What towball and electric to fit
Hi All
need a tow bar on the car bit of advice from your experience would be great.
1, what make - i’m Thinking Witter ?
2, Detatchable swan neck or Detatchable flange ?
3, What electrics single or double plug ?
Looking to get a UK van newer than 2012/13
cheers all hope your all enjoying the sun 👍🍷
Comments
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Unsure if make matters, they should all be tested to EU standards.
In order of cost will probably be:
Fixed flange
Swan neck
Detachable
All depends on your tow car and your views on a fixed one (and your budget)
Our 2010 van has 13 pin which we have never had any trouble with so would suggest that BUT depends what is on any van you buy although that can be converted fairly easily with two cables into 13 pin plug.
IMHO and again depending on car, dedicated wiring is a must as it will ensure the car knows that a trailer is connected and make appropriate adjustments to any reversing sensors, rear fog lamps, trailer stability programme etc.
Make sure you get all pins connected for any ATC that may be fitted, battery charging and fridge.
Should be enjoying the Sun soon...
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As above, but if funds are not really an issue then ask yourself if you want a permanent tow ball or a detachable one. Personally I don't like the towball and electrics showing and spoiling the looks of my car but that is just me. likewise for the electrics, it's a bit of a fiddle to attach but worth it.
I would get double electrics or you won't be able to charge your van's battery and/or use the fridge while towing, we don't but having a full charge on arrival is useful if you have a mover and as above for ATC. May not have those now but think ahead.
As to what make I think they are OK, ours came with the car factory fitted.
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Just to clarify regarding the electrics: newer caravans have the 13 pin plug that works both the external road lights on the caravan and internal electrics to power the fridge when travelling. Older caravans have the two plugs, one powering the external lights, and the other powering the internal electrics. What you get fitted partly depends on the age of the caravan you buy. We originally had the two sockets fitted to work with our 2008 Abbey Gts. We then bought a 2015 Swift Challenger with the 13 pin plug. We got an adapter lead that has worked well enough, but have recently changed our car and will be getting a tow bar and 13 pin electrics fitted next week. OH chose to get a fixed tow bar (swan neck) because he never got around to taking the old one off. He doesn't bother about how it looks.
I can't comment on which 5 berth caravan to go for as we only have a 2 berth, however there can be a lot of pitfalls to look out for if you buy privately. No doubt someone will be able to enlighten you with some advice on that.
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By the way, when we first got a caravan we had a Witter tow bar fitted. We got to the dealer to pick up our caravan and found it had the wrong ball on it to work with the Alko gear on the caravan. Fortunately the caravan dealer was able to change it to a compatible one for us on the spot. Just be careful.
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If you intend to buy a 2012/13 or newer UK built caravan, it will have 13 pin electrics fitted as standard. If your towcar still has manufacturer's warranty you would be well advised to have dedicated 13 pin electrics fitted with your towbar to protect any outstanding warranty on the vehicle.
The caravan will probably have either an Alko or Winterhoff tow hitch which requires a flange or fixed extended towball. The flange towball can be fixed or removable. If your towcar has rear parking sensors, these will probably be affected by a fixed towbar
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Just had a Witter fitted at our home by Towbar Express. They gave excellent advice and good value (I'm not on commission, honest). If you use sites with hook-up you only really need the single electrics. Hook up at home a couple days before your trip to get the fridge nice and cool and ensure your battery's charged for the mover (if you have one) then flick the fridge to 12v for the journey.There are so many sites with hook-ups these days, plus solar panels, and your friendly farmer will charge your battery (for a modest fee) I really don't think double-electrics are worth the extra money. I have a fixed swan neck by the way (the car I mean, not me personally!)
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I may be wrong but the fridge won't work with single electrics for the journey? Even if it did it will drain the van's battery?
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yes on my Thetford fridge the 12V will only work when the car's engine is running.
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The old type single electrics wouldn’t normally power the fridge or the van's reversing lights so double (two socket) electrics were needed. These days people are tending to call the 13 pin socket single electrics even though the 13 pin replaces the old style double plug/socket.
Without having the old double, or the new style 13 pin plug & socket, the fridge will not cool on the move and reversing lights on the van will not work.
The leisure battery doesn’t normally power the cooling element of the fridge, only the control panel and, maybe, the fridge's internal light. Flicking the switch for the fridge to 12v enables the fridge to run from the vehicle battery once the engine is running and not from the leisure battery. In order for the fridge to run from the vehicle battery, the necessary wiring connection needs to be in place - either the old double/twin socket or the newer 13 pin connector.
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you're far more knowledgeable than me TW but even with the newer 13 pin socket I had to have an addition (labelled supplemental) wiring harness installed to enable the 12V feed for charger and fridge.
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Not such excellent advice as far as I can see. Apart from not powering the fridge and leisure battery charging en route, as other people have pointed out how are your reversing lights powered if you only have a 12n socket. Assuming your van has reversing lights which have been fitted for many years now, it is a legal requirement that they work.
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Thanks, Corners
.As I understand it, most modern vehicles need a supplementary kit to match British caravan wiring requirements to those of the computerised electronics of the towing vehicle.
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OK guys let's simplify this. A 2012 caravan will come with a 13 pin socket so why bother with anything except a 13 pin socket on the car. Type of hook (detaceable, swan neck or fixed) depends on OP's preferences and budget. All towbars sold in UK have to meet EU spec so again choice is up to OP. If you get a dedicated wiring it should power up all, but do check with fitter. I have a VW Tiguan with dedicated wiring and everything works. I sometimes tow a trailor so have an adaptor to allow 7pin on trailor to fit 13 pin on car. .Before a trip I put the fridge on mains for 24 hours to cool it down (and charge battery up); the fridge will only work on 12v if the car is running. Robidoo, it really is quite simple so please do not get confused. I had my towbar fitted by a local fitter and am very satisfied with quality and price.
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Actually, I think we have explained things quite simply, Comey.
One poster seemed to have been given less than ideal info and I think we've explained the situation for him as well as the OP.
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Worth noting that although all tow-bars have to meet EU standards - there are sizing differences among the various manufacturers - so I personally wouldn't just assume that all tow bars will fit your tow car with the intention of towing a caravan.
Audi's factory fit detachable swan neck for example is a Westfalia bar which doesn't give enough clearance off the rear bumper on A4 S-Line models for the Alko hitch. We went for a detachable swan neck from Tow-Trust that had a longer reach. Our electrics were installed by Audi so cant comment on those - but lead to believe there is some coding to be done for the ESP, Parking Sensors etcs.
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Our Kia fitted electrics automatically shuts off the rear parking sensors when plugged in. Clever!
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