Break away cable problem
I have a ford Kuga 66 plate fitted with Fords recommended detachable towbar and a 2018 Compass Kensington. Break away cable with caribeno end fits onto towbar eye lug on very solid peace of towbar. Unfortunately its tucked very high up and unless I get on my back it is proving very difficult to attach and de attach. Also on de attaching an extremely hot exhaust makes it even more fun. I feel confident that this is the best place to connect the break away cable but is there anybody that has been able to purchase anything or safely adapt this and therefore make it easier.
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There was a thread a bit back where the Dutch police were insisting the cable should be looped through another carabiner attached to the eye lug. Could you not purchase a suitably rated carabiner and do this. I would think it easier to loop through rather than attach to the eye, if it is in a difficult position.
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With care, and done properly, it is possible just to loop cable around tow ball and attach making a loop. See below
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/advice-and-training/technical-advice/breakaway-cables/
You need to assess which is safest and easiest for you. Hitch on towball should not interfere with cable, nor should it be either too tight, or slack enough to trail on ground.
Edit: if towing overseas, you need to check out any restrictions.
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Never had a detachable ET, but a good point.
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Thanks for your replies. As suggested by Steve L I also wondered if I could buy a second caribena clip and attach this to the fixing point on towbar. I could then fasten my break away cable caribena directly onto the second cariben that would be permanently fixed to the towbar. Unsure if this would be safe or legal to do? I don't think Alko make an attachment for such a purpose. Does anyone know if there is a purpose made one on the market?
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Unless your towbar as a dedicated fixing point, it is advisable to loop around the towball. had a westfalia detachable fitted to my GC and chester trailers and towbars said to wrap around towball. why would people think that its different from a fixed towball as if strong enough to tow a caravan then strong enough to take breakaway cable.
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This <BREAKAWAY LINK> is the thread SteveL was referring to I believe, there is a photo what the Dutch inspectorate fitted as suitable for the breakaway cable to pass through. Looks to be the heavier duty carabiner and not the flat spring device.
If it is something to allow pass through and loop, then any substantial carabiner will do, even those with thread closure.
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why would people think that its different from a fixed towball as if strong enough to tow a caravan then strong enough to take breakaway cable.
It is - until the detachable towball falls off . . ! Which is one of the reasons for having a break-away cable.
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Never had nor wanted a detatchable towbar Lorna. The reason that I would not want to loop a breakaway cable over a detatchable ball is simple. I read of caravans coming off the hook; I read of detatchable tow balls becoming detatched but I have never read of a bolted tow ball coming unbolted. It is nothing to do with the strength of detatchable kit.
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I have a similar problem as we have a detachable tow ball and as there is no attachment point for the cable so over the tow ball it goes.
How often do detachable tow bars actually detach during towing?
I have tried to find how many detachable tow ball fail during towing, I have only come across literally two reported incidents on the internet and nothing 'official' Funnily enough both of these happened when going downhill?
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lol
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There seem to have been enough towbars falling off Land Rovers for them to have done a recall. I suspect user error in fitting them plays a big part. One can buy an after-market fitment to bolt a plate under the detachable tow ball for those who worry.
The concern seems to have been about the socket in the chassis rather than the tow ball fitment itself.
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the tow balls are all the same size wether detachable or fixed so if hitch comes of then the question should be who did the attaching in the first place. the hitch doesn't know the difference and the same can be said of who fixed the towball to the towbar. EasyT. I worked for a hire company and a driver of a transit towing a mini digger on a trailer and the fixed towball snapped just under the ball at the neck so anything can happen when towing.
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Indeed anything can happen. Not really the point though is it? The breakaway cable is there for when a trailer becomes detatched. I have seen this happen on two occasions and read about many more. If the break away cable is around the towball, whether fixed or detatchable (or an alternative dedicated point), the brakes should operate.
If the detatchable towball detatches and is a fix point for cable then there are no brakes. There has been problems reported with some detatchables coming adrift. Whether user error or not is unimportant to me personally.
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Bluenumber, you should be able to get a 30 kN screw-gate carabiner, which locks over the spring clip, from a reputable rock climbing shop, which you can then attach as a permanent fitting to your towball's lug, and then clip the breakaway cable to that.
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I have used a D shackle on hard to get to fixed points. The loading required for a breakaway cable to actuate is tiny compared to the rating of anything above 5mm diameter bar and get a stainless one. Use an appropriate size so it protrudes from the towbar.
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Thanks Nellie and Phishing I will find a suitable caribiner as you suggest. That would make life much easier. Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.
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