situation - was it as suggested by markflip?
Apologies....after posting originally on this 'already started' topic.... I began a new discussion with the relevant title "DVSA issuing illegal breakaway cable notices". This latter discussion has now 4 pages of comments plus Dave, a champion, forwarding
the topic onto the clubs tech team. Please go to that discussion for further comments. Apologies again for confusion.0 -
Thanks
0
