Changing Tow car from 12N & 12S to 13 Pin
Hi,
I need to change the 7 Pin sockets on my car to a 13 pin for the caravan I will pick up next week. I want to replicate what happens with a 2 x 7 pin to 13 pin adaptor thus avoiding the problems associated with 7 pin.
The 12N connections are straight forward but it is with some of the 12S connections I seem to misunderstand.
On the 12S the wire that connects to pin 4 (green- permanent live) should I think connect to pin 9 on the 13 Pin.
On the 12S the wire that connects to pin 6 (fridge) should I think connect to pin 10 on the 13 Pin
However on the 12S I also have pin 2 (battery charge) but it is not clear to me where it should connect on the 13Pin since on the 12S there are 3 12v power supply pins and on the 13 pin socket only 2 (one switched)
Please can anybody tell me what is wrong with my logic? I read loads of posts saying it is straight forward. I also realise that getting it professionally rewired is what some might suggest but I only expect to keep my current tow car for a short while and as I said earlier I am only trying to do what an adaptor would do without buying one.
Comments
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The information you require can be found in the technical section of your Sites Directory & Handbook.
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Highly recommend you buy an adaptor for about £20 that plugs into the two 7 pin sockets on the car and the 13 pin plug on the caravan.
We bought a new caravan last year and rather than change the plugs on the car picked up an adaptor. Every time we pitched our caravan we unplugged the adaptor and usually had a dreadful job aligning the pins in the caravan plug to the socket on the adaptor, (which is the same as the socket you would have if you changed the car). The ring was never in the correct place and eventually I bent a pin and ended up driving back from Cornwall to the midlands with no offside indicator working! We have a plastic tool now that aligns the ring before connecting but leave the adaptor lead on at all times, it sitting underneath the dealer supplied cover for the caravan chassis front in the dry.
I much prefer the two 7 pins plugs as they are a simple push fit rather than the 13 pin that is a connect and twist, has anyone experienced the same problem as we have had?
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I much prefer the two 7 pins plugs as they are a simple push fit rather than the 13 pin that is a connect and twist, has anyone experienced the same problem as we have had?
But the 12N & 12S are cr4p compared with the 13 pin plug/socket. The split brass pins tend to close up reducing the ability to make a proper contact. As for alignment of a 13 pin plug, it does appear that some have problems with it, though I've yet to .... sometimes the two parts spin relative to each other, but it's a simple task to re-align them for use.
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Thanks peegeenine. My membership pack including handbook fortuitously arrived this morning and it does indeed tell me what I need to know.
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Hi Chris
Just the follow the wiring diagram in the handbook, or look online for instructions.
It's dead easy just make a list of wire colours that come from the car electrics, then do the same for the 12n & 12s plugs. Then draw a diagram of where each wire has got to be connected. Or put a piece of masking tape on each wire with the pin number on.
Don't use scotchlock connectors, they are more trouble than they are worth, use crimp on connectors. Double check as you go along.
Use shrink tube over the connectors, use cables ties or good quality installation or loom tape to tidy everything up.
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PS
I bought a pre wired 13 pin socket from my dealer that had black and grey wires in a properly moulded housing. Cost me £18.
Be aware that some pre wired 13 pin sockets only come with 7 core cables!! You will need at least 12 core.
The socket I used was a Maypole part number MP8077B2M this made the job so much easier.
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Chris
From memory, when I had this done, it wasn't quite as simple as it seems because my towcar had to have an additional relay fitted into the wiring loom, so that everything worked on the caravan ok. Maybe worthwhile ringing a towbar fitter to find out?
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I used to have an adapter 13 pin on car to 2 x 7 on caravan. No problems kept it connected to caravan plugs all the time. Everything worked fine. Your the other way round but as you do not intend to keep the car long this may be the simplest route. You could also tow a small trailer which would have a 7 pin plug.
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If your present electrics run all the caravan lights and ancillaries with the two sockets, chances are that you have the relays fitted.
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The presence of words 'seem to misunderstand and 'I think' would suggest that in this instance you are best off getting an adapter.Below is what I saw with a quick look on tinternet.
Towing Adaptor Lead 7 Pin Car 12n/12s Socket To Caravan With 13 Pin Plug Mp-602
£5.99At that price it does not seem worth even trying to DIY!
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Plus the fact that the purchase price of the 13 pin socket and cable will be more than an adapter !
And because your not keeping your current car then it seems a no brainer
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When We changed our van last year we ended up with a 2x7 pin car & a13 pin van! Tried an adaptor but couldn't keep it from dragging on the road. Went to Harland Fletcher in Selby ( nearest towbar fitter at the time) only £60 to convert, but it does depend on the quality of the original work on the 7 pin set up.
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ChrisWoods57,
If you read section one of this instruction leaflet it explains why the new 13 pin euro plug/socket only has two auxiliary supplies i.e. pins 9 & 10.
The older 12n/12s systems before 1st September 1998, the auxiliary system had as you say; three supplies i.e. 2 x ignition switched and 1 x permanent.
Hope this helps to explain things.
Colin
https://caravanchronicles.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/upgrading-to-13-pin.pdf
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If the cable is dragging on the road when using an adaptor just put a loop in the cable around the jockey wheel. When I had 13 pin on car and 2 x 7 on caravan that is what I did with no problems; left adaptor on caravan plugs all the time.
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