i have noticed that the approved method of attaching a breakaway cable is (in the absence of a dedicated connecting point) to loop it round the tow ball stem and clip it back on itself.Now that is all well and good if the caravan becomes detached from the tow ball the breakaway cable would apply the caravan brakes,BUT what if the actual towball snapped or became detached from the towbar frame....the caravan would be loose with no brakes and could sail acrossthe road into incoming traffic.Surely the safest and most secure place to place the cable would be to loop it through the actual towbar itself,which is less likely to become detached.Iknow it may never happen but best be safe than sorry.
Never seen a snapped towball, They will deform quite badly without snapping. It would have to be seriously damaged to fail.
Its not am approved method to loop over the towball, its just something people did before the loops started coming attached to the towbar frame. And before the small rings were widely available.
Not ideal but better than nothing approach.
Its would be more common for the cable to fail than anything on the towbar or towball.
Cables fray and rust and so does the clasp/buckle.
Quote: Originally posted by Grampian91 on 19/7/2017
Its not am approved method to loop over the towball, its just something people did before the loops started coming attached to the towbar frame. And before the small rings were widely available.
Hi
I have a D Hook in the middle of the sockets on the Land Rover.
Which is a full recovery welded hook, i manage to loop my cable there, but must admit, could do with a longer cable to be honest. It does not apply when towing, but not much slack either.
As for around the towball, they recommend you put a hook of some sort to connect the cable rather than around the tow ball. It should be independant fastening.
Some VOSA / Traffic cops will caution you for it, others wont say anything, think there was a debate on here about it some time back.
The way a towball is manufactured is impossible to snap merely because it is forged into shape and not machined from a solid piece of steel. What this means is the complete towball is heated to extreme temperature and then hammered into shape via a die otherwise known as a press which the grain is compressed and contoured respectively into shape. Under extreme stress testing the ball will bend but won't snap which is exactly the same way a an industrial lifting hook is manufactured for safety reasons which needes no explanation as to why it's made this way. On my towbar flange there is a 10mm. hole to which I have bolted on a high tensile stainless steel marine bow shackle with spacing washers and does the job perfectly allowing to pass the breakaway cable through and linking it back on to the corresponding cable.
The link below is for just for illustration purposes only.
THIS IS THE LAW
UK law requires that all trailers with brakes
built on or after 1st October 1982 (e.g. caravans, horse
boxes, flat bed car trailers etc.) are fitted with a safety
device to provide protection in the unlikely event of
the separation of the main coupling while in motion.
A device referred to as a “breakaway cable” fulfils
this requirement and when fitted to a trailer its use is
mandatory.
Trailer and/or towbar manufacturers should supply
advice on the correct use of these cables. In the
absence of such information, the following guidance
should be noted.
Purpose of a Breakaway Cable
To apply a trailer’s brakes if it becomes separated from
its towing vehicle. Having done this, the cable
assembly is designed to part, allowing the trailer to
come to a halt away from the towing vehicle.
Construction
Usually a thin steel cable, possibly plastic coated,
and fitted with a means of attachment for connection
to the towing vehicle.
Operation
In the event of the main coupling of the trailer
separating from the towing vehicle, the cable should
be able to pull tight, without any hindrance,
engaging the trailer’s brakes.
Note: The breakaway cable should never
become taut during normal use.
THIS ADVICE DOES NOT APPLY TO UNBRAKED
TRAILERS UP TO 750kg GVW which are required by
law to have the use of a SECONDARY COUPLING.
A secondary coupling should keep the trailer
ATTACHED to its towing vehicle even if its main
coupling becomes separated.
According to this month C and CC mag,you can loop it round the ball if there is no other fitting.
Spring clip fasteners loop around and clip on the cable,carabiner type should hook directly onto car.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
I've never known a breakaway cable actually activate the brakes before it snaps or the clip gives up anyway.Used to get through a few each season on marquees as a result of inexperienced people "unhooking" trailers.
I have heard that it is illegal to wrap the break away cable around the neck u must anchor it to a point.!! It can get u 3 points.. not sure if it is true.!!
Quote: Originally posted by Jonsey 01 on 22/7/2017
I have heard that it is illegal to wrap the break away cable around the neck u must anchor it to a point.!! It can get u 3 points.. not sure if it is true.!!
Then you have posted without looking at any of the above posts.
The thing that puzzles me is that the jockey wheel is always stowed so it is going to steer the caravan to the offside right into the path of oncoming traffic.
How simple would it be to put it on the other side of the A frame
Quote: Originally posted by Jonsey 01 on 22/7/2017
I have heard that it is illegal to wrap the break away cable around the neck u must anchor it to a point.!! It can get u 3 points.. not sure if it is true.!!
Quote: Originally posted by navver on 22/7/2017
The thing that puzzles me is that the jockey wheel is always stowed so it is going to steer the caravan to the offside right into the path of oncoming traffic.
How simple would it be to put it on the other side of the A frame
My cable comes out at the middle.
And before the wheel would hit the ground the ball area would have grounded.
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Topic: caravan breakaway cable
