Caravan/Car hookup
The lead between the caravan and the car has always been a bit long, have to wedge it under handbrake to stop it trailing down, unfortunately this time it broke loose and ran along the ground down the motorway. When I pulled into the services there was only one strand of wire still connected. Did a temporary repair at the roadside (gaffer tape and leatherman are so wonderful!).
That will get us home. I now need to replace the lead with one a more appropriate size. Is this a big job? Where does the lead connect to the caravan electrics, can I buy the lead with an attached connector or will I have to buy the wire and redo the connector too?
Electrics don’t frighten me just don’t know where the cable connects to the van. Any advice appreciated.
Caravan is a coachman laser 640.
Comments
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I don't know what caravan you have but it was a simple if fiddly job on my Sterling Eccles. I've done mine twice, once when a cable was slightly frayed and later when I changed car I swapped to a single lead instead of the original two.
The lead goes along the chassis under the hitch and up through a hole in the van floor under the chest of drawers between the front seats. It then separates out to plug into connectors. If you are happy doing car style crimp on terminals it's straightforward as its all colour coded. The multi plug to the car is the hardest part as you don't have a lot of room.
Make sure you get good quality cable as some sellers idea of heavy duty is not mine. Get the biggest size of individual wires you can find.
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IIRC the cable on my Laser 620/4 Coachman goes up through the floor and into a rats nest of wiring into the back of the consumer unit/fuse box.
I'd be tempted to cut the cable under the 'van & use a water proof junction box to join a new length of cable.
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Try this, the cable probably has enough spare length to avoid replacing. follow it under the van and unclip it all the way back to where it goes into the van, removing tape if you need to. There is usually comfortably enough length to get the length you need at the front.
Fix the length you need at the front and find a nice route under the van, get some appropriate screw type cable P clips and fix it under the van. Screwfix or similar do a range. If you are like me use twice as many as you actually need.
The cable is usually routed around the front and side of the van as it is supplied in a loom but there is no reason to leave it joined to the other cables. Once you straighten out the corner you should have enough length.
Once refitted then replace any tape areas where you have removed it and you may need some small clips to support the cables that were taped to the hookup cable. Rewire the connector plug at the front.
Far easier than jointing the whole thing in the front locker (method 2).
Put a bungee loop over the jockey wheel column and thread the plug and cable through it to avoid it happening again.
Don't ask how I know this but welcome to the club!
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Thank you all for your responses it’s given me much to think about. I have checked and there is insufficient slack in the cable. I have managed to chase through the cable and it comes up the floor into the main distribution unit into the spaghetti of wires that reside there.
My current plan is to cut the cable under the van and pull the cable back up inside. Then to feed a new cable through the same hole and join the two cables using a 16amp connection strip. The connection strip will then be inside the van hidden under the spaghetti cover, so I shouldn’t have to bother with waterproofing if it was under the van.
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This is exactly what I did when I knackered my 12N cable. B&Q sell a range of inexpensive junction boxes and sealing glands under the Diall brand. That, and a length of terminal block, did the trick (tip - feed the cable through the gland BEFORE you connect the wires to the terminal strip...)
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